Marrying a US citizen
Aug 13th 2006, 9:01 am
#1
Guest
Posts: n/a
Marrying a US citizen
Ok, apologies in advance, but I'm sure a lot of the following has already
been covered, I'm after good advice and resources to read...
I am a UK citizen. I have known my (now) fiancé (US citizen born and bred)
on and off for around 20 years by way of writing (penpals), later emails
etc, but we finally met up recently in Las Vegas and fell madly in love and
got engaged.
I plan to sell up and move to the US (I will have around $100,000 to bring
with me, not as much as I'd like, but divorce wipes you out).
Is it best if we're married before applying (i.e. get a quick marriage in
Vegas, then apply for residency)?
I do have a criminal record from years ago for a minor thing (handling
stolen goods, community punishment order, not custodial sentence, not drugs,
just a stupid thing, one-off) - would than make any difference (declaring
before or after marriage)? I did enter the US without declaring this with
no problems.
Any advice and/or pointers to internet resource, step-by-step guide for
someone in my position, or a good agency to contact will be GREATLY
appreciated.
TIA, Joe.
been covered, I'm after good advice and resources to read...
I am a UK citizen. I have known my (now) fiancé (US citizen born and bred)
on and off for around 20 years by way of writing (penpals), later emails
etc, but we finally met up recently in Las Vegas and fell madly in love and
got engaged.
I plan to sell up and move to the US (I will have around $100,000 to bring
with me, not as much as I'd like, but divorce wipes you out).
Is it best if we're married before applying (i.e. get a quick marriage in
Vegas, then apply for residency)?
I do have a criminal record from years ago for a minor thing (handling
stolen goods, community punishment order, not custodial sentence, not drugs,
just a stupid thing, one-off) - would than make any difference (declaring
before or after marriage)? I did enter the US without declaring this with
no problems.
Any advice and/or pointers to internet resource, step-by-step guide for
someone in my position, or a good agency to contact will be GREATLY
appreciated.
TIA, Joe.
Aug 14th 2006, 4:06 am
#2
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Marrying a US citizen
You have previously lied to the immigration authorities ... that's
serious stuff.
If there is no record on your police report, you may get away with it
by remaining consistent with your lie ... but nobody in this newsgroup
would recommend that course of action (not because of the likelyhood of
getting caught, but because we don't recommend dishonest behavior).
If you choose to disclose your criminal record (and thereby disclosing
that you previoulsy lied), you would have a tough case : you criminal
record would have probably have been forgiven, and you would have been
been able to come to the US, chances are that you wouldn't even needed
a waiver.
However, lying to US immigration is serious stuff, you will need a very
good immigration attorney to get away with that one.
JoeBrown wrote:
> Ok, apologies in advance, but I'm sure a lot of the following has already
> been covered, I'm after good advice and resources to read...
>
> I am a UK citizen. I have known my (now) fianc� (US citizen born and bred)
> on and off for around 20 years by way of writing (penpals), later emails
> etc, but we finally met up recently in Las Vegas and fell madly in love and
> got engaged.
>
> I plan to sell up and move to the US (I will have around $100,000 to bring
> with me, not as much as I'd like, but divorce wipes you out).
>
> Is it best if we're married before applying (i.e. get a quick marriage in
> Vegas, then apply for residency)?
>
> I do have a criminal record from years ago for a minor thing (handling
> stolen goods, community punishment order, not custodial sentence, not drugs,
> just a stupid thing, one-off) - would than make any difference (declaring
> before or after marriage)? I did enter the US without declaring this with
> no problems.
>
> Any advice and/or pointers to internet resource, step-by-step guide for
> someone in my position, or a good agency to contact will be GREATLY
> appreciated.
>
> TIA, Joe.
serious stuff.
If there is no record on your police report, you may get away with it
by remaining consistent with your lie ... but nobody in this newsgroup
would recommend that course of action (not because of the likelyhood of
getting caught, but because we don't recommend dishonest behavior).
If you choose to disclose your criminal record (and thereby disclosing
that you previoulsy lied), you would have a tough case : you criminal
record would have probably have been forgiven, and you would have been
been able to come to the US, chances are that you wouldn't even needed
a waiver.
However, lying to US immigration is serious stuff, you will need a very
good immigration attorney to get away with that one.
