Spouses, fiancé(e)s, and adopted children of U.S. citizens receive priority in the family-based immigration system, and these family members can be admitted into the U.S. upon government approval of their immigration visa petitions. Learn more below.

Marriages

Following is a description of the process to be followed by a spouse of a U.S. citizen seeking to gain permanent resident status in the U.S.:

• The immigration service must approve a visa petition filed on behalf of the spouse.

• If the spouse is outside the U.S. when the visa petition is approved, the spouse will go to his or her nearest U.S. consulate to complete the processing for an immigrant visa prior to travel to the U.S.

• If the spouse is inside the U.S. when the visa petition is approved, the spouse may apply to adjust his or her status (i.e. temporary visitor) to that of a lawful permanent resident.

The spouse's permanent resident status will be conditional if it is based on a marriage that was less than two years old when that status was granted. To remove the conditions on permanent resident status, it must be established that the marriage was not entered into in order to evade U.S. immigration laws. If Form I-751, Petition to Remove the Conditions on Residence, is not filed within the 90-day period before the spouse's second anniversary as a conditional resident, the conditional permanent residence status will be terminated and the government will initiate deportation (removal) proceedings.