The marriage-based green card interview is the most consequential meeting in most spousal immigration cases. The officer is looking for confidence the marriage is real, the timeline is consistent, and both spouses are prepared.
This free checklist, prepared by Passage Immigration Law attorneys, is the same framework we use to prep our clients for the marriage-based adjustment of status interview. It covers what to bring, what the officer is likely to ask, and the documents that show the marriage is bona fide.
What’s inside the Marriage Green Card Interview Checklist
- The original documents to bring on interview day — passports, I-94s, birth certificates, marriage certificate, divorce decrees if either spouse was previously married
- Bona fide marriage evidence — joint financial accounts, joint lease or mortgage, joint utility bills, photos covering the relationship, affidavits from people who know the couple, travel together, insurance, taxes filed jointly
- Common interview questions and how to think about your answers without rehearsing
- Red flags officers look for and how to address them in your evidence packet
- What to do if interview day brings surprises — separate interviews (Stokes), a request to come back with more evidence, or an officer who seems skeptical
Free Download
Marriage Green Card Interview Checklist
Attorney-prepared, with the document list and interview prep we use with clients. Helpful for any couple preparing for an I-130 / I-485 marriage-based adjustment of status interview.
Who should download this checklist
- Couples with an upcoming marriage-based adjustment of status interview
- U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents petitioning for a spouse
- Couples whose I-130 / I-485 was filed without an attorney and who want a sanity check before the interview
- Anyone who has been told their case “needs more evidence” and wants to understand what officers actually want to see
How we prep our marriage-based clients
Every marriage-based adjustment case at Passage Immigration Law goes through pre-interview prep before we send a client into the interview. We review the bona fide marriage evidence in advance, organize the original documents into a binder, and walk through the kinds of questions officers ask so the client is comfortable, not memorized. The interview becomes a conversation rather than a test.
This checklist is the document side of that prep. If you want help with the prep itself, you can request a consultation with our team.
Related reading
- Family Immigration Services
- Preparing for the Marriage Green Card Interview
- Required Documents for the Marriage Green Card
- Marriage Green Card Explained
- All Free Immigration Guides
Get the Free Marriage Green Card Interview Checklist
Original document list, bona fide marriage evidence framework, and interview prep — written by Passage Immigration Law attorneys.