Spousal Visa

"Why does the CR1 take longer for a green card sponsor?" The Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) sets the number of immigrant visas that may be issued to aliens seeking to become lawful permanent residents (get a Green Card) each year. Immigrant visas for the family-sponsored immigrant preference categories are numerically limited, so they are […]

Make progress today We’re just about to send our 130 Petition. My husband is in active duty military. We want to expedite the process as he will be leaving for his next duty station in the U.S. on December. Do we need to put the expedite letter in the petition package when we send it, […]

President Trump issued a proclamation, requiring all immigrant visa applicants to show proof that they will be covered by health insurance. This situation is subject to change quickly, but at the time of this recording, this is the best information we have.

From our experience, once you get the approval you should be getting the instructions after you receive the NOA2, which is a Notice of Action indicating approval of your application. But if you have not heard anything, we highly recommend you call the National Visa Center or check your status online.

You will have to file another petition for the child. You will need to file a new I-130 and all the same documents that you filed for your husband, but you can petition for the child. Be forewarned that when a green card holder petitions for a spouse or a step-child, the spousal visa processing time takes substantially longer than if you were a US citizen petitioning for a spouse or step-child.

All applicants preparing to enter the US on a CR1 spousal visa are required to complete a medical exam before the consular officer will approve it. This medical exam is at the end of the process. We recommend completing the medical exam at least five to ten business days prior to the interview to ensure that the medical exam results are going to get over to the U.S.

I'm curious about being a sponsor. How long do I need to be at my job for proof of income, and how do I use my home to sponsor my spouse? If I want to bring a foreign individual to the USA, be that a spouse or a child or a parent, or a brother, […]

Prior to 2018, it used to take about four to six weeks to get the invoice from the NVC. The invoice is going to be a request for payment for your affidavit support and for your DS-260 visa application. When you receive that invoice, you’ll pay those fees online, and then along with that letter, you’ll also receive what’s called the NVC Checklist.

In the spousal visa process, the USCIS is trying to determine that you have a bona fide marriage. And, if you have just recently married most people understandably don’t have many of the typical bona fides, such as a joint checking account, a joint lease or mortgage, joint health insurance, etc.

Prior to our current era of “extreme vetting“, we were seeing times of six to seven months for a CR1 visa, from the time you mailed it so the USCIS until the time that you had the visa in hand. But now, in 2020, our average timelines have increased to an average of 7-10 months.