Two marriage-based green cards — both approved the day after the I-485 interview

Under the current administration, USCIS has substantially expanded marriage-based green-card interviews — including for cases that previously would have been adjudicated without one. For well-prepared filings the interview is a procedural step rather than a hurdle.

Couple A (Mr. W.): married August 30, 2025; I-130, I-485, I-765, I-131 filed concurrently October 24, 2025; interviewed January 13, 2026; both I-130 and I-485 approved January 14. The marriage was relatively new at filing, so most of the bona fides came from pre-marriage cohabitation, shared expenses, and relationship history. We built a comprehensive record around that evidentiary base.

Couple B (Ms. H.): married May 11, 2022; I-130 filed June 11, 2025; I-485, I-765, I-131 filed November 18, 2025; interviewed January 15, 2026; both approved January 16. Work obligations had kept the spouses living in different cities for substantial periods — a complication addressed by documenting their relationship history, the structural reasons for separation, and concrete steps toward future co-residence.

Both filings underline that the strength of the documentary record is what makes the interview a formality.