Question about marrying a US citizen & income
#1
Question about marrying a US citizen & income
I've been trying to find information on income requirements when marrying a US citizen. Does either person, have to earn a certain amount of money for the non-US citizen to obtain a green card through marriage? Are there any other requirements I should know about?
Any info you can give me on this would be of massive help, thank you!
Any info you can give me on this would be of massive help, thank you!
#2
Re: Question about marrying a US citizen & income
(i) You don't obtain a green card through marriage to a US citizen.
(ii) After getting married you apply for a CR-1 visa, which you need to be allowed to live in the US. There are income requirements - 125% of the federal poverty level, which means just over $20k at the moment, or three times that in potentially liquid assets (doesn't have to be cash). If your US spouse doesn't meet either then income or assets basis you can have a joint sponsor. This is commonly a family member, but does not have to be, so long as they are resident in the US, this can be any US citizen or permanent resident.
(iii) on entering the US using your CR-1 you will trigger the production of a green card.
(ii) After getting married you apply for a CR-1 visa, which you need to be allowed to live in the US. There are income requirements - 125% of the federal poverty level, which means just over $20k at the moment, or three times that in potentially liquid assets (doesn't have to be cash). If your US spouse doesn't meet either then income or assets basis you can have a joint sponsor. This is commonly a family member, but does not have to be, so long as they are resident in the US, this can be any US citizen or permanent resident.
(iii) on entering the US using your CR-1 you will trigger the production of a green card.
Last edited by Pulaski; Sep 29th 2017 at 12:33 pm.
#3
Re: Question about marrying a US citizen & income
(i) You don't obtain a green card through marriage to a US citizen.
(ii) After getting married you apply for a CR-1 visa, which you need to be allowed to live in the US. There are income requirements - 125% of the federal poverty level, which means just over $20k at the moment, or three times that in potentially liquid assets (doesn't have to be cash). If your US spouse doesn't meet either then income or assets basis you can have a joint sponsor. This is commonly a family member, but does not have to be, so long as they are resident in the US, this can be any US citizen or permanent resident.
(iii) on entering the US using your CR-1 you will trigger the production of a green card.
(ii) After getting married you apply for a CR-1 visa, which you need to be allowed to live in the US. There are income requirements - 125% of the federal poverty level, which means just over $20k at the moment, or three times that in potentially liquid assets (doesn't have to be cash). If your US spouse doesn't meet either then income or assets basis you can have a joint sponsor. This is commonly a family member, but does not have to be, so long as they are resident in the US, this can be any US citizen or permanent resident.
(iii) on entering the US using your CR-1 you will trigger the production of a green card.
#4
Re: Question about marrying a US citizen & income
What you (foreign spouse) will be making is not included - you would need actual pay vouchers, which you won't have until you have started work, which you cannot do until you have a visa.
The foreign spouse's income is irrelevant unless either he/she is already employed in the US, or the income will continue after he/she relocates to the US.
Last edited by Pulaski; Sep 29th 2017 at 12:59 pm.
#5
Re: Question about marrying a US citizen & income
Neither. It is the income of the US citizen, if they are living in the US, or their income that will continue in the US if they are currently living overseas.
What you (foreign spouse) will be making is not included - you would need actual pay vouchers, which you won't have until you have started work, which you cannot do until you have a visa.
The foreign spouse's income is irrelevant unless either he/she is already employed in the US, or the income will continue after he/she relocates to the US.
What you (foreign spouse) will be making is not included - you would need actual pay vouchers, which you won't have until you have started work, which you cannot do until you have a visa.
The foreign spouse's income is irrelevant unless either he/she is already employed in the US, or the income will continue after he/she relocates to the US.
Thanks for all your help by the way, just trying to wrap my head around things.
#6
Re: Question about marrying a US citizen & income
So i've no requirements to worry about on my end? .....
If you need "assets" then after you get married all your assets are pooled. So for example if you are selling your home in the UK and your net equity will be £60,000 (after legal fees and selling expenses), then even if your spouse had neither income nor assets, you would qualify to get a CR-1 on the assets basis as you have easily more than the $61k-ish that you would need.
