The requirements for petitioning a foreign citizen spouse for permanent residence (green card) are more exhaustive than any other relationship. When filing Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative, the petitioner must submit supporting documents to evidence the relationship, because immigration officials from the U.S. Department of State and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) have an additional layer of scrutiny for spousal relationships. After all, sham marriages are one of the most common ways to commit green card fraud. So immigration officials want to be sure that your spouse obtains a green card based on a genuine relationship.