Green Card Costs through Marriage
Love has no borders, but the path to securing a life together across international lines often comes with financial considerations. For those seeking to obtain a Green Card through marriage to a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, understanding the financial landscape is essential. This article delves into the financial dimensions of the journey, providing a roadmap of the costs involved in pursuing permanent residency through marriage. From government fees to potential legal assistance expenses, we explore the financial commitments couples need to be aware of as they embark on this significant step towards building a life together on American soil.
Approximately 100,000 DV Lottery participants are randomly selected to continue the process to receive one of the 55,000 Diversity Immigrant Visas and Green Cards authorized to be issued through this US immigration program each year.
After being randomly selected in the DV Lottery, a winner and his or her family members will next need to complete the consular process successfully in order to be granted a Diversity Immigrant Visa and Green Card.
Unfortunately, thousands of winners experience DV Lottery rejection and are unable to immigrate to the United States.
This article will discuss the common DV Lottery visa refusal reasons and how you may avoid them, so you can maximize your chances of successfully obtaining a Diversity Immigrant Visa and Green Card to live, study and work in the USA.
Table of Contents
What Is a Marriage-Based Green Card?
The marriage-based Green Card is a U.S. Permanent Resident Green Card that is granted to the foreign-born spouse (opposite sex or same sex) of an American citizen or U.S. Green Card holder that authorizes him or her to:
- Live in the USA for an unlimited length of time
- Work in the U.S. for an unlimited length of time
- Get access to educational programs in the USA
- Travel to and from the U.S. according to residency regulations
- Sponsor eligible family members for a Green Card
- Have the option to buy a home in the United States
- Gain the opportunity to start a business in the USA
- Enjoy equality and freedoms in the U.S. protected by law
- Receive Social Security benefits if criteria are satisfied
- Apply to become an American citizen after living in the U.S. for 3 years and meeting other criteria
In order to apply for a marriage-based Green Card:
- The U.S. citizen or permanent resident (i.e., sponsor) must file the Petition for Alien Relative (Form I-130) with USCIS.
- The U.S. citizen or permanent resident must also provide the required documents and pay the governmental fee.
- Once the Form I-130 is approved, the foreign-born spouse who is being sponsored for a Green Card must:
- File the Immigrant Visa Electronic Application (Form DS-260) with the U.S. State Department’s National Visa Center if living outside of the U.S. and pay the government fees; OR
- File the Adjustment of Status Application (Form I-485) with USCIS if living in the USA and pay the governmental fees.
- The U.S. citizen or Green Card holder will file the Affidavit of Support (Form I-864) to show ability to support his/her spouse.
- For a spouse who is applying for a marriage-based Green Card from outside the United States, the National Visa Center will send the Green Card applicant’s file to the U.S. Embassy or Consulate in his/her country of residence so the Consular Interview can be scheduled (processing is generally faster for the spouse of a U.S. citizen versus a Green Card holder).
- For a spouse who is applying for a marriage-based Green Card from inside the United States, an interview will be scheduled at the closest USCIS office.
- The sponsoring spouse who is a U.S. citizen or permanent resident does not have to attend the Consular Interview at the American Embassy or Consulate with the foreign-born spouse who lives outside the United States.
- The sponsoring spouse who is a U.S. citizen or permanent resident will be required to attend the interview at the nearest USCIS office with his or her spouse who is living in the USA.
- If the foreign-born spouse living outside the United States is approved by the consular official for U.S. permanent residency, an Immigrant Visa will be placed on a page of his or her passport and the Immigrant Fee will need to be paid online to USCIS so the Green Card can be issued.
- If the foreign-born spouse living in the USA is approved by the USCIS official at the interview for U.S. permanent residency, the Green Card will be delivered to his or her home address in approximately 2-3 weeks.
- The marriage-based U.S. Permanent Resident Green Card will generally be initially valid for 10 years if the couple has been married over two years and it can be renewed indefinitely for 10 years each time.
- If a couple has been married for less than two years, a marriage-based Conditional Green Card that is valid for two years will be initially granted and then toward the end of the two-year period, the new U.S. permanent resident can apply for a regular Green Card that will be valid for 10 years and can be renewed indefinitely for 10 years each time.
Green Card Costs through Marriage
- Form I-130 Petition for Alien Relative Filing Fee (paid by the sponsoring spouse) = $535
- Form I-485 Adjustment of Status Application Filing Fee (for a spouse living in the USA) = $1,140
- Form DS-260 Immigrant Visa Electronic Application Filing Fee (for a spouse living outside the U.S.) = $325
- Immigrant Fee (for a spouse living outside the U.S. to be issued a Green Card) = $220
- Biometrics Fee = $85
Other Potential Costs
- Medical Exam
- Translation of Required Documents into English (if needed)
- Travel to the United States (for a spouse living outside the USA)
Payment Methods
The methods of payment for Green Card by marriage costs depend on if you are living inside or outside of the USA:
- Payment Made for Sponsored Spouse Living in the USA:
- You can pay the USCIS Green Card by marriage costs online with a debit card, credit card or bank transfer.
