top of page

This guide is for a U.S. Citizen who is married to a spouse who is living abroad and the couple is starting the application process for a Marriage Green Card. Below, please find 4 steps you will need to take to successfully bring your spouse to the U.S.

 

Step 1: File Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative

 

The first step to help bring your spouse (wife or husband) to the U.S. if you are a U.S. Citizen is to file Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) with all the supporting documents for initial evidence.

 

The filing fee for Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative is $535.

 

In addition to completing Form 130, Petition for Alien Relative, you will also need to complete Form 130A, Supplemental Information for a Spouse Beneficiary.

 

Supporting documents required with your application include:

 

  • Evidence of U.S. citizenship for the sponsor

  • A copy of your marriage certificate

  • Evidence you or your spouse terminated any prior marriages

  • Evidence of the bona fides of the marriage

  • Proof of legal name change

  • 2 passport-style photographs

 

Once you complete Form I-130, Form I-130A and have all the supporting documents for evidence, mail your application package to the correct USCIS address. When USCIS receives your application, they will send you a receipt in the mail within 2 weeks. If USCIS needs more information or documentation, they will send you a Request for Evidence (RFE).

 

Form I-130 can also be submitted online on the USCIS website.

 

Step 2: File DS-260, Immigrant Visa and Alien Registration Application

 

Once Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative is approved, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will send your case to the National Visa Center (NVC).

 

When NVC receives your approved petition from USCIS, they will send you and your spouse an email with your NVC case and invoice ID numbers, which you will use to log into the Consular Electronic Application Center (CEAC) website to submit processing fees, the DS-260, Immigrant Visa and Alien Registration Application along with all the supporting civil documents, police certificates, affidavits of support and financial documents.

 

Before you complete the DS-260 application, you will need to pay $445.

 

$325 for the Immigrant Visa Application and $120 for Form I-864, Affidavit of Support.

 

You will need a bank routing number and a checking or savings account number from a U.S. based bank. Once your payment is processed, you can complete the DS-260 application and print out the confirmation page, which you will need to bring to your visa interview.

 

What documents do I need to upload on the CEAC website?

 

  • A completed Form I-864, Affidavit of Support

  • Financial evidence and other supporting documents

  • A digital passport photo for your spouse

  • A copy of your spouse's birth certificate

  • A copy of your spouse passport

  • A copy of your spouse's police report

  • A copy of your marriage certificate

  • Evidence you or your spouse terminated any prior marriages

  • Court and prison records, if applicable

  • Military records, if applicable

 

Step 3: Your spouse attends his/her immigrant visa interview

 

Once the National Visa Center (NVC) completes processing your spouse’s immigrant visa application, they will forward your case to the U.S. Embassy/Consulate General in the country where your spouse lives and schedule an immigrant visa interview appointment.

 

It is very important that you and your spouse review and follow the instructions you receive from the National Visa Center (NVC), which includes scheduling and completing a medical examination with an authorized physician in the country where your spouse will be interviewed. The medical exam along with any required vaccinations must be done by an embassy approved doctor as exams conducted by other physicians will not be accepted.

 

What documents should you bring to the visa interview?

 

  • Appointment letter from NVC

  • A copy of your passport

  • Two identical color photographs

  • The DS-260 confirmation Page

  • All Supporting Documents 

 

Step 4: After the immigrant visa is approved and travel to the U.S.

 

If your spouse visa is approved, she/he will be informed how and when their passport and visa will be returned to them. Your immigrant visa will be placed on a page in your passport.

 

Please review the printed information right away to make sure there are no errors. If there are any spelling or biographical errors, contact the embassy or consulate immediately.

 

You must pay the USCIS Immigrant Fee to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) online after you receive your immigrant visa and before you travel to the United States.

 

USCIS Immigrant Fee is $220.

 

USCIS will not issue a Permanent Resident Card to your spouse until you have paid the fee.

 

A few weeks after your spouse arrives in the United States, the physical green card will be mailed to your U.S. home address.

 

If you have been married for less than 2 years, you will be issued a conditional green card, which is valid for 2 years.

 

Before the green card expires, you will need to file Form I-751, Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence to remove the conditions and receive a permanent green card.

 

If you’ve been married for more than 2 years, your spouse will receive an immediate relative green card, which is valid for 10 years.

 

A step by step guide for the immigrant visa process can be found on the U.S. Department of State website.

 

If you need help, please call/text our team at 347-718-9921.

bottom of page