I've phoned the U.S embassy in the UK and they just give the standard answers without going out of their way to do more than they need to tell you. A friend has told us that it is better to get married in the US and then go straight for the spouse visa rather than go through the whole fiance visa then spouse visa thing. If i leave the US after i'm married before the spouse visa has been accepted then i cant get back into the country until the visa has been dealt with. But the whole process is quite confusing. In the UK there is an option of getting a same day interview for living there that costs 500 pounds. I'm wondering if there are a few things that could save time with the whole process whilst still staying within the law.
2006-10-08 16:25:59 · 14 answers · asked by christopher h 1 in Politics & Government ➔ Embassies & Consulates
Have you completely lost your mind man? DON'T do it!!!
She's a yank for heavens sake, there's plenty of nice English girls out there. You'll be sorry!!
2006-10-08 16:30:41 · answer #1 · answered by shuey71 3 · 3⤊ 5⤋
Fiancee visa is the best thing to do it does not take that long to process. if you marry and stay there after you marry they will not give you SSN which unable you to work. it cost a lot of money to pay the lawyer as well and it can take up to 2 years. so means you cant leave the country till they granted you the spousal visa, and if you leave before that they will not let you back in the country. so the best advice i can give is apply for fiancee visa if you have proper document it can take to 3-6 months and while your visa is on the process you can still visit her in us. once you granted the fiancee visa get married as soon as you can then go to nearest INS you have to show the proof of marriage has been place then they will stamp your passport you then can get a SSN and you are free to travel as you will have the temporary stamp in your passport temporary resident till you get your temporary resident card which i think about 3 months.2 years is a long wait with no job, driver licence and other benefit. its all from my own experience...her being American citizen and you being a British citizen the fiancee visa looks good. I used to live in Canada but now an American citizen. if you need more info let me know. good luck
2006-10-12 07:49:14 · answer #2 · answered by whitetiger 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
With immigration there is black and white , no grey no saving time. If you file a fiance petition you would need to wait until you have your green card to leave the country. Each visa has their own guidelines , and must be followed exactly, or you may face delays or denials. You can plan to wait aprox 8 months for either one ..or longer. Try visa journey , there are forms , with guidelines to follow, forums and other members that have gone through all embassies . You might find it to be helpful. Words of experience ..it is always a good idea to seek professional legal assistance with a family visa. Any errors can delay, or deny your process. This can be very stressful , costly and it is not fun!
2006-10-09 14:15:48 · answer #3 · answered by fly4130_2000 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
ok this is right up my alley.
The fiance visa will work, but it is not as safe as the spousal visa.
The fiance visa, k-90 visa is based on her coming here for 90 days. During that 90 days you will have to marry or she will be sent back. The key to the fiance visa is for you to go there, have a party, take many photos to prove your legitimacy.
After the party, you file the papers. This will take 6-14 months. She will get an interview and they will ask her questions to prove its worth.
Honestly you should do what I did. I married my wife in Vietnam. Came home, filed the I-130 spousal visa form. It is much safer and the success rates are much higher. There is so much fraud with the k-90 fiance visa, they deny many many more then the spousal.
Why not marry her there out of respect to her and her family. Big deal, have a simple ceremony. And when she arrives here, go to your church and get it blessed and invite your family:)
dont use the fiance visa, trust me I know. mine failed and I lost 1 year of my life waiting. That is why we then did the spousal visa. The waiting time is shorter and rarely does it get denied.
Source(s):
I understand what you are going through. Please email me anytime. Also go to USCIS.com for all the info on the forms and fees.
Remember, dont hire a lawyer when filling out the paperwork. Do it yourself, its not hard, just be thorough
2006-10-08 16:57:25 · answer #4 · answered by mcbrian2000 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Don't listen to shuey71 - I've been living in the USA for 15 years & loved it enough to become a US citizen in 2004. It (Phoenix, Arizona) sure beats living in Shepshed.
