Sample Spouse Visa Interview Questions
Over the decades while helping couples achieve their dreams of spending lives together in the USA, after the interview is over, I always ask the couple to tell me about what their experience at the consulate was like. And I always ask what were the questions that were asked.
As time has gone by, this has allowed me to compile a detailed and accurate list of sample questions that are actually asked.
I use these to prepare VisaCoach couples for their interviews.
And now, you can review these too.
But first, lets review the basics.
If you are the foreign born spouse of an American Citizen or a Lawful Permanent Resident, the final step before your visa is granted, before you can start your new life in America will be an interview at the US consulate.
There the officer asks questions about you and your spouse.
You must convince him, that you have an honest and genuine relationship. Only then, will he approve your visa.
The official is tasked to look for fraud. This is the last hurdle before the visa is issued and the last chance for US immigration to catch any irregularities that were not spotted before.
He plans to determine whether in “his opinion”, you are of good moral character, and if the relationship is genuine.
He is seeking to trip you up to catch “sham marriages” by couples who fraudulently marry solely for the purpose of obtaining entry to the USA.
During the interview it is ESSENTIAL you are calm and poised. That you don’t stumble over your answers, or take too long to answer, or give too many “maybe” or “i don’t know” responses.
There should not be any question the consular officer may ask that surprises or finds you unprepared to answer.
Here are some of the questions that might be asked at YOUR interview.
These questions should provide you plenty to talk about with your fiance and provide you the opportunity to get to know him or her much better.
I like to call this playing “Relationship Trivial Pursuit”
The interview is a stressful time. The way to minimize the stress is by preparation. Not only to prepare for the interview itself, but to prepare at the start of the process.
Prepare EARLY by hiring VisaCoach to guide you safely through this journey.
Normally VisaCoach clients have a very short interview: 3 to 5 minutes only, with only a very few easy questions asked. This is due to the high standard that VisaCoach applies to preparing for you a “front loaded” application, The VisaCoach “front loaded” application anticipates what red flags the consulate officer might find, then answers them positively using your evidences and photos.
First we make a good “first impression” that satisfys the officers doubts and suspicions, then the interview starts, leaving only a few of the friendlier, easier questions to be asked and “your visa is approved, welcome to the USA”
If your application was not crafted to VisaCoach’s high standards, expect to have a less pleasant interview.
The weaker your original petition, expect more questions, tougher questions and a longer interview. Hopefully things may not be so bad as to turn from interview into interrogation, but that has happened.
Especially if a poorly prepared petition, reveals red flags and raises more questions than it properly answers.
This is when couples who prepared their own petitions, or hired budget”form filling” services, really get into trouble.
By Fred Wahl
the VisaCoach