Understanding Spouse Visas

In today's multicultural society, people from all over the world marry each other. Some of them look forward to shifting base to the U.S. after marriage.

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For such people, spouse visas are very necessary. These visas are also known as spousal visas or spouses visa or green card visas.

The spouse visas are a way to sponsor the spouses immigrant visa into the U.S. Under this process, the foreign spouse completes the entire process to obtain a visa outside the U.S. Then, it is possible to enter the U.S. in order to obtain the status of a permanent resident immediately.

To get a green card spouse approval, the spouse's sponsor has to submit an immigrant Petition for Alien Relative, Form I-130. The spouse is granted an immigrant visa after USCIS, the National Visa Center and the US Embassy complete the requisite administrative processes. The visa received is either an IR1 or a CR1 visa.

Another way is to obtain a K-3 visa. It is a non-immigrant visa for the U.S. which is usually granted within a period of a few months. The applicant has to use the K3 visa to initiate the process outside the U.S. Then, he/she can travel to the U.S. to complete the entire immigration process.

However, in such a case, the application has to be filled in the country where the marriage took place. For instance, if the marriage has taken place in the U.S., the person has to apply for a K3 visa in the U.S. Embassy located in the country where he/she resides.

The applicant needs to possess form I-129F. This is also known as petition for alien fiance(e). The form has to be filled on the spouse's behalf. This is a new visa category. The spouse can easily travel to the U.S. after the visa has been issued.

However to obtain the spouse visas, the applicant has to be legally married. It means that people living together can not qualify for immigration. In short, unmarried partners can't get their visas sponsored.

Another condition is that only an 18 year old or above can sign the affidavit of support. This is yet another form which is later required.

The spouse's children, can also come to the U.S. through non immigrant visas. These are also known as K-4 visas. They then have to wait in the U.S. so they can complete the immigration process fully. There is one point to be noted, the parent has to have a K3 visa. It is only then the child can be issued a K-4 visa.

With spouse visas, it becomes possible for people who want to bring their spouses into their homeland. This way, they can truly live happily ever after!