Mandatory Interviews for Green Card applicants (August 2025) ?

[spicynujac 79]

USCIS tightens green card rules for marriage-based cases, adds mandatory interviews

 

The USCIS has introduced new rules for marriage-based green card applications, effective from August 1, 2025. These changes apply to both pending and new petitions, as outlined in the 'Family-Based Immigrants' section of the USCIS Policy Manual.

This includes mandatory in-person interviews for couples applying for a green card through marriage.

 

Anyone know more about these changes?  Sounds pretty nuts.  Then again, I have found the accuracy of MSN news items that pop up on my screen to be very far from accurate...

I suspect there is some exaggeration here...  they aren't really requiring all immigrant couples to attend a government interview are they?

 

This article suggests immigration agents can make surprise visits to your house "especially" (but not only?) if you're married less than 2 years.

US Green Card Process Gets Strict for Married Couples: New Immigration Rules Explained

 

Additionally, USCIS has broadened its ability to conduct unannounced home visits, especially for marriages under two years, to verify the relationship's legitimacy and combat fraud.

 

I know marriage fraud goes on all the time.  And perhaps this can catch some of it.  But it's gotta be unnerving for the vast majority of us doing things above board.  Unannounced home visits by federal agents as a routine policy is not something I had on my bingo card for 2025.

I would expect we will have more fee increases soon to pay for all these extra bureaucratic processes.

 

Sure glad we have our green card and have passed the 2 year mark!

[Crazy Cat 44,719]

59 minutes ago, spicynujac said:

they aren't really requiring all immigrant couples to attend a government interview are they?

1.  It just means people who apply for Adjustment of Status based on marriage will have an interview.  All I-485 applicants have always been subject to possibly having to attend an interview.

2.  USCIS has always had the option to conduct in-home visits of applicants.  It happens often (especially if they suspect fraud).  

 

Notice that it says "pending and new...".  It means I-485s.  It means more scrutiny for people who have pending I-485s.

 

I don't see this as a big deal.

 

 

Edited yesterday at 12:06 AM by Crazy Cat

[Crazy Cat 44,719]

26 minutes ago, spicynujac said:

they aren't really requiring all immigrant couples to attend a government interview are they?

Where does it say that? 

[Boiler 47,564]

To be clear this used to be how it worked there was no such thing as not being interviewed, we are just back to normal.

[Edward and Jaycel 2,003]

SO clicking on that link.... The first paragraph has this:

 

New rules mandate in-person interviews for all applicants, regardless of documentation, and these interviews are now longer and more detailed, probing personal aspects of the relationship. Couples face increased documentation requirements, needing extensive proof like joint bank statements and travel histories.

So, "extensive proof like joint bank statements and travel histories" - This has always been the preferred proof of marital evidence. And during the time of the interview waivers, the way you got a waiver was to submit strong evidence like this. This is just USCIS reiterating what is needed for proof of marital bona fides. I don't understand why this article is making this out to be such a huge deal. Ugh... this is clickbait at its best

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Edward and Jaycel 2,003]

And according to the Officer that conducted mine and Jaycel's interview, interviews for marriage based interviews have been mandatory for all applicants since February. Like someone posted above, this used to be the norm and waivers were either non-existent or at best a super rarity. 

[JaredShadkin 70]

A non-news item. Re-hashing policy thats been in place for years (although sidelined for some during COVID).