Family Reunification Through Marriage in the US

An IR1 is an entry permit issued for the married couple of a US citizen. In this case, your marriage must last more than 2 years. With this visa, you move to the United States as a permanent resident. You will be able to work and study without applying for special permits.

The IR1 gives you the right to obtain US permanent resident status and a residence permit valid for 10 years. Marriage to a US citizen gives you the right to apply for citizenship after 3 years, subject to permanent residence in the United States on the basis of the received green card.

If you have a minor child under 21 years of age and he moves with you, he will need an IR2. To obtain this type, you will need to file a separate petition for the child if your marriage to a US citizen was concluded before the kid reached 18 years of age.

This visa can be obtained by married couples of US citizens if their marriage is less than 2 years old. You enter the US as a conditional permanent resident. You have the right to freely work and study in America.

The green card obtained under this typ is valid for 2 years. If your marriage breaks up within the next 2 years, you will have to leave the US. Exception: if during this period your spouse died or you were subjected to domestic violence and this is documented. 90 days before the expiration of the green card, you must apply for the removal of conditions and obtain a permanent green card.

If you have a minor child under 21 years of age and he or she is moving with you, he or she will need a CR2. To obtain this type, you will need to file a separate petition for the child if your marriage to a US citizen was concluded before the child reached 18 years of age.

A K1 visa is issued to a fiancée of a US citizen to come to America for the purpose of marriage. You must register your relationship within 90 days of entry. After the marriage is registered, you can apply for a temporary green card and a work permit, which will allow you to work in the US while you are waiting for a decision on your immigration case.

If you have a minor kid under 21 years of age and you are taking him or her with you, you will need a K2 visa for their entry. To apply for this type of visa, you need to include information about them in the I-129F petition.

Nonimmigrant visas to the United States K3 and K4 allow the married couple of an American citizen and their children to enter America while the I-130 petition is being processed. This way, the family can be reunited while their immigrant visa is being processed. The period of stay on the K3 and K4 is 2 years. During this time, you should obtain legal status in the United States.

The main goal of this interview is to make sure that your relationship with the US citizen is not fictitious. Therefore, you will be asked quite personal things. Where and how did you meet? How long have you been together? Have you met in person (if we are talking about a fiancee visa)? How often do you meet in person?

It is advisable to collect as much evidence of your relationship as possible. This includes joint photos (ideally with the date and location), correspondence, cards, gifts and money transfers, confirmation of joint travel or trips to each other.

Much depends on the category of reunification and the family status. For example, USCIS processes documents for reunification with married couples and minor children in 6-12 months on average. The embassy process takes 3 months on average.

If the petition for the spouse is filled out by a US citizen, and the child was under 18 years of age at the time of marriage, a separate petition is filed for the child under 18. If the petition is filed by a Green Card holder, the child’s details are included in the petition of his/her parent.

No difficulties! Our oral online consultations, as well as written support in individual chat, we can easily conduct in English, part of our team is located in the USA, and the rest speaks only English.

USCIS provides expedited processing in exceptional cases, such as medical or financial emergencies. To do this, you need to submit a corresponding request with evidence. But there are exceptions. In our practice, there were several dozen cases where we managed to expedite the consideration of the entire process to 3 months.

If you entered the US legally, the expiration of your visa will not prevent you from changing your status. However, you should remain in the US and avoid illegal activities and stays. In this case, it is better to consult with our expert and get a strategic plan for further actions

Only if Form I-765 is filed and you have received an Employment Authorization Document (EAD). This approval usually takes about 3-6 months.

Yes, you can apply to change your status, but it is important to prove that you did not enter with the intent to change your status, otherwise it may be considered fraud and deception of the US Embassy and Border Patrol.

You can only travel if your I-131 (Advance Parole) is filed and approved. Without this authorization, you risk having your application to change status cancelled. During the process, if you need to leave the United States, we will help you prepare and file the form.

Officially, in almost all cases, an interview is required to confirm the authenticity of the marriage, because the couple must prove that the marriage was not concluded for the purpose of obtaining immigration privileges. But if your package of documents reflects information about your relationship as much as possible and confirms that the marriage is not fictitious, you can get a green card without an interview. In our practice over the past 5 years, this is a very common practice.

Yes, you can apply for citizenship 3 years after receiving your green card if your marriage to a U.S. citizen remains valid and you meet other requirements.

If you need more time to prepare for your visa/change of status application, you can prepare a request to USCIS or the embassy, ​​depending on the stage you are in, and notify them. In the case of the embassy, ​​they will cancel your interview date and you can reschedule for a more convenient date for you.

In this case, an additional sponsor (for example, a relative/friend living in the US) can be added to the case, who will agree to help and provide his/her financial documents so that the total income of the petitioner and co-sponsor reaches the required level according to US conditions.

Yes, you can check the status by the case number (Receipt Number), which is indicated in the confirmation of filing of the petition on the USCIS website.

Yes, in order to pass the interview and receive a visa, each applicant will need to undergo a medical examination at a certified clinic, and also provide proof of the required vaccinations according to age.

Immediate relative visas are available for married couple, unmarried children under 21, and parents of U.S. citizens, with no annual limits, making the process faster. Family preference categories, under the Immigration and Nationality Act, apply to more distant relatives, such as adult children and siblings of american citizens or certain relatives of lawful permanent residents. These visas have annual caps, which can lead to longer wait times. To start the process, american citizens Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) requires filing Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative. Depending on the category, your case may proceed through consular processing via the Department of State or adjustment of status. Family-based immigrant visa applications are guided by USCIS and the Department of State regulations.