Upgrading I-130 petition for spouse of LPR to USC

[musashi]

Hi Everyone,

My citizenship application is now on process, after I get naturalized, I'm gonna petition my wife who is in the Philippines now.

I got an advised from my friend's attorney that I should file my petition to my wife now (even I'm just an LPR) and just upgrade it when I get naturalized.

Is this Upgrading process faster than the normal petition of US Citizen to his spouse?

I want to be careful on my actions, I'm afraid that if I'm gonna petition her now, it will take much longer for her to come here or vice versa.

btw, I'm located in California.

Thank you in advance for your thoughts and shared experiences.

 

[blkhawk]

Hi Everyone,

My citizenship application is now on process, after I get naturalized, I'm gonna petition my wife who is in the Philippines now.

I got an advised from my friend's attorney that I should file my petition to my wife now (even I'm just an LPR) and just upgrade it when I get naturalized.

Is this Upgrading process faster than the normal petition of US Citizen to his spouse?

I want to be careful on my actions, I'm afraid that if I'm gonna petition her now, it will take much longer for her to come here or vice versa.

btw, I'm located in California.

Thank you in advance for your thoughts and shared experiences.

Petition for your wife now in order to get a priority date. Your application priority date will always be the same even after you upgrade your case to an immediate relative. I did the same thing. I sent my wife's I-130 back in Jan 2006. I will become a citizen late this year so when I upgrade my wife's case, USCIS should start processing the case immediately since my application priority date is earlier than the current processing time for I-130 applications.

if you wait until you've become a citizen then you will have to wait 6-8 more months before USCIS gets to your wife's application.

 

[burakol]

petition your wife now so the ball is rlling and the time you need to wait will be lessened...

when i was still a lpr, i filed the i130... my priority date was jan 06.. until now CSC is only processing jan 05... but after i got my naturalization, i called uscis, told them to upgrade the petition since im already a usc... after 2 weeks, i130 petiton was approved...

there no risk in fling an i130 now anyway...

 

[blkhawk]

Dou guys know if i could change the consulate i specified on i130 after it is approved?
Thanks.

 

[musashi]

petition your wife now so the ball is rlling and the time you need to wait will be lessened...

when i was still a lpr, i filed the i130... my priority date was jan 06.. until now CSC is only processing jan 05... but after i got my naturalization, i called uscis, told them to upgrade the petition since im already a usc... after 2 weeks, i130 petiton was approved...

there no risk in fling an i130 now anyway...

Hi Burakol,

Its good to see you here! You've answered my othe question as well. thanks for being so supportive Hope, you dont find me abusive, for having a following up questions...

Here it is:

When you filed your I-130 when you're still a LPR, what supporting documents did you submitted to them?

What we have now are just:

-marriage license (we are married for 3 1/2 years now)
-joint bank account in Phillipines (just 5 months old now)
-pictures, westen union remittances, phone bill

Thanks a lot!

 

[musashi]

Dou guys know if i could change the consulate i specified on i130 after it is approved?
Thanks.

Hi blkhawk,

thanks for your recommendation on petitioning my wife. Im so sorry but I dont have an idea bout the consulate. sorry.

 

[burakol]

here's what i submitted...

1. I-130 plus the fee
2. 2x2 pictures of me and wife
3. copy of my GC
4. the biographic data form for both of us
5. birth certificate for both of us
6. marriage certificate
7. her I-94 card (when i filed her I-130, she was here at the time...)

I did not submit any supporting documents to further prove our marriage such us bank statements etc... and they did not ask for any... sometimes it is better to just submit what they specified on the application instruction rather than submit documents they are not asking... if in fact, they ask for it in a later time, then that should only be the time you should give it to them... just my two cents...