How long does it take to get a green card?
I have a friend who is working in Virginia on an H1B visa. She is going to get married next month to a US citizen. Can someone tell me how long will it take for her get a green card after marriage and what exactly is the procedure for that? Does she need to inform her employer (H1 sponsor) about her marriage ahead of time or does she need to inform them at all?? Answer: that depends on the processing time for her office…see this URL for current processing times for different local INS offices: http://members.aol.com/MDUdall/instimes.htm that depends…there is an exception in the law for H1B’s. IF she does not USE a MARRIAGE-based EAD card, she retains her H1B status. IF she DOES USE a MARRIAGE-based EAD, then she changes status to “pending adjustment” based on the marriage. So it all depends on her use of a marriage-based EAD. If she does NOT use the marriage-based EAD, she is still H1B and it should be of no concern to her employer. Other things: If she comes under the Arlington of
Your green card gets “activated” once you enter the US with your immigrant visa.On the average, it takes 3 months after entry, but I have seen people who received it in a month.A lot depends on your port of entry. For example, if your port of entry is SEATAC (seattle airport) it can take just a month. If your port of entry is LAX (los angeles airport), it can take 2 or 3 months. It also depends on the volume of work that the USCIS receives.No need to worry how long it takes, though. As long as you have your valid immigrant visa attached to your passport, you can pretty much do what you need to do … you can get a job, open a bank account, enroll in college, etc. This is because your SSN (socail security number) also gets activated” and you will be receiving it in a week or so (average of 4 weeks) by mail. Your SSN (together with your immigrant visa) is your ticket to live here as an LPR (lawful permanent resident). However, if it has been 6 months and you haven’t received your green c
