Green card interview (Form I-485): what to expect and how to prepare

At a glance

Form

I-485Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status

Agency

USCISAt the field office for where you live

Bring

OriginalsOf everything you filed, plus all passports and your I-94

Who attends

YouIn family-based cases, usually the relative who petitioned for you too

What happens at the interview

1. The notice

   USCIS reviews your case and decides whether an interview is needed. If it is, you get a notice with the date, time and place.

2. The oath

   The officer places you under oath or affirmation. If you brought an interpreter, the interpreter also takes an oath and signs Form G-1256 with you, in front of the officer.

3. Identity

   The officer may take your biometrics again to confirm your identity or update background and security checks.

4. Your file

   The officer goes through your Form I-485 and your documents, checks that you understood each question and settles any blank or incomplete answers.

5. Corrections

   You can correct answers that were wrong or have changed since you filed. If anything is added or changed, you sign the application again, under oath, at the end.

6. The decision

   USCIS sends you a written decision, or first asks you for more evidence.

Who gets an interview, and the notice

The rules say adjustment applicants are interviewed, but USCIS can waive the interview case by case. The USCIS Policy Manual lists examples where officers may waive it, such as unmarried children under 21 of U.S. citizens, parents of U.S. citizens and applicants who are clearly ineligible. USCIS does not have to waive it, even in those categories, and it can call in any applicant.

Family members applying with you as derivatives must also appear. The notice gives the date, time and place. If you filed online, USCIS generally sends notices to your online account instead of by mail, unless you chose paper notices in your account profile. If you move, you must tell USCIS within 10 days, so the notice reaches you.

Questions the officer may ask

The questions follow your own Form I-485, so they differ from person to person. The officer can ask about anything on the form, including its eligibility and inadmissibility questions. These examples come from the form itself:

• “Have you ever been denied a visa to the United States?”
• “Have you ever worked in the United States without authorization?”
• “Have you ever violated the terms or conditions of your nonimmigrant status?”
• “Have you ever been arrested, cited, charged or detained for any reason by any law enforcement official, in any country?”

How to answer: short and true

There is no script to learn. Listen to the whole question, answer only that question, and stop. If you did not understand, ask the officer to repeat it. If you don't know or don't remember, say so.

Marriage-based cases

Your spouse generally comes too. In family-based cases, USCIS generally requires the relative who filed Form I-130 for you to attend the interview with you. The officer may interview you together or separately. USCIS can excuse the petitioning spouse in limited cases, such as military deployment or incarceration, but you still have to attend.

The USCIS guidance describes what the officer is checking, not a set list of questions. Where your marriage is the basis of your case, the officer looks at whether it is legally valid and bona fide: that you married in good faith, not to get around immigration law, and meant to build a life together when you married. Whether the marriage will last is not the test.

Documents USCIS lists as evidence of a bona fide marriage include:

• Documents showing you own property together.
• A lease showing you share a home.
• Records showing you have combined your finances.
• Birth certificates of children born to you both.
• Sworn statements (affidavits) from people who personally know about your relationship.

The marriage-based interview: what the officer asks about

There is no official list of marriage interview questions. In spousal cases, USCIS policy describes officers asking questions to evaluate the relationship. The Board of Immigration Appeals has said evidence of a couple's intent can include testimony about their courtship, wedding ceremony, shared residence and experiences. That points to topics such as:

• How you met, and your relationship before the wedding.
• The wedding itself.
• Your home: where you live and how you share expenses.
• Your life together, day to day.

Together or separately. USCIS may interview you and your spouse together or separately. Bring originals of documents that show a shared life, such as a joint lease or deed, joint bank records, and insurance policies or tax forms that list you as spouses.

What to bring

• Your interview notice, and anything else it tells you to bring.
• The originals of all the documents you submitted with your Form I-485.
• All your passports and official travel documents, and your Form I-94, even if they have expired.
• If you filed online: the original Form I-693 medical report and the civil surgeon's envelope, which you must keep until USCIS decides your case.
• In a family-based case: the relative who petitioned for you, who also brings the originals.
• If you need an interpreter: the interpreter, and an unsigned Form G-1256. You sign it together in front of the officer.
• If a lawyer is coming and has not filed yet: their Form G-28.

