Girlfriend is a Green Card Holder - Need help

[tothemoon 0]

Hi guys.

Like all of you here, I am in a very tough emotional situation.

My girlfriend is a Green Card holder in US.

I am in Serbia, and if she comes here that we get married, what type of Visa would I need to apply forr?

What is the approximate waiting period?

Please help me out. This situation is stressful and heartbreaking. We are together for 6 years, and she got a Green Card this year. We are not married.

Please, help me

Summary, she is a green card holder, I do not have a Visa, how can we be together in US, and how long it takes

[kzielu 1,149]

Hi guys.

Like all of you here, I am in a very tough emotional situation.

My girlfriend is a Green Card holder in US.

I am in Serbia, and if she comes here that we get married, what type of Visa would I need to apply forr?

What is the approximate waiting period?

Please help me out. This situation is stressful and heartbreaking. We are together for 6 years, and she got a Green Card this year. We are not married.

Please, help me

Summary, she is a green card holder, I do not have a Visa, how can we be together in US, and how long it takes

It will take about two years. You do not apply for anything, she needs to file I-130 petition first.

[tothemoon 0]

Thank you so much Kzielu. Thank you.

Do we need to get married first here in my country, or how that works?

I'd like to point out that she has a green card, she does not have citizenship.

Edited January 25, 2016 by tothemoon

[Transborderwife 4,666]

Yes married first

[Penguin_ie 5,994]

Yes you get married, then she files many forms (see your Guide here- the process is the same for greencard holders and citizens, just USC takes about a year and greencard holder 2 years): http://www.visajourney.com/content/i130guide1

[tothemoon 0]

Thank you. It is extremely tough period, as I first read that it takes 5 years.

You can not imagine how much this helped.

I will go read the entire forum.

It will be hard and painful process, but I hope it will be successful.

Do you guys have any other tips?

[tothemoon 0]

I would also like to ask:

1. When we get married, how long should we wait before she files I-130 petition?
2. Since she has a green card, she will come here to home country, and after that she goes to US to fill the petition, am I right?
3. We have been together for 6 years, but haven't lived together. We lived at parents house each. Will that be a problem?

I am so sorry for lots of questions, but we are new to all this, and completely confused and frustrated. Thanks everyone for helping out.

[aaron2020 11,651]

I would also like to ask:

1. When we get married, how long should we wait before she files I-130 petition? Why wait? File as soon as you have the marriage certificate.
2. Since she has a green card, she will come here to home country, and after that she goes to US to fill the petition, am I right? She can file from anywhere. The petition is mailed, so she can send it from anywhere in the world.
3. We have been together for 6 years, but haven't lived together. We lived at parents house each. Will that be a problem? No.

I am so sorry for lots of questions, but we are new to all this, and completely confused and frustrated. Thanks everyone for helping out.

[tothemoon 0]

Thank you so much for taking time to reply. It means a hard moments like this.

If you do not mind one more question. My girlfriend has a green card, but she got it in 2013 via her mother when she was below 21. Now she is 23.

Does the fact that her mother is the main green card holder change anything or not?

[aaron2020 11,651]

Thank you so much for taking time to reply. It means a hard moments like this.

If you do not mind one more question. My girlfriend has a green card, but she got it in 2013 via her mother when she was below 21. Now she is 23.

Does the fact that her mother is the main green card holder change anything or not?

No. Her mother has nothing to do with her. She is an adult.

[tothemoon 0]

I have one more question, if you do not mind. Anyone who knows can reply. Thanks for your replies and time.

If I get visa after 2 years, would I have any limits in finding a job? Will I have a valid Green Card or something else?

Considering that we would be less than 2 years in marriage when applying.

[Penguin_ie 5,994]

You will ave a valid greencard, and almost all jobs will be open to you. There are a few federal jobs for which you need to be a US Citizen.

[tothemoon 0]

You will ave a valid greencard, and almost all jobs will be open to you. There are a few federal jobs for which you need to be a US Citizen.

Thanks so much, that is quite encouraging. It's going to be a very tough process emotionally, so that so much for your help.

So if I understood everything :

1. Get married
2. File the form
3. Wait and send bunch of documents for 2 years apart
4. Green card and together again

If you guys have any tips for my particular case, I would appreciate it, I want to do a lot of reading and learn everything before we go into this stressful process.

[Shiobhan 235]

Relax, as long as you have no prior crime involvements,

nor past visa application that a lie was told, you have all

proper documents and proofs you will be fine