Advice needed. Both spouses living abroad

S

sashfaq

New Member
Hi all,

I have been scanning the forums but did not see this question asked (forgive me if it has been and point me in the right direction please).

I am a US citizen and my wife is a Pakistani citizen. We have both been living abroad (in Pak) since we got married around 1.5 years ago. I want to start the citizenship process for my wife.

Has anyone applied for citizenship where they were living abroad with their spouse?
How long did the process take?
Is it advisable to apply from abroad or should I move back to the US to apply?
We would prefer to not be apart but are understand that we may be apart at some point... how can we minimize this time apart? What is the best route for us to take?

Any help and advice would be greatly appreciated!
 
@Jackolantern - You are right, we would need to start with the Green card first.
I guess I phrased my question incorrectly... what is the likelyhood of her getting her greencard to be able to move to the US if we apply from outside the US and both of us are living and working outside the US?
 
She can complete the process through a US consulate in Pakistan, but you'll need to move back to the US towards the last few months of the process due the financial and residence requirements.

Contact the consulate to find out if they allow Direct Consular Filing (DCF) and what are the criteria (if the particular consulate you call doesn't allow it, ask if any other ones in Pakistan will).

The normal way to initiate the process is to file I-130 with a USCIS office in the US, after which it gets forwarded to the consulate several months later, and much of the correspondence is done via your US address. But with DCF, which some consulates allow if the USC spouse has been living in the noncitizen spouse's country legally for a certain number of months, you can file the I-130 directly with the consulate which cuts down the overall time frame by months (6-12 months via the usual route vs. 3-6 months with DCF).
 
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