Q&A

The “public charge” rule is a U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) proposal that would reduce the number of people who are eligible for green cards and temporary visas, by redefining what makes someone dependent on government benefits — or likely to use such benefits in the future.

Yes, and you must provide proof that the local district attorney declined to prosecute your case. Make sure to obtain and submit a letter with your application to USCIS.

Yes, and you must provide proof that the local district attorney declined to prosecute your case. Make sure to obtain and submit a letter with your application to USCIS.

Form I-693 documents the results of the required medical examination for a spouse (or other family member) seeking a green card. For those applying from within the United States, their medical exam is performed by a doctor approved by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), who provides a signed Form I-693. For those applying from outside the United States, a State Department-approved doctor performs the medical exam.

Most green card applicants must have a U.S. sponsor who accepts financial responsibility for them upon arriving in the United States. An “Affidavit of Support” (Form I-864) is essentially a contract between the financial sponsor and the U.S. government, where the financial sponsor demonstrates that they meet the government’s income requirements.

Yes. Immigration law allows for people who can prove they lived in a real bona fide marriage with a u.s. citizen to file for removal of conditions/permanent green card by themselves, with waiver of the joint filing requirements. the waiver is based on marriage and subsequent divorce and often the green card applicant may even qualify for hardship and abuse/extreme cruelty waivers. it is important to consult with an immigration attorney in said cases.

Although a spouse seeking a green card from abroad can technically visit their spouse in the United States on a tourist visa, doing so is generally discouraged. Not only do immigration officers often deny entry to the United States upon learning of the tourist’s pending green card application, but “misrepresenting” one’s intentions for visiting could also jeopardize the application.

A “bona fide” marriage means 2 people who intend to build a future together and who did not marry only for immigration purposes. Evidence of an authentic marriage can include joint financial documents, evidence of living together (cohabitation), tickets and photos from trips taken together, among others.

The final step in the marriage-based green card process is the interview, where the interviewing officer’s primary goal is to assess the authenticity of the marriage. Marriage green card interview questions can focus on the history of the couple’s relationship, as well as their daily activities and future plans as a married couple.

To be eligible for a marriage-based green card, the applicant must have a U.S. financial sponsor (usually the sponsoring spouse) who certifies in an Affidavit of Support (Form I-864) that their annual income is at least 125% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines (100% for military sponsors). The exact minimum income required — most commonly $21,137 for a couple with no children — depends on where the sponsor lives, the size of their household, and other factors.

The total cost for each type of green card application can vary. Government fees for marriage-based green cards are $1,760 if the spouse seeking a green card lives in the United States and $1,200 if the spouse lives abroad, in addition to other costs, such as a fee for a required medical examination. All government fees are subject to change and are likely to increase in 2020.

No. Only US Citizens can file for their fiances in other countries.

The K-1 fiancé visa is available to fiancés of U.S. citizens who are living outside of the United States and intend to get married within 90 days of arriving in the United States.

There are many ways to get a green card, and the timeline for each pathway is different. Depending on the situation, the marriage-based green card process can last as little as 10 months or over 3 years.

A K-1, or “fiancé visa,” is a temporary visa available only to fiancés of U.S. citizens who are living outside of the United States and intend to get married within 90 days of arriving in the United States. A marriage green card is available to spouses of both U.S. citizens and U.S. green card holders, whether living in the United States or abroad, and ultimately provides permanent residence.

The required documents for a marriage green card can vary by situation, but in general the couple must provide evidence, such as proof that the sponsoring spouse is a U.S. citizen or permanent resident; a copy of their marriage certificate; evidence that the marriage is authentic; and evidence that the sponsoring spouse can financially support the spouse seeking a green card.

A marriage-based green card can take between 10 and 38 months to process, depending on whether your new spouse is a U.S. citizen or green card holder and where you currently live.

Most U.S. citizens and U.S. green card holders are entitled by law to sponsor their spouses for a green card, also known as “permanent residence status.” The total cost, wait time, and other details of the marriage green card process vary based on several factors.

During a biometric screening, a government representative records an individual’s fingerprints and takes their photos and signature, in order to check government records for any serious criminal history or relevant prior immigration violations. The biometrics appointment is typically short and simple.

The Visa Bulletin can be found on the US department of state’s website. Department of state issues a report and posts it at this website every month showing which family petition based visas and related green card applications can move forward. department of state reports to the public which petitions they are working on at this time and the dates those petitions were filed. This gives people awaiting their visas to come to u.s. an idea of when to expect their visa to be ready to be processed. The visa bulletin exists because Congress caps the number of green cards that can be issued each year in certain categories, which has created several backlogs.

Anyone who already has a valid work visa (for example, an H-1B or L-1 visa) can usually continue working in the United States even while applying for a U.S. green card. Otherwise, green card applicants aren’t allowed to start working in the United States until they obtain a work permit by filing Form I-765. Learn more here.

A green card application may be denied by the U.S. government for several reasons, including but not limited to mistakes on the required forms, missing documents, insufficient financial resources, or failure to demonstrate eligibility. More details about possible reasons for green card denial can be found here.

A conditional green card is valid for only 2 years, and the designation “CR1” on the physical card stands for “conditional resident.” A conditional green card holder must file Form I-751 to “remove the conditions” and obtain a permanent green card. In most cases, a conditional green card is issued to a spouse who has been married for less than 2 years at the time their green card was first approved.

Законный постоянный житель, также известный как «обладатель грин-карты», – это иностранный гражданин, которому разрешено жить и работать в любой точке Соединенных Штатов, спонсировать определенных родственников для получения собственных грин-карт и в конечном итоге подать заявление на получение гражданства США.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), is the government agency that oversees legal immigration to the United States. USCIS is primarily responsible for approving green cards, naturalization, work permits, travel permits, and other “immigration benefits.”

That depends on how you received your green card. If you received your Lawful Permanent Resident status through marriage and are still married to the petitioner, you can file for citizenship after 3 years from the date you became a lawful permanent resident. Most other people in other lawful permanent resident categories wait for 5 years.