Not sure about the visa situation - went through getting a green card & that's all different. All I can say is it's a tedious process. But if you marry an American, it shouldn't be any issue of IF you'll get the visa - seems like they gotta give you one, eventually.
2006-10-08 16:35:07 · answer #5 · answered by dryheatdave 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The spouse visa is much faster, but I "STRONGLY" urge to reconsider this option. No you can not return to your homeland until you have become a "permanent resident". The process is as: Hire an attorney in the US. I promise you once you hire an attorney and she/he begins to go over the process with you, it will have been worth it. Step 1: (Step 1 has many steps- VERY important to hire an attorney) File for permanent residency, green card, and work permit. If approved, You will receive your green card, work permit, and a social security number-for work purposes. Once you receive these you will be required to attend an interview. If approved they will stamp your card in front of you stating you are a permanent resident. You will receive your Permanent Residency Card in the mail. Step 2: (90 days prior to your two years in, refile to continue permanent residency, (another interview-iff approved), Then on the third year, this is when you are able to file for US CITIZENSHIP. Now, this is with the spouse visa. Each visa has different guidelines to follow. I worked with (not for) immigration for a few years helping Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault victims obtain legal status. I will help you as much as I can. But I am not sure of how much information you wish to give over the site. If I knew the specific state, I may be able to pull up a few sites or old referrals and send you the information. There is soo much more to immigration than one realizes. It can be done with out an attorney-no doubt, but very STRESSFULL!!
2006-10-08 21:41:36 · answer #6 · answered by jnattitude 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I went through this situation with my wife. We got married in South Korea and had to apply for a visa for her to come to the States. It was simple, fill out all the paperwork for a spousal visa and turn it in to the embassy. They will notify you of an appointment time to come in for an interview. If you are planning on coming to the US quickly, explain this to them, the embassy may expidite your application. Once you arrive in the States, you will be screened by Immigration at the airport and given a date and time for a further interview at an Immigration office near where you plan to live. It is very important that you keep this appointment as this is when you will be issued your green card. As for citizenship, you will have to wait five years to apply for that. For that five years you will have to spend all that time in the contenental US. If you leave the country, for any reason, your five year period starts over on your return. Applying for citizenship is also easy, just complete the forms and send them in along with the appropriate fees. Depending on where you live, you could have a long wait for the citizenship to be approved. For my wife, it took less than six months, but we live in an area that doesn't have a lot of immigrants applying for citizenship locally. The interview took place at an Immigration office about 15 miles from home, and was over in less than fifteen minutes. After the interview, the Immigration official told her her application for citizenship was approved and she would be notified of the date and time to be sworn in at the local federal building. That happened the next month. Hope this helps, good luck
2006-10-09 20:50:35 · answer #7 · answered by Jim T 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Don't do it i was with a woman from America me being an Australian It took me 7 years to work it out Let me save you the time and pain Sorry But if you really want to be with her Don't marry her in the USA and then apply for a spouse visa as They frown big time on it As i was told by an immigration lawyer
2006-10-08 16:39:03 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
I am from argentina and I am married with a girl from texas. It took me 3 years to get my green card. The working permit is very quick but it will be temporary untill you get the interview.
I will recommend you to get married in USA and then apply for the visa. It will cost you around 450 us dollar and you dont really need a lawyer. it is a waste of money. the only thing that they do is fill up the forms and it is really easy to do it.
2006-10-08 18:16:45 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Hey...I am kind of in your situation with the visas except it is vice versa....go to www.americanexpats.co.uk. It is a wonderful forum full of valuable information about visas and such. This forum has helped me and others out loads. I hope it helps you out too! Good luck :o)
2006-10-08 17:23:54 · answer #10 · answered by sweet_lil_angel_with_halo2002 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
spouse visa you cannot work, my friend did he, he is canadian and had to work in shitty jobs with low pay until he got a green card, best do all the paperwork before you get there
2006-10-08 16:37:10 · answer #11 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