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.
Applications for a UK Spouse Visa from outside the UK are typically processed in 3 months on average. If the application is made from within the UK, the processing time is normally between 6 and 8 weeks. These estimates are based on typical applications that don't utilise any fast-track or priority services.
- 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.
To extend your UK spouse visa under the 5-year route, you must complete the application form FLR (M) online.
The first step is to file a Petition for Alien Relative, Form I-130, with the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) for your spouse (husband or wife) to immigrate to the United States.
Using the 'priority service' means you'll usually get a decision within 5 working days, or 30 working days for Family visa applications from outside the UK. Using the 'super priority service' for visa and settlement applications means you'll usually get a decision by the end of the next working day.
In 2024, the UK government introduced new changes to the spouse visa minimum income threshold, impacting those applying to bring their non-UK partners into the country. From 11 April 2024, the spouse visa income requirement increased from £18,600 to £29,000 per year for sponsors.
Provided you are a genuine couple with evidence of your relationship and that you meet all of the requirements, it's not difficult.
Applications for a UK Spouse Visa from outside the UK are typically processed in 3 months on average. If the application is made from within the UK, the processing time is normally between 6 and 8 weeks. These estimates are based on typical applications that don't utilise any fast-track or priority services.
What application form should I use to apply for extension of my spouse visa? To extend your UK spouse visa under the 5-year route, you must complete the application form FLR (M) online. To extend your UK spouse visa under the 10-year route, you must complete the application form FLR (FP) online.