Green card marriages do exist, and US citizens should exercise extreme caution before committing to such a marriage. The fairy tale ideal of marriage is to meet the man or woman of your dreams, fall in love, get married, and live happily ever after. However, that may not be the case when you get involved with a citizen of a foreign country, who wants to live in the United States.
All too often, someone will come to this country on a temporary visa, and then before their visa expires, they meet someone who is a US citizen and "fall in love". The next thing you know they get married and then what they have is a green card marriage.
Unfortunately, not all of these marriages are love matches. All too often unscrupulous aliens purposely pursue a romantic involvement with US citizens for the sole purpose of getting married and obtaining a green card by marriage. In these marriages, one or both of the parties agree to marry for the sole purpose of providing a green card for the alien spouse.
Unfortunately, that's not as easy as it sounds. The United States immigration laws require that the marriage must be a bona fide union. Individuals must be legally free to marry, and the marriage recognized as legal within the United States. This means that it is not merely a business arrangement but a union between two people, who love and care for each other, and intend to spend the rest of their lives as a functioning couple.
Once the marriage occurs, the happy couple must apply for a marriage green card for the alien spouse. The application must include several vital documents to establish proof of identity and well as intent. These documents include, but are not limited to, form I-130 with all accompanying documentation, birth certificates of both spouses, and proof of valid entry to the US form I-90, passport of alien spouse, copy of your marriage certificate, certified copies of any divorce decrees and color photos of the US citizen and two photos of the alien spouse.
In addition, your individual circumstances will determine whether you need to submit a number of other forms. There will also be fees required in the form of money order or certified check. Expect to pay in the range of $800 in application fees.
This process can be confusing, and many applications are rejected because forms are not submitted correctly, which only delays the approval process. If you have the finances, you can retain an immigration attorney to assist with the application process. Depending on how complicated your situation is, it can cost as much as $10 000. You can also purchase books to assist you in the process. Beware of companies who guarantee you a green card. You can pay tens of thousands of dollars to these unscrupulous people and receive nothing in return.
Once all paperwork has been correctly completed and submitted, the United States government will generally approve a 2-year conditional residency and green card to the alien applicant. The purpose of which is to eliminate those green card marriages of convenience.
After two years, the couple must then apply to have this conditional residency made permanent. Once approved, the new green card will have a 10-year expiration date. These approval processes often require personal interviews at a district office.
Green card marriages can be daunting and overwhelming at times as you pursue the application process. However, the process is well worth it once you receive your green card and are on track to become a United States citizen.
Visit often to learn more information from our updated Green Card Marriages.
