The Fundamentals
If you should be a U.S. Resident married to an internationwide nationwide that is residing abroad, this guide is for both of you—we’ll get detail by detail through the entire process of getting the wedding green card. This kind of green card application procedure can be commonly called Processing that is“Consular.
All explained in plain language if your circumstances are different, take a look at our other Start-to-Finish guides, as well as our general overview of the marriage green card process.
Projected time: 11-17 months to have card that is greenmore information on timing)
Perhaps Not certain that you be eligible for a marriage-based card that is green? You should check your eligibility through Boundless without supplying any individual or monetary information. Whenever you’re prepared to use, Boundless can make suggestions through every milestone for the marriage-based green card procedure, beginning with your kind I-130 all of the option to the final line. Discover more, or begin today.
Perhaps perhaps Not certain that you be eligible for a a marriage-based green card? Start with checking your eligibility.
Step One: Sponsorship
The first rung on the ladder in the marriage-based green card procedure is filing Form I-130 (technically called the “ Petition for Alien Relative”) with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), which can be the main U.S. Department of Homeland protection. The principal reason for this type is always to establish the presence of a marriage that is valid.
The spouse filing this I-130 kind is named the “sponsor” or “petitioner. ” Here is the partner that is the present U.S. Resident. The spouse who’s seeking a card that is green called the “beneficiary. ”
Government kinds and costs
This task calls for $535 in federal federal government charges, two types, and documents that are supporting
You will see government that is additional, types, and supporting documents for the following actions in this procedure, described below.
As soon as your I-130 filing package is complete, you’ll mail it to your right USCIS target. Then you’ll get a receipt that is official within the mail from USCIS, often within a fortnight. If USCIS requires more info or papers to complete processing your materials, they shall deliver you a “Request for Evidence” (RFE) within 2–3 months.
When USCIS has every thing they want, they typically come to a decision on your own sponsorship demand within 7-10 months.
When it comes to flat price of $950, Boundless makes it possible to complete your whole marriage-based card that is greenspousal visa) application — including all needed kinds and supporting papers, separate lawyer review, and help — through the minute the job is filed and soon you get your green card. Find out more, or look at your eligibility without supplying any individual or economic information.
Step Two: Green Card Application
Next, because the partner looking for a card that is green residing abroad, USCIS transfers the outcome into the National Visa Center (NVC), which will be run because of the U.S. State dept. The NVC’s work would be to gather the required types and documents and decide if the partner is prepared for an meeting at a U.S. Embassy or consulate abroad (called “consular processing”).
The NVC assigns a unique case number that is then used to identify the case from that point onward after receiving the case from USCIS. For partners of U.S. Residents, the NVC begins processing your instance soon after getting it from USCIS, and after 3-5 months, forwards the situation up to a U.S. Embassy or consulate within the applicant spouse’s country of residence.
DS-261 and charges
As soon as you get your instance quantity through the NVC, the next phase is to register the form that is DS-261. This can be a not at all hard type that|form that is relatively simple tells their state Department how exactly to communicate with you, no charge to register it. It will take around three months for the NVC to process the DS-261.
Next, you’ll have to spend a complete of $445 online, addressing both hawaii Department’s application processing charge ($325) as well as the monetary help type cost ($120). As much as a for the nvc to process your payment week.
Filing the Visa Application
As soon as your repayment happens to be prepared, it is possible to file the DS-260 (immigrant visa application). You’ll need your instance number, beneficiary ID quantity, and invoice quantity through the initial welcome realize that the NVC delivered you. When you’ve submitted the DS-260 online, you need to print the verification web page in order to carry it to your visa meeting during the U.S. Consulate.
Once you distribute your DS-260, the NVC will be sending away a notice (again via mail or e-mail) confirming receipt of your DS-260, frequently for the moving fancy time.
You may then need certainly to submit your supporting papers into the NVC too, that may include your sponsorship that is financial form known as an “Affidavit of Support“). Dependent on which consulate is processing, you may either upload, e-mail, or mail every one of the supporting documents to the NVC. Check always right here to determine which of this distribution choices connect with you.
In the event that NVC requires extra information or papers to perform your NVC package, they shall deliver you a list of lacking documents, typically within 1–2 months.
Once again, after the NVC has every thing they want, they will typically decide within 3-5 months.
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Step Three: Pre-Interview Demands
When the NVC has finished its processing of the NVC package, the file will be used in the U.S. Consulate that processes green card applications within the applicant home country that is spouse’s. But you may still find a few needs before the click for info meeting sometimes happens!
Health Examination
Before going to the green card interview, the spouse looking for a green card will need to have a medical assessment done by a situation Department-approved doctor. The U.S. Consulate processing the application shall give you these physicians and your meeting notice. The price of this exam differs commonly by nation, but $200 just isn’t unusual.
As soon as the exam is complete, the physician shall provide you with a sealed envelope containing your exam results and vaccination record, that you has to take with you into the meeting.
Passport Distribution
The spouse seeking a green card must sign up online with an address to which the passport can be returned after an approved visa stamp is placed in the passport before the interview. Directions to join up for passport delivery are published on each consulate’s internet site.
Fingerprinting visit
The partner seeking a card that is green additionally, in many nations, join a fingerprinting appointment at a visa application support center (normally, this is a location different through the consulate). The goal of this visit is for the national federal government to simply take fingerprints regarding the partner, so that you can conduct back ground and protection checks. These guidelines will also be posted for each consulate’s site.
The fingerprinting visit is normally low-stress and will be regarded as a lot more of a step that is procedural. The partner looking for a green card will never be expected questions regarding the wedding green card eligibility only at that visit. They shall just be fingerprinted.
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: Interview and Approval
The Green Card Interview
The meeting could be the last major step up the green card application procedure, and it may function as many stressful and daunting component. Couples often helps relieve this anxiety by once you understand and assembling an arranged file to try the meeting.
A spouse residing abroad will go to a job interview at a U.S. Embassy or consulate in their property country, after getting an appointment notice utilizing the time that is exact date, and location. The sponsoring partner doesn’t go to this meeting.
Have a look at these resources to get more information:
Boundless not merely enables you to help you finish your marriage-based green card application, but we are able to additionally help you to get ready for the green card meeting and react to federal government concerns. Get the full story, or always check your eligibility for the marriage-based green card without any responsibility.