Top Mistakes Applicants Make at Adjustment of Status Interview

Forgetting documents, saying too much, lying, and other issues can all create problems during the final phase of applying for your U.S. green card: attending an adjustment of status interview at a USCIS office.

By , J.D. · University of Washington School of Law

If you're applying for adjustment of status in order to get a green card in the United States, you'll most likely need to appear for an interview at an office of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). This will be scheduled several weeks or months after you've submitted the adjustment of status application (Form I-485). And if you submitted a family-based petition (Form I-130 or I-360) and the application for adjustment of status together, USCIS will decide both applications at the same time (but with the same wait for an interview date, which can be a year or more).

Although receiving the USCIS interview notice is exciting, attending the interview itself can be stressful. Because so much is at stake, it is easy to make simple mistakes, in particular:

  • mistakes regarding what you bring along to the interview
  • over-optimism about your ability to speak English without an interpreter, and
  • mistakes regarding what you say and do during the interview.

Fortunately, most mistakes can be remedied; but not all. This article will discuss how to avoid common mistakes and successfully take this final step toward approval for U.S. lawful permanent or conditional residence.

Failing to Bring the Right Things to the USCIS Interview

If you do not bring all the documents or other items necessary (as detailed below), the USCIS officer who interviews you might not be able to make a decision on your case that day. This can cause a delay of weeks or even months, as you will probably be asked to submit follow-up materials by mail. After that, the USCIS officer must take the time to reopen and get reacquainted with your file, decide whether to ask for even more materials, and so on.

Forgetting to Bring Original Documents to Support the Application

When you filed your application for adjustment, you should have submitted lots of documentation to USCIS—in the form of copies. Applicants often forget that copies are not solid proof of anything. They can be forged or tampered with, so as to show a birth, marriage, or clean criminal record that perhaps doesn't reflect the truth.

USCIS wants the chance to inspect your original documents, at your interview. Unless you remember to bring your original passport, birth certificate, marriage and divorce certificates (as applicable), and any criminal records, the USCIS officer will probably not be able to approve your case that day.

Forgetting to Bring Documents Showing Changes in Your Life Situation

If anything in your life has changed in recent months and is relevant to your adjustment of status application—whether it helps it or hurts it—you will need to bring documents showing that fact (both originals and copies for the USCIS file).

Of course, if the change is something that hurts your application, such as a recent arrest, you will also want to consult a lawyer and bring additional documents overcoming the damage, if possible. Some applicants conveniently "forget" to bring such items, hoping that USCIS won't ask about them—but you could risk your green card being later revoked if you hide a material fact. Or, you might never be able to safely apply for U.S. citizenship, knowing that the review of your file conducted at that time could lead to discovery of the lie, and your deportation.

If you have recently started a new job or changed your job, you will definitely want to bring pay stubs or W-2 forms to prove that you are employed. You can also obtain a letter from your employer describing your position and stating that the employer does not plan on firing you in the near future. If you have recently filed a new U.S. tax return, bring a copy of that as well. These are all relevant to showing your current financial situation and that you are unlikely to become a public charge (receive government assistance) in the United States.

If a child was born to you after you submitted your adjustment application, bring the child's birth certificate. If your immigration application is based on marriage, this will be a highly convincing form of proof that you are not committing marriage fraud.

In addition, if any of the information you filled in on your application has recently changed, for instance, your home address, bring a copy of the form with the new information already filled in. While you can make corrections to your application at the time of the interview, the USCIS officer will probably appreciate your making things go smoothly.

Not Bringing a Competent Foreign Language Interpreter

Many people decide not to bring an interpreter with them to the interview, perhaps out of fear of how much it will cost, or a hope that speaking English will impress the officer with their efforts to fit into American society. Unfortunately, if you do not speak English reasonably well, there is a chance that you will misunderstand some questions the USCIS officer asks, or that the officer will misunderstand your answers. These types of misunderstandings can cause the officer to think you are being dishonest or trying to hide something, which might ultimately lead the office to deny your case.

