Can international student marry a permanent resident and will the person be able to get his paper?

It will be faster if she naturalizes as a US citizen. Applications filed by legal permanent resident will be approved in months but it takes, on average, 4 to 5 years for an immigrant visa to become current. That is when he can become a perment resident. He will not have to wait that long if his spouse is a US citizen.

The green card holder can certainly begin the process for the F-1 fiance, but the process can be slow. That being said however right now processing is fast. The October 2010 visa bulletin indicates availability for April 1, 2010, only 5 1/2 months which is lightining fast. However, the visa bulletin comes out every month and that F2A category sometimes slows down to years. The student needs to understand that an F-1 is a nonimmigrant visa, so if an I-130 IMMIGRANT petition is filed, international travel is not necessarily advisable. Ricky Malik, Esq. www.rmlegal.com

She will have to wait for a visa number to become available before she can apply for her residency. Meanwhile it is advisable to maintain her student status. You may follow the visa number progression and regression on the Department of State visa bulletin website. If you have concerns about your immigration case it is advisable to discuss it with an immigration lawyer and find a way forward. You are welcome to use the link provided below. Goodluck.