If you marry a U.S. citizen, you do not automatically become a citizen yourself. As the spouse of a U.S. citizen, you are referred to as an “immediate relative” under current immigration law. But marriage is just the beginning of the immigration journey. Your spouse must start the green card process by submitting a visa petition to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). The form requires evidence of the legal marriage (a marriage certificate) as well as proof that the marriage is legitimate and not simply a ploy to get a green card. After this first petition is approved, the foreign national spouse will then need to follow the process to apply for and receive the green card.