| This is an overview of the fiance visa interview | | | | merely in charge of ensuring the case is eligible for |
| process normally conducted at the US Embassy or | | | | approval. |
| US Consulate where the fiance resides. The United | | | | Therefore, any temptation to lie to the interviewing |
| States Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) provides | | | | officers is pointless as they are trained to detect those |
| the legal requirements that the alien fiancee and US | | | | deceptive techniques used to obtain a visa. The |
| citizen petitioner must satisfactory fulfil before the US | | | | penalty for lying to a consular officer could result in an |
| consular officers will interview the fiance. The officer | | | | outright denial of the visa application and possibly a bar |
| will conduct what is similar to due diligence to | | | | on entry to the US for years to come. Thus, honesty |
| determine whether the visa applicant is eligible for the | | | | is the best policy when it comes to answering |
| visa. | | | | sensitive questions at the interview. |
| In generally practice, the interviewing officer will review | | | | For visa applicants who were issued a "blue sheet" |
| the documents that the American petitioner submitted | | | | 221(g) under Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), |
| to USCIS in the I-129F form, and any additional | | | | wherein the consular officer discovered new |
| evidence submitted by the visa applicant. The officer | | | | information or detected a discrepancy in the case, the |
| conducts a due diligence in that he/she reviews the | | | | applicant is given an opportunity to remit evidence to |
| information in the file and ask the visa applicant | | | | reconcile the issue at hand. This may be in the form of |
| questions to ascertain the sincerity of the relationship. | | | | more providing them missing documents, or an affidavit |
| Interviewees may feel intimidated in this situation as | | | | from the US citizen petitioner attesting to the |
| one would be if sitting across a complete stranger | | | | discrepancy. The purpose of the consular interview is |
| who asks you personal questions regarding your | | | | not to harass or intimidate the fiance(e) but to |
| relationship with your loved one. Nonetheless, the | | | | determine whether the individual has complied with the |
| officers are trained to scrutinize the applicant for any | | | | requirements for the visa. |
| legal inadmissibility issue and whether the couple's | | | | In light of this, should the applicant receive an outright |
| relationship is bona fide. | | | | denial as the consular officer predicated the decision |
| Questions asked by the officer is generally geared at | | | | on some fraud or misrepresentation in the relationship, |
| determining whether the couple has a sincere or bona | | | | then more than likely found the applicant legally |
| fide relationship, and to determine whether the | | | | inadmissible to the US. Often, there are waivers |
| applicant is legally inadmissibility under the INA. Finally, | | | | available for the applicant depending on the grounds of |
| the interview is an attempt to ask about any | | | | inadmissibility. For instance, an applicant may be |
| discrepancies or allow the applicant to clarify and | | | | inadmissible based on a previous overstay in the US, |
| explain any weaknesses in the case. Thus, the | | | | therefore a proper basis for a I-212 waiver for |
| consular officer interviewing the fiance visa applicant is | | | | overstay. |