JoeBrown wrote:
> Ok, apologies in advance, but I'm sure a lot of the following has already
> been covered, I'm after good advice and resources to read...
>
> I am a UK citizen. I have known my (now) fianc� (US citizen born and bred)
> on and off for around 20 years by way of writing (penpals), later emails
> etc, but we finally met up recently in Las Vegas and fell madly in love and
> got engaged.
>
> I plan to sell up and move to the US (I will have around $100,000 to bring
> with me, not as much as I'd like, but divorce wipes you out).
>
> Is it best if we're married before applying (i.e. get a quick marriage in
> Vegas, then apply for residency)?
>
> I do have a criminal record from years ago for a minor thing (handling
> stolen goods, community punishment order, not custodial sentence, not drugs,
> just a stupid thing, one-off) - would than make any difference (declaring
> before or after marriage)? I did enter the US without declaring this with
> no problems.
>
> Any advice and/or pointers to internet resource, step-by-step guide for
> someone in my position, or a good agency to contact will be GREATLY
> appreciated.
>
> TIA, Joe.
Aug 14th 2006, 4:31 am
#3
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Marrying a US citizen
It wasn't really a lie, and wasn't purposefully dishonest, just naive, my
conviction is 'spent' under UK law, therefore I didn't think I needed to
declare it. It was only one short (four night) trip - it is only since I
have started to research moving to the USA that I realised I should have
obtained a proper Visa. The question on the Visa Waiver form asks if you've
ever been arrested for 'Moral Turpitude' - this is the first time I've seen
this word and had no idea what it meant!! Would any of this make a
difference if I were already married to a US citizen? It was a minor crime
for which there were huge mitigating circumstances.
Joe.
<[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected] ups.com...
You have previously lied to the immigration authorities ... that's
serious stuff.
If there is no record on your police report, you may get away with it
by remaining consistent with your lie ... but nobody in this newsgroup
would recommend that course of action (not because of the likelyhood of
getting caught, but because we don't recommend dishonest behavior).
If you choose to disclose your criminal record (and thereby disclosing
that you previoulsy lied), you would have a tough case : you criminal
record would have probably have been forgiven, and you would have been
been able to come to the US, chances are that you wouldn't even needed
a waiver.
However, lying to US immigration is serious stuff, you will need a very
good immigration attorney to get away with that one.
JoeBrown wrote:
> Ok, apologies in advance, but I'm sure a lot of the following has already
> been covered, I'm after good advice and resources to read...
>
> I am a UK citizen. I have known my (now) fiancé (US citizen born and
> bred)
> on and off for around 20 years by way of writing (penpals), later emails
> etc, but we finally met up recently in Las Vegas and fell madly in love
> and
> got engaged.
>
> I plan to sell up and move to the US (I will have around $100,000 to bring
> with me, not as much as I'd like, but divorce wipes you out).
>
> Is it best if we're married before applying (i.e. get a quick marriage in
> Vegas, then apply for residency)?
>
> I do have a criminal record from years ago for a minor thing (handling
> stolen goods, community punishment order, not custodial sentence, not
> drugs,
> just a stupid thing, one-off) - would than make any difference (declaring
> before or after marriage)? I did enter the US without declaring this with
> no problems.
>
> Any advice and/or pointers to internet resource, step-by-step guide for
> someone in my position, or a good agency to contact will be GREATLY
> appreciated.
>
> TIA, Joe.
conviction is 'spent' under UK law, therefore I didn't think I needed to
declare it. It was only one short (four night) trip - it is only since I
have started to research moving to the USA that I realised I should have
obtained a proper Visa. The question on the Visa Waiver form asks if you've
ever been arrested for 'Moral Turpitude' - this is the first time I've seen
this word and had no idea what it meant!! Would any of this make a
difference if I were already married to a US citizen? It was a minor crime
for which there were huge mitigating circumstances.
Joe.
<[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected] ups.com...
You have previously lied to the immigration authorities ... that's
serious stuff.
If there is no record on your police report, you may get away with it
by remaining consistent with your lie ... but nobody in this newsgroup
would recommend that course of action (not because of the likelyhood of
getting caught, but because we don't recommend dishonest behavior).
If you choose to disclose your criminal record (and thereby disclosing
that you previoulsy lied), you would have a tough case : you criminal
record would have probably have been forgiven, and you would have been
been able to come to the US, chances are that you wouldn't even needed
a waiver.
