Living in the same address as U.S. spouse when applying for U.S. citizenship

[alexchalyy]

I am U.S. citizen living in Cleveland, Ohio working as IT contractor. My wife is from Romania and she is on work visa working as instructor in University and is tied to her job in order to stay in U.S. My job contract is not stable and potentially might end soon. If I lose my job and don't move to another state, this might have negative consequences for my career, since there are limited opportunities in Cleveland for my profession. Do I need to stay in Cleveland, Ohio, if I help my wife to apply for permanent residency and U.S. citizenship? What is the best thing to do in this situation in order to help her get U.S. citizenship and at the same time not put my career in danger?

 

[CTU]

I am U.S. citizen living in Cleveland, Ohio working as IT contractor. My wife is from Romania and she is on work visa working as instructor in University and is tied to her job in order to stay in U.S. My job contract is not stable and potentially might end soon. If I lose my job and don't move to another state, this might have negative consequences for my career, since there are limited opportunities in Cleveland for my profession. Do I need to stay in Cleveland, Ohio, if I help my wife to apply for permanent residency and U.S. citizenship? What is the best thing to do in this situation in order to help her get U.S. citizenship and at the same time not put my career in danger?

Living in Cleveland would put your career in danger? How so?

The best thing to do would be to speak with an immigration attorney.

 

[alexchalyy]

Living in Cleveland does potentially have negative consequences for career since there is a smaller amount of jobs when compared with the rest of U.S. and there is a possibility of not being able to find any job because there is such a limited number of them in Cleveland... at least for my career.

 

[not2cleverRed]

Look, what USCIS wants to see is evidence that this is a real marriage, not fake.

Yes, most married couple live together. But sometimes they don't. Your wife has a valid reason to stay in Cleveland.

Living apart temporarily will not automatically target you as having a fraudulent marriage. Living apart with no long term plan of being together will.

Your wife might have access to some advice through her university. They are especially helpful if there's an opportunity for them to get out of having anything to do with a visa for her. (This can be enough for you to make the green card application a DIY project, if you are highly motivated and meticulous with paperwork.)

Depending on your wife's expertise, if she's highly accomplished in her field, she might qualify for permanent residency on her own merits. (This is not a DIY project, and she would best be served by an actual lawyer.)