I have a green card, and would now like to sponsor my fiancée for a green card, once we get married. What is the timeline for her to be able to live and work in the U.S.?

Answer

While a U.S. citizen may sponsor a foreign national spouse as an immediate relative, the same does not hold true for a green card holder sponsoring a spouse. In this situation, the petition would fall under the family-based, second preference “A” (FB2A) category. After the I-130 petition is approved, one would need to wait for the priority date to become current before the immigrant visa can be issued (or the I-485 application can be filed, if the foreign national spouse is in the U.S.). It could take about 1-to-2 years to get to this point. (05.Nov.2018)

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