BigBarry

I have been in the USA for approx 6 years...on a J-1, the an H1-b which I have renewed.

I am getting married in October and people tell me different things about the process. My questions are:

1. How long does the process take. By that I mean, my H1B is linke to my job. My green card won't be (of course). How soon am I legal to get a different job?

2. Is it worth paying the money for a lawyer or jsut filing it ourselves. We are genuine, getting married for real so my thoughts are we shouldnt need a lawyers as we have nothing to hide.

Any thoughts and advice would be much appreciated. I am a new member

Cheers

Noorah101

The length of time it takes to get your green card through adjustment of status (AOS) is based on the backlog at your local office, and also whether security checks are finished by the time of your interview. In general, it could take anywhere from 4 to 12 months or more. The I-765 for EAD (work authorization document) is part of the AOS paperwork, and takes about 90 days to receive after filing AOS. Once you have the EAD in hand, you are free to change employers.

That's totally your decision. Some people think it's worth it to have peace of mind that if they've missed something in the paperwork, the lawyer can point it out, or if some problem comes up during the process, the lawyer is there to solve it. The AOS process itself isn't difficult, though, so if you're detail-oriented, patient, organized, can follow instructions, and have no past issues like arrests or overstays, then you might want to try it yourself.

I started down the K-1 process with an immigration attorney because I knew nothing about immigration at all, but once she filed the first part of the paperwork, and I did my own research, I realized I could do it on my own, and didn't continue using the lawyer. Everything has worked out great so far for us. Hubby has been here 4 years now and will be eligible for citizenship this year.

Best Wishes,
Rene

BigBarry

Thanks Rene for the help. I have no criminal record or anything crazy that should get in the way.

The 90 day wait for a change of jobs will be a god send for me though - I am not enjoying what I am doing right now.

Thanks again

Noorah101

You're not getting married until October, so assuming you file AOS at the end of October, you can potentially change employers by this time in 2009. One more year with current employer.

Rene