Voice345

Can I get a green card if I marry a green card holder ?

Joachim Feise

voice345 wrote:
    > Can I get a green card if I marry a green card holder ?

Yes, but it takes 6 years. And you have to maintain legal status on your own through
this time.

Voice345

Joachim, thank you for answering my question.

What if I have been in the country already for 3 years on the visa ? Does it mean I
will get a green card in 3 years? Why the timing is 6 years? Is it because any body
who legally stayed in the country for certain period of time would be able to become
a green card holder just because he has been in US long enough legally? Does marriage
to a green card holder give me rights to stay in US without visa?

Joachim Feise <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
    > voice345 wrote:
    > > Can I get a green card if I marry a green card holder ?
    >
    > Yes, but it takes 6 years. And you have to maintain legal status on your own
    > through this time.

Joachim Feise

voice345 wrote:
    > Joachim, thank you for answering my question.
    >
    > What if I have been in the country already for 3 years on the visa ? Does it mean I
    > will get a green card in 3 years? Why the timing is 6 years?

There is a yearly cap on the number of people who can get a GC this way. And so many
people applied that it currently takes about 6 years from the date of applying
(filing form I-130). It does not matter how long you have been in the country before.
You can read up on this at the State Department's website:
http://travel.state.gov/visa;familybased.html

    > Is it because any body who legally stayed in the country for certain period of time
    > would be able to become a green card holder just because he has been in US long
    > enough legally?

I don't know where you heard this, but it is not true.

    > Does marriage to a green card holder give me rights to stay in US without visa?

No.

-Joe

Shelley

"Joachim Feise" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]... <snip>
    > > Is it because any body who legally stayed in the country for certain period of
    > > time would be able to become a green card holder just because he has been in US
    > > long enough legally?
    >
    > I don't know where you heard this, but it is not true.
<snip>

Actually it is true - if you have show you have had continuous residence in the US
since prior to January 1, 1972, or since entry and prior to July 1, 1924, you can
apply for a Green Card.

http://www.ins.usdoj.gov/lpBin/lpext...-9606/slb-2685
2/slb-26871?f=templates&fn=document-frame.htm#slb-8cfrsec2492a

I don't this will help the original poster much though. Take Care. Shelley

Joachim Feise

Shelley wrote:
    > "Joachim Feise" <[email protected]> wrote in message
    > news:[email protected]... <snip>
    >
    >>>Is it because any body who legally stayed in the country for certain period of
    >>>time would be able to become a green card holder just because he has been in US
    >>>long enough legally?
    >>
    >>I don't know where you heard this, but it is not true.
    >
    > <snip>
    >
    > Actually it is true - if you have show you have had continuous residence in the US
    > since prior to January 1, 1972, or since entry and prior to July 1, 1924, you can
    > apply for a Green Card.

Well, yeah, I know that, but this really are pretty limited situations. I'm trying to
keep it simple and not add to the confusion with some obscure regulations.

-Joe

Voice345

Joachim Feise <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
    > Shelley wrote:
    > > "Joachim Feise" <[email protected]> wrote in message
    > > news:[email protected]... <snip>
    > >
    > >>>Is it because any body who legally stayed in the country for certain period of
    > >>>time would be able to become a green card holder just because he has been in US
    > >>>long enough legally?
    > >>
    > >>I don't know where you heard this, but it is not true.
    > >
    > > <snip>
    > >
    > > Actually it is true - if you have show you have had continuous residence in the
    > > US since prior to January 1, 1972, or since entry and prior to July 1, 1924, you
    > > can apply for a Green Card.
    >
    > Well, yeah, I know that, but this really are pretty limited situations. I'm trying
    > to keep it simple and not add to the confusion with some obscure regulations.
    >
    > -Joe

Thanks everybody for info !

1972 does not help me much but I have heard that if one have maintained legal status
for seven years (but not including time on a student visa) he could apply for a
permanent residency just because of the length of time spent in US. Is it true ?

Paul Helpdesk

It generally takes a long time to get the Green Card. You could check out the actual
timelines at:

http://www.visapro.com/Visa-Bulletin-Family.asp

Paul @ HelpDesk

Liwen Liang

You might want to tell everyone here what your current status is, and how long you
have been in this status? That may help for people trying to suggest anything.

On the other thand, I think this 7 years thing is a totally different issue.
Something like you have to show extreme hardship, which is hard to get nowadays.

Now going back to your original question, like another person suggested, each year,
there is only certain quota for green card hoder's spouse, and that's why it takes
longer and longer to get it as more and more people apply for it which cuase all the
backlog. It used to take only 2 - 3 years, if you apply now, there may be a chance
that it will take even longer than 5 - 6 years. This has nothing to do with how long
you have stayed here in the US, it was simply how long it takes for a immigration
visa number to be avaible for your criteria.

Your best bet is probably wait until your green card hoder becomes a naturalized
citizenship (eligible after 5 years, check http://www.ins.gov) then you will be his
immideate family, which doesn't not limmited by quota.

[email protected] (voice345) wrote in message
news:<[email protected]. com>...
    > Joachim Feise <[email protected]> wrote in message
    > news:<[email protected]>...
    > > Shelley wrote:
    > > > "Joachim Feise" <[email protected]> wrote in message
    > > > news:[email protected]... <snip>
    > > >
    > > >>>Is it because any body who legally stayed in the country for certain period of
    > > >>>time would be able to become a green card holder just because he has been in
    > > >>>US long enough legally?
    > > >>
    > > >>I don't know where you heard this, but it is not true.
    > > >
    > > > <snip>
    > > >
    > > > Actually it is true - if you have show you have had continuous residence in the
    > > > US since prior to January 1, 1972, or since entry and prior to July 1, 1924,
    > > > you can apply for a Green Card.
    > >
    > > Well, yeah, I know that, but this really are pretty limited situations. I'm
    > > trying to keep it simple and not add to the confusion with some obscure
    > > regulations.
    > >
    > > -Joe
    >
    > Thanks everybody for info !
    >
    > 1972 does not help me much but I have heard that if one have maintained legal
    > status for seven years (but not including time on a student visa) he could
    > apply for a permanent residency just because of the length of time spent in US.
    > Is it true ?