When an applicant files a marriage-based or family-based petition, the immigration officer will be adjudicating both the I-130 and I-485 cases during the interview. Part of it will be focused on questions about the I-130 and another part will primarily be about the I-485.

The set of questions an applicant will be asked for each interview will differ.

I-130 Interview

The I-130 is a family-based immigration petition for a U.S. green card. In order to get approved, the applicant must show that there is a family connection, whether a marriage to a U.S. citizen, a brother, sister, or parent who is a U.S. citizen, etc. That relationship must be proven in the interview. In some instances, the I-130 can also be used for permanent residence applications.

Who Should Attend?

Since an I-130 focuses on a relationship with a U.S. citizen, it’s recommended that the sponsor, i.e. the spouse or family member, attends the interview with the applicant. At the very least, they should sit in the waiting room to accompany the applicant in case they’re called into the interview room.

Interview Questions

In order to establish a relationship, the I-130 interview will be focused on questions about the connection between the applicant and the person who sponsored them.

For family-based petitions where the parent is the sponsor, for example, the immigration officer may ask when and where the child was born, identify some members of the family, etc. For marriage-based petitions, the immigration officer will ask questions geared toward showing the genuineness of the marriage and relationship.

I-485 Interview

The I-485, on the other hand, is an application for adjustment of status in the United States. Unlike the I-130, it does not focus on proving a relationship. Instead, it peruses an applicant’s admissibility to receive a green card.

Interview Questions

To determine the applicant's admissibility, the I-485 interview will dive deep into their history. The immigration officer will refer to the form filled out by the applicant and verify the information during the interview. Some examples of topics include:

• Engagement of the applicant in spying, espionage, trafficking of controlled substances, guerilla groups, terrorist activities
• Past denial of the applicant’s admission
• Failure of the applicant to serve their two-year return home requirement
• Conviction for a crime that makes the applicant ineligible for a green card
• Time served in mandatory military service

The most common reasons for ineligibility are criminal-related issues or immigration-related issues, factors that the immigration officer will try to verify during the I-485 part of the interview.