Can I Stay in America If I Marry an American?
You are in love and have decided to get married. Unfortunately, you are from another country and you live in a different state. You don’t know how to navigate the process.
If you are a non-citizen, it’s not easy to get a green card through marriage in the United States. You will need to follow a long and complicated process with lots of paperwork. You will also need to prove that you are a legitimate couple and that your marriage is bona fide.
To start with, your fiance(e) must be in a country that allows foreign nationals to marry if they have been approved for marriage and they have been legally married for at least two years. The fiance(e) must then apply for a visa in their home country through a process called consular processing.
After this has been done, they will be able to travel to the United States with a K-1 visa. This visa is only valid for 90 days. However, the fiance(e) can then apply for an adjustment of status in the United States and will be able to receive their green card through this process.
This process can be time consuming and expensive. If you decide to apply for this type of visa, make sure you do your research well and find an experienced immigration attorney to guide you through the process.
A civil marriage is legal in the United States and you should be able to get married under this type of visa. It’s important to check the laws in your home country and your state as well. You may need to prove that you are a legal spouse or a valid domestic partnership, and you will need to show proof of financial support for your new spouse if they are not already a U.S. citizen.
Your marriage must be valid in your home country and you will need to present a valid marriage certificate from that country. If you are planning to marry abroad, it’s best to contact the embassy in your home country for information about obtaining a marriage certificate and to verify that you can get one.
Once you are married, you will need to file an application for naturalization with the USCIS. This will take about six months to complete, depending on the specific situation and circumstances.
In the end, you will need to meet certain spousal residency requirements, and you will need to live in the United States as a permanent resident for at least three years before you can apply for citizenship. You will then have to pass a medical exam and a citizenship test before being granted naturalization.
If your fiance(e) is a citizen of the US, then you will need to apply for a green card through marriage and will need to provide evidence that your marriage is genuine. The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services will look at every aspect of your marriage life, and they will need to be satisfied that you are a bona fide couple who have planned your life together.
