![]() ![]() If married to a US Green Card holder and you are outside the US, the same process applies as if married to a US citizen, except you would need to wait for Green Card availability in the visa bulletin before you can apply to the NVC. If you are married to a US citizen and live outside the US, you would need to file Form I-130 to establish the relationship, before applying for your Green Card at a National Visa Center (NVC) and then attending the visa interview. This will be on the basis that you entered and remain in the US lawfully, for example on a work visa, and at the time you applied for your previous visa and were admitted into the country, you did not have the intention or plans to get married and stay in the US. If you are already resident in the US and have already married your US citizen spouse, you will usually make an application to adjust your status. The specific Green Card application process will depend on whether your spouse is a US citizen or a US lawful permanent resident, and whether you as the non-US spouse are living in the US or overseas. Obtaining an immigrant visa is a two-step process involving filing an immigrant petition with US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and attending a visa interview at a US consular post abroad. How can you get a US Green Card through marriage? If the US citizen and their spouse are outside the US, the non-US spouse will first need to obtain an immigrant visa to enter the US as a permanent resident.Īfter three years with US lawful permanent residence, the Green Card holder can apply to naturalize as a US citizen. ![]() With exceptional knowledge and insight into US application processes, we can guide you through the process, from compiling your submission and supporting documents, to advising on and supporting you with interview preparation.Ī US citizen can sponsor their non-US citizen spouse for permanent residence (ie a marriage Green Card), to enable their spouse to legally work and reside in the US. Green Card rules are onerous and the eligibility criteria stringent, leaving no room for error or omission. Whether you are living in the US or overseas and you are looking to apply for a US Green Card to join your spouse in the USA, we can help.Īs specialist US immigration and nationality attorneys based in London, England, we are on hand to help non-American spouses with Green Card applications. With so much at stake, it will be important to get your application and supporting evidence to work hard in proving your eligibility, and for you and your US spouse to prepare well for the marriage visa interview. The challenge for marriage Green Card applicants is that the application process can be protracted, leaving applicants living with the uncertainty of their pending application for months, and in many cases years. Even while the application is pending, you can enter the United States as a visitor. If you reside outside of the United States your application must be submitted to the US Citizenship and Immigration Service. There is no annual cap on the number of Green Cards that can be issued to “immediate relatives”, which spouses are classed as. With a Green Card, you can live with your spouse in the USA and work freely and your movements are not as restricted as applicants under other US immigration routes. Marrying a US citizen does not automatically confer US immigration or nationality rights on non-US spouses.Īs a non-American spouse, you will need to make an application to US authorities to secure lawful permanent residence status (also known as a ‘Green Card’) through marriage.
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