J1 Visa to GREENCARD / Marriage

[Yoan 0]

Hello everyone,

I am French and I am a greencard holder (for 2 years now).

I live in the USA since September 2015 with my wife (J1 Visa without 2 years obligation).

We got married in February 2016.

Her J1 Visa is ending in March 2017.

We want to obtain her a greencard, but we don't want to use a lawyer as long as we won't be able to pay for it.

So we will do the process by ourselves :

I know that we have to fill 2 forms :

- form i-130

- form i-485

I also know that I may find each answer of those questions below, here and there... but I've been searching a lot and I was unable to find a case like ours well described... (So please don't judge me as a lazy guy, I have done so much research, that I got lost several times...)

This is the only thing I know for now and both forms are filled but I have got others questions before I send them :

QUESTION 1 : Do we send those 2 forms together ?

QUESTION 2 : Do they each have a fee to pay (at the same time of sending them) ?

QUESTION 3 : Once those 2 forms are sent, will my wife loose her J1 Visa ?

QUESTION 4 : If yes or no, will she be able to work/obtain a visa during the process (before obtaining her greencard) ?

QUESTION 5 : Once those 2 forms are sent, will my wife be allowed to travel outside the united state ? (if yes for how long) ?

QUESTION 6 : As long as we are both living in the USA now does she have to go back in FRANCE at any moment ?

QUESTION 7 : Do we have to fill others forms ? If yes, could you name those ?

QUESTION 8 : Is a lawyer 100% necessary...? In the way that I am fully ready to fill all the forms by myself, I just need to know if I am doing it right...

Thank you a lot for the time you may take to answer those questions. I am currently writing a french blog since I got my greencard, explaining all the process of what I did (I got it from the lottery and didn't use any lawyer for the forms to obtain it). So if you guys give me an answer to those questions, I won't miss to speak about you all in my french blog (even if you may not care about it..).

Sorry for the double TOPIC available here

Edited July 18, 2016 by Yocks

[Beth & Achraf 328]

Start here, lots of information.

http://www.visajourney.com/content/i130guide2

[Yoan 0]

Start here, lots of information.

http://www.visajourney.com/content/i130guide2

Thank You and waiting for other information

[Beth & Achraf 328]

Thank You and waiting for other information

Browse this forum , it may answer a lot of your questions.

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/forum/130-adjustment-of-status-from-work-student-tourist-visas/

As for your still awaiting answers, a lot of them were in the Instruction link from my earlier post. From the cost to what to send and how.

Happy Reading

Edited July 18, 2016 by Beth & Achraf