Spouse visa interview

[u05dmc2 0]

Hello VJ People,

My wife and I have our interview coming up, and some questions I would appreciate some guidance on are "Why did you get married?" "Where's the ring" "Why don't you have any photos"

We have been together for 10 years (9 before we got married). We are obviously in a genuine relationship, however a big factor in our decision to get married was the US green card. We went to the registry office Sept 16th and traveled to the US in early November. None of our family members where at the wedding and there were no rings or photos.

Is it appropriate to say we got married for legal reasons and financial security? And that we wanted it to be private?

Thanks in advance.

[Ryan H 3,796]

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**Moderator hat off**

OP, the only appropriate way to answer a CO's question is truthfully.

Speaking from the mindset of a skeptical CO, what kind of evidence do you have to support your statement, "we are obviously in a genuine relationship." Your word alone will be insufficient and if a CO thinks otherwise, they will refuse the visa. I will grant that many other people who have posted on here that the Embassy in London is considered "low fraud" and interviews aren't as tough compared to Lagos, Accra, or Casablanca. However, that doesn't mean it will be a piece of cake either (i.e. you must be well prepared).

Edited September 20, 2015 by Ryan H

[pushbrk 12,247]

Hello VJ People,

My wife and I have our interview coming up, and some questions I would appreciate some guidance on are "Why did you get married?" "Where's the ring" "Why don't you have any photos"

We have been together for 10 years (9 before we got married). We are obviously in a genuine relationship, however a big factor in our decision to get married was the US green card. We went to the registry office Sept 16th and traveled to the US in early November. None of our family members where at the wedding and there were no rings or photos.

Is it appropriate to say we got married for legal reasons and financial security? And that we wanted it to be private?

Thanks in advance.

It's not clear to me what sort of interview this is. Is it for a visa? CR1 it would be, not K3 as indicated in your profile? If so, it is the foreigner's interview, not "our" interview. OR, are is this an adjustment of status case, where the couple is interviewed?

If you are together now, take some photos. If not, provide as much evidence of the time you've spent together in person, as you can, passport stamps travel receipts etc. and examples of how and how frequently you communicate when you are NOT together. If it is indeed, a genuine relationship, there are probably reasons in addition to or more specific than the ones you state. Do not presume anybody will consider it obvious your relationship is bona fide. Provide evidence and prepare to answer questions truthfully.

[u05dmc2 0]

The interview is for adjustment of status based on marriage. The supporting evidence is mostly photographs going back ten years of us being together and our rental agreements. We also have a joint bank account open in the UK.

We will of course answer our questions truthfully, however when they ask "Why did you decide to get married?" I'm guessing it would be silly to mention that it would help us in moving to he US?

[Ryan H 3,796]

***Moved from IR-1/CR-1 Process & Procedures to Adjustment of Status from Work, Student, & Tourist Visas forum.***

**Moderator hat off**

OP, I modified my previous post (modifications in red) as it now applies to your present set of circumstances:

OP, the only appropriate way to answer a USCIS officer's question is truthfully.

Speaking from the mindset of a USCIS officer who may be skeptical, what kind of evidence do you have to support your statement, "we are obviously in a genuine relationship." Your word alone will be insufficient and without evidence to support your word, the officer could conclude the marriage was only for immigration purposes and deny the AOS application. An AOS interview will not be a piece of cake, especially if it's a Stokes Interview, therefore, you must be well prepared.

[Billett 14]

Why did you get married? When I ask this question to my husband his answe is: because I fall in love with you! That's the natural answer in a real relationship, you might still have time to get the rings and for personal experience my husband and I didn't have a wedding neither we got married in the courthouse, no family members, we didn't have money for a wedding and we told our family we got married 5 months later, when they found out my husband parents made a reunion to celebrate our marriage so I have pictures of that day. If your relationship is real the answers will come out easy.

[Brian and Talitha 2]

you just need to change your point of view, you are getting married because you love each other, the consequence of it is getting permission to live in the same country, focus on that. A bona fide marriage is a marriage for love reasons and not immigration ones, if you say in the interview that you got married for anything but love you might get in trouble. And relax, you do love each other, nothing to fear.

About the wedding, I did not have one either.

[pushbrk 12,247]

you just need to change your point of view, you are getting married because you love each other, the consequence of it is getting permission to live in the same country, focus on that. A bona fide marriage is a marriage for love reasons and not immigration ones, if you say in the interview that you got married for anything but love you might get in trouble. And relax, you do love each other, nothing to fear.

About the wedding, I did not have one either.

We must recognize that not all couples marry for love, or may love very much and not really believe in or highly value marriage. In either situation, to say they married for love, would not be true, even if they do love each other. What they need is a truthful answer that does not sound like the marriage was entered into, ONLY to obtain an immigration benefit for the foreigner.

People in many companies enter into long term bona fide relationships that do not include marriage. When some of those same people happen not to be authorized to live in the same country, they "marry" anyway so that they can live together legally and both be authorized to work. How much of this applies to the OP, I wouldn't speculate. I'm just giving examples.

[Brian and Talitha 2]

We must recognize that not all couples marry for love, or may love very much and not really believe in or highly value marriage. In either situation, to say they married for love, would not be true, even if they do love each other. What they need is a truthful answer that does not sound like the marriage was entered into, ONLY to obtain an immigration benefit for the foreigner.

People in many companies enter into long term bona fide relationships that do not include marriage. When some of those same people happen not to be authorized to live in the same country, they "marry" anyway so that they can live together legally and both be authorized to work. How much of this applies to the OP, I wouldn't speculate. I'm just giving examples.

Got you - I somehow misread the definition before. I'm glad I was wrong. It makes way more sense to me that people who are on love but don't really "need a marriage" certificate can be honest and tell the immigration they love each other but have AOS as the main reason to be legally married.

But still, my friend was pregnant during her interview and the officer gave her husband a hard time when he said "her friend told me we needed to get married to adjust her status" apparently officer raise an eyebrown and ask the husband "So, did you decide to get married just because she needed legal status?" And he then explained that actually they were already engaged when he found out they needed to get married to be legal - but it might have been just this officer.