Your marital status can have a direct impact on your immigration status. A spouse can petition to have the other person granted entry to the United States to reunite the family. Additionally, marriage is often a reason for an adjustment of status, as a spouse who is in the U.S. on a visa may want to seek permanent resident status through a green card.
The primary type of evidence that will need to be provided, from a documentation standpoint, is simply the marriage certificate. The couple needs to have filed the proper paperwork with the local government, and marriage certificates are typically signed by witnesses.
When two people get married, one may also consider making a legal name change. If they have done so, this legal documentation can also support the fact that the two are authentically married.
Evidence of a life together
Beyond that, couples need to consider what type of documentation can simply show that they are genuinely building a life together in the U.S. Examples may include:
- Shared bills from utility companies
- Other types of mail demonstrating that the two share an address
- Shared bank accounts or credit card bills
- Tax documentation that has been filed jointly
The government typically just wants to establish that the two people are in an authentic relationship where they live together and that they are not simply pretending to be married for the sake of getting a green card. All of this documentation can show that this is the case, and a preponderance of evidence can be used to demonstrate that the green card should be granted.
Petitioning for a spouse or adjusting a status can be complex, so it is important to know what legal steps to take, and it may help to work with an experienced immigration attorney.
