Green card for the spouse of a green-card holder (F-2A)
A permanent resident petitioning for a spouse works inside a category — F2A — that runs on a mechanism citizens' spouse cases never touch: the priority date and the monthly Visa Bulletin. Understanding that mechanism is most of understanding the case. Every claim here is cited; this is general process description, not advice about any individual case, and no wait times are quoted because the bulletin changes monthly.
The petition
The case starts like every family case: Form I-130 with proof of the marriage's bona fides — joint finances, shared residence, the accumulated paper of a real marriage (the bona-fide evidence guide covers the categories). Under the current G-1055 schedule the I-130 costs $675 on paper or $625 online. USCIS fees change periodically — before filing, verify current amounts on the official USCIS fee schedule (Form G-1055) at uscis.gov/g-1055.
The priority date and the Visa Bulletin
Spouses of permanent residents are in the F2A family-preference category, which carries annual visa limits. The day USCIS receives the I-130 becomes the case's priority date — its place in line. Each month the Department of State publishes the Visa Bulletin, which says which priority dates currently have a visa number available. The bulletin is the only honest answer to 'how long will this take': its state changes month to month, and the current bulletin at travel.state.gov is the thing to check, not a number quoted on anyone's website.
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The second stage rides the bulletin
When a visa number is available for the case's priority date, the second stage opens: a spouse abroad completes consular processing at a U.S. embassy or consulate, while a spouse already in the United States after a lawful entry may be able to file Form I-485 to adjust status — preference-category adjustment timing follows the bulletin's charts. Which path applies, and when, turns on the case's facts; the petitioning spouse signs Form I-864, Affidavit of Support, in either one.
If the petitioner becomes a citizen
F2A has a built-in category change: if the petitioning spouse naturalizes while the case is pending, the beneficiary becomes an immediate relative — the category with no visa queue — and USCIS should be notified of the naturalization so the case is treated accordingly. That is the rule, not a recommendation about when anyone should naturalize; families weighing the timing of a naturalization against a pending spouse case with complications should put the question to a licensed immigration attorney. The same referral applies to any case with criminal history, prior removal proceedings, prior denials, or complex admissibility issues — this site's assessment flags those and refers them.
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What is the F2A category?
The family-preference category for spouses and unmarried under-21 children of lawful permanent residents. It carries annual visa limits, so cases wait for a visa number under the monthly Visa Bulletin.
How long is the F2A wait?
Whatever the current Visa Bulletin says for the case's priority date — it changes monthly, and the live bulletin at travel.state.gov is the only current answer. This page deliberately quotes no wait time.
What is a priority date?
The date USCIS receives the I-130 — the case's place in the visa line. The Visa Bulletin announces each month which priority dates have a visa number available.
What happens if I become a U.S. citizen while the petition is pending?
Your spouse becomes an immediate relative — no visa queue — and USCIS should be notified of the naturalization. How that interacts with a particular case's timing is a question for an attorney when the case has complications.
Can my spouse wait in the U.S. and adjust status?
A spouse in the United States after a lawful entry may be able to file Form I-485 when a visa number is available under the bulletin — an individualized question that depends on entry and history.