If you are a U.S. citizen you have two ways to bring your foreign spouse (husband or wife) to the United States to live. They are: Immigrant visa for a Spouse of a U.S. Citizen (IR1 or CR1) - An immigrant Petition for Alien Relative, Form I-130 is required.
After filing Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative, the approval process can take anywhere from 10 to 13 months for immediate relatives and could take several years for family preference categories. This is an approximation. It may be shorter for some and longer for others.
Five U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) service centers currently process Form I-130. - The processing time for U.S. citizens filing Form I-130 for a spouse beneficiary ranges from 13-54.5 months.
Form I-485: The primary application form, which must be correctly filled out and submitted. Supporting Identification for the noncitizen spouse: Photocopies of identity documents such as a valid passport, visa, and any relevant Form I-94 (Arrival-Departure Record).
First, you and your immigrant spouse will need to get married and register your marriage with the state or county officials where your wedding took place. Then you will file Form I-130: Petition for Alien Relative to start the process of obtaining your noncitizen spouse a green card.
You can file Form I-130 online even if your relative is in the United States and will file Form I-485 by mail. Once you submit your Form I-130 online, we will send a receipt notice to your USCIS online account.
U.S. Sponsor Minimum Age Requirement However, you must be at least 18 years of age and have a residence (domicile) in the U.S. before you can sign the Affidavit of Support (Form I-864 or I-864EZ). This form is required for an immigrant visa for a spouse and other relatives of U.S. sponsors.
Online submissions of Form I-130, the petition for Alien Relative, typically result in immediate receipt confirmation, whereas paper filings can take longer to receive an acknowledged receipt due to mailing times.