Spouse of Romanian visa lottery winner?

[Laura]

Hi everyone - I have an unusual question and need some clarification. My uncle owns a company that does business in Romania.

He has an employee who won the visa lottery last year, and is now in the U.S. as an LPR. Somewhere during the process of getting his PR status (or after he won the lottery and before he came to the U.S., I don't know if this part is relevant) he married his Romanian girlfriend.

So... now he's in the U.S. and wants to bring his wife here. My uncle had the idea that she, as the wife of an LPR, would have an immediate visa, and I thought (and read just now on foreignborn.com) that spouses of LPRs do have to wait for a visa number.

I guess first of all, if someone can confirm that is true, that would be good. Second, where can I find information on how long it would take roughly for her to get a visa number. I mean, I know it's like a decade for Mexico, but what about for Romania? Any help?

Thanks!!!!

[kitkat1]

Visa Bulletin: http://travel.state.gov/visa/frvi/bulletin/bulletin_3761.html

Second Preference: Spouses and Children, and Unmarried Sons and Daughters of Permanent Residents

Currently processing petitions filed (for all areas except China, Mexico, India and Philippines) from:

2A) 08OCT02

So about five years until a visa number could be available depending on what laws change between now and then.

[Dana]

Laurafern11,hi. I'm from Romania. I don't know about these kind of visas, but check on this site, maybe can help you, or giving a call there. Good luck!
http://bucharest.usembassy.gov/Visas/General_Information.html

[aussiewench]

kitkat is correct with the information she provided. An LPR can petition a spouse but unlike a US citizen petitioning, there is no immediate visa available to the spouse of an LPR. He can file the petition as an LPR and once he has his citizenship he can have his status changed to that of a US citizen on the petition, which would then make a visa immediately available i.e. no further waiting for the priority date to be reached. By the time he is a citizen could work out to be around the same time that the priority date is reached, however it may also be sooner.

[Laura]

Anyone know anything about "following-to-join (http://www.immihelp.com/greencard/familybasedimmigration/following-to-join-benefits.html)" benefits? It seems like they would qualify in this case, right? Maybe I should try posting in Visa Journey?

[Coventrated]

Anyone know anything about "following-to-join (http://www.immihelp.com/greencard/familybasedimmigration/following-to-join-benefits.html)" benefits? It seems like they would qualify in this case, right? Maybe I should try posting in Visa Journey?
Not appicable here.

Follow to join would be for example a K2 who has a year to enter afer a K1.

They should have married before he got his GC, she could have got one as well.

[Laura]

So, if they were married before he received his GC she would be eligible? I requested the dates of his marriage and the date he received his PR status from my uncle, but I haven't heard back yet. I'm not clear at what point they married. The husband, who won the visa lottery, has only been here 3-4 months.

I don't understand how she wouldn't qualify though - is it too late, now that he is already here, for her to get following-to-join?

[Coventrated]

If they were married before, they both could have applied.

Not sure why they would not have done this, if this was the case.

[Laura]

Like I said, I don't know the details, but I'll find out.