how much a lawyer to get a green card after married a us citizen

Full Answer

How much do lawyers charge for green card applications?

Here’s what we learned about how many applicants hired lawyers, what they paid for legal help in presenting their application to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), and what they had to say about their experiences with immigration attorneys. Almost all green-card applicants paid their lawyers a flat fee.

How much does it cost to get a marriage green card?

The current marriage green card cost varies from from $1,280 to $1,960. In a nutshell, the cost to be beared by an applicant living in the U.S. sums up to about $1960. For an applicant living abroad, the cost turns up to be approximately $1400.

Can a husband or wife of an American citizen get a green card?

The husband or wife of a U.S. citizen is considered an “immediate relative” by law which means they are not held against any quota restrictions for receiving green cards via marriage.

Do I need an immigration lawyer to get a green card?

In short, though you are not required to get an attorney, most people are happy with their decision to have done so. (See this survey on Family-Based Green Cards: Are Immigration Lawyers Worth the Cost?) What's So Difficult About Applying for a Green Card? The U.S. immigration system is widely regarded as "broken."

How much does it cost to file for a green card through marriage?

Cost Of Applying For A Marriage Based Green Card In The U.S. As of February 2021, the cost of applying for a marriage-based green card in the United States is $1760. However, it is important to note that these fees may be subject to change. Here's a break down of the filing fee for a U.S. based applicant.

How much does a U.S. immigration lawyer cost?

An immigration lawyer charges between $150 and $300 per hour, with a typical 30-min consultation fee of $75 to $150. Legal assistance when filing basic immigration forms costs $250 to $800, while green card assistance runs from $800 to $5,000, plus the USCIS fees of $460 to $700.

Do I need a lawyer to get my wife a green card?

You do not have to hire an immigration lawyer to apply for a Marriage Green Card. More than half of all marriage Green Card applications are filed by individuals who do not work with an attorney.

Can a lawyer speed up the green card process?

The immigration process can be intimidating and take a long time, but hiring an immigration attorney to support you with your case can speed up the process and help you meet your goals.

Is it worth getting an immigration lawyer?

Hiring an immigration lawyer adds additional legal fees to your case, but often it comes with numerous benefits. Hiring an immigration lawyer can save you time and stress and increase your chances of success.

Do you automatically get a green card when you marry a US citizen?

The beneficiary, or person who is applying to receive a green card, is generally automatically eligible to receive a green card once they are lawfully married to a U.S. citizen or green card holder.

How much does it cost to file for a green card?

How much does it cost to apply for a green card? The government filing fees for getting a family-based green card is $1,760 for an applicant living in the United States or $1,200 for an applicant living outside the United States.

How long does a marriage green card take?

If your spouse is a U.S. citizen and you currently live in the United States, it takes on average 21-38 months to get a marriage-based green card. Spouses of U.S. citizens living in the United States can file their I-130 and their I-485 at the same time.

Do I need a lawyer to file for a green card?

U.S. Immigration law does not require you to have a lawyer represent you for a green card. If you are already married, then the person who is already a U.S. citizen will petition for their partner. If this is the case, you must fill out three forms for a marriage green card.

What is the fastest way to get green card?

If you're a close relative to a U.S. citizen or a green card holder, they can petition for you to obtain legal permanent residency. This option is the fastest and most popular path to getting a green card.

Can a lawyer speed up the process?

Once you get your official release from medical treatment, then you can approach settlement. An attorney can certainly help speed things along when it comes to the negotiation process with the insurance company.

How can I make my green card process faster?

You can generally request expedited processing by calling the USCIS Contact Center at 800-375-5283 (TTY 800-767-1833) or by asking Emma after you have obtained a receipt notice.

Green Card- Short Overview

In the U.S., there are two categories of visas for foreign nationals: immigrant and nonimmigrant visas. An immigrant visa is for foreigners who intend to live permanently in the United States, and nonimmigrant visas are for those who intend to enter the United States temporarily.

Are You Eligible for A Green Card?

The first thing to check is whether you are genuinely eligible to go this procedural route. Being physically in the U.S. and technically eligible for permanent residence is not necessarily enough.

Marriage Green Card Cost

According to the phases of the process and costs you need to have in mind, we divided green cards expenses into the following categories:

How long does it take to get a marriage green card?

We know that you would like to know the exact time span of the process of getting the green card, but the truth is there is no specific time frame. Each case is different, meaning that the processing time will depend on various circumstances (where the marriage took place, provided evidence provided, etc.).