However, lying to US immigration is serious stuff, you will need a very
good immigration attorney to get away with that one.
JoeBrown wrote:
> Ok, apologies in advance, but I'm sure a lot of the following has already
> been covered, I'm after good advice and resources to read...
>
> I am a UK citizen. I have known my (now) fiancé (US citizen born and
> bred)
> on and off for around 20 years by way of writing (penpals), later emails
> etc, but we finally met up recently in Las Vegas and fell madly in love
> and
> got engaged.
>
> I plan to sell up and move to the US (I will have around $100,000 to bring
> with me, not as much as I'd like, but divorce wipes you out).
>
> Is it best if we're married before applying (i.e. get a quick marriage in
> Vegas, then apply for residency)?
>
> I do have a criminal record from years ago for a minor thing (handling
> stolen goods, community punishment order, not custodial sentence, not
> drugs,
> just a stupid thing, one-off) - would than make any difference (declaring
> before or after marriage)? I did enter the US without declaring this with
> no problems.
>
> Any advice and/or pointers to internet resource, step-by-step guide for
> someone in my position, or a good agency to contact will be GREATLY
> appreciated.
>
> TIA, Joe.
Aug 14th 2006, 4:46 am
#4
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Marrying a US citizen
Sorry, but saying "I didn't understand what I declared" won't get you
far, especially in this post- 9/11 world.
Now, if it didn't involve 'Moral Turpitude', you should be fine - the
crime will be forgiven, and you wouldn't have previously lied.
Tell us what exactly what happened:
Did you know that the goods were stolen at the time you handled those?
Did you get a benefit (financial or otherwise) from that activity?
If the answer to both questions is "No", you should be fine. But if
there is a "Yes" (especially to the first one), then you should see an
immigration attorney.
JoeBrown wrote:
> It wasn't really a lie, and wasn't purposefully dishonest, just naive, my
> conviction is 'spent' under UK law, therefore I didn't think I needed to
> declare it. It was only one short (four night) trip - it is only since I
> have started to research moving to the USA that I realised I should have
> obtained a proper Visa. The question on the Visa Waiver form asks if you've
> ever been arrested for 'Moral Turpitude' - this is the first time I've seen
> this word and had no idea what it meant!! Would any of this make a
> difference if I were already married to a US citizen? It was a minor crime
> for which there were huge mitigating circumstances.
>
> Joe.
>
> <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected] ups.com...
> You have previously lied to the immigration authorities ... that's
> serious stuff.
>
> If there is no record on your police report, you may get away with it
> by remaining consistent with your lie ... but nobody in this newsgroup
> would recommend that course of action (not because of the likelyhood of
> getting caught, but because we don't recommend dishonest behavior).
>
> If you choose to disclose your criminal record (and thereby disclosing
> that you previoulsy lied), you would have a tough case : you criminal
> record would have probably have been forgiven, and you would have been
> been able to come to the US, chances are that you wouldn't even needed
> a waiver.
> However, lying to US immigration is serious stuff, you will need a very
> good immigration attorney to get away with that one.
>
>
>
>
> JoeBrown wrote:
> > Ok, apologies in advance, but I'm sure a lot of the following has already
> > been covered, I'm after good advice and resources to read...
> >
> > I am a UK citizen. I have known my (now) fianc� (US citizen born and
> > bred)
> > on and off for around 20 years by way of writing (penpals), later emails
> > etc, but we finally met up recently in Las Vegas and fell madly in love
> > and
> > got engaged.
> >
> > I plan to sell up and move to the US (I will have around $100,000 to bring
> > with me, not as much as I'd like, but divorce wipes you out).
> >
> > Is it best if we're married before applying (i.e. get a quick marriage in
> > Vegas, then apply for residency)?
> >
> > I do have a criminal record from years ago for a minor thing (handling
> > stolen goods, community punishment order, not custodial sentence, not
> > drugs,
> > just a stupid thing, one-off) - would than make any difference (declaring
> > before or after marriage)? I did enter the US without declaring this with
> > no problems.
> >
> > Any advice and/or pointers to internet resource, step-by-step guide for
> > someone in my position, or a good agency to contact will be GREATLY
> > appreciated.
> >
> > TIA, Joe.
far, especially in this post- 9/11 world.
