Package for Spouse of U.S. Citizen

$100.00

Who should buy this package?

You should buy this package if you think that you are up to the challenge of dealing with the U.S. immigration system without an attorney, but you would like a bit of guidance before taking the plunge! This package contains helpful information for U.S. Citizens seeking to file immigrant petitions for their non-citizen spouse. This packet is designed to provide instructions for spouses who are outside the United States.

This package should only be used for cases in which:

You and your spouse are already legally married (the marriage must be recognized as lawful by the country in which your marriage took place);
Prior to getting legally married, you and your spouse legally terminated any and all prior marriages (either through divorce or death);
The non-citizen spouse is currently outside the United States;
The non-citizen spouse does not have a criminal history; and
The non-citizen spouse does not have a problematic immigration history.

Please note that your marriage must be legally valid in the country in which your marriage took place. For example, many countries do not yet recognize same-sex marriages. Even though US law recognizes the validity of same-sex marriages, your application will be denied if the marriage did not comply with local laws at the time the marriage took place.

What is in this package?

Overview of the process of obtaining an immigrant visa to the United States on the basis of having a U.S. citizen spouse from start to finish, beginning with filing the initial petition through arriving in the United States and getting your Green Card.
Checklist of forms and evidence that you will need to submit with your application.
Step-by-step instructions for immigrating to the United States through your relationship with a U.S. Citizen spouse. The step-by step instructions will guide you through the process of collecting necessary evidence, filling out your paperwork, filing your application with United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), submitting documentation to the National Visa Center (NVC), preparing for your interview at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate, and everything in between.
Example “Certificate of Translation”, which you will need if your application will contain any document written in a language other than English.
Sample Cover Letter. You shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but USCIS does sometimes judge a family petition by its cover letter! Following this template will help to ensure that your application is not erroneously rejected in USCIS’s mailroom.
Sample Affidavits. If you would like to have friends or family members write to USCIS about you and your spouse’s relationship, following this template will help to ensure that USCIS gives the written testimony full evidentiary weight.
Sample Photographs with Labels. Submitting photographs of you and your spouse is a great way to prove your relationship. Following these simple labeling tips will help to ensure that USCIS knows what they are looking at when they see pictures of your family.
Blank Immigration Forms, including the most common forms that are filed with a family-based immigration application on the basis of having a U.S. citizen spouse.
Checklist of documents to bring to your Consular Interview. Consular officers will expect to see a number of documents at the time you attend your consular interview. Reviewing this checklist will help to ensure that you bring everything that you need.
Frequently Asked Questions, answering some of the most common questions that applicants have when filing immigrant visa applications on behalf of their spouse.

How to use this package?

Follow the step-by-step instructions on how to complete, assemble, and file a successful spousal petition with USCIS and, after that, a successful application for an immigrant visa at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate. The package starts with an overview of the process, provides a checklist of the documents that you’ll need to submit with your application, and provides detailed instructions for how to complete each form. The package also contains instructions for sending documents to the National Visa Center (NVC) and for preparing for your interview at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate. Following the instructions in this package may prevent you from experiencing delays, or even a denial, of your application.

Special instructions

Do not purchase this package if the non-citizen spouse is residing in the United States. The information contained in this packet is only applicable for cases in which the non-citizen spouse will remain outside the United States until he or she obtains her immigrant visa.

It is often a very bad idea for a non-citizen spouse to attempt to enter the United States before he or she receives an immigrant visa. Many people with non-citizen spouses assume that it is easier for the non-citizen spouse to enter the U.S. with a tourist visa so that they can pursue a Green Card application from within the United States. However, if a U.S. immigration officer believes that a non-citizen spouse is attempting to enter the U.S. on a tourist visa in order to apply for a Green Card within the United States, the non-citizen spouse may be denied entry to the U.S. or possibly even deported. If you have questions about this issue, you should contact an experienced immigration attorney.

If the non-citizen spouse has ever been convicted of a crime, no matter how serious, it is always a good idea to speak with an immigration attorney before filing any immigration paperwork. If the non-citizen spouse has a criminal history, do not file any paperwork unless you are 100% sure that the non-citizen spouse’s criminal history will not hinder his or her ability to enter the United States.

This package should not be used if the non-citizen spouse has had serious U.S. immigration violations in the past. Specifically, if the non-citizen spouse has ever been in Removal Proceedings or has ever been “turned around” by US immigration officials when trying to enter the United States, consult with an experienced immigration attorney before filing your application.

It is important to keep in mind that U.S. immigration officials are extremely committed to uncovering fraudulent marriages. If U.S. immigration officials believe that a non-citizen entered into a marriage solely to obtain a U.S. immigration benefit, he or she could be barred from ever entering the United States. Get married for love, not for a Green Card! If you do not, the consequences could be severe.