Steve.Reid

Hey All,
I have ben searching around and talking to people, some say use a lawyer, some say go it alone, some say use <company name removed>

As you all have more experience at this than i do, what do you recommend as the best way, without breaking the bank. I'm Engish, married two years now to an American.

Thank you!!!

Steve

Noorah101

Why do you want to immigrate to the USA via a business route, when you have a clear path via marriage to a USC? Is there a particular reason why you can't go with the marriage based route?

Rene

Rete

I would never recommend that anyone use an online immigration service for getting an immigration visa to the US.

You have not given enough information to give you your options. For example, where does your USC wife live? For example, if she lives in the UK, you have a quick and easy way of obtaining an immediate relative visa at the US Consulate which will give you permanent residency status/green card once it is approved and you have entered the US.

If she is living in the US, the only other way is for her to file the I-130 stateside and you continue living and working in the UK for the next 10 months or so.

Please lose the word cheapest from your vocabulary. Nothing is cheap and you should earmark at least $1,500 for the processing of the visa and all its paperwork.

Steve.Reid

Hey,
Thank you for your replys. I've been married to Chelsea (from the USA) for two years now. We're not sure whether we should just get the papers from the US Immigration website and file ourselves.... OR if we should go with a business / lawyer?

We have been researching online and trying to get advice from friends but everyone gives different advice.

What do you think?

Lucy NY

I think if you have no underlying visa issues ( over staying or certain circumstances) then give it a go yourselves, what have you got to lose?

Make sure you sit down, look at the forms properly, check, re read, check again and check even more until you can real your answers it off in your sleep then submit the forms.

Do not go through an internet based company as they do the same thing and charge a fortune I would think and there is still no guarentee so go for it

SecretGarden

I'm reading his questions as wanting to know if he should use a "business" (like an internet visa processing thingy) rather than a visa through work like you took it.......and I'm not sure he understood your question.

To the OP---DO NOT use an "agency" or something similar. Either do it yourself if you think your case is straightforward (no criminal record, no prior denials of entry, etc.), or hire a lawyer. Better yet, have a consult with an immigration attorney and then decided how to proceed. Good luck!

~SecretGarden

Noorah101

I see I misunderstood the OP's question.

Steve - if you feel confident doing the paperwork on your own, and you have no criminal history, past immigration/visa issues, medical problems, etc...you can certainly do the process on your own. Many of us here did. If you have anything I listed above, or you are not good at paperwork, are not organized, can't follow detailed instructions, etc...then you might want to go with professional help.

But do NOT use a "visa service" or "visa organization". If you want to use professional help, only go with an immigration attorney.

Rene

meauxna

Yes, please do tell us where you and Chelsea are living now, so the best options can be put forward. Be sure to include what immigration status each of you have in the country you're in.


Lucy et al, please note that there is insufficient information to give "Steve.Reid" any encouragement ot file alone or through a service or an attorney etc. I'm sure he'll be back to share more information, so we can share some of our experiences.

jeffreyhy

Everyone gives different advice because:
- Everyone has different preferences.
- Everyone has different circumstances, although the differences may be subtle.
- There's often no single 'right way' even when circumstances and preferences are identical.

Keep researching, try to recognize differences, and try to separate the wheat that applies to you from the chaff that does not.

Regards, JEff

Steve.Reid

Thanks for all of the info so far. Currently we are both living out of the states. Hoping to move to the states shortly. My wife can support me but we want me to be able to start working legally ASAP, i hear the fastest you can expect this is around three months?

Noorah101

That 3 month waiting period goes along with a K-1 fiance visa. Since you're already married, you'll be doing an Immigrant Visa. When you arrive in the USA using your Immigrant Visa, you become a US Permanent Resident right away, with full rights to live and work in the USA from Day 1.

How soon do you consider "shortly"? A typical Immigrant Visa filed DCF (filing the I-130 directly to the US Embassy in the country where you're both living) takes about 4 to 6 months.

Rene

ian-mstm

Sir... people are having a difficult time understanding what you want because your posts are ambiguous. For example, you were asked where you are living now. Your response was to tell us where you aren't living. Do you understand how confusing that is to the people who are trying to help you?

If you want good information, you have to give good information. It's as simple as that.

If, for some reason, you don't want to give us information - that's your choice, of course... but don't expect any of our responses to be meaningful in any way, shape or form.

Ian