Husband or Wife Petitions 

 

One of the central purposes of United States immigration law is keeping families together. United States citizens and Legal Permanent Residents may file immigration petitions for their spouses, so that the couple can legally reside in the United States. 

 

Basic Requirements

1. The person filing the petition (known as the petitioner) must be a U.S. citizen or a Legal Permanent Resident, also known as a "Green Card Holder."

2. The marriage must be legitimate

3. The petitioner must be willing to financially sponsor his or her spouse

4. If the petitioner does not have sufficient economic means to financially support his or her spouse, the petitioner must seek a co-sponsor.

5. The petitioner must intend to live in the U.S. with his spouse.

 

Tips

• Shockingly, the U.S. government can take over one year to process these applications. 

• The application is generally a three-step process. First, the application must be sent to the Immigration Service in the U.S., then the application will be forwarded to the National Visa Center. Lastly, it will be reviewed by the the U.S. Embassy in the foreigner's home country for a final review. 

• The U.S. government accepts same-sex spouse petitions. 

 

If you would like skilled legal assistance with your spouse petition in the United States or Colombia, please contact us.