What expenses are included in green card application?

Apart from direct government fees and the medical exam fee, a number of other fees will add to your expenses when applying for a green card: Vaccination Fees : If your medical exam requires you to have vaccinations, update it before filing your complete medical report.

Can I file an I-485 with an I-130?

If you are married to a U.S. citizen and you entered the U.S. lawfully, you may file the Form I-485 together (“concurrently”) with the Form I-130 , Petition for Alien Relative filed on your behalf. You can also file Form I-485 while Form I-130 is pending, or after the Form I-130 is approved (and remains valid).

Can I file an I-485 while I-130 is pending?

You can also file Form I-485 while Form I-130 is pending, or after the Form I-130 is approved (and remains valid). You may file the Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status to apply for a Green Card without leaving the country. This is called “adjustment of status.”.

Do lawyers help with application?

In addition to assisting with the application forms, a lawyer can help you gather the necessary documents and prepare for the interview.

Do immigration lawyers charge flat fees?

Immigration attorneys normally charge a “flat,” or fixed, fee rather than billing by the hour. In fact, our survey showed that 96% of our readers paid their lawyers a flat fee to handle their adjustment-of-status applications. Most immigration applicants prefer fixed legal fees, because they know from the start exactly what it will cost. And in standard cases, lawyers are able to predict approximately how much time they will need to spend.

For a green card after getting married to a US citizen, what should I do first?

The first issue you should consider is your entry into the United States. If you entered lawfully on a visa, you likely have met the requirement. The legal framework states that you meet the requirement if you were admitted to the U.S. after an inspection by an immigration official.

How do I prove a valid entry into the US?

The best evidence of a valid entry is your Form I-94. If you entered the U.S. many years ago, you should have an I-94 form stapled in your passport. If you recently entered, you can now obtain a record of your entry (I-94) from the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol website.

I entered legally, what do I do next?

The next step is to obtain evidence of your marital relationship and prepare Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative. Your US citizen spouse will need to file this petition with USCIS to establish that your marriage is bona fide. This process includes filing Form I-130 and evidence of a bona fide marriage.

My marriage is bona fide, are there any other requirements?

Yes, to obtain the green card, you must file Form I-485, Application for Adjustment of Status with USCIS. The most important aspect of your green card case is to prove that you are eligible to adjust and that you are not “inadmissible” to the U.S.

What are the financial requirements?

Your US citizen spouse will need to submit Form I-864, Affidavit of Support, which establishes that you will not become a public charge (that is, apply for food stamps, welfare, or any other government assistance). Your spouse will need income greater than 125% of the U.S. poverty level for the household size.

What if me and my US citizen spouse are unemployed?

In this case, you will need to locate a joint sponsor who must submit an I-864 and meet the financial guidelines in their own right. There are strict rules on who can become a joint sponsor. Schedule a consultation with the experienced immigration lawyer at Porter Law Office, LLC to discuss those rules.

What is the legal effect of signing Form I-864?

If you sign I-864, you are creating a contract with the U.S. government. The consideration for the contract is you becoming a green card holder (known also as a lawful permanent resident). Under the contract, the sponsor is agreeing to allow the U.S. government to consider their income and assets as available for your financial support.

What is a Marriage Green Card?

So you married a U.S. Citizen or U.S. Green Cardholder? Congratulations! Now that you and your fiance have gotten married, it is time to start your new life together. Before you can make the U.S. your permanent residence, you will probably need to apply for a Marriage Green Card. This guide explains what a marriage Green Card is and how to get one.

Are you eligible for a Marriage Green Card?

To be eligible for a Green Card through marriage, you must show USCIS four things:

How do you apply for a Marriage Green Card?

Once you have determined that you are eligible for a Marriage Green Card, applying is a 3-step process:

How long does it take to get a Marriage Green Card?

How long the process takes depends on whether you're already living in the United States and whether you're married to a U.S. citizen or a Green Cardholder. It can take a while, so many people start preparing their forms with their fiance up to 90 days before they get married.

How much does it cost to get a Marriage Green Card?

In 2020, the total cost for a Marriage Green Card is $1,760 if you are applying while living in the United States, and or $1,200 if you are applying from abroad. These totals include the required U.S. government filing and biometrics fees, which are nonrefundable. They also include the average cost of the required medical examination.

When should you work with an lawyer to get a Marriage Green Card?