.... And as long as the US citizens meets those requirements, I can live permanently in the US with a CR-1 visa whilst I await my green card? ....
.... Thanks for all your help by the way, just trying to wrap my head around things.
Last edited by Pulaski; Sep 29th 2017 at 1:21 pm.
#7
Re: Question about marrying a US citizen & income
Awesome. Are there any other requirements I should be aware of outside of job and income? I am a 22 year old UK citizen that works full-time. I don't have a degree and I've no criminal convictions or anything of that nature. Should everything be A-OK if the scenario we have discussed happens?
Thank you
Thank you
#8
Re: Question about marrying a US citizen & income
Awesome. Are there any other requirements I should be aware of? I am a 22 year old UK citizen that works full-time. I don't have a degree and I've no criminal convictions or anything of that nature. Should everything be A-OK if the scenario we have discussed happens? ....
* The US is very degree-centric, so you should seriously consider restarting your academic career, probably through the local community college, where courses are very cheap, either with a view to eventually transferring to a "four year college" to get a bachelor degree, or towards getting a trade skill such as plumbing or electrician's license.
Last edited by Pulaski; Sep 29th 2017 at 1:46 pm.
#9
Banned
Joined: Aug 2016
Location: Cascade Mountains, WA
Posts: 1,089
Re: Question about marrying a US citizen & income
There is also a medical exam to get through. The following things can cause a problem:
- STDs
- TB
- mental health issues whereby you could be a danger to yourself or others
- previous history of or current substance abuse (including alcohol and marijuana - this often catches people out, especially those intending to move to WA, OR, CO or anywhere else where marijuana may be legal at a state level and they mistakenly believe that marijuana use won't be a problem. It is still illegal at a federal level and is a problem for immigrant visa applicants).
- STDs
- TB
- mental health issues whereby you could be a danger to yourself or others
- previous history of or current substance abuse (including alcohol and marijuana - this often catches people out, especially those intending to move to WA, OR, CO or anywhere else where marijuana may be legal at a state level and they mistakenly believe that marijuana use won't be a problem. It is still illegal at a federal level and is a problem for immigrant visa applicants).
#10
Re: Question about marrying a US citizen & income
* the US is very degree-centric, so you should seriously consider restarting your academic career, probably through the local community college, where courses are very cheap, either with a view to eventually transferring to a "four year college" to get a bachelor degree, or towards getting a trade skill such as plumbing or electrician's license.
It all seems so far away, I've wanted to live in the US my whole life but it looks like it will be a very long process unless I marry someone, which was why I was enquiring down that avenue.
#11
Re: Question about marrying a US citizen & income
There is also a medical exam to get through. The following things can cause a problem:
- STDs
- TB
- mental health issues whereby you could be a danger to yourself or others
- previous history of or current substance abuse (including alcohol and marijuana - this often catches people out, especially those intending to move to WA, OR, CO or anywhere else where marijuana may be legal at a state level and they mistakenly believe that marijuana use won't be a problem. It is still illegal at a federal level and is a problem for immigrant visa applicants).
- STDs
- TB
- mental health issues whereby you could be a danger to yourself or others
- previous history of or current substance abuse (including alcohol and marijuana - this often catches people out, especially those intending to move to WA, OR, CO or anywhere else where marijuana may be legal at a state level and they mistakenly believe that marijuana use won't be a problem. It is still illegal at a federal level and is a problem for immigrant visa applicants).
#12
Re: Question about marrying a US citizen & income
So this is just a speculative enquiry, and there isn't currently a prospective Mrs Mattataka in the picture?
#14
Banned
Joined: Aug 2016
Location: Cascade Mountains, WA
Posts: 1,089
Re: Question about marrying a US citizen & income
And then you need to hope that if you do happen to find a US citizen that you love enough to want to marry that he/she doesn't say "I've always wanted to live in the UK!" That would throw your plans of the American dream into disarray!
#15
Re: Question about marrying a US citizen & income
Hah yeah that would be quite the spanner in the works, however I think we'd discuss long-term 'wants' early on