How long were you married previously, and when did that relationship end relative to this marriage?

“How long were you married previously, and when did that relationship end relative to this marriage?” is a practice question about earlier marriages 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 be reviewing the order of your earlier marriage, its legal end, and your current marriage. The length of the earlier marriage gives context to that sequence. A separation and a final divorce can be different events, so the officer may ask which event you mean when you say a relationship ended.

What might the officer ask next?

• About when did the earlier marriage begin?
• Were you referring to separation or the final divorce?
• How much time passed before your current wedding?

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?

Put the earlier wedding, any separation, the legal end, and your current wedding in order. Review the dates in your own records before speaking about the length of the earlier marriage. Use an approximate period only when that is all you remember, and label it as approximate. Do not move an event to make the sequence sound simpler. Bring questions about overlapping dates or the legal effect of a divorce to your lawyer.

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 earlier marriages questions

• Have either of you been married before?
• When and where did your previous marriage end, and do you have the divorce or death certificate?
• Has your spouse been married to anyone else before this marriage?
• Are there any ongoing financial or custody obligations from a prior marriage?
• When did your current spouse's prior marriage legally end?

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