Marriage Based Green Card
If you are married to a U.S. citizen, you may qualify for a marriage based green card. The rules surrounding marriage and green cards are detailed and complex, and largely depend upon the location of where the marriage took place. In order to obtain immigration benefits available to a spouse, there must be a valid marriage between the parties. Unlike many other immigration benefits, you can apply for a marriage green card even if you have unlawful presence in the U.S. or you have overstayed a visa. As there are some risks involved in getting a green card by marriage application, our immigration attorneys review all cases very carefully to ensure a successful result. One of the most important parts of the marriage based green card process, which we can help you with, is the gathering and preparation of the application and supporting documents.
In most situations, a marriage is valid for immigration purpose if it is recognized by the law of the state where it occurs. However, a marriage that is legally valid may still be disregarded if it is found to be a sham marriage, entered into by the parties to obtain immigration benefits and without any intention to live together as husband and wife. Although getting a green card through marriage can often be the easiest way to obtain residency for a non-U.S. citizen, approval is not automatic. U.S. citizens applying for a fiancée visa or marriage green card must be aware that immigration officials will scrutinize their applications to ensure that the marriage is legitimate and bona fide, and not for the sole purpose of gaining immigration benefits. The citizen and the foreign spouse must prove that the marriage is bona fide. If the citizen and foreign spouse have been married less than 2 years at the time the spouse becomes a permanent resident, a conditional 2 year green card will be issued.
Why hire an immigration lawyer for your marriage based green card case?
The burden of proof to establish the legitimacy of the marriage falls upon the applicant. An experienced attorney can assist you in this task, both in preparing the application correctly and also advising the applicant, as to what kind of documents should be brought to the interview to increase the likelihood of success. Immigration Attorneys at the SGM Law Group have significant experience in all aspects of the marriage base immigration process. Our South Florida Immigration Lawyers have successfully handled dozens of fiancée visa and marriage immigration cases. We have assisted our clients through every step of the process including completing the application forms correctly, preparing and gathering documents and necessary evidence, preparing and accompanying you and your spouse to the final immigration interview. Our experienced immigration attorneys can advise you on what to expect when going through this process. To learn how we can help you apply for a Green Card through Marriage, fill out the Free Immigration Consultation form on the top right side of this page.
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