From filing to interview to the 10-year card — you are covered from A to Z.
A marriage-based green card is more than a stack of forms. It is a case that must prove one thing above all: a bona fide marriage. From the I-130 filing package to the joint documents, the interview, the I-751 — and VAWA protection if the relationship breaks down — we handle every stage, and every imaginable marriage case.
Years of Experience
Cases Handled
Marriage & Interview
Clients Nationwide
COVERED FROM A TO Z
I-130 / I-485 or consular processing, prepared right the first time
Joint & commingled documents, organized to persuade
Mock interviews, Stokes prep, attorney at your side
Joint filing — or waiver if the marriage has ended
VAWA self-petition if the relationship turns abusive
Filing
Petition + adjustment or consular case
Interview
Bona fide marriage under examination
Remove Conditions
2-year conditional card → 10-year card
VAWA Protection
If the relationship breaks down
Two paths to a marriage-based green card
The spouse of a U.S. citizen is an “immediate relative” — a visa is always available, with no waiting line. The spouse of a lawful permanent resident falls under the F2A category and may face a wait depending on the Visa Bulletin. In either case, the green card is obtained through one of two routes.
Adjustment of Status
If the foreign spouse is in the United States after a lawful entry, the I-130 petition and I-485 adjustment application can usually be filed together (concurrent filing) — along with work authorization and travel permission — leading to a green card interview at a local USCIS field office.
Consular Processing
If the foreign spouse is outside the U.S., the approved I-130 moves to the National Visa Center (NVC) for the DS-260 immigrant visa application and document collection, followed by an interview at the U.S. embassy or consulate abroad.
The one question that decides every marriage case
Is the marriage bona fide — entered into for love and a shared life, not for immigration benefits? Every form, every document, and every interview answer is measured against this question. Our job is to make the truth of your marriage impossible to doubt.
The filing package, prepared right the first time
A marriage-based adjustment package is a coordinated set of forms and supporting evidence. Errors, inconsistencies, or missing items lead to rejections, Requests for Evidence (RFEs), and months of delay. We prepare every package to be complete, consistent, and interview-ready from day one.
Petition for Alien Relative filed by the U.S. citizen or LPR spouse, with the I-130A biographic supplement for the beneficiary spouse. This is where the bona fide marriage evidence begins.
Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status — the green card application itself, for spouses adjusting inside the United States.
Affidavit of Support. The sponsoring spouse must show income at or above the required level — or add a joint sponsor. We screen sponsor finances before filing, not after an RFE.
Application for Employment Authorization (EAD), so the foreign spouse can work while the case is pending.
Application for Travel Document (advance parole), so pending applicants can travel without abandoning the case.
Medical examination by a USCIS-designated civil surgeon.
For consular cases: the immigrant visa application processed through the National Visa Center, with civil documents and the interview at a U.S. consulate abroad.
Consistency is everything
USCIS compares every date, address, and employment entry across all forms — and against prior filings, visa applications, and tax returns. Small inconsistencies become big interview questions. We reconcile the entire record before anything is filed.
Joint & commingled documents that prove a real marriage
Officers are trained to look for a genuinely shared life — shared finances, shared home, shared future. The strongest cases show commingling: money, property, and responsibilities woven together. We tell you exactly what to gather, and we organize it into a persuasive, well-indexed evidence package.
Money & property together
- Joint bank account statements showing real, regular activity
- Joint federal & state tax returns filed as married
- Joint lease, mortgage, or deed for the marital home
- Joint credit cards and shared loan or auto financing
- Health, auto, and life insurance naming each other
- Retirement accounts and beneficiary designations
- Joint utility bills — electricity, gas, internet, phone
Living as one family
- Driver’s licenses and IDs showing the same address
- Mail addressed to both spouses at the marital home
- Birth certificates of children born to the marriage
- Photographs across time — wedding, holidays, travel, family events
- Travel records and boarding passes from trips taken together
- Phone records, chats, and call logs showing daily communication
The marriage as others see it
- Affidavits from family and friends who know the couple
- Wedding invitations, ceremony records, and religious documents
- Evidence of meeting each other’s families
- Joint memberships — gym, place of worship, community groups
- Cards, gifts, and correspondence between the spouses
No joint documents yet? Don’t panic — plan.
Newly married couples, couples living with family, and couples keeping some finances separate for cultural or practical reasons are common. There are legitimate ways to document a bona fide marriage in every situation — but the record must be built deliberately. We advise couples on what to establish now so the file is strong at filing, at the interview, and again at the I-751 stage.
Interview preparation that leaves nothing to chance
The green card interview is where the case is decided. Most interviews are straightforward for well-prepared couples — but officers are trained to probe, and cases with red flags can be referred for a separated “Stokes” interview, where each spouse is questioned alone and the answers are compared line by line.
