The most important change is the increased checks to see if your marriage is real. The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has always checked this thoroughly, because a sham marriage is a serious crime in the US. But after Trump became president, these checks became even more thorough and lengthy.
Due to thorough checks all processes are delayed, so you need to be ready to wait. Work permits in the US are also now being issued with delays. You must know, that an applicant for a marriage-based Green Card will not be able to work in the US until he/she receives a work permit and cannot leave the US unless he receives an exit permit (Advance Parole).
USCIS officers began sending out even more requests for additional evidence and even personally contact the relatives of the married couple by phone for they confirm that the marriage is real.
Previously, if a marriage-based Green Card case was drawn up perfectly and there was a lot of evidence of the real marriage, USCIS refused to call the couple for an interview and approved a Green Card without it. In 2025 after Trump became president, married couples are increasingly being called for a personal interview at the USCIS office. You also need to be ready for this, and most importantly – very carefully prepare for such an interview with the help of a lawyer. Your marriage may be real, but anxiety, unpreparedness for the interview, different answers from the couple to the same question will arouse suspicion among USCIS officers and can lead to a denial of a Green Card.
Due to increased checks in 2025, it is recommended to hire an immigration lawyer to help you get a marriage-based Green Card. Now even a simple legal process can become very difficult if you do not know all the nuances and do not collect the perfect evidence base that your family life and relationship are real. Only an experienced lawyer (and most importantly, one who specializes in this area of immigration law) can do this.
If you need help with this, you can always contact me, family immigration is my main and favorite specialization. Immigration lawyer Irina Lust with 16 years of experience. You can schedule a consultation using the form or contacts below: