How to bring your spouse to the U.S.
When a spouse lives abroad, the case runs through consular processing: a USCIS petition first, then the Department of State. This page describes that path end to end — the forms, the fees, the evidence, and what happens at the embassy — with every factual claim cited to a primary source. It describes the process in general terms only; it is not advice about any individual case.
The path: petition, then consulate
The case starts with Form I-130, the petition establishing the marriage. After USCIS approves it, the case moves to the Department of State: the National Visa Center collects the civil documents and the Affidavit of Support, and the spouse attends an immigrant-visa interview at a U.S. embassy or consulate.
A spouse of a U.S. citizen is an immediate relative — a visa is always available. A spouse of a green-card holder is in the F-2A preference category and waits for availability under the monthly Visa Bulletin.
What it costs
The USCIS side is the I-130: $675 on paper, $625 online, under the current G-1055 schedule. The Department of State charges its own fees at the NVC and consular stage; those are published on travel.state.gov. The sponsor's Form I-864, Affidavit of Support, has no filing fee — its weight is the income requirement, generally 125% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines. The full cost picture, including the in-U.S. alternative, has its own page in the related guides.
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The documents that travel with the case
The NVC stage runs on civil documents: passports, birth certificates, the marriage certificate, police certificates where required — and any document not in English needs a certified English translation. Incomplete or untranslated documents are a classic source of delay: USCIS and the consulate both work from what is in the file, and USCIS returns packages over one missing form with the fees not refunded.
The interview and arrival
The spouse interviews at the embassy or consulate. An approved spouse enters the United States as an immigrant and becomes a permanent resident on admission. If the marriage is under two years old at admission, the residence is conditional, and Form I-751 — the petition to remove conditions — follows in the 90 days before the two-year card expires.
Status along the way can be tracked online, and USCIS publishes current processing-time estimates; this page does not claim any specific timeframe.
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What is the first form to bring a spouse to the U.S.?
Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative — $675 on paper or $625 online under the current schedule. The Department of State stage follows USCIS approval.
Does the spouse of a green-card holder wait longer?
A spouse of an LPR is in the F-2A preference category, which depends on visa availability under the monthly Visa Bulletin; a spouse of a U.S. citizen is an immediate relative with a visa always available.
What income does the sponsor need?
The I-864 sponsor must generally show income at or above 125% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines; USCIS publishes the current figures on the I-864P page.
Do foreign documents need translation?
Yes — any document not in English must be submitted with a certified English translation.
Is the green card conditional?
If the marriage is under two years old when the spouse is admitted, yes — conditional residence, with Form I-751 filed in the 90 days before the two-year card expires.