Sponsor Your Spouse
As a New Jersey Immigration Attorney, I am often asked about Green Card holders through marriage wishing to sponsor your spouse after a previous divorce. We understand that this can be an emotional experience if you don’t know what to do. We have handled many cases like this and we want to help you. It is important that you reach out right away.
These cases specifically refer to if you were previously married and now you want to sponsor your new spouse.
Immigration sets a rule of making you have your Green Card for a minimum of five years before having the ability to sponsor someone.
One way to bypass this rule is by showing a birth certificate of a child born between the two people.
Another way to bypass this rule is by proving that your spouse that sponsored you is deceased.
Your spouse and children can almost always be included on a green card application. You must begin, however, by applying as an individual. The applicant is the principal beneficiary. After your initial petition is approved, you can name your spouse and children as derivative beneficiaries. If they are already in the U.S., you can go through final processing together. If they are outside of the U.S., they can go through processing separately, after you’ve obtained your green card.
Green cards can be obtained in various ways. Our experienced New Jersey Green Card Lawyer works with every type of applicant who needs legal assistance. The different types of green cards are:
Family-based — If you are related to a U.S. citizen, such as a spouse, parent, child or sibling, you can apply for a family-based visa, which can be upgraded to a green card after approval.
Employment-based — When you are offered permanent employment in the United States, you can be sponsored for a green card by your employer. We represent employer sponsors and workers who wish to obtain a green card.
Asylum — When citizens of another country have a fear of persecution or violence upon returning to their homes, the United States can offer asylum status. A year after your asylum is established, you and your family can apply for a green card, which grants you the legal right to work and live in the United States.
If you obtain a green card, you can live and work in the United States and will be on the path to becoming a citizen. Although a green card is the precursor to becoming a permanent resident of the United States, certain restrictions are placed on you, such as the inability to vote and the threat of deportation if you are convicted of certain crimes. Some green cards last ten years, but conditional green cards last only two, and carry additional requirements.
Are you a Green Card holder wishing to sponsor your spouse? Because these matters can be complex, we urge you to reach out as soon as you possibly can. Contact our experienced New Jersey Immigration Attorney to help you.
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