Your US citizen spouse would complete form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative. You would complete form I-485, Application to Adjust Status and Register Lawful Permanent Residence. Both of these forms require supporting forms and evidence; read the instructions closely.
If you are married to a US citizen and both of you live in the United States, you can apply for your green card (Lawful Permanent Residency) immediately after your marriage. There is no mandatory waiting period before you can submit your application.
As a Green Card holder (permanent resident), you may petition for certain family members to immigrate to the United States as permanent residents. You may petition for the following family members: Spouse (husband or wife) Unmarried children under 21.
Getting a marriage green card can be challenging, but it depends on each couple's unique situation. The process can take a number of months and involves a lot of paperwork, expensive application fees, and an interview. Couples must also show proof their marriage is genuine.
- 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.
As long as you are in a genuine, legal marriage, there is no length requirement. Marrying a U.S. citizen is one of the fastest ways to get a green card. Even so, it typically takes one to two years for an immigrant to receive a marriage-based green card.
Permanent residency allows both spouses to share their lives in the U.S. without facing legal problems related to immigration. The marriage green card processing time is an approximate average of 10.5 months as of December 2024.