When a registered nurse gets a green card does her husband get one too?

[EdmontonOilers]

Hi guys,

I am a Canadian citizen in his second year of medicine at University College Dublin in Ireland. I want to do an internal medicine residency in the US and eventually practice medicine in the US. I am well versed in my visa options for my residency in the US but quite frankly, I am not very enthusiatic about any of them. The H1-B visa is very difficult to get and the J-1 visa requires that I go back to Canada for 2 years after finishing my residency (I realize I could get a J-1 visa waiver but it is my impression that this is hard to get too).

I have been looking for ways to do my residency on a different type of visa and my friend suggested an alternative way that I wanted to run past you guys to see if its realistic. My Canadian girlfriend of 4 years is currently doing her nursing degree and will finish 2 years before I finish my med degree. If she went down to the US and started working towards a greencard immediately after her nursing degree (I understand it takes 12-18 months), would I automatically get a greencard when she gets her greencard if I married her before she gets her greencard? We have been talking about marriage recently and if I knew this was an option we would plan our marriage before she went to the US. I would also hold off on getting a J-1 or H1-B for my residency and would wait until I got my greencard before I applied for residency in the US. Should I marry her before or after she gets her greencard? How long would it take for me to get my greencard if I could get it?

Thanks guys

 

[Jesse_t]

Hi guys,

I am a Canadian citizen in his second year of medicine at University College Dublin in Ireland. I want to do an internal medicine residency in the US and eventually practice medicine in the US. I am well versed in my visa options for my residency in the US but quite frankly, I am not very enthusiatic about any of them. The H1-B visa is very difficult to get and the J-1 visa requires that I go back to Canada for 2 years after finishing my residency (I realize I could get a J-1 visa waiver but it is my impression that this is hard to get too).

I have been looking for ways to do my residency on a different type of visa and my friend suggested an alternative way that I wanted to run past you guys to see if its realistic. My Canadian girlfriend of 4 years is currently doing her nursing degree and will finish 2 years before I finish my med degree. If she went down to the US and started working towards a greencard immediately after her nursing degree (I understand it takes 12-18 months), would I automatically get a greencard when she gets her greencard if I married her before she gets her greencard? We have been talking about marriage recently and if I knew this was an option we would plan our marriage before she went to the US. I would also hold off on getting a J-1 or H1-B for my residency and would wait until I got my greencard before I applied for residency in the US. Should I marry her before or after she gets her greencard? How long would it take for me to get my greencard if I could get it?

Thanks guys

I do believe that your wife would need to re-update the paperwork and include you in the process. Typically, employment based green cards will also provide green cards to the applicant's spouse and children. However, if the marriage takes place after the spouse obtains the green card, then it will take a long time to get your green card (4-5 years).

However, you being a Canadian Citizen, you would qualify for a TN Status. Medical professions are included on the TN list. While on a TN Status, you would then have your choice of either getting your green card through your wife (assuming your wife hasn't gotten her green card yet and the required paperwork is submitted after your marriage), or you can get your employer to sponsor you while you are maintaining your TN Status.

If I'm not mistaken, your profession is in very high in demand in the US at the moment. I recall hearing that some foreign medical graduates were able to adjust status (get a green card) simply because they had obtained a degree in medicine within the US.

 

[ilford]

What I can say is IT is not tough to get H1b visa. most of the residency programs are exempted from H1b cap. So its a very easy process once you get the residency. The tough part is to clear the USMLE and apply for the residency. I know some of my friends got the residency this year and their H1b visas are approved easily. I also got the residency but I am in the process of getting greencard so i didnt applied for H1b.

If you get a greencard before you apply for residency, then you have more options but i cant see a much difference. People who need visas also joing very good programs. SO my sincere advise to prepare well for the USMLE and build your CV. Dont worry tomuch about visas