How long does it take to get a green card?

Rick Lee · Rick Lee's Garage

If a US citizen marries a foreigner, how long does ti take to get at least a temporary green card? My fiance already has an H1B sponsor and is on the path to the green card. But I think marrying me is gonna make it happen a lot faster. As we make plans for the wedding and honeymoon, I'm kinda wondering how long it will be until we can do int'l. travel together. Anyone been through this?

stomachmonkey · 03-04-2007, 07:14 PM

Dunno, but I know they are no longer green, they are now pink.

Bump for ya.

jriera · 03-04-2007, 07:36 PM

If I remember correctly, in my case was just a couple of months (3 or 4 maybe) there is no temporary one (that I know of). The full citizenship took about one year.

jerryw · jerryw's Garage

When I went in to get one for my wife it was around 3 weeks - a month for the temporary paperwork that would allow us to come over to the US. But note we were both living in England at the time and we had married well before the application was put in (6 months or so)and this was in 89.

You will only get a green card valid for 2 years initially, they want to check up that this is not a sham marriage just for the green card. There is then an interview and once satisfied they issue green cards valid for 10 years after that. (It's easy to forget to renew them !)

HardDrive · 03-04-2007, 08:50 PM

Lets see....

My wife had a green card when I met her. It took us 7 YEARS to get her citizenship. Our case was complicated. I think the standard is about 5 years from when you get the green card to get citzenship.

alf · 03-04-2007, 09:10 PM

It is pretty fast, check with your attny and local INS office.

nostatic · nostatic's Garage

when I go to Staples and get the multicolor 3x5 pack some of them are usually green.

Paul K · Paul K's Garage

It has all changed. If your fiancee is in the US already, it'll be easier. I can't remember the timeline, but first you get a conditional resident alien card. Then after a while, there's an interview and you get the conditions removed. Then you're a permanent resident alien. Then you can apply for citizenship a while after that. I second the attorney advice- and be ready for the most frustrating beaurocracy ever, and endless, expensive forms. Keep a file and a diary of what you did and when. Keep duplicates of everything.

Good luck!

Paul.

legion · 03-05-2007, 04:48 AM

I had a friend tell me that it took him 5 years and $8000 (mostly attorney fees) to get his wife a green card.

JeremyD · JeremyD's Garage

2-3 months to get a temporary (that's after your marrriage certificate is produced) up to 2 1/2 years to get the actual card.

Take every government program you are familiar with and X5. Then you get a idea of the ineptitude of INS.

Seahawk · 03-05-2007, 05:09 AM

Rick,

Good friend of mine just went through this...he married a Japanese woman. PM me and I'll send you his email. He knows the system and the pitfalls extremely well, did it in DC to boot!

Rick Lee · Rick Lee's Garage

I don't care about the citizenship thing for now. AFAIK, my fiance has no interest in that. But the perm. res. alien status would be nice, since traveling outside the US for non-green card holders is a HUGE risk, even if they're here legally, which she is. Even though she's never been out of status, has a good job with an H1 sponsor, it's still a big gamble as to whether she can get back into the US. We no longer have what used to be called "advance parole", where you could get pre-approved to come back into the US before you left. So we need to get that green card thing done the day after the wedding. I really want to make a pilgrimage to Germany with her soon thereafter.

Paul, PM coming.

jriera · 03-05-2007, 05:39 AM

Probably things have change since September 11th, but I came to the US in a H1B visa in 1994 (aka. work permit, even if I was already married to a US citizen), I don't remember any issues traveling overseas. Got my green card in 1997 and my citizenship in early 2001. I did not hurry any paperwork, the process was long and cumbersome but I did not had any 'high' expectations (or needs). Get a 'cheap' lawyer, the process is a natural one, no magic, just a lot patience is required.

The 'funniest' thing was to have to renew the H1B visa in the 'country of origin' ... had to go to US Embassy in Spain to get the visa stamped ....

Rick Lee · Rick Lee's Garage

Quote:

Originally posted by jriera

The 'funniest' thing was to have to renew the H1B visa in the 'country of origin' ... had to go to US Embassy in Spain to get the visa stamped ....

That's the catch! If she gets denied reentry to the US, she has to go to a US embassy or consulate in CHina and that would be like flying across the world to play the lottery. She already won the jackpot lotto once by being the only 20-something woman to get a student visa at our consulate in Guangzhou the day she went. It truly is as random and likely as winning the lottery. WHat are the chances of her winning it twice? Not to mention that he boss might not be too pleased that she can't make it to work for a few months.

I have a friend from Austria who married a US diplomat and got her green card, got a job with BMW here in DC and then moved back to Germany. She didn't come to the US for two yrs. and when BMW sent her here for a conference, US immigration officials tore up her green card, suspecting she had "abandoned her intentions to live and work in the US". Nevermind that her business card had the DC address on one side and Munich address on the other. BMW had to hire a lawyer to get her out of the airport and this was all before 9/11. It hasn't gotten any easier or more logical.

carmad · 03-05-2007, 05:55 AM

Before I had my green card, I travelled extensively on the H1 and never had a problem re-entering the US. I did all my own paperwork and am married to a US citizen. As previously stated the paperwork is tedious, but straightforward, took about 10 months to get the card.

jriera · 03-05-2007, 05:57 AM

That is the main issue with a Green Card!!

The Green Card is not a 'reentry permit' but rather a resident card, these days if you are away for more than 6 months you will be 'questioned' by ICE and you have a good chance to go thru the revocation process (my mother in law is going thru this right now)

My recommendation will be to start the Green Card process as soon you two get married (the interview is kind of funny) and stay put until she has the Green Card, if you need to travel there is always Las Vegas!!!

Rick Lee · Rick Lee's Garage

Mind you, I believe CHinese women of marriageable age are treated a bit differently when trying to come to the US. There are simply so many of them and all have a serious incentive to want to remain in the US. So it is way risky to just head to Europe and hope she can get back into the US.

jriera · 03-05-2007, 06:09 AM

Also she will have issues getting into some countries in Europe with a Chinese passport (even with a Green Card), my wife use to be a Chinese citizen and back in the days (pre European Union) she needed visas for almost every country.

As I said .. there is always Las Vegas ...

widebody911 · widebody911's Garage

I thought the mail-order company was supposed to handle those details?

Rick Lee · Rick Lee's Garage

Quote:

Originally posted by widebody911
I thought the mail-order company was supposed to handle those details?

Ha ha!

Nope, she was here on her own for a few yrs. before I scooped her up.

Jordi, we'll probably get married in Vegas. Gotta rent another BMW bike but this time get a sidecar for the wedding departure.