Dr. William:

I am a research associate with H-1B visa, and my I-140 has been approved. My I-485 application has been pending for a while. Now, I just got married. How could I bring my wife to USA, and join my current Green Card application? 

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Answer:

If you maintain a valid H-1B visa now, you wife can apply for H-4 visa to come to U.S. before your I-485 approval. This is the easiest way for her to come to U.S., and for her to be eligible to get Green Card based on your I-485 application.

But if your I-485 is approved before her H-4 application, the things get complicated. In this case, you are an US permanent resident, and no longer in H-1B status. Therefore, you need to apply for Green Card separately for your wife, which can take long time due to the long waiting list.