# Green card for the spouse of a green-card holder (F-2A) > The F2A category explained: the LPR spouse petition, the $675 I-130 fee, priority dates, the Visa Bulletin, and what changes if the petitioner naturalizes. Canonical: https://www.popimmigration.com/guides/spouse-of-lpr-f2a Publisher: Pop Immigration (https://www.popimmigration.com) Last reviewed: 2026-07-20 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. ## 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. ## Frequently asked questions ### 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. ## Sources - USCIS — Family of Green Card Holders (Permanent Residents): https://www.uscis.gov/family/family-of-green-card-holders-permanent-residents - USCIS — Visa Availability and Priority Dates; DOS — Visa Bulletin: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/legal/visa-law0/visa-bulletin.html - USCIS — Family of U.S. Citizens; Visa Availability and Priority Dates (petition upgrades): https://www.uscis.gov/green-card/green-card-processes-and-procedures/visa-availability-priority-dates - USCIS — Adjustment of Status; When to File Your Adjustment of Status Application: https://www.uscis.gov/green-card/green-card-processes-and-procedures/visa-availability-priority-dates/when-to-file-your-adjustment-of-status-application-for-family-sponsored-or-employment-based-preference --- Pop Immigration is an educational and organizational tool, not a law firm, and does not provide legal advice. 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