These are the questions Russian-speaking applicants ask Mikhail Bogomolny most often before a USCIS or asylum interview, answered in full from his practice: more than 750 USCIS interviews and work in U.S. immigration court. Each answer starts with the general rule and then adds what he sees in practice. This is general information, not legal advice; questions about your own case belong with your attorney.
Contents
- Booking and working with the interpreter
- On the day of the interview
- Asylum interviews
- Green card interviews
- Documents and translations
- Courts
Booking and working with the interpreter
Can a family member or friend interpret at my USCIS interview?
USCIS strongly discourages it and often refuses family members as interpreters. One of the key requirements is that the interpreter be impartial and unbiased, which means having no interest in the outcome of the case. A paid professional is presumed to be neutral, while a family member clearly wants a favorable decision.
To keep the interview fair, and above all to keep the officer at ease, it is best not to take the risk. If the officer disallows a family member, the interview is rescheduled, and if it was already rescheduled before, the case may even be referred to immigration court. The price of that risk is too high to even consider.
How early should I book, and can Mikhail take a last-minute interview?
Book as soon as you receive the interview notice: dates are set by USCIS, and an interpreter's schedule is not a reason to reschedule, especially for asylum interviews. Mikhail is known for going above and beyond to accommodate even last-minute requests. And even when he can't take one, he has built a network of reliable professional interpreters over the years, so it is highly likely he can connect you with someone trustworthy who is available.
Should I talk with my interpreter before the interview?
Absolutely. Mikhail's service never starts and ends with the interview itself: it always includes a thorough consultation beforehand. He is not an attorney and doesn't give legal advice, but he gladly shares what is important and relevant: what to expect, when and where you will meet, how check-in works, and practical details such as what you can and can't bring into the office. Establishing contact with your interpreter in advance also makes you more comfortable on a stressful day.
What should I send the interpreter before the interview?
Always the date, time and office or courthouse. An experienced interpreter knows every office address from constant work, so that is all you need to confirm.
A copy of the interview notice is highly recommended, though never required. Security often asks to see the notice before letting a person in, so having it makes it easier for the interpreter to get inside, especially when lines are long, as at the downtown Los Angeles office. And in an emergency, if you are running late, an interpreter with the notice can go in and tell the clerk at the window that you are almost there, which helps you avoid being treated as a no-show and the trouble that follows.
When is the interpreter paid? Is there a deposit?
For local interviews and hearings, payment isn't due until the day itself and can be made at any moment before you go into the interview room or courtroom. In other words, you pay only after you have met Mikhail in person and are already together inside the USCIS office or the court.
Mikhail doesn't require a deposit unless the interview or hearing is out of town or out of state. The only reason is that those assignments involve extra expenses, such as airfare and possibly a hotel, a rental car or other transportation, and the deposit protects against that loss. If the interview is canceled after you paid a deposit, you always keep the credit: once a new date is set, the deposit counts toward the new interview. You do not lose your deposit.
Can the interpreter join by phone or video?
Never at USCIS: the interpreter you bring must be there in person. Immigration court hearings can run with remote interpretation, but the court provides that interpreter itself (see below).
Attorney–client meetings, psychological evaluations, depositions, civil court hearings and similar settings often allow an interpreter to appear by video or phone, depending on the setting. Mikhail works in every mode: in person, video remote interpreting (VRI), over-the-phone interpreting (OPI), and on Zoom, Webex, Microsoft Teams and even WhatsApp video.
Can my attorney book Mikhail for me?
Yes. Mikhail works with many attorneys in California and across the country, so your attorney may well recommend him and arrange everything. If you trust your attorney to handle it, that is enough. Still, for your own peace of mind, talk with Mikhail at least once, and exchange phone numbers: you need to know where, when and how you will meet on the day, and to be able to reach each other that morning.
Does Mikhail interpret outside legal settings?
Yes. His experience covers virtually every field: business meetings and conferences, school district student assessments, medical appointments and medical-legal evaluations (QME), and more. Get in touch and describe your needs; Mikhail will do his best to make himself available.
On the day of the interview
Does USCIS provide an interpreter at a green card or citizenship interview?
