Does the adjusting spouse currently have employment authorization, and where do they work if employed?

“Does the adjusting spouse currently have employment authorization, and where do they work if employed?” is a practice question about work for a marriage-based green card interview at a USCIS field office. A real officer may ask it in other words, ask something else, or skip it. Practice can help you explain your own facts. It cannot tell you what USCIS will decide.

What is the officer checking with this question?

The officer may ask about work permission and employment while reviewing the adjusting spouse's current situation. Applying for an Employment Authorization Document through Form I-765 is different from having current authorization. The question may cover both permission and actual work, but a practice page cannot determine what work is permitted in your circumstances.

What might the officer ask next?

• Have you applied for an Employment Authorization Document?
• Has a decision been made on that application?
• What dates appear on the work authorization you are describing?
• If you are working now, what employer do you work for?

The next question usually comes from the words in your answer. If you name a person, a place, or a month, expect a question about it. The guide to green card interview follow-up questions explains how to practice past the first answer.

How do you prepare to answer it?

Be clear about whether you are describing an application, a decision, or current work permission. Review any dates you plan to mention rather than assuming that filing a form gives permission to work. Separately identify whether you are employed now and where. If you do not remember a date or do not understand your authorization, say so and ask your lawyer. Do not guess about legal status or hide work because the question feels difficult.

Answer from your own memory, in your own words. Do not learn a script or a sample answer. If your spouse remembers a detail differently, first check whether you mean the same event. Ask your lawyer about any concern with your forms or documents.

Can you practice this question out loud for free?

Yes. Choose "Answer it now, free". The officer asks this question first. You answer out loud, and the officer follows up on what you said. You can try 3 questions free, and you do not need documents. Feedback comes after the session, not while you speak.

More work questions

• Where does your spouse work, and what kind of work do they do?
• What is your spouse's typical work schedule?
• What is your spouse’s approximate annual or hourly income from their current job?
• Have either of you changed employers since you filed your applications?
• Where did your spouse work when you first met?

Read the work topic guide, or see all 91 interview questions.