Q: My British husband is in the US on a travel visa. I'd like to sponsor him for a green card as my spouse.
Should I file I-485 or I-539 to adjust his status? Appreciate your guidance.
A: A US citizen can sponsor a foreign national who entered on a visitor visa for a green card. It is important to understand that if the husband entered with intent to permanently reside, that would be considered immigration fraud. However, if he entered with the intent only to visit, but then later changed his mind, then that would not be Immigration Fraud. Consider retaining counsel here in Florida to represent you. Some of us charge a very affordable flat fee for representation from start to finish.
A: You need to file I-130 and I-485 together only if your husband is really on a visa, as opposed to VWP.
A: The I-485, rather than the I-539, is used for the Green Card process. There are other applications, as well, such as Form I-130. The best advice that I can give is to consider speaking with a knowledgeable and experienced immigration lawyer who can guide you through the process, and who can counsel you and your husband as to the requirements, needed application documents, etc.
A: Consider scheduling a consultation with a competent and experienced immigration attorney. Whether your husband had the intent to immigrate when he entered the United States as a visitor, presumably as a U.K. Citizen through the Visa Waiver Program; this could affect the method by which he should approach his case (adjustment of status vs. consular processing). Although overstay of Visa Waiver Program visitor status may be "forgiven" in the context of an immediate relative (spouse of U.S. Citizen) adjustment of status case, if he has overstayed or does overstay, he should also be aware that a condition of using the VWP program is that one cannot challenge his or her removal from the United States in front of an immigration judge in Immigration Court (if the government chose to initiate his removal because of overstay). Many attorneys offer online video consultations.
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