While in the United States, many aliens wish to bring their alien spouses abroad to the U.S. and live together. Many aliens, with legal status or without, get married in the United States with U.S. citizens, or permanent residents, or aliens with valid non-immigration status, or aliens out of status. All of them, are concerned about their own and their spouses' immigration benefit or status unless they don't want to stay here any longer.

Generally speaking, a U.S. citizen is able to confer immigration benefits to his alien spouse where the spouse is already in the U.S. Similarly a U.S. permanent resident may confer immigration benefits for his alien spouse.