How Can I Apply For Green Card Through Marriage?

A U.S. citizen’s immediate relative can become a lawful permanent resident (Green Card) based on their family relationship if they meet certain eligibility requirements. To apply for a Green Card, one must complete an immigrant petition and a Green Card application (Form I-485). The process involves establishing the marriage relationship by filing Form I-130, applying for the green card, and obtaining a K-1 nonimmigrant visa. Within 90 days of being admitted as a K-1 nonimmigrant, the alien must enter into a bona fide marriage with the U.S. citizen who filed the Form I-129F, Petition for Alien Fiancé. The total government filing fee is $1,760 (if filed before April 1, 2024). A marriage-based green card can be one of the quickest ways to obtain permanent residence, as the marriage alone doesn’t provide any immigration status to a foreign national. Other family members eligible for a Green Card are first preference (F1) for unmarried sons and daughters of U.S. citizens and second preference (F2A) for spouses and children of lawful permanent residents.

Is it faster to get green card through marriage?

If your spouse is a green card holder and you live in the United States, you will wait about 13.5–20.5 months to receive your green card. If your spouse is a green card holder and you live outside the United States, you will wait about 29–40 months to receive your green card.

Widows of U.S. citizens. Widows and widowers of U.S. citizens can apply for a green card within two years of their spouse’s death. The process is similar to the marriage-based green card process for spouses of U.S. citizens, but instead of the I-130, widows and widowers will file Form I-360.

What happens if you get married while on a tourist visa in the USA?

5. Can I work in the U.S. if I marry on a tourist visa? If you get married on a tourist visa, you can’t work legally in the U.S. Working without permission is a violation of your visa terms.

How do I prepare for a green card for my marriage?

Review: Before your interview, sit down together or schedule a long phone call. Go over the important dates and events in your relationship. Collect your documents. Get copies of all the original documents you submitted to the government with your green card application (passports, birth certificates, marriage certificates, court records, divorce documents, photos, and other evidence of your marriage). Make copies of documents that prove your marriage is real. Examples include recent photos, birth certificates, joint tax returns, recent bank statements, joint property and insurance documents. If you live in different countries, include copies of travel itineraries and phone records. Here are more ideas on documents you can use to prove your marriage is real. Get organized: Organize your documents in a folder and put photos in an album. Not sure which documents you need? Boundless has a guide on the documents needed for a green card. At the interview. The officer interviewing you. The interview will be done by a USCIS officer or a consular officer who is trained to do marriage-based green card interviews. The officer’s main goal is to make sure the marriage is real.

How can I apply for a green card for my spouse?

To get a Green Card for a family member, you must: File Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative. Show you are a permanent resident. Show the relationship, like a birth certificate. As a Green Card holder, you can petition for certain family members to immigrate to the United States.

Spouse (husband or wife); Unmarried children under 21; Unmarried son or daughter of any age. To obtain a Green Card for your family member, you must:

How much to apply for a green card through marriage?

How much does it cost to get a green card? The government filing fee for a family-based green card is $3,005 for applicants in the United States and $1,340 for applicants outside the United States. This does not include the cost of the medical exam, which varies by provider. Green Card Costs Will Increase April 1, 2024. USCIS confirmed that filing fees for various immigration forms will increase on April 1, 2024. Visa costs will go up, including green cards. The fee for a green card application, Form I-485, will go up from $1,225 to $1,440. To calculate your 2024 green card costs, check out the Boundless guide. Boundless Essential offers great service at a low price. No surprises here. Get unlimited support and your full application for one flat fee.

Can my wife stay in the U.S. while waiting for a green card?

Adjustment versus consular processing. Few people can choose between adjustment of status and consular processing. But some U.S. citizen spouses in the United States can choose. Most eligible spouses prefer to adjust their status. It lets the foreign spouse stay in the United States while waiting for the green card. Consular processing often results in quicker processing times. The couple may be separated. Each path has its own pros and cons. Read Adjustment of Status vs. Consular Processing for a detailed breakdown.

Inadmissible grounds. All green card applicants are checked for admissibility before entering the United States. If the applicant is already in the U.S., they are still checked for inadmissibility before becoming a permanent resident. People with a criminal or terrorist history, drug abuse, infectious diseases, or other characteristics will not be allowed to enter the U.S. The following list summarizes some of the major classes of inadmissibility. Sometimes a waiver is available.

Can my wife stay in the US while waiting for a green card?

Adjustment versus consular processing. Few people can choose between adjustment of status and consular processing. But some U.S. citizen spouses in the United States can choose. Most eligible spouses prefer to adjust their status. It lets the foreign spouse stay in the United States while waiting for the green card. Consular processing often results in quicker processing times. The couple may be separated. Each path has its own pros and cons. Read Adjustment of Status vs. Consular Processing for a detailed breakdown.

Inadmissible grounds. All green card applicants are checked for admissibility before entering the United States. If the applicant is already in the U.S., they are still checked for inadmissibility before becoming a permanent resident. People with a criminal or terrorist history, drug abuse, infectious diseases, or other characteristics will not be allowed to enter the U.S. The following list summarizes some of the major classes of inadmissibility. Sometimes a waiver is available.

What is the fastest spouse visa in the USA?

Fiancé(e) and Spousal Visa Application Process and Timeline. If you want to get to the U.S. fast, the K-1 fiancé(e) visa is the fastest option. But if you want a green card quickly, a marriage-based visa is faster. For details on the steps involved, see the K-1 Fiancé Visa and Marriage-Based Immigrant Visa application guides. Overview: K-1 visa processing times have slowed. The average time to get the first step done, USCIS approval of the Form I-129F Petition for Alien Fiancé(e), was between 6 and 15 months in early 2024.

How long do I have to be married to get a green card?

Two years, often. Marriage is a quick way to get permanent residence. USCIS gives you two years to prove you’re a good immigrant. After two years, you must file Form I-751 to remove the conditions of residence and get a permanent green card.

It might be hard to travel after marrying an American. Is that true? Yes. If you marry an American or green card holder, be careful about travel. If you are in F, J, or tourist status, you must have a home abroad and intend to return. When you apply for a visa, you have to prove you have ties to your home country. Marriage to a U.S. citizen makes it hard to prove you have ties to your home country because you are assumed to want to immigrate to the United States. If you need a new visa to return to the United States, your will visa is likely to be denied, even if you plan to continue as a full-time student. What if I have a student visa in my passport? Can I travel then? As long as you have a valid visa, are a full-time student, and have your I-20 or DS-2019 signed for travel by OIS, you may be able to re-enter the United States even if you have married a U.S. citizen.

Can you marry someone in another country if you’re already married?

If you are married to someone in the U.S., what happens overseas depends on the country. If polygamy is recognized in another country, you can get married again. However, if you return to the U.S., your foreign marriage won’t be recognized. If you are already married in the U.S., you have to get divorced or widowed before you can remarry. Laws vary by state and country. Contact a local family law attorney before planning a wedding in a foreign country.

Am I legally married in the US if I got married in another country?

The US doesn’t have a national marriage registry. U.S. states recognize marriages from other states and countries. If you got married legally in the country or state where you did, your marriage is recognized in the United States. The only exception is for naturalization. Learn more about how marriage affects immigration here. If you are getting married abroad, the U.S. State Department website has helpful information.