Montgomery Marriage Visa Lawyer

Federal family-based immigration policy states that anyone who currently lives in the United States or holds lawful resident status can petition to bring their foreign spouse to the country as a permanent immigrant. While sponsoring a spouse for a marriage visa is generally easier than representing a more distant family member, there are still several complex aspects of the application process.

If you hope to have your partner join you here from a foreign country move or to the U.S. to live with your spouse, you should consider seeking help from a Montgomery marriage visa lawyer. A knowledgeable family immigration attorney could simplify the procedure and boost the chances of having your application approved.

Sponsorship Obligations for Marriage Visas

Both American citizens and people with lawful permanent resident status in the U.S. can sponsor their spouses for a marriage-based immigrant visa. However, the procedure for doing so varies depending on which legal status the sponsoring partner holds. Additionally, the process changes depending on whether the sponsoring spouse is within U.S borders when they begin their application.

In both situations, the lawful U.S. resident must act as their partner’s sponsor, which means they must begin the marriage visa application process on that partner’s behalf by filing Form I-130. If the sponsor is a citizen, they can also submit Form I-485 at the same time to request an immediate relative visa, which U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) makes available in unlimited quantities.

Conversely, U.S. permanent residents who want to sponsor a marriage-based immigration permit must wait for a family preference visa to become available before they can proceed with filing Form I-485, and government agencies only release a limited number of these visas annually. An intelligent attorney in Montgomery could provide further clarify a spouse’s sponsorship obligations and help a couple begin applying for a marriage visa.

How Does “Conditional Residence” Relate to Marriage Visas?

An American citizen or lawful resident who has been married to their foreign national spouse for less than two years can still sponsor their partner for a marriage visa, but some additional conditions apply to their petition. For instance, foreign spouses who receive visas after only being married for a short time will be granted legal permanent resident (LPR) status on a conditional basis. This imposes some restrictions on what they are allowed to do, but these limitations do have an expiration date.

To obtain full LPR status, both the spouse with conditional residence and their partner must file Form I-751 at least 90 days before their authorization expires. Failure to do so during this timeframe allows USCIS to revoke the immigrant’s legal status, subjecting them to deportation.

Fortunately, a tenacious lawyer in Montgomery could further outline conditional residence and explain how it impacts a marriage visa application.

Reach Out to a Montgomery Marriage Visa Attorney Today

Applying for a marriage visa can be both an exciting and intimidating experience. Bringing your spouse to live with you in the U.S. could allow both of you to start a new chapter of your lives together, but there are also plenty of ways that the application process for a marital visa could backfire and impact your future plans.

Representation from a Montgomery marriage visa lawyer could help put you in the best possible position moving forward. Contact the office today to schedule your initial appointment.