File My Visa's processing fee for Form I-824 is only $99, and the USCIS filing fee for the same application is all-inclusive $485.

About Follow-to-Join Application
Unlike the traditional immigration process, Follow-to-Join enables family members of permanent residents to immigrate to the United States quickly and conveniently. After receiving a green card, the principal applicant may file Form I-824, formally known as Application for Action on an Approved Application or Petition to bring their spouse or unmarried child(ren) under the age of 21 to the United States.
U.S immigration aspirants who meet all the eligibility requirements for the follow-to-join process need not file Form I-130; instead, they can benefit from filing I-824, which is way faster than the I-130 processing time.
Eligibility to Apply for Follow-to-Join’
Here we've compiled a shortlist of eligibility requirements for the Follow-to-Join application.
- The principal applicant must be a green card holder; neither nonimmigrants nor citizens are eligible for the Follow-to-Join application.
- Only the principal applicant's legal spouse and unmarried children under the age of 21 are eligible for Follow-to-Join.
- To bring a spouse over, the marriage must have taken place before the principal applicant became a permanent resident.
- The qualifying child(ren) must have been born before the principal applicant obtained a green card.
- The permanent resident applicant must not have received their green card through the Immediate Relative petition to be eligible to apply for Follow-to-Join.
- Qualifying spouse and child(ren) must remain outside the U.S and enter the United States at least four months after the principal applicant's entry as a permanent resident.
Required Documents to Apply for Follow-to-Join Application
Along with the I-824 petition, a follow-to-join applicant may require to submit the following supporting documents to file the application accurately:
- Copy of the birth certificate for each child being applied for.
- Identification documents of each person involved in the petition.
- Copy of marriage certificate and other legal documents that prove the marital union.
- Copies of both the front and back of the principal applicant's permanent residency document (green card)
- Copies of the beneficiaries' passports.
- Copy of the principal applicant's application for Adjustment of Status (I-485).
- Payment receipt in money order, personal check, cashier's check, or credit card format.
5 Easy Steps Toward U.S. Immigration
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Note that: The price mentioned above does not include the standard government fees paid directly to USCIS.
Frequently Asked Questions
According to the Customs and Border Patrol Agency (CBP), the processing of the I-824 petition may take at least 90 days.
You will receive an approval notice I-797 from the USCIS after they approve your I-824 petition. At the same time, USCIS will send the application to the National Visa Center (NVC), which will send you a letter with the next to-dos in the process.
Yes, you can. If you are in the U.S. and haven't applied for an adjustment of status yet, you can file Form I-824 for your spouse and child along with your Adjustment of Status Form I-485.
If you intentionally falsify any information, conceal any facts or submit forged documents with your Form I-824, your I-824 petition is likely to be denied.
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