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Documents Required to Apply for a Green Card Through Marriage

Documents Required to Apply for a Green Card Through Marriage

Before you begin the marriage green card procedures, understand what documents candidates require to get ready to speed up the procedures and prevent making regular errors. Are you prepared to understand the procedures of a marriage-based green card request?

In the United States, two classes of United States visas are obtainable: immigrant and non-immigrant. The Immigrant United States Visa is planned for international citizens who desire to settle permanently in the States, while the non-immigrant visa is planned for people who plan to stay for a short term. 

A marriage-based green card is an immigrant visa for an internationally-born partner of a United States national or permanent resident, authorizing them to settle down and get employed in the United States and make an application for United States citizenship after three years. 

MARRIAGE GREN CARD PROCEDURE: STEP-BY-STEP

To acquire permanent resident status, you are required to:

  • Present I-130 form, which is the Petition for Alien Relative
  • Fill out the Application to Register permanent residence
  • Go for the marriage green-card interview and wait for the conclusion

Below, we will explain the documents that you are required to offer through every of these stages:

STEP ONE: PRESENT FORM I-130

The first phase is to make sure permanent residence as a partner or spouse of a United States citizen is to present a Form I-130 petition with United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). 

To ascertain that your authentic marriage exists, you must also get ready some accompanying documents. The petitioners with United States citizenship and permanent residence status and beneficiary are required to give details concerning:

  • Address account for the previous five years
  • Job history in the last five years; present your prior work permit if you obtained it previously.
  • Date past marriages were annulled. 

Also, there are other documents and proof to include in your request:

Petitioner

Extra petitioner’s details to offer:

  • Suppose they are a United States national or legal permanent resident. In that case, they should provide a birth certificate and picture Identification, a United States work permit (if any), and any other document ascertaining the citizenship.
  • Whether they formally filed a petition for the beneficiary or another international citizen. 

Beneficiary

A settler who desires to make an application for permanent residence status is required to offer the following information:

  • Form I-94 information (if physically available in the United States
  • Any past relocation proceedings.

Evidence of reimbursed filing fee

The filing payment for the form I-130 petition is $535

Evidence of status

Based on your condition, applicable proof may be a photocopy of the certificate of birth, nationality, or naturalization for United States nationals, a photocopy of the two sides of the green card, or other evidence. 

ALSO READ: How to Get a Job in the US as a Foreigner: A Complete Guide

Certificate of Marriage

Including a copy of your certificate of marriage as accompanying proof indicating that your marriage is authentic and functions, you will ascertain a relationship between you and your partner. 

Evidence of ended marriages, if any

If you were married before, you would require applicable documents ascertaining that it was lawfully ceased. This may be a divorce ruling or certificate of death.

Passport style images

The two of you are required to include two passport-style color pictures taken within one month of filing the plea.

Evidence that your marriage is real

United States Citizenship and Immigration Services will assess your records explicitly to ensure your proof indicates your marriage is legal. For instance, you can make use of allocated monetary liabilities, assets, tax filings, certificates of birth, and insurance for a baby born into the marriage to ascertain that actual marriage exists, among others. 

Cover Letter

Even though this is optional, a cover letter will assist you in explaining accompanying documents and indicating in more detail any proof that might require extra explanation. Using this letter. You can get an opportunity to clarify your case to the immigration official; however, do not go too into detail as you will submit your proof at the green card interview. 

If you do not offer all applicable papers, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services may allocate a Request for Evidence (RFE) to complement your plea. 

STEP TWO: CHANGE PERMANENT RESIDENT STATUS

To specify a partner’s qualification, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services will regard whether they reside in the U.S. or abroad. 

When Candidates Living in the United States

If a partner is in the U.S., they must file Form I-485, the Adjustment of Status request or Application to register Permanent Residence together. This will permit your partner to obtain a marriage-based green card without leaving the United States. 

Documents to Get Ready

  • Administrative-issued identity document, which includes an authentic passport or a driver’s license
  • Certificate of birth
  • Inspection and admission and Inspection and Advance parole
  • Immigrant class documentation
  • Certificate of marriage
  • Proof of steadily retaining citizenship or LPR
  • Support affidavit and Confirmation of real employment offer or request for job portability under the INA section unless the employment offer is not needed.
  • Financial sponsor confirmations
  • Form I-693 Report of medical test and vaccination account
  • Filing payments. 

A medical test is needed for every member of your household who is making an application for a change of status. To obtain the medical test, you are required to visit a United States Citizenship and Immigration Service physician. 

Within this stage, you are required to attach any other documents obtained from United States officials, including a work permit and the Employment Authorization Document.

If you are a United States national

Your partner must file the form I-485 filing package, form I-130, and accompanying documents mentioned in step one. 

If you have a Permanent Resident Card

If your partner can present the form I-485 filing visa package after the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services determines that a marriage green card is obtainable in the visa magazine. 

When Candidate Living Abroad

If your partner or you are presently overseas, you will be required to present a visa request package with the National Visa Center.

Accompanying Documents to the Form I-485

Supporting documents strive to ascertain the qualification of an immigration petitioner who desires to reside in the United States. Most of them are mandatory, and the others are optional. 

Mandatory Forms

Candidates who get ready the petition will often attach the following:

  • Form I-864, which is the Affidavit of support
  • Form I-693, which is the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services physician, offers this form attesting that the candidate is not inadmissible to the U.S. on the grounds of public health. 

Alternative Forms

  • Form I-131, which is the Application for Travel Document. This form is used to get an advance parole travel paper and be able to move back after traveling overseas.
  • Form I-765, which is Application for Employment Authorization. This form is to demand job approval. 

STEP THREE: GO FOR THE INTERVIEW

After forwarding your application package, you will obtain a receipt notification from United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) declaring the date of your interview. The last stage also demands you to come with certain papers. You can carry originals; however, ensure you have duplicates if you need to keep some with the interviewing official. 

Photos and Passports

You will be required to submit picture identification so that it can be another official document. United States nationals or permanent residents may offer a driver’s license. 

Work or Travel Visas and Original Documents

You must include the original papers you used when arriving in the United States and every document you have received from United States consulates or USCIS. Since you possibly offered United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) with duplicates in your request package, carry originals to the interview. 

Candidates will be required to carry along the original evidence of United States citizenship status or permanent resident status. Remember to ask the United States government official for an authorization letter or an I-551 stamp on your passport. You must have proof of the changed status until your marriage green card documents are ready. 

New Proof

If anything vital was altered or you forgot to include in your application package, you can come along with this evidence of the interview.

Evidence of Validity of Your Marriage

The officer interviewing you will evaluate your documents and your responses at the interview to specify whether your union is real. Carry along anything you discover relevant, including rental contracts and mortgages, joint bank statements, tax revenues, credit card statements, and other documents you offer can assist you in ascertaining that your marriage is real.