If you are a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident, then as soon as you and your foreign-born spouse are married, you can file a Petition for Alien Relative (Form I-130) with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
- The processing time for U.S. citizens filing Form I-130 for a spouse beneficiary ranges from 13-54.5 months. - The processing time for legal permanent residents filing Form I-130 for a spouse beneficiary ranges from 32-67.5 months.
- The processing time for U.S. citizens filing Form I-130 for a spouse beneficiary ranges from 13-54.5 months. - The processing time for legal permanent residents filing Form I-130 for a spouse beneficiary ranges from 32-67.5 months.
If you have a USCIS online account and have access to secure messaging, you may select “expedite” as the reason for your inquiry and submit your request there. You generally need to justify your expedite request with evidence. When communicating with the Contact Center, you will be asked about supporting documentation.
Submitting Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative, is the first step to help an eligible relative apply to immigrate to the United States and apply for a Green Card.
Determine your Priority Date. This is the date that your approved Form I-130 was filed. This date appears on the Form I-797 that USCIS issued to your petitioner when the Form I-130 was approved (refer to the “Receipt Date”).
Green Card Sponsorship Income Summary The minimum income for a household of 2 to sponsor a family member or spouse is $25,550 as of August 2024. Minimum income requirements are lower for active duty military members. The general income requirement is 125% of the HHS Poverty Guidelines or 100% for active duty military.
Marriage to the U.S. citizen is the most common and fastest way of getting a green card for a foreign national. If a foreign national marries the U.S. citizen abroad, the foreign national becomes an immediate relative of the U.S. spouse regardless of the place where marriage took place.
Spouse Visa Summary The CR1 visa processing time is an approximate average of 12 months as of December 2024. The IR1 visa processing time is an approximate average of 17 months as of December 2024. The spouse visa application costs $1,220. The main form needed to apply for a CR1 and IR1 visa is the I-130.
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.