Bringing an interpreter

If you need an interpreter, you bring your own. USCIS generally does not provide one for this interview: Form G-1256 records the interpreter that you provide. If you are deaf or hard of hearing, you can ask USCIS for a sign language interpreter as a disability accommodation, ideally as soon as you get your notice.

• The interpreter must be fluent in English and in your language, able to interpret competently, and impartial.
• The interpreter must be at least 18 and cannot be a witness in your case, unless USCIS makes an exception for good cause.
• Your lawyer or accredited representative cannot also act as your interpreter.
• A neutral interpreter is preferred, but the officer may allow a friend or relative.
• The interpreter shows a valid government-issued ID, takes an oath and must interpret word for word, without adding their own opinions or answers.
• If the officer does not accept your interpreter, you can continue with another acceptable interpreter, reschedule to find one, or choose to go ahead without one.

Bringing a lawyer

You have the right to be represented at the interview by a lawyer or an accredited representative. The government does not pay for one. Your representative files Form G-28, either with your application or at the interview, and at the interview may question you and witnesses, present evidence and make objections.

Many people attend without a lawyer. If you have ever been arrested, worked without authorization or had an immigration violation, or you are not sure how a question on the form applies to you, talk to an immigration lawyer or a legal aid office before the interview.

If you can't attend: rescheduling

Ask to reschedule before the appointment. Rescheduling an interview is one of the requests the USCIS Contact Center handles: 800-375-5283 (TTY 800-767-1833), Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern. Under the regulations, a rescheduling request restarts any processing time limit that applies to USCIS.

After the interview

What can happen next:

In May 2026, USCIS reminded its officers that adjustment of status is a matter of discretion. Even an applicant who meets every requirement can be denied: the officer weighs positive and negative factors such as family ties, immigration status and history, and moral character. A denial on discretionary grounds must explain those factors in writing.

Checking your case status

Use Case Status Online on uscis.gov with the 13-character receipt number from your USCIS notices: three letters and ten numbers, entered without dashes. A USCIS online account also shows your most recent case updates. You can call the USCIS Contact Center at 800-375-5283 (TTY 800-767-1833), but for status questions it points you to the same online information.

Common questions

Official sources

1. USCIS Policy Manual: Adjustment of status interview guidelines uscis.gov
2. USCIS: Adjustment of status uscis.gov
3. USCIS: Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status uscis.gov
4. Form I-485 (edition 09/18/26) uscis.gov
5. Instructions for Form I-485 (edition 09/18/26) uscis.gov
6. USCIS Policy Manual: Adjudication of family-based petitions uscis.gov
7. USCIS Policy Manual: Spouses uscis.gov
8. USCIS: Form G-1256, Declaration for Interpreted USCIS Interview uscis.gov
9. Instructions for Form G-1256 uscis.gov
10. USCIS Policy Manual: Interpreters and preparers uscis.gov
11. USCIS: Disability accommodations for the public uscis.gov
12. USCIS: Form G-28, Notice of Entry of Appearance as Attorney or Accredited Representative uscis.gov
13. 8 C.F.R. § 292.5(b): Right to representation govinfo.gov
14. 8 C.F.R. § 245.6: Interview govinfo.gov
15. 8 C.F.R. § 103.2: Notices, appearances, RFEs and NOIDs govinfo.gov
16. USCIS Policy Manual: Adjustment of status decision procedures uscis.gov
17. USCIS Policy Manual: Evidence, RFEs and NOIDs uscis.gov
18. USCIS Policy Memorandum PM-602-0199: Adjustment of status and discretion (May 2026) uscis.gov
19. USCIS Contact Center uscis.gov
20. USCIS: Checking your case status online uscis.gov
21. Matter of Laureano, 19 I&N Dec. 1 (BIA 1983): evidence of intent in marriage cases justice.gov
22. Instructions for Form I-130: evidence of a bona fide marriage uscis.gov

Related