Does Marrying a U.S. Citizen Automatically Give You Citizenship?

True or False?

Does a foreign national automatically gain citizenship by marrying a U.S. citizen?

FALSE.  Many potential clients approach family immigration lawyers thinking that as soon as a couple gets married, all of the foreign national’s immigration problems will disappear.  Unfortunately, this is not the truth.  A foreign national who marries a U.S. citizen is not automatically given U.S. citizen.  Nor is the foreign national automatically granted permanent residency in the United States.

The truth is, a foreign national who marries a U.S. citizen must pass through many hops before being granted permanent residency in the United States.  Although being married to a U.S. citizen will provide for certain privileges to the foreign national, it is in no way a guarantee that the foreign national will be able to gain permanent residency.  If you are married to a U.S. citizen and seek to gain permanent residency, please contact a family immigration lawyer to discuss your options.

A variation of this false statement is that if you are married to a U.S. citizen for two years, you automatically gain permanent residency.  This is also false.

 

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