Marriage Visa Application: An Overview

If you live in any other country other than the U.S. but youre going to marry a U.S. citizen, then it is going to be difficult for you. You need to go through a process of securing marriage visa. The marriage visa application is a very complex process. It is ridden with a lot of formalities and legalities that are associated with it. This visa is an option available only for the spouses of permanent citizens of the U.S.

The first step towards filing a marriage visa application is a very basic one. All you need is to be the spouse of a U.S. citizen. Then you need to file a petition with the nearest regional service center of USCIS. The selection of regional service center depends on the state that your spouse lives in. On filing the application, you get a receipt from USCIS. This proves that you have formally filed the immigration petition. After you receive this receipt, you can file for USCIS's National Benefits Center.

The National Benefits Center is responsible for processing all visa applications of the U.S. So, all the visa petitions are bound to go there. Your form can go to National Visa Center only after it is processed and approved by the NBC. The National Visa Center will then get in touch with the consulate of the country in which your spouse is currently residing.

The consulate will then call your spouse for an interview. Though you may or may not attend this interview, remember that it is not mandatory for you to do so. But still it is recommended that you should also attend the interview. This will make things clearer to the consulate and boost your case. This interview is basically done to verify the exact nature of your marriage. There are times when people usually get married just to secure the Green card. Therefore, the interview process isnt always an easy one.

So, to control these incidents of marriage frauds, the provision of interview is there. The interviewer can ask you a variety of questions regarding your marriage and spouse and some of them might be of very personal and intimate in nature. Prepare yourself to be strong and clear-headed enough to answer all the questions as honestly as possible. They may also ask you about your family, kids and financial conditions etc.

They might also ask you about your previous attempts of securing immigration to the U.S. if there is any. Also, they might ask you whether you have ever been denied a U.S. visa. They will also check your criminal history. This is done to check the possibility of any national security threat. This process has become all the more complicated after the 9/11 incident.

After all these inquiries, your marriage visa application procedure is over and you will be handed over the marriage visa. So go ahead and be confident.