In 2026, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has significantly expanded in-person interviews for Adjustment of Status (AOS) applications across the United States. While interviews were previously waived for many low-risk employment-based and repeat filings, USCIS now requires far more applicants to attend interviews, regardless of visa category.
Who Is Most Affected?
- Family-Based Green Cards: Marriage-based cases now almost always interviewed; second marriages and short courtships face extra scrutiny
- Employment-Based AOS: Increasingly scheduled for EB-2, EB-3, self-petition, and NIW cases — even long-term H-1B holders are not exempt
- Diversity Visa (DV) AOS Applicants: Mandatory interviews now standard; fiscal-year timing risks remain critical
- Applicants with Prior Issues: Status violations, prior denials, RFEs, or complex travel history
Why USCIS Is Expanding Interviews
USCIS has cited fraud detection (relationship verification, employment authenticity), national security screening, discretionary review for public charge and admissibility considerations, and policy consistency to standardize adjudication nationwide.
What Happens at an AOS Interview?
- Identity Verification: Passport and visa history, entry records, name consistency checks
- Immigration History Review: Prior statuses, gaps or overstays, changes of employer or category
- Eligibility Questions: Relationship details (family-based), job role and employer details (employment-based)
- Admissibility Questions: Criminal history, prior immigration violations, public charge and financial questions
Common Interview Pitfalls
- Inconsistent answers between forms and interviews
- Outdated employer letters
- Missing financial documents
- Casual or incomplete responses
How to Prepare
- Review your entire filing — know every form, date, and answer submitted
- Prepare supporting evidence: updated employment letters, recent financial proof, relationship evidence
- Practice clear, honest, consistent responses
- Address red flags early: prior violations, status gaps, complex travel history
- Bring originals of all documents to the interview
Key Takeaway
Interviews are now a core part of the green card process again. USCIS has moved decisively toward in-person credibility review, discretionary adjudication, and evidence-driven decision-making. Preparation, consistency, and documentation quality matter more than ever.