Have you met your spouse's immediate family? When was the last visit or gathering?

“Have you met your spouse's immediate family? When was the last visit or gathering?” is a practice question about family and children 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 visits to understand how your relationship connects with your spouse's immediate family. A recent gathering gives a specific event to discuss rather than a general claim that you know everyone. The date, setting, and people present may help explain family contact during your married life.

What might the officer ask next?

• Which relatives were at the most recent gathering?
• Where did that visit take place?
• Was it connected with a holiday or another occasion?
• About how long did you spend together?

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?

Choose the latest visit you actually remember and identify the relatives who were there. Separate that gathering from an earlier holiday that may be easier to recall. Use a month, season, or occasion if you do not know the exact date. If contact has only been by phone or video, distinguish that from an in-person visit. Do not add a family meeting just because the question seems to expect one.

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 family and children questions

• What are your spouse's parents' names, and where do they live?
• Does your spouse have any siblings? Can you name them?
• Do you and your spouse have any children together?
• Does either of you have children from a prior relationship? Where do they live, and how often do you see them?
• What did you do together for the last major holiday?
• Have you discussed plans for children or family growth?

Read the family and children topic guide, or see all 91 interview questions.