How we prepare every couple
- Full case review — we re-read your entire file the way the officer will, and resolve every inconsistency before interview day
- Mock interview sessions covering the questions officers actually ask
- Stokes-style separated practice for cases with prior red flags
- Guidance on what to bring: updated joint documents, originals, and certified translations
- Preparation for difficult histories — prior marriages, prior denials, overstays, or prior removal proceedings
- Attorney appearance at the interview to protect the record
Questions couples should be ready for
- How did you meet, and how did the proposal happen?
- Who attended your wedding — and why were certain family members absent?
- Describe your home: who sleeps on which side of the bed, what color are the curtains?
- What did you do together last weekend? Last birthday? Last holiday?
- Who pays which bills, and from which account?
- What medications does your spouse take? Who is their doctor?
- What time does your spouse leave for work, and how do they get there?
- What are your plans as a couple for the next five years?
Red flags we know how to handle
Large age gaps, short courtships, language barriers, prior immigration violations, previous marriage-based filings, and separate addresses for work or family reasons. None of these is fatal — but each must be addressed head-on, with evidence and preparation, never ignored.
Form I-751: from the 2-year card to the 10-year card
If the marriage is less than two years old when the green card is approved, the foreign spouse receives a conditional green card valid for two years. Form I-751, Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence, must be filed in the 90-day window before the conditional card expires — with fresh evidence that the marriage was and is bona fide.
Joint filing — the standard path
Both spouses sign and file together, with updated joint and commingled evidence covering the two years of conditional residence:
- Continued joint tax returns, bank statements, and insurance
- Lease, mortgage, and utility records across the full period
- Children born to the marriage; ongoing photos and travel
- Affidavits updating the couple’s shared life
- Interview preparation if USCIS calls the couple in
Waiver filing — when you must file alone
The law does not trap you in a failed or dangerous marriage. A conditional resident may file the I-751 alone, requesting a waiver of the joint-filing requirement, where:
- The marriage was entered in good faith but ended in divorce or annulment
- The marriage was entered in good faith but the petitioning spouse died
- The conditional resident or their child was battered or subjected to extreme cruelty
- Termination of residence would result in extreme hardship
Missed the 90-day window? Marriage falling apart mid-process?
Late filings with good cause, divorces finalized mid-case, and joint petitions that must convert to waivers are situations we handle regularly. The worst thing to do is nothing — conditional status expires, and removal proceedings can follow. Call us before the deadline becomes the problem.
VAWA: protection when the marriage turns abusive
Immigration status should never be a weapon. When a U.S. citizen or permanent resident spouse uses control, threats, battery, or extreme cruelty — including threats to “call immigration” or withhold sponsorship — the law provides an independent path forward.
The VAWA self-petition (Form I-360)
- Available to abused spouses of U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents — men and women alike
- You petition for yourself. The abusive spouse’s signature, cooperation, or knowledge is not required
- Requires proof of the qualifying relationship, good-faith marriage, abuse or extreme cruelty, and good moral character
- An approved self-petition can lead to work authorization and a green card without the abuser’s involvement
- Can also protect children included in the petition
Every breakdown scenario, covered
Case pending, marriage turns abusive
A pending marriage case does not chain you to an abuser. We assess VAWA self-petition eligibility and restructure the case so your path forward no longer depends on your spouse.
Conditional card, abusive marriage
The I-751 battery/extreme cruelty waiver lets a conditional resident remove conditions alone — no joint signature, no divorce required first.
Good-faith marriage ends in divorce
Divorce is not the end of the road. The good-faith marriage waiver preserves the I-751 for couples whose genuine marriage simply did not last.
Strict confidentiality, by law
Federal law prohibits USCIS from disclosing a VAWA case to the abuser and from making decisions based on information the abuser provides. Consultations with our office are confidential. If you are in immediate danger, call 911; the National Domestic Violence Hotline is available 24/7 at 800-799-7233.
Every imaginable marriage case — and every interview
In 25+ years and 100,000+ cases, we have handled first marriages and fifth marriages, whirlwind courtships and decades-long partnerships, Stokes interviews, RFEs, prior denials, I-751 waivers, and VAWA self-petitions. Whatever your situation looks like, we have almost certainly seen it — and won it — before.
- Concurrent I-130/I-485 filings and consular cases through NVC
- Evidence strategy for joint and commingled documentation
- Mock interviews and attorney representation at USCIS
- Stokes interview defense and fraud-allegation response
- I-751 joint petitions, late filings, and all waiver categories
- Confidential VAWA self-petitions for abused spouses and children
- Multilingual staff — English, Nepali, Hindi, and additional languages
- Transparent case tracking through our client portal
Start your marriage-based case today
Whether you are newly married and ready to file, preparing for an interview, approaching your I-751 window, or facing a marriage that has broken down — the earlier you speak with us, the more options you have. Contact us today for a free, confidential online case evaluation.
246 West 38th Street, 8th Floor
New York, NY 10018
212-571-6002 · help@greencardmaker.com
Our team speaks English, Nepali, Hindi, and several additional languages. We serve clients across all 50 states and internationally. All consultations are confidential.