If you are eligible to become a US citizen, you should do so as then your wife's case will not be placed in a preference category where you must wait for your priority date.

Answer Applies to: Tennessee
Replied: 11/11/2011

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It will be about 2 years if you petition for her as a green card holder. Depending on how much longer it is until you are eligible to apply for US citizenship, this could be faster or not. You need to provide additional information about when you got your green card. Also, there may be employment-based options available to your wife but, again, you need to provide more information about her education and work experience, etc. Also, what is her country of birth?

Answer Applies to: California
Replied: 11/10/2011

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No faster way for her to get a green card. You should of course apply for your citizenship as soon as you are eligible. In the meantime you may want to explore nonimmigrant options for her to come to the U.S. so she can at least be with you while awaiting her permanent residency.

Answer Applies to: California
Replied: 11/10/2011

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The process begins with the filing of an I-130 immigrant visa petition in which you must establish the bona fides of the relationship. Once the I-130 is approved, however, there will be a wait of several years because there is a backlog in the category for spouses of a permanent resident. The visa bulletin can be accessed by clicking on this link: http://travel.state.gov/visa/bulletin/bulletin_5572.html. If you obtain citizenship, however, there is no limit to the number of visas available to spouses of U.S. citizens so your wife would not be subject to a backlog and could immigrate immediately. Once the case is current and a visa is available, the case is sent to the National Visa Center which is the hub for consular processing around the world. The National Visa Center will send you forms that you must complete on behalf of your spouse, including the affidavit of support. The affidavit of support is to demonstrate that you have sufficient income to prevent your spouse from obtaining welfare. After you complete the forms and send them to the National Visa Center, your spouse will be scheduled for an interview at the consulate. There, they will determine if there is anything in your spouse's past that would prevent him from immigrating such as crimes, immigration violations, etc. If everything goes well and the waiver(s) are approved, she will enter as a permanent resident.

Answer Applies to: Colorado
Replied: 11/9/2011

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If you can become a naturalized US citizen, then you can bring your wife sooner.

Answer Applies to: District of Columbia
Replied: 11/9/2011

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Your inquiry doesn't state what actions you have already taken, what petitions have been filed (and where/when were they filed), what has been approved, or what is still pending. If the I-130 petition has been filed and approved, is there a hold-up at the USCIS or the National Visa Center level? Has the file already gone to the U.S. Consular Post abroad? Assuming that you have already filed an I-130 immigrant petition for your wife, the best way to have that petition track through the adjudicatory system with the least amount of push-back or delay is to have filed a very well documented and assembled (tabbed and labeled, with a clear and well written table of contents) petition, don't change addresses while the petition is pending, and respond immediately and completely to any subsequent RFEs (Requests for Evidence) issued by the USCIS. I wish that I could say that following USCIS processing time reports and calling the USCIS Customer Service helpline when case adjudication times exceeded the average processing times shown by the USCIS would also work to speed processing, but the nick-name given to the USCIS Customer Service Phone line of "1-800 USELESS") pretty much tells the story. Nevertheless, there is some truth to the old adage, "the squeaky wheel gets the grease." Those petitioners who call the USCIS Customer Service Hotline, schedule InfoPass appointments (through the USCIS website) at their local USCIS offices, contact their Congressmen and Senators for constituent assistance, consistently check the status of their petitions through the USCIS on-line case status report function at the USCIS website, and generally stay very pro-active with respect to their pending applications or petitions, will generally receive more timely adjudications that those who follow the "file-it-and-forget-it" methodology. If your inquiry is more in the nature of , which is faster, a K-3 fiance petition or a straightforward I-130, I would say that in my experience, they both take about the same amount of time in cases with similar fact patterns. Trying to get a spouse here on a nonimmigrant visa so that they can adjust status once they get here is a risky proposition that should only be attempted with a dual intent nonimmigrant visa, such as an H-1B or L-1 Intracompany Transferee nonimmigrant visa, otherwise your spouse could risk an allegation of "preconceived intent" or visa fraud. Any misrepresentation to USCIS or Consular Authorities could prove disastrous to your wife's immigration aspirations and should be avoided.

Answer Applies to: Illinois
Replied: 11/9/2011

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You must file an immigrant visa petition for your wife. This process will take 2-3 years depending upon visa availability. You can only speed up the process by becoming a United States citizen.

Answer Applies to: New York
Replied: 11/9/2011

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The first step is to file an I-130 petition for your wife with CIS (Citizenship & Naturalization Services). She will be in the Family 2nd Preference Category (F2A), wife of a Lawful Permanent Resident. The date that CIS receives the I-130 petition will determine her place on the waiting list so it is important to file as soon as you can. There will be a wait of several years before she can immigrate. The approved I-130 will be sent to the National Visa Center (NVC). The only way to make it faster is if you become a U.S. citizen.

Answer Applies to: Massachusetts
Replied: 11/9/2011

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If youare eligible to become a U.S. Citizen, I would suggest you inquire and apply immediately. This will ensure that you will protect you while you remain in the U.S. and it will help prioritize your spouse's visa.

Answer Applies to: Texas
Replied: 11/9/2011

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Petitioning her to become a green card holder is the only way. If you didn't get married in the US, you can apply for a K1 visa for her, get married once she's here, then do the sdjustment of status paperwork. This way is faster than waiting to be a green card holder outside the us.

Answer Applies to: Florida
Replied: 11/9/2011

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Petitioning for spouse as a permanent resident may take 2-4 years.

Answer Applies to: Nevada
Replied: 11/9/2011

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You can file an I-130 petition for her. Under current processing times it will take about 2-3 years before she can apply for a green card based on that application. She can then enter the US as a green card holder. She may also be eligible for a non immigrant work or student category.

Answer Applies to: California
Replied: 11/9/2011

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