How long stay married for green card

The current total wait time for a marriage-based green card ranges between 9 to 36 months , depending on whether you are married to a U. Keep reading to find out which processing time applies to your own marriage-based green card application. For applicants living in the United States, Boundless also has more information about green card processing times by location as well as travel and work permit processing delays.

Total estimated time: months full details here. Boundless takes all the required government forms for your situation and turns them into simple questions you can answer online in under two hours. Get started today. See this chart for the procedural scenarios. If you remain married to and living with your U. You will need to meet all the eligibility criteria , including being able to speak English and pass an exam covering U.

Someone whose spouse became a U. This part of the process is also a lengthy one. The applicant will have to wait months before being called in for a naturalization interview at a USCIS office, and then after approval, attend a swearing-in ceremony.

By the way, this three-year rule represents an important exception. Most people must wait five years after getting a green card to apply for U. But you need to have met all of those conditions for the entire three years, namely that you were living with your spouse the whole time, and that he was a U. In fact, you must remain married all the way up to the swearing-in ceremony to qualify for the three-year exception.

If the marriage breaks up or you stop living together, you must count a full five years from the date of your approval for residence to apply to naturalize. The news is also bad if the marriage ends due to the death of the U.

Or, if you have any questions about complicating factors in your case, or wish help with the application process, consult an immigration attorney. If you are a non-citizen, know how divorce or annulment affects your situation. Disclosure: CitizenPath partners with certain vendors who serve the immigrant community to bring you information about their services. MYRA Wealth is a valued partner, but this is not a sponsored post.

Individuals, attorneys and non-profits use the service on desktop or mobile device to prepare immigration forms accurately, avoiding costly delays. Note to Reader: This post was originally published on August 29, , and has been modified with improvements.

As the name suggests, permanent resident status is generally constant. I Petition for Alien Relative. I Application for Travel Document. I Adjustment of Status Application. I Remove Conditions on Residence. I Application for Employment Authorization. I Affidavit of Support. N Application for Naturalization. N Application to Replace Citizenship Document.

Apply For Citizenship N Replace Citizenship Document N Apply for Certificate of Citizenship N Citizenship Resource Center. Citizenship Cost Calculator. Green Card. Renew a Green Card I Replace a Green Card I Remove Conditions on Green Card I Get a Reentry Permit I Green Card Center. Adjustment of Status. Please reference the Terms of Use and the Supplemental Terms for specific information related to your state.

Lawyer Directory. Call us at 1 Immigration Based on Marriage to a U. Citizen vs. Immigrants can obtain permanent resident status through marriage to either a U. Citizen If you are married to a U. Long Wait for Government Processing of Applications Getting through the application process is nevertheless likely to take several months at least, starting with filing an I petition.

Entry A non-citizen who entered the U. Ability to Apply for U. Lawful Permanent Resident If you marry a U. No Possibility of Adjusting Status in the U. If the Wait Is Long Enough, You'll Avoid Conditional Residence One benefit of F2A applicants sometimes spending years on a waiting list is that, if two years have passed since the wedding when they're finally approved for U.

Timeframe to Get a Nonimmigrant U. Talk to a Lawyer Need a lawyer?