No. In rare circumstances an officer may, at their own discretion, call a USCIS-contracted interpreter by phone, but that doesn't happen in 99.9% of cases, and in practice you should never count on it unless the officer considers the circumstances exigent. During COVID, for example, USCIS did provide interpreters in select instances, and COVID shows what "exigent" really means: an exception, not the rule.
Asylum interviews always have a monitor on the phone, but the monitor's task is strictly to observe and ensure accuracy, never to interpret for you. The appointment notice clearly instructs you to bring your own interpreter, and you receive it ahead of time, so USCIS expects you to have one and is not responsible if you don't.
What is Form G-1256, and who signs it?
Form G-1256, Declaration for Interpreted USCIS Interview, is required for every interpreter before the interview and is signed by both the interpreter and the person who needs one. It is essentially a consent and acknowledgment: the applicant confirms that they understand the interpreter and allow them to interpret, and the interpreter acknowledges the same and takes a written oath to interpret accurately and remain impartial. The forms have recently gone digital, and without a paper form the officer has the interpreter sign on an iPad.
Interestingly, the version used at asylum interviews is different from the regular form and isn't available online: it combines several oaths and acknowledgments and is always provided by the asylum office at check-in. Some offices hand the form to the interpreter to fill out and give to the officer; others, such as San Francisco or Houston, prepare it themselves, and the interpreter and applicant sign it in front of the officer. In practice, never sign the form before the interview starts: it is always signed in the officer's presence.
What if I don't understand a question?
Never answer a question you didn't understand. Ask the officer, or whoever is asking, to clarify or rephrase it. The interpreter may not explain questions to you, but you can, and should, tell the interpreter that you didn't understand, so the interpreter can let the officer, attorney or judge know the question needs clarifying. You often get one chance, so use it carefully and to the fullest: never assume, always clarify.
The conversation is ultimately between you and the person asking. The interpreter facilitates it and is your voice, but you decide what to say.
What happens if my interview is rescheduled or canceled?
It depends on the office, its local policy, its caseload and other factors. Typically a rescheduled asylum interview gets a new date within one to one and a half months, but there is no hard and fast rule: the new date may be six months away, depending on the circumstances. Either way, you, and your attorney if you have one, receive a notice by mail with the new date and time.
Why are some people called for a second interview, and what does Mikhail do then?
Recalls are no longer rare, especially for asylum, and a recall is usually a good thing, not a bad one. The logic is simple: if the office wanted to deny the application, it could have done so and saved time and money. Being recalled is a second chance. It usually happens when USCIS doesn't have enough information to decide one way or the other.
The notice comes the same way as the first one, and it is usually a different officer: if you were called back, the first officer didn't ask something they were supposed to. These interviews are usually shorter and don't repeat what was already said. They concern specific points such as security issues, earlier inconsistencies, possible citizenship of another country, military service or a criminal record.
If Mikhail interpreted at your first interview, he offers a generous discount for the second, because he understands the financial and psychological burden a recall brings. In that situation it matters a great deal that you stay calm, supported by someone you can trust.
Asylum interviews
How long does an asylum interview last?
Typically 2.5 to 3.5 hours. Every case is individual: an interview may be over in two hours or, rarely, go beyond four. It tends to go faster when the application was filed on time, the applicant has no criminal record and entered the U.S. lawfully, and the application doesn't have many changes. Each of these issues, when present, opens the door to more questions and clarifications and almost guarantees a longer interview.
How you answer always affects the length. At the start, the officer explains how to answer, and following those instructions saves a lot of time. Long answers with no relevant information, instead of a simple yes or no, which is often all that's needed, lead to more questions. What really matters is listening to the question and understanding it: once you recognize a specific, closed question, give a short, direct answer.
Asylum interviews depend heavily on incidents of physical harm and threats: the more of them, the longer the interview, and each episode usually takes about 15 minutes to discuss. This is general information; your attorney is the one to advise you on what to include in your case.
Who has to come to the asylum interview?
Every family member on the application who was not born in the U.S. or naturalized must appear, because each is asked a specific set of security questions. They may be asked together or separately. When separately, it is usually after the principal applicant finishes. Sometimes, especially with young children, the officer invites everyone in, releases the family members after 10–15 minutes and continues with the principal applicant alone.
When will I get a decision after the asylum interview?
