Your Immigration Link to the World

Because there is a limit as to the number of spouses who may immigrate in a given year, there is a waiting period before an immigrant visa number becomes available. Spouses of legal permanent residents are categorized under the Family Preference Category 2A (F2A).

There are two ways for a Spouse of an LPR to obtain permanent residence:

1. If the Spouse of the LPR is legally in the United States, the LPR must file a petition for you and it must be approved. You must wait for your priority date in your Family Preference Category 2A to become current. Your priority date is the date when the petition was filed. Once the priority date is current, the Spouse of the LPR may adjust status.
2. If the spouse of the LPR is outside the United States, he/she may become a legal permanent resident through consular processing. Consular processing is when the U.S.C.I.S. works with the U.S. Department of state to issue a visa from an approved petition when it is available. Under consular processing, the Department of State will issue the visa (if approved). Once the Spouse of the LPR travels on the immigrant visa, s/he will become a legal permanent resident when admitted at a U.S. port of entry.