FAQs About Becoming an American Citizen

Posted on: 7 June 2017

After submitting a green card application, the applicant has to undergo an interview with a United States Citizenship and Immigration Services officer. If the interview goes bad, there is a possibility that the applicant's request for a green card could be denied. If you are applying for a green card, here are some mistakes that could hurt your chances of being approved.  

Volunteering Information 

During the interview, the officer will ask you a series of questions. It is important that you answer the questions. However, you need to avoid volunteering information that was not asked for. Providing more information than requested could result in you inadvertently giving the officer something to further investigate about you.  

For instance, if you are applying for a marriage based green card and volunteer that you spend a majority of your time traveling for business, the officer could be led to dig deeper into your marriage due to the lack of time you and your spouse are spending together. Even though your marriage is legitimate, the officer could delay approval while he or she further investigates.  

To avoid sharing too much information, take time to think before answering questions that you are asked. Formulate your response and then share it with the officer. Your immigration attorney can help you practice doing this before your interview.  

Failing to Provide Documentation 

The more prepared you are for the interview with the officer, the more likely it is that your green card application will be approved without delays. Prior to the interview, you will receive a notice detailing documentation that you must present to the officer. If you are unable to gather the appropriate documents, be prepared to offer a plausible explanation as to why.  

For instance, if you were wed in another country and are unable to obtain a copy of your marriage license, you will need to explain to the officer what has prevented you from doing so.  

There is a possibility that the officer will ask for documents that were not initially requested. To lessen the likelihood that your approval is delayed due to the wait for the documents, review your application with your lawyer. He or she can provide you with his or her own list of documents that might be requested by the immigration officer.  

Your immigration attorney can help you with avoiding other mistakes that could cost you a green card or lead to delays.