IS MARRIAGE TO AN AMERICAN CITIZEN THE FAST-TRACK TO PERMANENT RESIDENCY?
Marriage to a U.S. citizen is often considered to be the fastest way to obtain permanent residency. However, the USCIS looks closely at these petitions to see if the marriage can be considered bona fide or if it has been entered into for the purposes of getting a green card. If the latter is found the immigration petition is denied and the non-U.S. spouse will be required to leave the country immediately. Fortunately, by far the greater number of spousal petitions are approved. Other factors that determine the legitimacy of the marriage are that: 1. The marriage must be valid at the time it was entered into. (ie. each party was legally able to marry) 2. The marriage must still be in existence The other criteria that must be met is that the foreign spouse of the U.S. citizen must be eligible to be admitted to the United States. This means that they are not in deportation proceedings or other limits which may rule out entry into the U.S.
Related Questions
- We are a couple who recently got married in Brazil, and one of us is an American citizen or a Legal Permanent Resident in the U.S. How can we move to the United States together?
- IS MARRIAGE TO AN AMERICAN CITIZEN THE FAST-TRACK TO PERMANENT RESIDENCY?
- How do I obtain permanent residence through marriage to a US citizen?
