Many different types of US visas will require you to attend an interview. These can be an extremely stressful process for the individual as there is a lot riding on it and much power placed in the hands of the interviewer. There are several dos and don’ts to immigration interview questions that will help you to be prepared, ace your interview and land your visa.

Be prepared to answer all kinds of personal questions about the nature of your relationship with your spouse and details about them and yourself. It is not nice to have to reveal to a stranger the color of your spouse’s underwear, but they are merely trying to ascertain that your relationship is genuine and continuing. You should be prepared to answer inquiries about where and when you met, how long you have been in the relationship, about the wedding, your spouse’s likes and dislikes and things that you do together.

Sometimes the officers will interview you both separately and then collate the answers to ensure they match. Even in a genuine relationship you do not always know everything about the other person so make sure you practice your responses together and know things like their favorite food, places, color, song etc.

You should know about your partner’s financial status and any assets they have. Be able to tell them the kind of car they drive and how much the house repayments are. Know about credit cards, loans and debts. Be prepared to describe their residence – things like the color of the flooring and walls, the furniture, adornments, layout of the house and so on.

Before the interview you should gather evidence in written form of your relationship. This can include joint bank accounts, phone and electricity bills in both names or with the same address, details about joint membership of clubs and associations, invitations with both of you listed, photos at parties and social occasions.

Do have friends or family that are US citizens who will vouch for your relationship in written form. Bring along these notarized statements and copies to the interview. On top of this you should also be able to tell the immigration officers about your spouse’s family including their brothers’, sisters’ and parents names, occupations, where they live how many kids the siblings might have and so on.

Make sure you arrive on time to the interview with all the required forms, identification and copies. You should be dressed neat and tidy for the interview as it will create a much better impression and show that you are serious about the interview process.

Never joke around with an interviewer about sensitive subjects such as drug smuggling, illegal immigration, marriages of convenience or terrorism. They will not take them well and it will only cause problems for your visa. Although questions might be offensive or overly personal do not become defensive or get a bad attitude towards the interviewer, they are testing you to see how you respond. Make sure you are completely honest as they are trained in body language and know all the tricks.

If you don’t understand a question then don’t answer it until you understand clearly what they are asking. If English is not your first language or you are worried about your English level, it is perfectly ok to take an interpreter with you.

An immigration interview is an important part in the visa process, so by preparing well for it and answer all questions truthfully you should not experience any problems.

There are several dos and don’ts to immigration interview questions that will help you to be totally prepared, ace your interview and land your visa. Find out all you need to know about the green card interview now!