Now, if it didn't involve 'Moral Turpitude', you should be fine - the
crime will be forgiven, and you wouldn't have previously lied.
Tell us what exactly what happened:
Did you know that the goods were stolen at the time you handled those?
Did you get a benefit (financial or otherwise) from that activity?
If the answer to both questions is "No", you should be fine. But if
there is a "Yes" (especially to the first one), then you should see an
immigration attorney.
JoeBrown wrote:
> It wasn't really a lie, and wasn't purposefully dishonest, just naive, my
> conviction is 'spent' under UK law, therefore I didn't think I needed to
> declare it. It was only one short (four night) trip - it is only since I
> have started to research moving to the USA that I realised I should have
> obtained a proper Visa. The question on the Visa Waiver form asks if you've
> ever been arrested for 'Moral Turpitude' - this is the first time I've seen
> this word and had no idea what it meant!! Would any of this make a
> difference if I were already married to a US citizen? It was a minor crime
> for which there were huge mitigating circumstances.
>
> Joe.
>
> <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected] ups.com...
> You have previously lied to the immigration authorities ... that's
> serious stuff.
>
> If there is no record on your police report, you may get away with it
> by remaining consistent with your lie ... but nobody in this newsgroup
> would recommend that course of action (not because of the likelyhood of
> getting caught, but because we don't recommend dishonest behavior).
>
> If you choose to disclose your criminal record (and thereby disclosing
> that you previoulsy lied), you would have a tough case : you criminal
> record would have probably have been forgiven, and you would have been
> been able to come to the US, chances are that you wouldn't even needed
> a waiver.
> However, lying to US immigration is serious stuff, you will need a very
> good immigration attorney to get away with that one.
>
>
>
>
> JoeBrown wrote:
> > Ok, apologies in advance, but I'm sure a lot of the following has already
> > been covered, I'm after good advice and resources to read...
> >
> > I am a UK citizen. I have known my (now) fianc� (US citizen born and
> > bred)
> > on and off for around 20 years by way of writing (penpals), later emails
> > etc, but we finally met up recently in Las Vegas and fell madly in love
> > and
> > got engaged.
> >
> > I plan to sell up and move to the US (I will have around $100,000 to bring
> > with me, not as much as I'd like, but divorce wipes you out).
> >
> > Is it best if we're married before applying (i.e. get a quick marriage in
> > Vegas, then apply for residency)?
> >
> > I do have a criminal record from years ago for a minor thing (handling
> > stolen goods, community punishment order, not custodial sentence, not
> > drugs,
> > just a stupid thing, one-off) - would than make any difference (declaring
> > before or after marriage)? I did enter the US without declaring this with
> > no problems.
> >
> > Any advice and/or pointers to internet resource, step-by-step guide for
> > someone in my position, or a good agency to contact will be GREATLY
> > appreciated.
> >
> > TIA, Joe.
Aug 14th 2006, 4:56 am
#5
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Marrying a US citizen
Also, to get a waiver ( in case it was indeed a lie ), I think that he
would have to prove extreme hardship ( not the regular one that one has
when separated from his spouse ).
Causes for extre hardship includes:
- He literally need you around to live ( i.e. he is handicaped and
cannot take care of himself, doesn't have anybody else to take care of
him, and doesn't have to money to hire someone ).
- He cannot come to live with you in your home country due to
immigration rules from that country.
- He could come, but the cultaral hardship would be too big ( he
doesn't speak the language ... )
As you can see, that's not easy, and it's better to see an attorney in
those cases.
I indeed hope for you that whatever you did didn't involve moral
turpitude.
JoeBrown wrote:
> It wasn't really a lie, and wasn't purposefully dishonest, just naive, my
> conviction is 'spent' under UK law, therefore I didn't think I needed to
> declare it. It was only one short (four night) trip - it is only since I
> have started to research moving to the USA that I realised I should have
> obtained a proper Visa. The question on the Visa Waiver form asks if you've
> ever been arrested for 'Moral Turpitude' - this is the first time I've seen
> this word and had no idea what it meant!! Would any of this make a
> difference if I were already married to a US citizen? It was a minor crime
> for which there were huge mitigating circumstances.
>
> Joe.
>
> <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected] ups.com...
> You have previously lied to the immigration authorities ... that's
> serious stuff.