It depends heavily on USCIS policy, which changes rather often. The rule of thumb used to be two weeks, though it didn't always work that way, and most applicants returned to the office to pick up the decision in person, with only some decisions mailed. Today all decisions are mailed, and there is no specific timeframe. Understanding how and when the decision is made explains why; your attorney can walk you through it.
Second interviews, and in very rare cases a third, have also become more common, and with no guarantee you won't be recalled, it is very hard to predict when a decision will come. Often the officers themselves don't know.
Green card interviews
When will I get a decision after a green card interview?
Usually much faster than after an asylum interview, sometimes the same day. In rare cases you learn the decision right at the interview, but typically it comes within a few days.
Documents and translations
Which documents must be translated?
As a rule, every document that is not in English must be accompanied by a certified English translation; otherwise it has little to no evidentiary value. Primary evidence is always needed: birth, marriage, divorce, name change, death, adoption and similar records.
Secondary documents depend on the circumstances of each case. If a person served in a foreign military, the military ID and related documents are translated: draft registration certificate, service record card, call-up notices and so on. If a person has a record of offenses, or must prove that they don't, all such documents are translated: detention, search and interrogation reports and the police clearance certificate. Personal statements, affidavits, witness statements, declarations, screenshots and social media posts are very important as well.
Especially for immigration court, the foreign passport must be translated in its entirety, blank pages included: every entry and exit stamp, visa and other annotation. That is crucial in immigration court.
Can I or a relative translate my documents?
Just as USCIS strongly discourages, and sometimes refuses, family members as interpreters, documents must be translated by a professional who is impartial and unbiased. That removes even the slightest doubt about the accuracy and truthfulness of the translation. A family member may know English very well but is unlikely to know legal terminology, proper translation practice and USCIS standards.
You can pull your own tooth, too; that doesn't mean you should, and there is a professional for that. A self-made translation carries no accountability. Mikhail has translated thousands of documents later used before USCIS and the immigration courts; a professional translation avoids mistranslations and discrepancies that could undermine your own credibility.
Does a translation need to be notarized?
No, not always. USCIS almost never requires notarized translations; courts often do. But there is a big catch, and a substantial advantage to working with a court-certified translator: certified and registered interpreters are on the court roster with their oath on file, so the court already knows the translator is certified by the Judicial Council, the translator's identity is verified, and no notary acknowledgment is needed.
In some cases notarization is still required; then Mikhail arranges it and provides a physical copy of the translation with the notary page.
How long does a translation take?
Mikhail prides himself on a very fast turnaround, because he understands that time is of the essence and documents are often needed as soon as possible. Rush and same-day service are always available, and standard work is normally ready within one or two days. For bigger projects, Mikhail gets in touch with you and you work out a schedule together that meets your deadline.
Courts
Can I hire my own interpreter, or Mikhail, for my immigration court hearing?
No. Immigration courts don't allow you to bring your own interpreter: the U.S. Department of Justice has a contract with a private company that provides interpreters for immigration court hearings, always at no cost to you. Mikhail is contracted with that company and approved to interpret in immigration court, so he may well end up interpreting at your hearing, but that would be a lucky coincidence, not a plan: unlike other courts, EOIR has its own rules and procedures.
If you need an interpreter for immigration court, make sure the court knows it ahead of the hearing: go to the court's window and ask for one, ideally in person, or have your attorney file a motion for an interpreter. That way one will be there when you need them most. Before the hearing, Mikhail can still help with attorney meetings, declarations and evidence translation.
Will a California court provide an interpreter?
State courts provide interpreters by priority. In criminal cases the court always provides one at no cost, because every defendant has the right to equal access to justice under the law. In civil and lower-priority family law cases it isn't guaranteed, and civil cases differ: unlawful detainer cases usually have a court interpreter, small claims almost never; child support cases will have one, spousal support petitions not always. In civil disputes over money the court rarely provides one, and you need to hire a court-certified interpreter yourself. The person who hires the interpreter usually pays, unless the parties agree otherwise or the cost is split in a settlement or by the judge.
More on the courtroom itself: going to court with an interpreter.
General information based on Mikhail's experience, not legal advice. For the logistics of each office, see the USCIS office guide.
Mikhail Bogomolny
California-certified court interpreter (English–Russian) with 17+ years of experience in courts, immigration courts and USCIS interviews. Mikhail is not an attorney, and nothing on this site is legal advice.