How Long After Marrying a U.S. Citizen I Can Apply for a Green Card, Marrying a U.S. Citizen, Apply for a Green Card, U.S. citizen, Green Card, foreign national, marries a U.S. citizen

Question:

I need to know how long after marrying a U.S. citizen I can apply for a Green Card? What the process and paperwork? I am new to this issue, so I apologize if this has been asked before. Thanks

Answer:

When a foreign national marries a U.S. citizen, he or she is considered as an immediate relative of the U.S. citizen. The foreign spouse in the U.S. can file an immigrant application for permanent residence simultaneously with USCIS once the marriage has taken place. The applicant will be required to demonstrate to USCIS that the marriage was entered into good faith and not solely for the purpose of securing immigration benefits for the foreign national.

If a U.S. citizen marries an alien abroad, an I-130 petition must be filed after the marriage to begin the immigration process for the alien spouse (husband or wife). This can be filed with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services in the United States.