For Better or Worse? Complexities of Marriage-Based Immigration

Immigration. It’s a topic that is unavoidable nowadays. Nearly every day there is a story in the news about the plight of immigrants trying to discover their American dream and the roadblocks they may face. It’s even been injected into the weekly television programming with reality shows like 90 Day Fiancé, which profiles couples who want to marry and pursue the green card process. The true reality, however, is that the seemingly incessant policy changes make an already-confusing system very difficult to navigate without legal assistance. By the time this article is published, I cannot even guarantee that a policy change or precedent court decision will impact one of the topics discussed below. However, there are some general principles and processes that remain constant throughout all the modifications.