Marriage

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PERMANENT RESIDENCE

THROUGH MARRIAGE

TO A U.S. CITIZEN

FOR PERSONS WHO WILL ADJUST STATUS

IN THE UNITED STATES

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iKitTM

is the most accurate, up-to-date information available, and will allow the average person to find out about

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Permanent Residence through Marriage to a U.S. Citizen (For Persons who will Adjust Status in the United States)


NOTE

THIS PRODUCT PREVIEW FOR THE iKITTM

HAS BEEN MODIFIED TO SHOW SELECTED

PAGES AND DOES NOT REPRESENT THE

iKITTM

IN ITS ENTIRETY.

THIS iKITTM

HAS 97 PAGES IN TOTAL,

TOGETHER WITH LINKS TO ALL OF THE

REQUIRED IMMIGRATION FORMS, STATUTES,

AND REGULATIONS, AND CONTAINS LINE-

BY-LINE INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMPLETION

OF ALL OF THE REQUIRED FORMS.



TABLE OF CONTENTS

SECTION I – IKIT OVERVIEW ................................................................................................................................... 5

A. WHO SHOULD USE THIS IKIT? ................................................................................................................................ 5 B. WHAT IS LAWFUL PERMANENT RESIDENCE (GREEN CARD) AND ITS BENEFITS? ................................................................. 5 C. WHO MAY FILE? ................................................................................................................................................. 5 D. WHO CAN’T FILE? ................................................................................................................................................ 5 E. VISA AVAILABILITY ................................................................................................................................................ 6 F. PROCESS OVERVIEW ............................................................................................................................................. 7 G. DEFINITIONS ........................................................................................................................................................ 8

SECTION II – IMMIGRATION FORMS, DOCUMENTS & EVIDENCE .......................................................................... 10

A. FORMS OVERVIEW ............................................................................................................................................. 10 B. REQUIRED DOCUMENTS AND EVIDENCE FOR FORMS AND/OR INTERVIEW ...................................................................... 11

1. PROOF OF U.S. CITIZENSHIP OF PETITIONER ........................................................................................................ 11 2. PROOF OF FAMILY RELATIONSHIP AND IDENTITY DOCUMENTS FOR ALIEN SPOUSE ...................................................... 12 3. PROOF OF THE BONA FIDES OF YOUR MARRIAGE ................................................................................................. 12

C. TRANSLATIONS................................................................................................................................................... 16 D. PHOTOS ........................................................................................................................................................... 16 E. MEDICAL EXAM OF ALIEN SPOUSE .......................................................................................................................... 17

SECTION III – IMMIGRATION LAWS ...................................................................................................................... 18

A. INA § 101 - DEFINITIONS [8 U.S.C.A. § 1101] ...................................................................................................... 18 B. INA § 204 - PROCEDURE FOR GRANTING IMMIGRANT STATUS [8 U.S.C. § 1154] ....................................................... 18 C. INA § 205 - REVOCATION OF APPROVAL OF PETITIONS; EFFECTIVE DATE [8 U.S.C. § 1155] ........................................... 20 D. INA § 245 – ADJUSTMENT OF STATUS OF NONIMMIGRANT TO THAT OF PERSON ADMITTED FOR PERMANENT RESIDENCE [8

U.S.C. § 1255]................................................................................................................................................. 20

SECTION IV – FILLING OUT THE FORMS ................................................................................................................ 25

A. GENERAL TIPS .................................................................................................................................................... 25 B. I-130 – PETITION FOR ALIEN RELATIVE (MANDATORY FORM) .................................................................................... 27

1. LINE BY LINE INSTRUCTIONS FOR FORM I-130 (TO BE COMPLETED BY THE US CITIZEN PETITIONER) ............................... 27 2. CHECKLIST FOR FORM I–130 ........................................................................................................................... 32

C. I-485 – PETITION FOR ALIEN SPOUSE TO REGISTER FOR PERMANENT RESIDENCE (MANDATORY FORM) ............................. 33 1. LINE BY LINE INSTRUCTIONS FOR FORM I-485 (THIS FORM IS TO BE COMPLETED BY THE ALIEN SPOUSE) .......................... 33

2. CHECKLIST FOR FORM I-485 ................................................................................................................................ 43 D. G-325A – BIOGRAPHIC INFORMATION (MANDATORY FORMS FOR BOTH SPOUSES) ........................................................ 44

1. LINE BY LINE INSTRUCTIONS FOR G-325A – US CITIZEN PETITIONER (MANDATORY FORM) .......................................... 44 2. INSTRUCTIONS FOR G-325A – ALIEN SPOUSE (MANDATORY FORM) ....................................................................... 46 3. CHECKLIST FOR G-325A ................................................................................................................................. 49

E. I-864 – AFFIDAVIT OF SUPPORT (MANDATORY FORM) ............................................................................................. 50 1. GUIDELINES FOR I-864 AFFIDAVIT OF SUPPORT ................................................................................................... 50 2. IF YOU DO NOT MEET THE GUIDELINES ............................................................................................................... 50 3. INSTRUCTIONS FOR SAMPLE LETTER FROM U.S. CITIZEN’S / SPONSOR’S EMPLOYER .................................................... 50 4. LINE BY LINE INSTRUCTIONS FOR FORM I-864 (THIS FORM IS TO BE COMPLETED BY THE US CITIZEN SPOUSE) ................... 51 5. CHECKLIST FOR FORM I-864 ............................................................................................................................ 58