You do not have to hire an immigration lawyer to apply for a Marriage Green Card. More than half of all marriage Green Card applications are filed by individuals who do not work with an attorney. You can definitely do it!

Marriage Green Card FAQs

If you applied for your Green Card while you were living in the United States, then Yes! But you will need to apply for employment authorization when you file your Form I-485. You can do this by submitting a Form-I765 Application for Employment Authorization when you apply to adjust status.

How much does it cost to get a green card through marriage?

While the cost of getting a green card through marriage varies, the estimated fees for a green card application through marriage will generally span from about $1,400 to almost $2,000.

How does attorney fees affect green card?

Some of the factors that might affect your attorney fees for a green card through marriage are: How many people are applying together: if your foreign national spouse has any children that are concurrently applying for green cards, this will significantly affect the cost;

How much does it cost to file for a USCIS immigrant visa?

However, when you are applying through consular processing, the State Department charges you a filing fee for the financial support form. USCIS immigrant fee – $220. USCIS charges this fee in order to process your immigration packet and to produce your Permanent Resident Card (your green card).

How long do you have to live with a US citizen?

If you are married to a US citizen, you are eligible to apply for naturalization three years after you obtain your lawful permanent residence. In order to comply with this requirement, you need to have lived with your US citizen spouse for the entire duration of these three years.

What happens if you get a green card in marriage?

If your case presents any complications, such as past criminal charges or a pending divorce, this will also affect your marriage green card cost; If you are issued a Request for Evidence (RFE), this will also result in an increase of the attorney fees for a green card through marriage you will end up paying;

How long does it take to get a green card after marriage?

You obtain the green card through marriage for an initial period of 2 years, or what is known as conditional permanent residence. Within 90 days of the expiry date of your conditional green card through marriage, you have to apply for removal of conditions. Since this is a part of the marriage-based green card process, ...

How much does it cost to translate a document?

Translation fees vary, depending on the language that needs to be translated, and on the length of the document, but you are typically looking at $20-$40 for a one-page document , such as a birth certificate or a marriage certificate. Photography fees.

How to apply for a green card through marriage?

1. Choose an Agent. The agent is the person that will receive information about your case. You may be the agent, or you may select the petitioner, family member or other person that you trust. 2. Pay Fees.

How long does it take to get married in the US?

Within 90 days of arriving in the United States, the couple must get married and the alien fiancé must adjust status to a permanent resident by filing the adjustment of status packet. U.S. immigration law does not permit a permanent resident to petition a fiancé. There are two options.

What is the process of filing an I-130?

By filing the Form I-130 petition, you are establishing the existence of a qualifying relationship between you and your spouse. At the same time, you are requesting that an immigrant visa be reserved for your spouse. When USCIS approves the I-130 petition, they are acknowledging that there is a valid relationship and that a visa is available.

Is it important to understand the concept of preconceived intent when applying for a visa?

If your spouse is already in the U.S., it’s very important to understand the concept of preconceived intent as it applies to visas. When U.S. issues a nonimmigrant visa (such as a tourist visa, student visa, etc.), it does so with the understanding that the visitor intends to return to the country of origin.

Can a spouse get a green card?

citizens are considered immediate relatives, this relationship is given a degree of priority over other relationships. There are no numerical limits on the immediate relatives to obtain a green card.

Can a permanent resident apply for citizenship?

If eligible, the permanent resident can apply for U.S. citizenship. Once a U.S. citizen, the petitioner can file Form I-129F and bring his/her fiancé to the United States. Alternatively, the couple can marry outside the United States. Once married, the permanent resident can petition the spouse.

Can a nonimmigrant visa be used for marriage?

If USCIS believes that the nonimmigrant visa was used as a way to reach the United States to adjust status, a green card through marriage will not be approved. The green card will be denied based on the misuse of the nonimmigrant visa.

How immigration attorneys help deal not only with legal analysis, but paperwork and government bureaucracy

How immigration attorneys help deal not only with legal analysis, but paperwork and government bureaucracy.

What's So Difficult About Applying for a Green Card?

The U.S. immigration system is widely regarded as "broken." The law itself is torturously difficult to understand. It takes lawyers years just to become comfortable with the ins and outs of various types of visas, green cards, and other benefits.

But I Like Doing Things Myself!

A few hours trying to fill out immigration forms, and you might just change your mind. True, the more knowledgeable you are about the process you're about to undertake, and about the work you're paying the lawyer to perform, the better off you'll be.