Start-to-finish help guide to “consular processing” for partners of U.S. Residents

The Fundamentals

If you should be a U.S. Resident hitched to an international nationwide that is residing abroad, this guide is actually for both of you—we’ll get detailed through the entire process of getting the wedding card that is green. This particular green card application procedure can be commonly called Processing that is“Consular.

In the event your circumstances vary, have a look at our other Start-to-Finish guides, in addition to our basic breakdown of the wedding green card procedure, all explained in plain language.

Approximated time: 11-17 months to get card that is greenmore information on timing)

Perhaps Not certain that you be eligible for a marriage-based green card? You should check your eligibility through Boundless without supplying any individual or information that is financial. Whenever you’re prepared to use, Boundless can make suggestions through every milestone associated with marriage-based green card procedure, you start with your kind I-130 most of the solution to the conclusion line. Discover more, or begin today.

Maybe perhaps maybe Not certain that you be eligible for a marriage-based green card? Start with checking your eligibility.

Step One: Sponsorship

The first rung on the ladder in the marriage-based green card procedure is filing Form I-130 (technically called the “ Petition for Alien Relative”) with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), that will be an element of the U.S. Department of Homeland safety. The principal intent behind this type is always to establish the existence of a valid wedding.

The spouse filing this I-130 form is named the “sponsor” or “petitioner. ” This is basically the partner that is the U.S. That is current resident. The spouse who’s seeking a card that is green called the “beneficiary. ”

National kinds and costs

This task requires $535 in federal federal government charges, two kinds, and documents that are supporting

You will have government that is additional, kinds, and supporting papers for the following actions in this procedure, described below.

As soon as your I-130 filing package is complete, you’ll mail it off to the right USCIS target. Then you’ll get an formal receipt notice within the mail from USCIS, frequently within a fortnight. If USCIS requires more details or papers to complete processing your materials, they shall deliver you a “Request for Evidence” (RFE) within 2–3 months.

When USCIS has every thing they want, they typically come to a decision on your own sponsorship request within 7-10 months.

When it comes to flat price of $950, Boundless can help you finish your complete marriage-based green card (spousal visa) application — including all necessary kinds and supporting papers, separate lawyer review, and help — through the minute the job is filed until such time you get your green card. Find out more, or look at your eligibility without supplying any individual or information that is financial.

Step Two: Green Card Application

Next, because the partner looking for a green card is residing abroad, USCIS transfers the way it is to your nationwide Visa Center (NVC), which will be run because of the U.S. State dept. The NVC’s work would be to gather the required kinds and documents and decide if the partner is prepared for a job interview at a U.S. Embassy or consulate abroad (called “consular processing”).

After getting the way it is from USCIS, the NVC assigns an original situation number that is then utilized to recognize the truth from the period forward. The NVC starts processing your case immediately after receiving it from USCIS, and after 3-5 months, forwards the case to a U.S. Embassy or consulate in the applicant spouse’s country of residence for spouses of U.S. Citizens.

DS-261 and Fees

When you get your situation quantity through the NVC, the next phase is to register the DS-261 kind. It is a not at all hard kind that|form that is relatively simple informs their state Department simple tips to communicate with you, no cost to register it. Around three months for the NVC to process the DS-261.

Next, you’ll want to spend a complete of $445 online, addressing both their state Department’s application processing cost ($325) therefore the monetary support kind fee ($120). As much as a week for the nvc to process your payment.

Filing the Visa Application

As soon as your repayment happens to be prepared, you are able to file the DS-260 (immigrant visa application). You’ll need your instance number, beneficiary ID quantity, and invoice quantity through the initial notice that is welcome the NVC delivered you. As soon as you’ve submitted the DS-260 on line, you have to printing the verification web page it to your visa interview at the U.S. Consulate so you can bring.

Once you submit your DS-260, the NVC a notice out (again via mail or e-mail) confirming receipt of your DS-260, frequently for the moving fancy time.

You will then need certainly to submit your supporting papers to the NVC also, that may consist of your sponsorship that is financial form known as an “Affidavit of Support“). Dependent on which consulate is processing the program, you certainly will either upload, e-mail, or mail most of the documents that are supporting the NVC. Check always right here to determine which for the distribution choices affect you.

If the NVC needs more details or papers your NVC package, they shall give you a checklist of missing papers, typically within 1–2 months.

Once more, when the NVC has every thing they want, they shall typically come to a decision within 3-5 months.

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Step Three: Pre-Interview Needs

After the NVC has completed its processing of one’s NVC package, the file will be utilized in the U.S. Consulate that processes green card applications into the applicant spouse’s home nation. But you can still find a few needs before the meeting can occur!

Health Examination

The spouse seeking a green card must have a medical examination performed by a State Department-approved doctor before attending the green card interview. The U.S. Consulate processing the job will deliver you these medical practioners with your meeting notice. The price of this exam differs commonly by nation, but $200 is not unusual.

When the exam is complete, the physician will present a sealed envelope containing your exam outcomes and vaccination record, that you simply has to take with you into the meeting.

Passport Distribution

The spouse seeking a green card must sign up online with an address to which the passport can be returned after an approved visa stamp is placed in the passport before the interview. Guidelines to register for passport delivery are published on each consulate’s internet site.

Fingerprinting visit

The spouse looking for a green card must additionally, generally in most nations, subscribe to a fingerprinting appointment at a visa application support center ( this is a location different from the consulate). This visit is actually for the national federal government to simply take fingerprints regarding the spouse, so that you can conduct back ground and safety checks. These directions may also be published for each consulate’s site.

The fingerprinting appointment low-stress be regarded as a lot more of a step that is procedural. The partner looking for a card that is green never be expected questions regarding the wedding green card eligibility only at that visit. They shall just be fingerprinted.

Boundless remains you keep on top of interview preparation, follow-on forms, and every other important milestone along your immigration journey with you until the green card finish line, helping. Find out more, or look at your eligibility free of charge.

: Interview and Approval

The Green Card Interview

The meeting may be the last major part of the green card application procedure, end up being the many stressful and daunting component. Partners often helps relieve this anxiety by once you understand what to anticipate and putting together a arranged file to decide to try the meeting.

A partner residing abroad will go to an interview at a U.S. Embassy or consulate in country, after getting a scheduled appointment notice using the precise time, date, and location. The sponsoring partner will not go to this meeting.

Have a look at these resources to get more information:

Boundless not merely makes it simple so that you can finish your marriage-based green card application, but we are able to additionally help you to get prepared for the green card meeting and react to federal government concerns. Discover more, or always check your eligibility for the marriage-based card that is green any responsibility.