The Department of State’s National Visa Center scheduled more interviews for those who filed green card documentation from New Jersey and other locations during September than in the previous month. That is excellent news for those wanting to become U.S. citizens.
The Immigrant Visa Report saw an uptick in the number of green card applicants who had completed documents on file. In August, there were 416,856 applications while in September, the number grew to 435,063. That is an increase of 4% for the month. Furthermore, the Department of State has over 399,000 interviews left to schedule.
Are There Ways to Speed up the Green Card Interview Process?
Yes, there are ways that you can speed up your appointment. The first is to file a request for an expedited interview, but you must have a legitimate reason. Acceptable reasons include the following:
- Show severe financial loss to a person or company if the request is not approved quickly
- Prove urgent humanitarian reasons
- Further cultural or social programs in the U.S. through a nonprofit
- Serve U.S. government interests
- Correcting delays that happened during earlier processing of your paperwork on the government’s part
Can a Lawyer Help You Prepare for a Green Card Interview?
Yes, an immigration lawyer can help you prepare for your green card interview. They can advise you about specific questions that the interviewer may ask and how to answer them. Generally, these questions cover your criminal background and marital status. The interviewer may also ask if any information has changed since the application’s submission.
Government officials continue to battle to catch up on green card interviews. Being prepared and asking for an expedited interview if qualified may help.