If you cannot speak English reasonably well, you'd be wise to bring an interpreter. USCIS does not expect all green card applicants to be able to speak English. In fact, the officer will probably appreciate the fact that you brought an interpreter in order to make things run more smoothly. Make sure that your interpreter is competent and comfortable translating between both English and your native language.

Not Bringing Proper Translations for Foreign-Language Documents

Any foreign language documents that you provide to USCIS, such as birth certificates from other countries, must not only be fully translated into English, but be accompanied by a statement from the interpreter that says something like:

I swear under penalty of perjury that I am competent to translate from ___[your language]___ to English, and that this translation is a true and complete translation of the attached document.

The name of the translator and the date and place of translation should also be written into the statement.

Failing to submit this can result in the USCIS officer asking you to submit it at a later date and will cause a delay in your case. If you did not already submit such a certificate of translation with the document, bring it with you to the interview.

Saying Inappropriate Things at the USCIS Interview

Failing to listen carefully to the questions asked by the USCIS officer, volunteering information that harms your case, and lying outright are all common ways that applicants create problems for themselves during adjustment of status interviews, as further described below.

Saying Too Much to the USCIS Officer

Getting chatty and offering up information that wasn't asked for is not only unnecessary, but risky. It could lead to a misunderstanding or cause the USCIS officer to open a line of questions that gets you into trouble. Fully answer the questions asked, but no more.

Creating the Impression That You Intended to Stay in the U.S. Forever When You Applied for a Nonimmigrant Visa

You might be asked about the type of temporary visa you applied for earlier and why you wanted to come to the United States. While it could appear that the USCIS officer is just making polite conversation, the officer might be trying to judge whether or not you had "immigrant intent" at the time you got your nonimmigrant visa—that is, whether you actually intended to come to the U.S. permanently at the time you got your temporary visa (such as a student or tourist visa), despite having claimed at the time that your intention was to return home at the end of your stay.

Obtaining a visa on false pretenses can be a form of fraud. You'll need to be clear about the fact that your decision to stay in the U.S. came later, after obtaining the nonimmigrant visa.

Pretending You Told the Truth on Your Visa Application When It Contained False Information

The USCIS officer may also ask you about the information you provided in the application for whatever visa you used to enter the United States. Be careful with what you say. In all likelihood, the USCIS officer already has a copy of your application and knows exactly what is on it. If you tell the officer that you provided only truthful information at the time you applied for a visa, but you actually lied on some parts, the officer might figure it out.

For instance, when applying for a visitor visa, some people falsely state that they are married to someone who will be staying behind in their home country, or that they have a better job or more money than they actually do, thinking that it will increase their chances of getting the visa. If you do not tell the officer that you lied in the past and the officer discovers it during the interview, then the officer will likely be upset and wonder whether the other information you have provided is truthful.

Now is not the time to stubbornly stick to a mistake and dig yourself into a deeper hole. Be truthful at the interview—you might be able to convince the officer that there was a good reason for mistakes entered on your application forms.

Failing to Tell USCIS the Truth About Criminal Matters

If you have previously had any arrests, convictions, or similar criminal problems, you will need to be honest about them in your adjustment of status interview. If you neglected to disclose them on the I-485 application, you will likely need to explain this lie, as well. By the time of your interview, USCIS will have already run a criminal background check on you and knows whether you have been arrested.

Talk to a lawyer if you are worried that a criminal record, or your previous attempts to hide that record, will be a topic of discussion during your USCIS interview.

Arguing With the USCIS Officer

Finally, never get into an argument with a USCIS officer. If you think you are being treated unfairly, ask to speak with a supervisor. Remember to stay calm and not yell at the officer.

Where to Go for More Help

More information about the adjustment of status process can be found at www.uscis.gov. For detailed information to help you understand all the requirements for getting a green card, see How to Get a Green Card, by Ilona Bray (Nolo). And you might also be interested in How to Find a Good Immigration Lawyer For Your Case.

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