Does your spouse have any siblings? Can you name them?

“Does your spouse have any siblings? Can you name them?” 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 siblings to learn how familiar you are with your spouse's family circle. A name may lead to a narrower question about age or where that person lives. These details can help place family contact in the history of your marriage without assuming every sibling lives nearby or is equally involved.

What might the officer ask next?

• Is that sibling older or younger than your spouse?
• About how old are they now?
• What city does that sibling live in, if you know?

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?

Think through the siblings your spouse has told you about and those you have personally met. Keep names separate if relatives use similar nicknames. Review approximate ages and current cities only to the extent you know them. If a relative has moved and you are unsure where, state that uncertainty. Answer from your own knowledge rather than memorizing a family list that makes you sound more certain than you are.

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