Yes, you will be able to get immigration benefits. Your spouse must apply for an immigrant visa on your behalf.
Maybe. As long as you enter the U.S. legally, you will be able to apply or obtain a green card while in the U.S., regardless of whether you have legal status in the U.S. or not. This means that if you are overdue in the US, you will still be able to apply for a green card. Even if you entered the country illegally, you have ways to eventually get a green card. We have helped hundreds of clients obtain a residence permit through marriage to a U.S. citizen. Contact us to schedule a free consultation.
You will need to prove that your marriage is valid, meaning it was for love, not for immigration purposes. These could be photos, joint bank statements, evidence that you live together, cards, and possibly statements. We can work with you to collect the documentation necessary to confirm the validity of your marriage. Contact us to schedule a free consultation.
About two weeks after the immigration service receives the documents, and provided that you have applied for a green card, you will receive a notification that you need to show up for an appointment for biometric data. You don’t have to wait for the date and time of the appointment. You can immediately go to the specified location to do this.
Eventually, your case will be sent to the local immigration service – the office closest to your place of residence. This local office will set up a time for an interview with you and your spouse to verify the validity of your marriage.
It will depend on where you live. If you live in an area with a large number of green card applicants, the waiting time for an interview is usually longer than in an area with fewer applicants. On average, it takes approximately 18 months from the time the officer receives the dossier until the time of the interview. We can give you an overall assessment of when to expect your interview. Contact us to schedule a free consultation.
Officers usually ask questions about your marriage, where you met, when you met, etc. The officer will also ask questions about you and your spouse’s extended family, any trips you’ve made, and other questions to determine if you have a marriage. In the past, we’ve worked with many clients to prepare them for this immigration interview. Contact us to schedule a free consultation.
You will be able to apply for a work permit when you apply for a green card. Once your work permit card has been approved, you will be able to work in the United States. As long as the work permit card is valid, you will be able to work in the United States. Having received a green card, you will also be able to work anywhere in the United States.
You will be able to apply for a travel permit when you apply for a green card. When the travel permit is approved, you will be able to travel outside the United States. There are other questions related to whether you should travel outside the U.S. Contact us to discuss your travel plans.
Having received a green card, you will be able to freely travel outside the United States.
If you have been married to your spouse for more than two years before applying for a green card, you will receive a permanent green card that will be valid for ten years. If you and your spouse have been married for less than two years before applying for a green card, you will receive a conditional residence permit card valid for two years.
The only difference between conditional residence and permanent residence is the time frame, as conditional residence is only valid for two years. Conventional residents have access to all the benefits of permanent residence, such as the ability to work and travel.
You must apply for permanent residence before the expiry of your conditional residence permit. You have 90 days to apply for permanent residence. For example, if your conditional residence expires on May 1, 2020, you can apply for permanent residence at any time from January 30, 2020 to April 30, 2020. The request must be received by the immigration service no later than May 1. 2020.
Yes, you can still apply for permanent residence even if you divorce your spouse. We have helped many clients who divorced during the two-year conditional residence permit to obtain permanent green cards. Contact us to schedule a free consultation.
As with the initial registration, you will need to prove that the marriage was valid and was not entered into for immigration purposes. We recommend that you provide the initial documents, as well as documents confirming that you lived with your spouse, vacationed with your spouse, shared financial issues, as well as other documents confirming a valid marriage. We have helped many clients obtain a residence permit as a result of marriage to a U.S. citizen. Contact us for a free consultation.
Usually not, however, the officer may request an interview if the officer deems it justified.
If you are still married to your U.S. citizen spouse, you can apply for citizenship in the third year after obtaining a residence permit, whether conditional or permanent residence. If you are not married to your spouse in the U.S., you can apply for citizenship on the fifth anniversary of obtaining a residence permit, whether conditional or permanent residence. We have worked with many clients to obtain naturalization after marrying a U.S. citizen. We look forward to hearing your situation and how you should proceed in the next steps. Contact us to schedule a free consultation.
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