Reviewed by: Özge Uludüz Supervising Attorney — Last reviewed: September 7, 2026
Our Marriage Green Card Legal Service: What It Covers
A genuine marriage to a US citizen or Green Card holder is one of the most common paths to permanent residence. Yellow Law Group manages your marriage-based Green Card process from the first relative petition (I-130) to the Green Card in your hands; preparing the documents correctly, getting you ready for the interview, and preventing potential problems are our responsibility.
The process follows two separate paths depending on whether the spouse is in the US or abroad, and each has its own documents, timelines, and risks. We cover how the process works step by step, how a genuine marriage is proven, and converting a conditional Green Card to permanent in detail in our marriage Green Card guide.
Is Your Spouse in the US or Abroad? Two Main Paths
If your spouse is lawfully present in the US, in most cases a Green Card can be obtained without leaving the country through Adjustment of Status (Form I-485); this package usually also includes requests for a work permit and travel document. If your spouse is abroad, after I-130 approval the consular process (DS-260) runs and the interview takes place at a US consulate.
The choice between the two paths is not always free; how the spouse entered the US, their current status, and their history are decisive. Choosing the wrong path can drag the process out for months or put it at risk. We assess your file and determine the path most suited and safest for your situation.
Proving a Genuine (Bona Fide) Marriage and the Interview Stage
The immigration authority wants to see that the marriage was entered in good faith (bona fide), not just for a Green Card. Joint bank accounts, a lease or deed, joint tax returns, bills, and evidence showing a shared life are the foundation of the file. The in-person interview is a decisive step in the process: always on the consular path, and as a rule for adjustment of status inside the US.
The interview can include detailed questions about the couple's relationship, and being caught unprepared creates needless suspicion. We compile the documents correctly, prepare you for the interview, and stand with you when needed.
From a Conditional Green Card to Permanent Status (I-751)
If your marriage has lasted less than two years when the Green Card is approved, a two-year conditional card is issued first. At the end of this period, within the 90-day window before the card expires, Form I-751 is filed to remove the conditions; once approved, a ten-year permanent Green Card is issued.
The I-751 stage requires proving the genuineness of the marriage again, and special rules apply in situations such as divorce or living apart. You can review the official requirements for removing conditions on the USCIS I-751 page. We plan this stage from the start and ensure the right evidence is collected from the first file onward. For building the evidence file, responding to a request for evidence, the interview, and what follows a denial, see our conditional green card and I-751 guide.
For Couples: Immigration and Injury Under One Roof
Yellow Law Group is a team that runs both immigration and personal injury law under one roof. For couples and spouses coming from abroad, this means working with a team that is culturally and linguistically familiar. We cover every stage of family immigration, from relative sponsorship to citizenship, in our family immigration roadmap.
If you want to bring your partner while engaged, see our K-1 fiancé visa service, and for other family members, our family reunification service.
How Long Does a Marriage Green Card Take?
If your spouse is a US citizen you are in the immediate relative category, where there is no cap and no waiting list. Through adjustment of status inside the United States, the I-130 and I-485 are filed together and most cases complete in 10 to 18 months, with work authorization (EAD) and advance parole available in the meantime. Through consular processing, I-130 approval is followed by the National Visa Center stage and an interview. If your spouse is a green card holder (category F2A), a shorter Visa Bulletin wait can apply.
What Is Asked at the Interview?
The interview exists to assess whether the marriage is genuine. Questions are about daily life: how you met, who attended the wedding, who uses what at home, whether your families know each other, your joint accounts and plans. Where doubts arise, spouses can be questioned separately in a Stokes interview. Real preparation is not memorised answers but the ability to present the timeline of the relationship consistently with the documents.
What Documents Show a Bona Fide Marriage?
The strongest evidence is shared financial and residential records: a joint bank account, a lease or deed in both names, naming each other as beneficiary on insurance or retirement accounts, joint bills, trips taken together, photographs and correspondence. Evidence spread across the length of the relationship carries more weight than a cluster from one period. Some records common in the US have no equivalent in Turkey, and alternative proof is prepared where that is the case.
What If the Marriage Ends or Involves Abuse?
If the marriage ends during the conditional period, a waiver of the joint filing requirement can be requested by showing the marriage was entered in good faith even though it did not last. Where there is abuse by the spouse, VAWA allows a self-petition filed independently of the spouse, and that filing is confidential. Both routes require their own evidence and should be assessed as early as possible.
Related Guides
- Remove Conditions on Green Card: I-751 RFE, Interview, Denial
- How to Get a US Marriage Green Card 2026: Process, Fees, I-864, I-751
Why Yellow Law Group?
Yellow Law Group serves from its headquarters in Plano (Texas), with offices in Chicago (Illinois), Irvine (California), Alpharetta (Georgia), and Fairfield (New Jersey). In the marriage Green Card process, the smallest document error or interview misstep can delay the file for months; working with an experienced team minimizes that risk.
For the official I-130 relative petition and current requirements, see the USCIS I-130 page. You can review our attorney profiles on our team page and schedule a free initial consultation through our contact page.
