Common Reasons to Use an Immigration Attorney A typical immigration lawyer costs the hourly cost of a pro bono immigration lawyer or low-cost service alternatives to a traditional immigration law firm. Let our extensive legal experience and technology-based processes guide you on your immigration journey to the U.S. UU. Meet your spouse sooner A marriage-based green card allows the spouse of a U.S.
citizen (or green card holder) to legally live and work in United States. The green card grants individual permanent resident status under the law and the ability to apply for citizenship after three years of being married. A green card differs from a visa in that a visa is for shorter term uses. The husband or wife of a U.S.
citizen are considered “immediate relatives” by law, meaning that they are not subject to any quota restrictions for receiving green cards by marriage. To begin the process, the citizen must first file an I-130 in the name of their spouse and, if they legally entered the U.S. In the U.S., you can file an I-485 for adjustment of status to remain in the U.S. Usually, the spouse will be issued an Employment Authorization Document (EAD) within a 90-day period and, in some cases, may be approved to travel abroad. If a green card is granted to a married couple who is less than 2 years old, a 2-year limit will be imposed on the card.
To receive a ten-year green card, the couple must file Form I-751 within the 90-day period before the expiration of the initial green card. Regarding permanent residence applications based on marriages with citizens, there are more people who fall into the category of marriages with permanent residents of the United States than married to a citizen. For that reason, demand is often very high. Because obtaining a green card through a marriage application involves some risks, the immigration attorneys at VisaNation Law Group review all cases very carefully to ensure a successful outcome.
While obtaining a green card by marriage can often be the easiest way to obtain residency for a non-U.S. person, U.S. citizens applying for a fiancee visa or a green marriage card should know that immigration officials will review their applications to ensure that the marriage is legitimate and in good faith, and not for the sole purpose of obtaining immigration benefits. How can conditions be removed? We recommend that most couples seek the help of a qualified immigration attorney.
With something as delicate as the future of your relationship, it's worth investing in having your case handled by a team with years of experience and countless approvals in your to have. See our past success stories and how many happy couples we've helped to meet in the United States. Our fee for obtaining a green card for marriage to a U.S. citizen (filed in the U.S.
UU.) You can check the fees of our immigration attorneys to familiarize yourself with the services we offer and the prices you can expect. It's important to note that these are only the mandatory costs required by USCIS. You should also consider travel costs and medical exam fees when evaluating the total cost of your green card. USCIS requires that you file I-751 at least 90 days before the end of your two-year term.
If you don't, you may lose your status when your marriage-based green card expires, which could have dire consequences for your future immigration efforts. The first step in a marriage-based green card process is for the applicant spouse (citizen or permanent resident) to file an I-130, Petition for a Foreign Relative, with USCIS. After approval of the I-130, the next steps will depend on whether the beneficiary is staying in the U.S. In the U.S., it's time to meet your spouse in the U.S.
Eligibility for the marriage-based green card requires proof of legal marriage, the termination of previous marriages, and a genuine marital relationship. To prove the legitimacy of the marriage, you'll have to provide official records, while previous marriages require divorce or death certificates. Good faith marriage criteria help USCIS to determine if the marriage is genuine and to shed light on fraudulent marriages. The citizen or legal permanent resident must sponsor the applicant. If the marriage lacks family involvement or seems secret, immigration officials may begin to suspect.
Once you file the I-130 petition, USCIS will assign you the priority date, which is the day you received your petition. Each year, USCIS only allows a certain number of immigrant visas (green cards) to be issued. If the number of applicants exceeds the number of available visa numbers, a backlog will accrue. Unfortunately, there is usually a delay in each category of green card based on marriage.
The categories are divided into preference levels that are further divided according to their country of origin. Be sure to check the monthly visa bulletin provided by the Department of State to see if the dates match or exceed your priority date. When that happens, your date will be the current one and you can apply to adjust your status to legal permanent residence or go through consular processing. Unfortunately, the premium processing service is only available to those who apply for permanent green cards and visas using I-129 and I-140 petitions.
Therefore, you cannot shorten the processing time of marriage with a green card with this service. Simple and Fast Marriage Green Cards Remember that if you are still in the US. If you have K status, you may not need to go through consular processing. However, USCIS reserves the right to order a consular interview for any potential immigrant.
Below you will find answers to the most frequently asked questions about marriage green cards. What is the age requirement to sponsor a marriage-based green card? You will need to move from the F2 green card category (second family preference) to that of an immediate relative (IR) in the petition you filed earlier. You can do this by sending proof of your citizenship to the NVC. This will speed up the green card process, as higher priority is given to applicants for immediate family members. How long do I have to wait to apply for a green card after marrying my spouse? You don't have to wait any particular period before applying for a green card.
As soon as you're legally married, you can begin your green card process, regardless of your location. What happens if they get divorced before the 2-year period ends? If the divorce occurs before the end of the 2-year period, the foreign-born spouse is encouraged to file Form I-751 to apply for a “good faith marriage exemption.” How long does it take to get a green card based on marriage? Who is eligible for a green card by marriage? In general, you may be eligible for a green card based on marriage if you meet the following requirements (being legally married to a U.S. citizen,Citizen or green card holder (all your previous marriages have been legally dissolved) and (your marriage is in good faith and is not fraudulent). During your immigration journey, you will need to submit numerous documents, such as Form I-864 and DS-260, proof of your marriage, and a variety of other evidence to support your application.
The burden of proof to establish the legitimacy of the marriage lies with the applicant. An experienced lawyer can help you with this task, both to prepare the application correctly and to advise the applicant on what type of documents he should bring to the interview to increase the chances of success. The immigration attorneys at VisaNation Law Group have significant experience in all aspects of the marriage-based immigration process. They have successfully handled dozens of fiancee visa and marriage immigration cases.
VisaNation Law Group has helped clients with every step of the process, including correctly completing application forms, preparing and collecting the necessary documents and evidence, preparing them and accompanying you and your spouse to the final immigration interview. Once again, it's best to explore all of your options before starting the application process. Contact an immigration attorney to learn what course of action is best for you and your spouse. Unlike many other immigration benefits, you can apply for a green card by marriage even if you have an illegal presence in the U.S.
However, in most cases, the initial consultation involves looking at what the lawyer can do to help you. To understand how a conviction in your state affects your immigration case, it's important to get the analysis of an experienced immigration attorney. This is true for permanent residents (green card holders) or other visa holders, regardless of how long they have lived in the United States. You can find these attorneys through the American Immigration Lawyers Association or the Catholic Legal Immigration Network. It's usually best for a legal professional to address these circumstances and they justify the cost of an immigration attorney.
For example, obtaining a green card through the K-1 fiancé visa process will be more expensive than obtaining a green card through the CR-1 spouse visa process. In addition, the lawyer will want to be reimbursed if any expenses are incurred during the course of the contract. Therefore, the best attorneys generally focus even more on some limited areas of immigration law, such as defending against deportation or asylum seekers. In general, you might be eligible for a green card based on marriage if you meet the following requirements (you're legally married to a U.
