QUESTION
How long does it take for a spouse of a US citizen to come over to the US versus the spouse of a permanent resident who holds a green card?
Asked on Nov 10th, 2012 on Immigration - Texas
6 ANSWERS
Spouse of US citizen is about 9-12 months; spouse of a green card holder is about 3 years currently.
Answered on Nov 14th, 2012 at 7:27 AM
Immigration Law Attorney serving Staten Island, NY
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Law Office of Jeffrey Lisnow
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Every case is different and many factors go into every situation. I suggest you have a consultation with an experienced Immigration Attorney. I handle these types of cases and do consultations over the telephone for those that can not come into the office or live in a different part of the US. Good luck.
Answered on Nov 14th, 2012 at 5:33 AM
Civil Litigation Attorney serving New York, NY
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Havens & Lichtenberg PLLC
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Processing of the immigrant petition - 5 months for U.S. citizen; 5 to 14 months for LPR. Waiting for a consular interview - depends on the country. Availability of the visa - immediate for a spouse of a U.S. citizen; in 2.5 years for a spouse of an LPR. If you are an LPR now and expect to naturalize soon, it still makes sense to file the petition now so that the processing will begin; when you become a citizen, your petition will be upgraded.
Answered on Nov 13th, 2012 at 3:33 AM
Rebecca T White
You can review the Department of State Visa Bulletin for an overview of recent priority date movement. Typically most LPR spouses are eligible for US citizenship prior to the priority date becoming available for the spouse.
Answered on Nov 13th, 2012 at 3:33 AM
Immigration Attorney serving Arlington, TX
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Law Office of Pho Ethan Tran, PLLC
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Spouses of US citizens are considered immediate relatives and can comer over as soon as their paperwork has been processed. It usually takes anywhere between 9-12 months for the paperwork to completed. Whereas, spouses of permanent residents must await the availability of an immigrant visa before they are able to apply for an immigrant visa. On average, it can take anywhere between 2-4 years.
Answered on Nov 13th, 2012 at 1:31 AM
LCA Audits and Investigations Attorney serving Houston, TX
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Fong Ilagan
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The spouse of a US citizen is an "immediate relative" and there is no wait for visas. The spouse of a permanent resident is a second preference (FB-2A) and the priority date backlog for most countries is August 2010.
Answered on Nov 13th, 2012 at 12:40 AM