Marriage-Based Green Cards

Legal Requirements for a Marriage-Based Visa or Green Card

Married to a U.S. citizen or permanent resident? Here's how to apply for U.S. lawful permanent residence, otherwise known as a marriage-based immigrant visa or green card.

Legal Requirements for a K-1 Fiancé Visa

Circumstances under which a foreign national's planned marriage to a U.S. citizen qualifies him or her for a U.S. fiance visa.

Living in the U.S. and Married to a U.S. Permanent Resident: What Are the Immigration Options?

How your eventual eligibility for a green card may be complicated by long waits and inadmissibility issues.

Can an Illegal Immigrant Get a Green Card Based on Marriage to a U.S. Citizen?

Circumstances under which an undocumented person can succeed in obtaining a marriage-based green card.

Marriage-Based Green Card: Your Children's Eligibility

How a foreign national spouse can include children in the immigration process.

How Spouses and Minor, Unmarried Children of Permanent Residents Can Change Visa Category

A green card holder's spouse and children may move faster or slower in their quest for a green card depending on things like whether the petitioner becomes a U.S. citizen.

Entered the U.S. Illegally and Married a U.S. Citizen: Can I Get a Green Card?

As a foreign national living in the U.S. after entering unlawfully, your marriage to a U.S. citizen may not, unfortunately, create a straightforward path to a U.S. green card.

When Religious or Traditional Marriage Ceremonies Are Valid for Immigration Purposes

When foreign nationals seek admission to the U.S. as spouses of U.S.

What's a Valid, Bona Fide Marriage for U.S. Immigration Purposes?

The basic requirement for a good faith marriage is that the parties intend to share a life together as spouses and are not only marrying to seek an immigration benefit.

Same-Sex Marriage a Basis for U.S. Lawful Permanent Residence (a Green Card)

If you are a noncitizen in a same-sex relationship with a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, everything you will read about the rules for marriage-based visas or green cards should apply to you, too.

Risks of Entering the U.S. as a Tourist, Then Applying for Marriage-Based Green Card

Arriving in the U.S. as a tourist expecting to then apply for a green card based on marriage can result in an accusation of visa fraud.

What's Better for Low-Income Couples: K-1 Fiancé Visa or Marriage-Based Immigrant Visa?

When it comes to both direct expenses and ability to prove sufficient income, the K-1 fiance visa can present greater hurdles than a marriage-based immigrant visa.

K-1 Fiance Visa or Marriage Visa: Which Is Better for Me?

If you are in a relationship with a U.S. citizen, and think that you are ready to take the next step and make your home in the U.S., you may consider applying for either a marriage-based visa or a fiancé(e) visa with which to enter the United States. However, these visas have very different requirements, and allow you to do different things on differing timelines.

Preparing I-130 Petition for the Immigrating Spouse of U.S. Citizen

If you are a U.S. citizen wishing to sponsor your foreign-born husband or wife for a U.S. green card, here's how to fill out the form that starts off the process.

How to Prove You're a U.S. Lawful Permanent Resident

Your best proof that you are either a U.S. permanent resident or a conditional permanent resident (who received status either as an investor or as the spouse of a U.S. citizen) is a green card.