How Could My Spouse Become a U.S. Citizen after our Marriage?

Question:

How could my spouse become a U.S. citizen after our marriage?

Answer:

A foreign immigrant who marries a U.S. citizen must apply for U.S. permanent residence, or Green Card. This is a long process involving many forms and documents. After obtaining a Green Card, the alien spouse can apply for U.S. citizenship after three years as a permanent resident, if you are still married and living together when the immigrant spouse. If not, the waiting period of U.S. citizenship changes to five years.

The alien spouse can also be refused entry of U.S. if she is found inadmissible, perhaps because of a medical problem, criminal history, past immigration violations, or the USCIS belief that your marriage is a fraud to get a Green Card. Marriage to a U.S. citizen does not guarantee a green card or U.S. citizenship. Applications for U.S. green cards through marriage are scrutinized carefully, because the US government takes fraudulent marriage very seriously.