Migration seems to have become an essential part of every culture. In nearly all countries, many persons seek to both migrate into and out of their current location. It doesn’t always come easy or without adequate tests, interviews, or some screening for such transnational relocation. We will discuss Stokes Interview Questions here.
The Stokes interview is a secondary interview conducted during the process of obtaining a green card. It is administered to couples migrating to the US who desire to be lawful permanent residents of the US. The immigration officer uses it to ascertain the legitimacy of a couples’ claim of being married after they migrated to the US. It follows the status interview adjustment, and it is usually done if the immigration officer suspects the couples’ marital status is fraudulent or unlawful. It is unknown what criteria are used to decide when a couple should undergo the Stokes interview; at times, mismatched answers during a previous interview are a major indicator for the Stokes interview.
The Stokes interview is then administered as a chance for the couple to prove themselves and their union’s legitimacy. The interview can take several hours to be completed. The couples are interviewed both separately and together. It is not frequently done with both couples present. They are separated from each other and interviewed individually, with each session being recorded and compared later for discrepancies. The couples are also given opportunities to explain discrepancies in their answers. They are always advised to answer all questions truthfully, as that is the only way to scale through the interview successfully. The questions asked can either be personal or relating to both of them, and they cut across daily living activities, finances, couples’ relationships, and household tasks. Most couples who undergo the interview describe it not in pleasing terms, stressful and fearful being their most common terms; thankfully, very few couples who seek the permanent residency status actually undergo the Stokes interview as most of them stop at just the Adjustment of the Status interview.
Documents Required for a Stokes Interview
- Identity Card
- Passport
- Marriage certificate
- Utility bills and receipts
- Photo albums
- Bank Statement
- Employment letters
Stokes Interview Questions & Answers
- Who gets up first in the morning? At what time? I am an early riser. I get up first, usually by 3 am. Also, it’s because I am a writer. My inspiration comes early in the morning with the quiet. Waking up gives me the time to work on my new books before the rest of the world wakes up with all the noise and activities.
- How many windows are in your bedroom? Just two of them, 2 large windows.
- How many doors are in your house? We have like 10 doors. Two entrance doors, one door to each bedroom, we have 2 bedrooms, a door leading to the balcony, the kitchen has two doors, the store has a door, one door to the toilet, another to the bathroom, the living room has an extra door too; so that’s 10
- Describe the entry to your house. It’s nothing out of the ordinary, just a normal door after the stairs. We stay on the first floor in a 3 story building. A pair of stairs and we are up. Then there’s the door leading straight into the living room. The back entrance is almost the same, just that the door leads to a balcony and there, in the kitchen.
- What day is the garbage picked up? That would be Saturdays, after the routine house sanitation.
- Where do you put dirty clothes? We have a hamper at a corner in our own bedroom, that’s where the dirty clothes go.
- Who shops for groceries? How often? We love to go together except when we are not free to, then whoever is free does the shopping. We normally go once in two weeks, Friday evenings or on Saturday, but most definitely, on the weekend.
- What does your spouse drink in the morning? Water. That is the first thing he takes every morning. He can have a cup of black coffee or a glass of freshly prepared fruit juice during breakfast.
- Where do you currently bank? We still maintain our individual bank accounts as singles. We don’t have a joint account yet. We are still working towards that.
- How many cars do you have? We don’t have a car yet
- What do you do on Saturday nights? Saturday night is our special night. After the week’s hustle and the day’s clean-up, we attend an evening service, then come home to some movie night. We watch movies every Saturday night, in our living room, with popcorn, milkshakes or smoothies, sandwiches, biscuits, whatever snack available.
- How long was your engagement period? Approximately 2 years. We officially got engaged in July, and our wedding was in December the next year, more like a year and 6 months.
- Where was your first date? There wasn’t really an official first date. We had been friends for a long time, innocently attending events, church programs, family outings together, though not alone. The first time we went out alone was like 2 months after he asked me to marry him. At that time, I hadn’t given my answer yet, but I went out with him. We went to see a movie, ‘Overcomer.’ That was our first date, alone.
- When was your last vacation together? In between life happening and all, our last attempt at a vacation was our honeymoon. It was at a resort in South Africa.
- Who pays the bills? With what? My wife pays the bills using her credit card or cash, depending on which is readily available.
- How many Siblings does your husband have? Where do they stay current? My husband comes from a large family. He has 9 siblings, all ladies. They are all married. First, Faith lives in Nigeria with her family, the same with Mirabel, Cynthia, and Abigail. Clare stays in the UK with her family. Pearl, Glory, and Florence reside in Ghana. Helen stays in Florida.
- What is the full name of your husband’s parents? They both go by the name Mr. and Mrs. Kate Williams Johnson.
- When last did you visit your parents together? Last New year’s Eve. We drove down to see her parents first, then on New year, we went to see mine.
- Who cooks at home? Anybody. My wife is a better cook, so I defer to her in most kitchen matters anyway.
- What are your husband’s hobbies? Gardening is the first! Then listening to music, drawing and funnily, babysitting.
- What kind of Music does your spouse enjoy? I don’t know much about music myself. I can’t say which is reggae or blues or anything. My husband is a passionate music lover. He enjoys gospel music. I know he likes highlife too.
- Where were you guys wedded? We were wedded in Abuja, Nigeria, in an Anglican Church. It was a 10 o’clock service. Our reception was held in our home immediately after the service.
- What church do you currently attend? We attend Grace City Cathedral.
- When was the last time your husband brought flowers home? That would be during our courtship. I can’t remember flowers in our home since we got married, and that would be because I don’t really like flowers that much. I prefer cards and chocolates and he gets those for me regularly.
- Do you pray together every night? No, we don’t. We aim to, but at times we are exhausted, and we sleep off without praying together.
- Let me know your Spouse’s typical Monday schedule. She is a workaholic on a Monday. She wakes up by 5 am. Her day begins with prayers and reflections. Then she prepares breakfast alongside snacks for a coffee shop. She supplies pastries and sweets. Then she leaves for the hospital where she works as a dental assistant. She doesn’t get off till 3 pm. Then she goes for her talk show at the radio program, comes back to make her Monday inspiration blog post, then she attends the Bible class in church before she finally gets home to prepare dinner. That’s basically how her Mondays go.
- Where did you celebrate your first anniversary? I wanted a luxury trip to the Bahamas, he wanted to have a service of songs with a few family members to be reflective and thankful to God for the journey so far, and in the end, we went with his idea.
- How did you celebrate your last Christmas? We went to church for the Christmas service, had our Christmas lunch at home afterward, then we attended a friend’s party in the evening and had ice cream at the amusement park before going home.
Also read How Long do Interviews Last?
