Another Trump regime casualty: Every newlywed spouse of a US citizen to be vetted

Marrying a US citizen or green card holder once meant you had a smooth one-way ticket to the American Dream. But newlywed spouses can no longer expect to just hop on to a flight with a heart full of hope and a suitcase full of namkeen. The days of waived interviews and easy approvals under the Biden administration are over — one more casualty of the Trump regime’s crackdown on suspected immigration fraud. Instead, each case will now be subjected to vetting.While there was always a waiting period involved, the first step is tackling the interview — which only got tougher. If the spouse (say wife) is in India, the interview will be conducted by US consulate officials. If the spouse is already in the US, say on a non-immigrant H-1B work visa, after marriage, they can apply for a green card (known as adjustment of status). In this case, the interview will be carried out by US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) officials.Spoiler alert: Make sure all your paperwork is in order, and be prepared for some intense questioning. “Officers will be looking deeper... leaning into their discretion more often than they did in the Biden years. They are already spending more time verifying marriages and we are seeing an increase in requests for evidence,” says immigration attorney Ashwin Sharma.Show paper trailBased on past-history, it is likely that this pattern will become precedent and will soon be enshrined in a formal policy,” says Sharma. “We’re seeing an increase in requests for evidence, and it’s likely this pattern will soon become official policy.”Translation? Your love story needs receipts — literally. Especially in consular interviews, where the American spouse doesn’t get a seat at the table. “Documents have to tell the full story: how the relationship began, genuine intent to live a married life together, how it’s been sustained, and why it is bona fide. That means clear evidence of communication, visits, shared plans, and/or family involvement,” explains Sharma.Snehal Batra, managing attorney at NPZ Law group, adds, “For consular processing cases, be prepared! You should have some documentary proof of your bona fide relationship. Examples include money transfer receipts and phone-call logs. If possible, consider purchasing a life insurance policy naming your spouse. Additionally, be prepared to answer questions about your marital relationship, including your spouse’s current employment, salary, education and any prior marriages. medium120279855And if you're married to a green-card holder...Married to a green card holder instead of a US citizen? Buckle up. There’s usually a 3-4 year wait, which could raise red flags in the interview. “The years spent apart raise obvious questions. How have you sustained a genuine marriage over such prolonged distance? The longer the wait, the more documentation you’ll need — pictures, financial records, continuous communication — to convincingly show that your marriage isn’t just alive but thriving despite the distance,” says Sharma.Consular officers, especially at posts like Mumbai, he adds, wield enormous discretion to issue 221(g) refusals — where the applicant’s visa application is deemed ineligible for approval at the time — or send petitions back to USCIS for fraud investigations, which can remain unresolved for years. “Under the current administration, we can expect this discretionary power to be used more liberally and aggressively. Absence may make the heart grow fonder, but for immigration officers, prolonged absence makes suspicion grow stronger,” quips Sharma.Do your homeworkNow, if your spouse is already in the US and applying for adjustment of status, you’ll still face an interview. But if anything smells off to the officer, you could be headed for a ‘Stokes interview’ — where you and your spouse are questioned separately and your answers better line up. The questions tend to be more personal in nature. Examples include:● Which side of the bed do you sleep on?● Who woke up first today?● How many windows are in your bathroom?● Does your spouse have any food allergies?● How many locks are there on the front door?While immigration attorneys have not yet seen an uptick in calls for ‘Stokes interviews’, they recommend not flying solo. Bring a lawyer. Basically, treat it like preparing for an exam — with your relationship as the subject. “Well-prepared, legitimate cases appear to be still holding up well under scrutiny. But it’s also true that even genuine couples with weak documentation are going to feel the pressure,” warns Sharma. “If a green card is denied due to an alleged marriage fraud, the spouse can be placed in removal proceedings (deportation),” adds Batra.To sum up, love may be beautiful, but immigration interviews aren’t. Do your homework — and bring receipts!