A CIS officer interviewed a couple separately for the husband’s Green Card application. The officer asked the husband what was the color of the curtains in their bedroom. He answered “Green”. His wife answered the same question by saying “Blue”. On the basis of those conflicting responses, the officer tried to find more reasons to deny the adjustment application.
Was the officer being too strict, or was he just not aware that many Asian languages do not have separate terms for blue and green? Instead, they use one word that could mean either blue or green, such as the Vietnamese word xanh. Obviously, this could present a problem when it is translated into English at a Green Card interview.
The Thai language has a word that can mean either green or blue. The Chinese word “quing” can be translated as blue or green, or even black. Korean also has only one word for both blue and green. Even more confusing is the Japanese word “go”. It means “blue” but it is used to describe the green color in a traffic light.
Do most CIS officers know about these language problems when they conduct an interview? No, they don’t. They expect applicants to be able to give satisfactory answers in English and a small mistake about blue/green can be very damaging.
A couple is called for an interview because CIS feels there may be some reason to believe that they have a sham marriage. So, the CIS officer is going to be hostile, not helpful, and he is going to ask questions that are designed to get conflicting answers from the couple.
Even the most honest couples might misunderstand the officer’s question or suffer a momentary lapse of memory, causing them to give an unacceptable or incorrect answer.
CIS is well aware of the fact that there are sham marriages, and any marriage that does not fit the popular American pattern of love and courtship, is sure to attract the CIS officer’s suspicion. In a way, the officer is put in the position of deciding what “love” is and whether or not the couple married for love or for immigration benefits.
Most officers disregard the fact that marriages in America have less than a 50% chance of survival, even among couples who have courted and married according to the American customs. For couples whose relationship is genuine, trying to expose sham marriages by intensive questioning at a Green Card interview is quite unfair. But that is the officer’s job.
Most couples go to the Adjustment interview without sufficient preparation. That is a mistake. They really need to rehearse their answers. Without doing that, it is almost certain that they will provide conflicting answers. Everyone remembers things differently. For a CIS interview, it is essential that both husband and wife remember things the same way.
The couple should recall and discuss important dates in their relationship. Even the unimportant dates might be important, such as how they spent the last weekend, what they watched on TV.
The couple needs to review their household routine, such as who does what chores. It’s also important for each of them to be able to provide the same description of the interior of their home.
The Green Card application costs around $1,000. That fee is for CIS processing; it is not for buying a helpful service from CIS. The purpose of the interview is to prove that you are not entitled to adjustment. It is up to you to be sure that both husband and wife give the same answers to all questions from the CIS officer.
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Q.1. If the officer denies the Adjustment application because of some misunderstandings at the interview, is it possible to request another interview to set the record straight?
A.1. The only way to overcome a denial would be to submit additional evidence that would disprove the officer’s reasons for denial. A second interview is rarely allowed.
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Q. 2. How can couples make sure that their Green Card interview will be successful?
A.2. There really isn’t any way to be sure of success at the interview. Everything will depend on the officer’s attitude, his understanding or misunderstanding of the interview answers, and the performance of the couple at the interview.
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Q.3. Is there any advice you can give, based on the reports of your successful Adjustment clients?
A.3. Here are some suggestions that may help:
ROBERT MULLINS INTERNATIONAL www.rmiodp.com
Immigration Support Services-Tham Van Di Tru
9070 Bolsa Avenue, Westminster CA 92683 (714) 890-9933
779 Story Road, Ste. 70, San Jose, CA 95122 (408) 294-3888
6930 65th St. Ste. #105, Sacramento CA 95823 (916) 393-3388
Cty Rang Mi: 47 Phung Khac Khoan, Q1, HCM (848) 3914-7638
Was the officer being too strict, or was he just not aware that many Asian languages do not have separate terms for blue and green? Instead, they use one word that could mean either blue or green, such as the Vietnamese word xanh. Obviously, this could present a problem when it is translated into English at a Green Card interview.
The Thai language has a word that can mean either green or blue. The Chinese word “quing” can be translated as blue or green, or even black. Korean also has only one word for both blue and green. Even more confusing is the Japanese word “go”. It means “blue” but it is used to describe the green color in a traffic light.
Do most CIS officers know about these language problems when they conduct an interview? No, they don’t. They expect applicants to be able to give satisfactory answers in English and a small mistake about blue/green can be very damaging.
A couple is called for an interview because CIS feels there may be some reason to believe that they have a sham marriage. So, the CIS officer is going to be hostile, not helpful, and he is going to ask questions that are designed to get conflicting answers from the couple.
Even the most honest couples might misunderstand the officer’s question or suffer a momentary lapse of memory, causing them to give an unacceptable or incorrect answer.
CIS is well aware of the fact that there are sham marriages, and any marriage that does not fit the popular American pattern of love and courtship, is sure to attract the CIS officer’s suspicion. In a way, the officer is put in the position of deciding what “love” is and whether or not the couple married for love or for immigration benefits.
Most officers disregard the fact that marriages in America have less than a 50% chance of survival, even among couples who have courted and married according to the American customs. For couples whose relationship is genuine, trying to expose sham marriages by intensive questioning at a Green Card interview is quite unfair. But that is the officer’s job.
Most couples go to the Adjustment interview without sufficient preparation. That is a mistake. They really need to rehearse their answers. Without doing that, it is almost certain that they will provide conflicting answers. Everyone remembers things differently. For a CIS interview, it is essential that both husband and wife remember things the same way.
The couple should recall and discuss important dates in their relationship. Even the unimportant dates might be important, such as how they spent the last weekend, what they watched on TV.
The couple needs to review their household routine, such as who does what chores. It’s also important for each of them to be able to provide the same description of the interior of their home.
The Green Card application costs around $1,000. That fee is for CIS processing; it is not for buying a helpful service from CIS. The purpose of the interview is to prove that you are not entitled to adjustment. It is up to you to be sure that both husband and wife give the same answers to all questions from the CIS officer.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q.1. If the officer denies the Adjustment application because of some misunderstandings at the interview, is it possible to request another interview to set the record straight?
A.1. The only way to overcome a denial would be to submit additional evidence that would disprove the officer’s reasons for denial. A second interview is rarely allowed.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q. 2. How can couples make sure that their Green Card interview will be successful?
A.2. There really isn’t any way to be sure of success at the interview. Everything will depend on the officer’s attitude, his understanding or misunderstanding of the interview answers, and the performance of the couple at the interview.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q.3. Is there any advice you can give, based on the reports of your successful Adjustment clients?
A.3. Here are some suggestions that may help:
- Dress nicely for the interview, as if you were going to a job interview.
- Prepare a sufficient amount of documentation and photos to prove the genuine nature of your relationship.
- Carefully review all of the events of your relationship and be sure that both husband and wife have the same memories of events and details of your personal life.
ROBERT MULLINS INTERNATIONAL www.rmiodp.com
Immigration Support Services-Tham Van Di Tru
9070 Bolsa Avenue, Westminster CA 92683 (714) 890-9933
779 Story Road, Ste. 70, San Jose, CA 95122 (408) 294-3888
6930 65th St. Ste. #105, Sacramento CA 95823 (916) 393-3388
Cty Rang Mi: 47 Phung Khac Khoan, Q1, HCM (848) 3914-7638
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