In today’s blog update, we will be taking a look at a few of the crucial steps to keep in mind when applying for a green card for a relative or a spouse.
If you’re sponsoring a spouse or a family member for a green card, you’ll require to submit Form I-130, that is ‘Petition for Alien Relative’, to prove that a legitimate family relationship exists. The Office of the Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman, an independent body investigating grievances against the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), recently gave a beneficial tip to prevent processing delays and extra charges when applying for a family-based green card.
How To Apply?
When filing, Form I-130 requires the person applying for the green card to tell whether they are applying from within the United States through the adjustment status process or from outside the U.S. through consular processing. But what makes the form a bit tricky is that the form permits you to choose both options, but you should choose only one.
Because your answer decides where USCIS will send your application after approval. If you choose adjustment of status, then USCIS usually sends your Form I-130 to the National Record Center (NRC) to wait while you apply for Form I-485, which is the adjustment of status form. If you selected consular processing, USCIS would send your form to the Department of State’s National Visa Center (NVC).
What Should You Do?
Choosing only one option will save you from having to pay more and also prevent processing delays. The CIS Ombudsman stated that it had received numerous complaints from candidates who selected both options on Form I-130 and USCIS sent their applications to the NRC after approval. If the person applying for a green card is living outside the United States and they selected both options, USCIS requires them to submit Form I-824, that is ‘Application for Action on an Approved Application or Petition’ to redirect the application to the National Visa Centre for consular processing. The charges for filing Form I-825 are $465, and the average duration for processing is around three and a half months to more than one and a half years. Therefore, you must choose only one option on Form I-130 to save time and money.
If you chose both options and USCIS has not yet approved your application, you can get in touch with the USCIS Contact Center to change your selection.
This is the end of today’s blog update. We hope you found this blog useful. Please don’t forget to support us by subscribing to our newsletter and sharing this blog with your friends and family on Facebook, Whatsapp, and Twitter.
