amoks

Hello everyone,

So I’m just recently accepted an offer from my current company to go and work in the US. I applied for a L1-A visa which got approved. I’m moving there in just a few weeks. Happy days.

Here’s the issue. When I applied for the visa I was single. Since then I’ve become romantically involved with a girl. We’re both very happy and after a lot of discussions she has decided to try and move to the US too (she always wanted to live abroad anyway). I know the easiest thing for her to get a visa would be to get married and apply of a L2 visa, but we don’t really want to get married yet.

I hear that the likeliest way for her to get a visa would be to apply for a B2 cohabiting visa. We have lived together for a bit in her flat, but not long. Is there a minimum requirement? What proof do they usually require?

The long term solution is for her to get a job there and get her own visa. I understand that it’s fine to look for a job and do interviews while on a B2 tourism visa as long as you don’t actually start working on the B2 visa. Is this correct?

So, does anybody know what other options we have available?

I know there’s lots of questions there. Thank you so much for all the help.

Noorah101

Do you have paper proof that you're cohabitating? There's no minimum time requirement, but of course the longer the better.

Yes, she can look for an employer willing to sponsor her own work visa.

Those are the only options other than marriage or just having her visit using the VWP.

Rene

amoks

Thank you for the help!

Would something like a council tax bill, utility bill, or similar be sufficient?

Pulaski

Yes, it is perfect legal to search for work, apply for jobs, and attend interviews while in the US on a B-2 visa, and indeed it is equally legal while in the US on a VWP/ESTA visit.

HOWEVER if you tell the immigration officer that you're going to be looking for work, there is a good chance you'll be refused entry, so it is essential that your girlfriend only answers the questions asked, giving the minimum accurate and honest information.

Pulaski

Anything "official" that links you to the same address - so the items you mentioned, or a driving license, bank statement, etc.

ian-mstm

Yes - if both names are on the bills. Otherwise, it's just a bill and you're not living together but simply spending time in each other's flat. Better proof would be something that shows up for each of you at the same address... even junk mail.

Ian

retzie

Would you mind spelling out the timeline? If you 'recently' accepted the offer, then you 'more recently' got a visa, in which case you 'even more recently' met the girl and 'really, very recently' started cohabiting. There may not be a minimum, but I doubt you could convince anyone of cohabiting if we are talking less than 6 months.

Since it hasn't been mentioned yet: if she is eligible for the VWP, she absolutely should NOT apply for a regular tourist B-2 visa just so she can spend more time on one visit. It will almost certainly get denied, which will then result in ESTA being denied and the inability to visit for at least 6 months. If she has no avenue for a B-2 cohabiting, then she should plan visits of less than 90 days on the VWP (with at least as much time spent outside in between) until such time as you find another visa for her.

scrubbedexpat099

What does she do?

amoks

Thank you all so far for your answers.

It is indeed less than 6 months since we started living together. Good to know that they would probably say no to her.

She works in specialised PR. I couldn't find any specialised visa that would apply to her job but I think she would be ok to get a H1B if she found a job.

scrubbedexpat099

Hopefully she specialises in the non profit sector.

ian-mstm

Despite everything written so far, this bit here is your entire issue in a nutshell.


Consider this: She's willing to move away from her home - for you. She's willing to settle in another country - for you! She's willing to get a visa processed - for you! It may also be something she's wanted to do, but being with you has prompted all of this - and it's starting to become real. Right now, she's doing all of this - for you... but you say marriage isn't really an option? Bad form!

Ian

Eric S

Well, he did say they've been together for less than 6 months....

Pulaski

And? Plenty of people get married after a lot less than six months, and the divorce rate has gone up progressively as more people have spent time living together "trying to work out of marriage is right for them".

IMO if you don't know if that person is "the one" after a couple of months then you either (i) never will, or (ii) they aren't!

Nutmegger

Then in that case, perhaps she should not be considering uprooting her life and putting her career on hold to follow him in what is basically a tag-along situation. A long-distance relationship while they decide if they really want to spend the rest of their lives together isn't going to hurt them.