- There is also an option to pay the USCIS government fees through the mail with a money order or check.
- Another payment method for the governmental fees is to pay them in person at the field office of the USCIS.
- Governmental fees must be payable in U.S. dollars.
- Payment Made for Sponsored Spouse Living Outside the USA:
- The Immigrant Visa Application Processing Fee can be paid online to the U.S. State Department by logging into your online file on the U.S. State Department website and clicking the ‘Pay Now’ button (making this payment will require a savings or checking account number and routing number from a bank based in the United States).
- The online Immigrant Fee to receive the Green Card can be paid online to USCIS after you receive the sealed immigrant visa packet (which you should not open) and a handout on how to pay from the U.S. consular official. The USCIS Immigrant Fee can be paid online using a credit card (American Express, Discover Card, Master Card or Visa), debit card or by entering a checking account number and routing number from a bank based in the United States.
- Government fees must be payable in U.S. dollars.
Conclusion
Over one million U.S. Permanent Resident Green Cards are granted every year, with the largest number being issued to the family members of American citizens and US permanent residents (i.e., Family Sponsorship).
Out of the approximately one million Green Cards approved annually, up to 140,000 Employment-Based (EB) Green Cards are issued to skilled foreign workers, most of whom are sponsored for U.S. jobs by employers in the United States.
There are also up to 55,000 Green Cards granted each year through the U.S. Diversity Immigrant Visa Program (DV-Lottery), also known as the Green Card Lottery, based upon the main applicant being born in an eligible country and having completed at least 12 years of primary and secondary education.
How can you know which U.S. immigration pathway is right for you?
Since 2001, USAFIS has been helping people around the world to explore their options to legally live and work in the USA.
The procedure starts with a review of your relevant details to determine which U.S. immigration program you are eligible to apply for.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)
How many years does it take to get a Green Card through marriage?
It generally takes about 9-21 months to get a Green Card through marriage, depending on whether the spouse who is being sponsored is living in the United States or outside the USA, and depending on if the sponsoring spouse is an American citizen or a U.S. permanent resident. In general, the process usually takes less time when the sponsoring spouse is an America citizen.
What are the chances of getting a Green Card through marriage?
The chances of getting a Green Card through marriage are good, as long as the marriage is genuine, the forms and applications are filed correctly with the necessary supporting documents, the governmental fees are paid when required, both spouses satisfy the relevant criteria, etc.
What do I need to get a Green Card through marriage?
In order to get a Green Card through marriage, a foreign national must be married to an American citizen or U.S. permanent resident and the sponsoring spouse must file the relevant forms, provide the necessary supporting documents and pay the Green Card through marriage costs. The application procedure is different if the spouse who is being sponsored is living in the USA versus living outside of the United States. In both cases, the process starts with the sponsoring spouse filing the Form I-130 Petition for Alien Relative with USCIS, providing the supporting documents and paying the government filing fee.
Is it faster to get a Green Card through marriage?
It can take approximately 9-21 months from start to finish to get a Green Card through marriage, depending on various factors such as whether the sponsoring spouse is an American citizen or U.S. permanent resident, if the spouse who is being sponsored is living in the USA or outside of the United States, etc. In general, this is a relatively fast process, especially if the sponsoring spouse is an American citizen and/or if the spouse who is being sponsored is already legally living in the USA.
What is the fastest way to bring my spouse to the US?
Applying for a marriage-based Green Card through Family Sponsorship is generally the fastest and easiest pathway to bring a foreign-born spouse to the U.S. From the filing of the Form I-130 Petition for Alien Relative to the granting of the U.S. Permanent Resident Green Card generally takes around 14-21 months for a foreign-born spouse who is living outside of the United States. In general, the procedure is usually faster if the sponsoring spouse is an American citizen versus if he or she is a U.S. permanent resident.
How much does a Green Card cost through marriage?
The cost of Green Card through marriage is approximately $1,760 for the government fees when the spouse who is being sponsored is already living in the USA. If the spouse who is being sponsored is living outside the United States, the Green Card by marriage cost is around $1,165 for the government fees. In addition to the government fees, there could be other Green Card marriage costs such as a medical exam, translation of required documents into English (if needed), travel to the United States (for a foreign-born spouse living outside of the USA), etc.
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