getting maried after arriving usa

[sersa 0]

Hello all

I have a question. i am one of the gettting greencard for 2014. and also i had a interview to usa embassy (so got visa on my passport). I am thinking to come in May. the question is that if i get married with my gf, can she get also greencard, or i need to wait to be usa citizen. is it possible anyone can get greencard, get married with anyone who has greencard, or not?. Is there a way to help me?

Thanks

[nightingalejules 678]

You can apply for a spousal visa even if you just have a greencard. The whole process goes faster if you're a citizen, but not all that much faster. Go ahead and get married and apply for your new wife.

Incidentally, if you don't mind me asking, how did you get your greencard? Did a family member petition for you, or what? Just curious.

[sersa 0]

so she can get greencard as well when i am not usa citizen (still be GC). which process do i need to follow? she must be in usa with f-1 visa type or anything else. approximately how long does it take?

I got greencard myself by lottery.

Edited January 30, 2014 by sersa

[KayDeeCee 4,893]

If you would have been married first, then you could have included your spouse in your DV application. As it is now, you will have to marry and petition for her as a permanent resident - F2A category. it takes years, though Feb. visa bulletin shows priority date of Sept. 2013, so that is not too bad of a wait time right now.

~ Moved from AOS from Family Based Visas to Bringing Family Members of Permanent Residents to America - OP would be filing as LPR ~

[apple21 953]

If you applied and won your visa via lottery as an UNMARRIED person, you must enter the US as such.

Once you've entered the US using your Diversity Visa, you can immediately go back to your home country and marry your GF. Return to the US and file i130 for her.

She will immigrate in a year or more depending on the movement of priority dates for F2A category in the Visa Bulletin.

Edited January 30, 2014 by apple21

[milimelo 4,419]

If you applied and won your visa via lottery as an UNMARRIED person, you must enter the US as such.

Well not quite true, if one wins the lottery and then marries a long term partner (with documented proof of long term relationship) before visa interview - they can add them to the case and be processed together for immigrant visa.

Also possible, person applies as single, marries before the lottery results are out (May 1?), adds spouse when sending paperwork to KCC after selection.

[raz0407 1]

My advise to you is, please consult a good lawyer before you get married. These things are tricky.. It always better to get advise from seasoned laywer before you do anything.

[sersa 0]

I am not in usa now. we are thinking to come in may. and apply for F1 visa for my GF or any advise i can accept

[NigeriaorBust 4,087]

She needs to apply for an F1 ( student visa ) from her home country. Visas are issued outside the US. Because you were not married at the time for an interview you will need to marry and apply for an I 130 for your spouse once you marry. That takes about a year for the I130 to process and then you are delayed by the wait per the visa bulletin which can be no delay to years . If she can get an F1 ( which would be harder if she is marrried to you as she has to prove ties to home country ) she can be in the US on the F1.

[Asia 2,494]

Lots of people win GC lottery as the unmarried people, but they get married after winning, and send the documents to KCC as a married couple. Or they get married after sending their papers to KCC but before the interview.

But if you had an interview already, you can't take your girlfriend/wife with you. You can sponsor her after entering the US by yourself.

[G_One 10]

I am not in usa now. we are thinking to come in may. and apply for F1 visa for my GF or any advise i can accept

F1 will take quite some time may be 1 year to get the visa if your GF is not prepared with everything and is starting from scratch like GRE, TOEFL, applying to Univs etc etc & Good amount of money for the University and the total process and again it is a doubtful thing, good amount of money is riding on luck unless she has above average scores in academics and she gets admission into a above average or very good university, then the visa chances are high.

Spousal visa has very high chances of acceptance since the decision is not made on the Officers' discretion instead on hard facts, unlike non-immigrant F1 visa which is dependent on his discretion, But regarding delay its almost 1 - 1.5 year or more for what I have seen some of the cases here in VJ site (research more on the delay).

So for F1 good money is riding on luck and academics, for Spousal Visa I believe there is somewhat delay. Both have their own pros and cons.