Navigating a more assertive landscape at USCIS field office during an interview in 2025? Here’s how to stay ahead.
For anyone applying for naturalization, a green card, or family-based immigration benefits, 2025 is shaping up to be a year where preparedness counts more than ever. At USCIS field offices across the country, interview procedures have quietly shifted. The changes haven’t been splashed across headlines, but they’re being felt in interview rooms from Seattle to South Florida. If you’re a foreign national, visa holder, or investor, you need to know what you’re walking into.
Naturalization Interviews:
One of the clearest trends involves N-400 naturalization interviews. Officers are now going through every question in Part 9 of the form. This includes those that used to be brushed over or skipped entirely in the past.
That means if you’ve ever had contact with law enforcement, or if there are any gaps in your immigration history, those details are going to be revisited.
Clients have shared that interviews feel longer and more intense. Some have even said it feels like you’re on trial, not just applying for a passport.
Tip: Don’t rely on what happened at your cousin’s interview last year. The playbook has changed. Go through the full N-400 with your attorney, not just the parts you assume matter.
Family-Based and Employment-Based AOS: Interview Waivers Are Fading
Remember when many green card applicants could skip the interview altogether? That’s no longer the norm. USCIS officers are scheduling in-person interviews for nearly all family-based adjustment of status cases, even when the I-130 was straightforward.
Employment-based applicants aren’t off the hook either. Interview waivers are being canceled, and cases are being re-slotted into local field office queues.
This shift signals something important: USCIS is reasserting its face-to-face authority. And if you’re used to thinking of your application as mostly paper-based, this change may catch you off guard.
Tip: If your case is pending, assume you’ll be called in. Start preparing now. Review what you submitted and be ready to explain it.
Spousal Green Card Cases: Stokes Interviews on the Rise
Here’s where it gets personal. In places like Phoenix and Seattle, marriage-based adjustment interviews now start with the couple separated in different rooms. These are called Stokes interviews. The goal? To detect fraud.
In past years, these interviews were rare and used only in suspicious cases. Now, they’re being used more broadly, even when there’s no red flag on file. The tone is less “let’s verify a relationship” and more “prove to me this is real.”
Tip: If you’re attending a marriage-based interview, prepare like it’s a trial. Know your story. Know each other’s lives. And do a practice run with a qualified immigration attorney.
Interpreter Policy: In-Person Only Still Holds
Planning to bring your interpreter in over the phone? Not so fast.
USCIS continues to insist that interpreters be physically present for interviews. This policy has frustrated many applicants who assumed remote interpretation was the norm post-pandemic. But for now, it’s business as usual on that front.
Tip: Confirm local policy with your attorney before the interview. Do not assume your interpreter can call in.
Advance Parole for DACA: A Confusing Patchwork
Reports have surfaced of Advance Parole approvals for DACA recipients in certain field offices, while others continue to deny them. The distinction seems to hinge on local leadership, not policy changes out of D.C.
Emergency AP for DACA holders remains risky. Applicants with entries without inspection are especially vulnerable, as denials in those cases are more frequent.
Tip: If you’re applying for AP under DACA or with an EWI history, consult your attorney first. The policy may be uneven, but your risk shouldn’t be.
Arrests at uscis Field Office interview : Not a Rumor
In March, USCIS publicly acknowledged assisting ICE in arresting noncitizens at interviews in South Florida. Since then, there have been multiple similar reports across the country, particularly tied to I-130 interviews involving prior orders of removal or unresolved criminal matters.
This isn’t a hypothetical concern. If you have a history (criminal, immigration-related, or both) you need to treat an interview like a court appearance.
Tip: Never go into an interview with unresolved issues on your record. If there’s a warrant, an old deportation order, or anything you’re unsure about, speak to legal counsel first. Showing up unprepared could land you in ICE custody.
So, What Should You Do Now?
This is a moment for vigilance, not panic. The law hasn’t changed, but the environment has. Field offices are leaning harder into enforcement, asking deeper questions, and defaulting to in-person reviews. Your paperwork might be clean, but if you assume the interview will be simple, you could be in for a rough surprise.
If you take one thing from this, let it be this: preparation is no longer optional. Treat every USCIS interview like it’s the deciding factor in your case because in 2025, it might be.
Need experienced legal support?
Ahluwalia Law Offices has guided clients through thousands of successful immigration interviews. Whether you’re applying for a green card, citizenship, or work-based status, we help you prepare thoroughly and represent you with the confidence of experience. Reach out to schedule a consultation.
