Preparing for your USCIS interview

A USCIS interview is shorter than most clients fear and longer than most clients prepare for. The officer has your entire file in front of them. Their job is to confirm the facts, look for inconsistencies, and decide.

The basics

• Arrive 30 minutes early. Bring the interview notice, government ID, and original supporting documents.
• Dress respectfully but not formally. Business casual is fine.
• Bring an interpreter only if your interview notice authorizes one. The interpreter must be a fluent adult who is not a witness or party.
• Bring your attorney if you have retained one. We attend every interview at the McAllen field office for our clients.

What the officer will ask

In a marriage-based case, expect questions about how you met, the date of the wedding, where you live, who pays which bills, what your bedroom looks like, and what you did last weekend. The officer is testing whether the marriage is real.

In a naturalization interview, expect the civics test (10 questions, you need 6 right), an English reading and writing sample, and questions about your N-400 application: trips outside the U.S., taxes, traffic tickets, and any past arrests.

What to bring

• Updated joint financial records since filing (bank statements, tax returns, leases)
• New photos showing life together
• Birth certificates of any children born after filing
• Updated employment letters or pay stubs
• Any change-of-address records

If something goes wrong

Officers sometimes issue a Request for Evidence (RFE) instead of a decision. That is not a denial. We respond on time, and most cases approve on the response. If a denial does come, we evaluate appeal or refile - do not give up.