Green Card Married Couples Say New Interviews Feel More Like Interrogations

From early 2025, nearly all married couples applying for a US green card through marriage must attend an in‑person interview. The policy applies regardless of how long they have been married or the strength of their supporting documents.

Applicants who expected a short, routine meeting now say the process feels adversarial and deeply intrusive. Some have likened it to a judicial interrogation rather than a standard immigration check.

Policy Reversal

Previously, many marriage‑based green card interviews were waived if couples could provide sufficient documentation, especially those married for more than two years. In March 2025, US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) reversed that approach, mandating in‑person attendance for all applicants.

Immigration lawyers report that officers are now using broader discretion and requesting extensive supporting evidence. This can include joint travel records, call logs, bank statements, tax returns, insurance documents and proof of named beneficiaries, according to the Business Standard. Applications lacking comprehensive documentation are now more likely to be denied outright, sometimes without a formal Request for Evidence. In some cases this can lead directly to removal proceedings.

Tighter rules also apply to interviews conducted at US consulates abroad. Where the US‑citizen spouse cannot attend in person, the applicant must rely entirely on paperwork to demonstrate the marriage is genuine.

As of August 2025, US immigration authorities have formally approved an additional layer of inquiry on marriage‑based green card petitions, making this one of the most significant changes in policy in over a decade. According to USCIS, the aim is to detect and eliminate marriage fraud. Every petition must now include a further in‑person interview, regardless of the amount or quality of evidence submitted.

High‑Pressure Questioning

Many couples say the interview now feels more like forensic scrutiny than a simple administrative step. One applicant told Reddit that their two‑hour session was 'interrogative' in tone, adding, ''They asked us such stupid questions, I couldn't believe that was legal.'

Another applicant recalled how an officer began by asking, 'USCIS interviewed my spouse for over 2 hours... asked questions in a tone that felt accusatory before they could even respond'.

Even well-documented couples recount questions that feel barbed, 'Why don't you have children?' 'What side of the bed do you sleep on?' 'Who woke up first today?' questions often asked separately in a so‑called Stokes interview designed to root out fraud.

Stokes interviews, once rare, are now deployed more frequently. Attorneys warn they can be 'psychologically devastating' turning a domestic occasion like marriage into a high-stakes courtroom-style evaluation.

Preparation is Now Critical

Lawyers say traditional proof such as wedding photographs and joint accounts may no longer suffice. They recommend detailed case files including message histories, plane tickets, credit card records and sworn affidavits. Without such preparation, even genuine couples risk refusal and possible removal orders.

Recent accounts on Reddit support this advice. One applicant navigating the green card process said, 'You need affidavits from family and friends ... download the history of all your text messages, plane tickets, hotel reservations'.

Advocacy groups, including American Families United, are pressing Congress to make the process more consistent and less adversarial.

For many in 2025, the process has shifted from a straightforward paperwork check to an adversarial credibility test. USCIS now places greater emphasis on in‑person questioning over submitted documents. Whether the stricter approach reduces fraud or simply makes legitimate cases harder to approve remains uncertain.