International Issue Need Advice

[bayerischbier]

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I am an american who has been living in Germany for 5 yrs now on a permit from germany. I married a german citizen last year and he was thinking of sometime along the line he would like to move to the states.
Does he have any rights being married to an american and what process can I start now so that in the near future we would move to america?
Is it also possible for him to apply for a Social Security card too?
If anyone has any answers I would appreciate it..undefined

 

[NYClex]

You are right, Bavarian Beer is the best in the world.

Yes, being married to an American citizen gives your husband the opportunity to apply for legal permanent residency in the United States (what commonly is called a "Green Card.")

You as the citizen have to petition for your husband. There are basically three different ways to do it, you can petition in the Amnerican consulate in Germany and wait there for the whole process to be finished, which will take between 6 months and a year. He might also apply for a K-3 Visa which would give him the right to enter the United States and then start the Green Card application process in the U.S. It takes about 3 months to obtain the K-3 and then about a year to get the green card. During the application period he could stay in the U.S. if he entered with a K-3.
If he has any other visa he could use this to enter the U.S. and then start the application process there, basically it is the same as the second option.

Once he has been issued the Green Card or has entered the U.S. and applied for it, he will be able to apply for a Social Security Number.

You should only apply if you actually plan to move to the US because if he gets a Green Card and does not use it to live there it will become invalid.

Once he has applied for the Green Card and is legally in the US he also will be allowed to work, he will have to apply for an "Employment Authorization Document" until he finally will have his Green Card. An EAD usually is issued within 3 months.

He will have to satisfy some conditions to be eligible for an immigrant visa such as not having a substantial criminal record or prior immigration violations and you have to prove that you will be able to support him financially.