The U.S. State Department has announced that starting July 1, 2019, the filing for 2A spouses and unmarried children of lawful permanent residents will be current. This process has had a two-year backlog for many years.
This announcement came from Charlie Oppenheim of the State Department at the Immigration Conference of the Federal Bar Association in Austin, Texas on May 17, 2019.
Green card holders will be able to petition for their spouses and/or children starting on July 1, 2019. For green card holders whose spouse and/or children are lawfully present in the U.S., they should be ready to file their I-485 adjustment of status application on July 1. If a green card holder has yet to file an I-130 for his or her spouse and/or children, they can do so now or file the I-130 together with the I-485 application on July 1.
For spouses and/or children who are in the U.S. but do not have legal status, if they qualify under second 245i, they can adjust their status in the U.S. This also applies to spouses and/or children who are in removal proceedings and can request that the immigration judge expedite their next hearing so that they can file for adjustment of status in July 2019.
If a green card holder has a spouse and/or children living abroad and their I-130 application has been approved, they should submit all required paperwork to the National Visa Center immediately so that an immigration visa interview can be scheduled.
If you have questions on this, be sure to contact Berardi Immigration Law to set up a consultation with one of our attorneys today!
