You go through a lot of paperwork and processing to receive a K-1 visa to enter the US, so your next step is to speak to a marriage based green card lawyer to get a marriage-based green card to gain permanent resident status.
Getting Help from a Marriage Based Green Card Lawyer
If you’ve already gone through the visa application process, you’re already familiar with the influx of paperwork that you have to manage as well as gather to get approved. Fortunately, if you’ve been through this sort of trial, the application process for a marriage green card will not be as overwhelming.
However, that does not mean you can overlook the convenience of getting a green card through a marriage attorney. He or she can manage the process to make sure you continue to stay on track.
If you are applying for a green card and live in the U.S. with a spouse who is a U.S. citizen, the processing time through the United States Customs and Immigration Services (USCIS) takes about 14 to 28 months. This time range is about average for applying for a green card when your spouse is a permanent resident.
Once you receive a marriage based green card, it lasts two years. After this time, you’ll need to remove the limitation placed on the green card and apply for a permanent green card. To implement the process, you need to fill out Form I-751.
Your green card through marriage attorney can assist you in filling out all the paperwork and gathering the information needed to succeed with the process. Doing so will prevent any problems that can delay your receipt of the card.
You still will need to know the eligibility requirements and get familiar with some of the forms. A green card for marriage permits you to live and work permanently in the United States. The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issues the card, which represents the first step toward US citizenship.
Applying for a Green Card after You Get Married: Forms You Need to Fill Out
Again, a marriage Green Card is valid for a specific amount of time before you have to renew it. If you’ve been married for more than two years before applying, you’ll be eligible for the IR1 Green Card, which is valid for ten years.
If you’ve been married for less than two years, you’ll apply for a CR1 green card, otherwise known as a conditional green card. You can renew this card after two years and apply for a permanent green card, good for 10 years.
When you speak to a marriage based green card lawyer, you’ll need to provide the USCIS with proof that your marriage is legal, or officially recognized where the marriage took place. You also have to be married to either a green card holder (lawful permanent resident) or a U.S. citizen.
The U.S. Government and USCIS gives applicants who are related to U.S. citizens a higher priority in the green card process. To show your spouse is a U.S. citizen, you’ll need to provide proof such as a U.S. passport, birth certificate, naturalization certificate, or certificate of citizenship.
If you’re married to a green card holder, your spouse’s green card provides adequate representation of your marriage.
Forms You Need to Submit
Once you eligibility is determined, you’ll apply by submitting:
- A form I-130 with supporting documents; and
- A green card application (either a form DS-260, which you fill out if you’ve applied for a K-1 visa, or a Form I-485).
After these forms are processed, you’re required to attend an interview.
When applying for a green card, the I-130 form represents a “Petition for Alien Relative.” This form is used to establish the validity of your marriage to either a U.S. citizen or U.S. based permanent resident.
To show your marriage is legal, you must provide a marriage certificate or a back-up document such as a joint bank account statement or a joint rental agreement.
If you live in the U.S., you must submit a form I-485, or an “Adjustment of Status” form. This document permits you to adjust the status of your present visa to a marriage green card. When filling out the form, you’ll need:
- Your birth certificate
- Proof that you entered the U.S. lawfully (in the form of a prior visa or I-94 travel record)
- Proof you have received a medical exam for immigration
- Documents that show financial proof of your spouse’s ability to support you
If your spouse is a citizen of the U.S., you’ll file the forms I-130 and I-485 at the same time, or concurrently.
If your spouse is a green card holder, you’ll have to wait to file form I-485 for processing. The U.S. government will send you a notification when you can fill out and submit your I-485.
Speak to an Experienced Marriage Based Green Card Lawyer Now
The above information should give you a better idea about applying for a marriage based green card. Speak to an experienced marriage based green card lawyer today. Contact the Rijal Law Firm at (885) 997-4525 now.
