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A green card through marriage

Marriage to a U.S. citizen or permanent resident is one of the most direct paths to a green card — and one where the details matter most. Here is how the process works, from filing to the interview and beyond.

An illustrative roadmap to help you picture the path — not legal advice or a guarantee of any outcome.
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Start here

Two ways to get there

The process depends on where the foreign spouse is — and how they entered the United States.

Which sounds like your situation? — tap to explore (optional)
Adjustment of status
The spouse is already in the U.S.

If the foreign spouse is in the United States after a lawful entry, the couple generally files the I-130 relative petition and the I-485 adjustment application together, and the green card is processed here — including work and travel permission while the case is pending. How the spouse entered, and their current status, shape whether this route is available.

Consular processing
The spouse is abroad.

If the foreign spouse is outside the United States, the I-130 is filed first; once it is approved and processed through the National Visa Center, the spouse attends an immigrant-visa interview at a U.S. consulate and enters the country as a permanent resident.

Marriage to a permanent resident (rather than a citizen) also works — but visa availability can add waiting time, and the sequencing differs. We confirm the right route for your facts.
The heart of the case

Proving the marriage is real

The government’s central question is whether the marriage is bona fide — a real life together, not an arrangement for immigration. Evidence of that shared life carries the case. Tick what you could document today.

0 of 5 ticked
No single item is required — the record is judged as a whole.
Step by step

What the process looks like

The sequence below is the adjustment-of-status version; consular cases follow the same logic with the interview at a U.S. consulate instead.

File
I-130 relative petition — with I-485 adjustment filed together where available
While pending
Biometrics — and applications for work and travel permission
Interview
The couple’s interview — the case is won on preparation
Decision
Green card approved — permanent, or conditional if the marriage is young
Timelines vary by office and caseload — we set expectations from current processing information for your filing location.
The interview

Prepared, not surprised

The interview is where the record and the couple meet the officer. Preparation makes it routine.

What the officer is looking for
consistency — between the two of you, and between your answers and the record
The kinds of questions to expect
how you met, your daily life, your home, your plans — ordinary questions about a real life
What to bring
originals of key documents, and updated evidence from filing to interview day
A full preparation session with Jack
we walk through the likely questions and the file together, before the day
After approval

If the marriage is young

If you’ve been married less than two years when the green card is approved, it comes with conditions — a two-year card, and one more filing to make it permanent.

The two-year card
Conditional residence carries the same rights as a regular green card — it simply expires in two years and must be converted, not renewed.
The I-751 petition
In the 90-day window before the card expires, the couple files jointly to remove the conditions — with updated evidence of the life you’ve continued to build.
If the marriage has ended or joint filing isn’t possible, waivers exist — those cases are assessed individually.
Build the case

How we build it

Custom intake and supplemental questionnaires
we ask exactly what a marriage case needs, so you can focus on each other
An evidence plan for your record
what you have, what’s thin, and what to gather before filing
Every piece of evidence reviewed twice over
Jack checks each item for individual merit and for how it fits the overall record, catching the inconsistencies that draw government scrutiny
A custom client portal for your case
your documents, status, and next steps in one place — for both spouses

That portal is jimmi™ — your immigration companion. A glimpse of a case underway:

✓Filed
✓Biometrics
●Interview prep
4Decision
Interview scheduled — your preparation session is next.
Interview prep with Jack
Mon · 4:00 PM
in 12 days
Joint_Evidence_Update.pdf
Jack Attorney
Great update file. Bring the originals of the lease and the joint account statements on the day.
M. Client Spouse
Will do — see you Monday for the prep session.
Illustrative sample — not a real case.
Next step

Build your life here, together

Every marriage case turns on its own facts — how you met, how you entered, and the record of your life together. A focused look at your situation is the fastest way to a clear plan.

Book a consultation

Eligibility and timelines depend on how the foreign spouse entered, their status history, and current government processing. We assess every case individually.

An illustrative roadmap — not legal advice or a guarantee of any outcome.

© Jrada Immigration, P.C. 2026

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