F. I–864A – CONTRACT BETWEEN SPONSOR AND HOUSEHOLD MEMBER (OPTIONAL FORM) .............................................. 59 1. WHO IS A “SPONSOR”? .................................................................................................................................. 59 2. WHO IS THE “HOUSEHOLD MEMBER”? ............................................................................................................. 59 3. LINE BY LINE INSTRUCTIONS ON COMPLETING FORM I-864A (OPTIONAL FORM) ....................................................... 60



SECTION I – iKIT OVERVIEW

A. WHO SHOULD USE THIS IKIT?

This iKitTM is for persons who meet the following qualifications and want to obtain lawful

permanent residence status in the United States without the need to travel outside the

country:

1. Spouse of a US Citizen;

2. Must have a valid Marriage;

3. Alien spouse must have been admitted or paroled into the United States (even

if the alien is currently out of status). If not, the alien spouse must be the

beneficiary of a visa petition or labor certification application filed on or

before January 14, 1998, OR the beneficiary of a visa petition or labor

certification application filed on or before April 30, 2001 and must have been

physically present in the US on December 21, 2000; and

4. Must not have committed a crime, be a public charge, have a contagious

disease or have some other immigration violation that would render the alien

inadmissible for permanent residence, unless they can qualify for a waiver of

inadmissibility.

B. WHAT IS LAWFUL PERMANENT RESIDENCE (GREEN CARD) AND ITS BENEFITS?

Lawful Permanent Residence, commonly referred to as having a Green Card, gives the

Foreign National / alien spouse the status of being a “Lawful Permanent Resident”

(“LPR”) of the United States and allows the LPR to legally live and work in the United

States. Possession of a Green Card does not affect the Foreign National’s / alien spouse’s

current citizenship. If the LPR were to travel abroad, the LPR must travel with his / her

country’s passport when entering and leaving the United States. An LPR may normally

travel to and from the United States without any limitations for up to 6 months, but some

exceptions may apply.

C. WHO MAY FILE?

The goal is for the US Citizen to petition on behalf of his/her alien spouse to obtain LPR

status. For purposes of this iKitTM, only US Citizens are allowed to file on behalf of

their Foreign National / alien spouse. The alien spouse must be currently residing in

the United States.

D. WHO CAN’T FILE?

The alien spouse may not have entered this country illegally. If so, then the alien spouse

must return to his/her country of citizenship or lawful residence to apply for an immigrant

visa to the United States [Lawful Permanent Residence (Green Card)]. However, there is

an exception for an alien spouse who was the beneficiary of an approvable visa petition

or labor certification application filed on or before January 14, 1998, OR the beneficiary


SECTION II – IMMIGRATION FORMS, DOCUMENTS & EVIDENCE

A. FORMS OVERVIEW

The chart below lists the forms that are necessary for a US Citizen to successfully file on

behalf of his/her alien spouse.

Note: Forms that have an asterisk are not used in all cases. Please refer to the line-by-

line instructions in Section IV to see if these forms are needed in your particular case.

Form Number Name of Form

I-130 Petition for Alien Relative

I-485 Application to Register Permanent Resident / Adjust

Status

I-485 Supplement A* Adjustment of Status under Section 245 (i)

G-325A (for US Citizen) Biographical Information

G-325A (for Alien spouse) Biographical Information

I-864 Affidavit of Support under Section 213A of the Act

I-864A* Contract Between Sponsor and Household Member

I-765* Application for Employment Authorization

I-131* Application for Travel Document

I-212* Application for Permission to Reapply for Admission

into US (after Deportation / Removal)

I-601* Application for Waiver of Grounds of Inadmissibility

*These forms are optional and are dependent upon your specific situation. There are no instructions for

Forms I-212 and I-601 in this iKitTM. (Check for availability of I-212 and I-601 waiver iKitsTM

on our

Immigration Kits page).

1. Petitioner / Sponsor is the US Citizen – The US Citizen MUST fill out the following

forms:

a. Form I–130;

b. Form G–325A;

c. Form I–864;

d. Form I–864A (optional).

2. Alien spouse – The alien spouse, who MUST currently reside in the United States,

MUST fill out the following forms:

a. Form I–485 ;

b. Form G–325A;

c. Form I–485 Supplement A (optional);

d. Form I–765 (optional);

e. Form I-131 (optional);

f. Form I-212 (optional);

g. Form I-601 (optional).

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SECTION IX – CONCLUSION

If you have followed all of the instructions in this iKitTM you are well on your way to

obtaining lawful permanent residence status in the United States. You have been able to prepare

your entire application for permanent residence at a fraction of the cost that you would pay to an

immigration law attorney. In addition, you have been prepared far better for your immigration

interview than you would be if you were doing the case yourself, without the aid of this iKitTM.

It has been our pleasure to assist you with your case. If at any time you feel that you

need to speak with one of the immigration law attorneys from this office, you can call us at (407)

833-8951 or make an appointment online. Furthermore, we hope that you will continue to visit

our website at www.ImmigrationLinks.com for any information you need regarding US

Immigration Law.

WELCOME TO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!

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Marriage