Important Tips To Remember Before Your Immigration Interview
Posted on: 24 October 2019
One of the most unnerving meetings you will ever face if you are an immigrant who is seeking citizenship is an interview at the immigration office. These meetings involve you being asked a series of questions about who you are, why you are seeking citizenship, and your personal history and circumstances. Being prepared for this interview can mean the difference in having your application approved. Here is a look at a few tips to help you out.
1. Make sure you arrive on time.
Arriving in a timely fashion to the immigration interview is a good way to show you are serious about the situation. Being late, even a few minutes, can put you at risk of having your application revoked, which is definitely not what you want. Not to mention, these interviews can be lined up one after the other in the day, so those doing interviews at the immigration office tend to have little patience for people who do not show up on time.
2. Keep in touch with your attorney to make sure they will be on time.
You do not want to begin the interview without your immigration attorney being present. Before the interview, make sure to touch bases with the immigration attorney to ensure they will be at the meeting. The role of this legal professional is to ensure you are treated fairly during the interview, so having them present will protect your rights during the interview.
3. Dress in a formal way for the interview.
The interview is considered a really formal situation. Even though it may seem unfair to have your character judged by the way that you dress, dressing inappropriately can give the wrong impression to the interviewer; they may think you are not taking your attempt to gain citizenship seriously. You don't necessarily have to wear a suit and tie or a ladies' suit, but it is best if you wear fitting slacks, a button-up shirt, closed-toe shoes, and other appropriate attire. Avoid short dresses or low-cut tops, sandals, ripped-up blue jeans, graphic tee shirts, hats, and other casual clothing.
4. Arrange for an interpreter if necessary.
If you do not speak English all that well, you may not be provided an interpreter at the immigration office; therefore, it is a better idea if you arrange to have one for yourself. Having someone to translate will ensure you understand questions you are asked and respond appropriately because you understand.
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