>
> If there is no record on your police report, you may get away with it
> by remaining consistent with your lie ... but nobody in this newsgroup
> would recommend that course of action (not because of the likelyhood of
> getting caught, but because we don't recommend dishonest behavior).
>
> If you choose to disclose your criminal record (and thereby disclosing
> that you previoulsy lied), you would have a tough case : you criminal
> record would have probably have been forgiven, and you would have been
> been able to come to the US, chances are that you wouldn't even needed
> a waiver.
> However, lying to US immigration is serious stuff, you will need a very
> good immigration attorney to get away with that one.
>
>
>
>
> JoeBrown wrote:
> > Ok, apologies in advance, but I'm sure a lot of the following has already
> > been covered, I'm after good advice and resources to read...
> >
> > I am a UK citizen. I have known my (now) fianc� (US citizen born and
> > bred)
> > on and off for around 20 years by way of writing (penpals), later emails
> > etc, but we finally met up recently in Las Vegas and fell madly in love
> > and
> > got engaged.
> >
> > I plan to sell up and move to the US (I will have around $100,000 to bring
> > with me, not as much as I'd like, but divorce wipes you out).
> >
> > Is it best if we're married before applying (i.e. get a quick marriage in
> > Vegas, then apply for residency)?
> >
> > I do have a criminal record from years ago for a minor thing (handling
> > stolen goods, community punishment order, not custodial sentence, not
> > drugs,
> > just a stupid thing, one-off) - would than make any difference (declaring
> > before or after marriage)? I did enter the US without declaring this with
> > no problems.
> >
> > Any advice and/or pointers to internet resource, step-by-step guide for
> > someone in my position, or a good agency to contact will be GREATLY
> > appreciated.
> >
> > TIA, Joe.
would have to prove extreme hardship ( not the regular one that one has
when separated from his spouse ).
Causes for extre hardship includes:
- He literally need you around to live ( i.e. he is handicaped and
cannot take care of himself, doesn't have anybody else to take care of
him, and doesn't have to money to hire someone ).
- He cannot come to live with you in your home country due to
immigration rules from that country.
- He could come, but the cultaral hardship would be too big ( he
doesn't speak the language ... )
As you can see, that's not easy, and it's better to see an attorney in
those cases.
I indeed hope for you that whatever you did didn't involve moral
turpitude.
JoeBrown wrote:
> It wasn't really a lie, and wasn't purposefully dishonest, just naive, my
> conviction is 'spent' under UK law, therefore I didn't think I needed to
> declare it. It was only one short (four night) trip - it is only since I
> have started to research moving to the USA that I realised I should have
> obtained a proper Visa. The question on the Visa Waiver form asks if you've
> ever been arrested for 'Moral Turpitude' - this is the first time I've seen
> this word and had no idea what it meant!! Would any of this make a
> difference if I were already married to a US citizen? It was a minor crime
> for which there were huge mitigating circumstances.
>
> Joe.
>
> <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected] ups.com...
> You have previously lied to the immigration authorities ... that's
> serious stuff.
>
> If there is no record on your police report, you may get away with it
> by remaining consistent with your lie ... but nobody in this newsgroup
> would recommend that course of action (not because of the likelyhood of
> getting caught, but because we don't recommend dishonest behavior).
>
> If you choose to disclose your criminal record (and thereby disclosing
> that you previoulsy lied), you would have a tough case : you criminal
> record would have probably have been forgiven, and you would have been
> been able to come to the US, chances are that you wouldn't even needed
> a waiver.
> However, lying to US immigration is serious stuff, you will need a very
> good immigration attorney to get away with that one.
>
>
>
>
> JoeBrown wrote:
> > Ok, apologies in advance, but I'm sure a lot of the following has already
> > been covered, I'm after good advice and resources to read...
> >
> > I am a UK citizen. I have known my (now) fianc� (US citizen born and
> > bred)
> > on and off for around 20 years by way of writing (penpals), later emails
> > etc, but we finally met up recently in Las Vegas and fell madly in love
> > and
> > got engaged.
> >
> > I plan to sell up and move to the US (I will have around $100,000 to bring
> > with me, not as much as I'd like, but divorce wipes you out).
> >
> > Is it best if we're married before applying (i.e. get a quick marriage in
> > Vegas, then apply for residency)?
> >
> > I do have a criminal record from years ago for a minor thing (handling
> > stolen goods, community punishment order, not custodial sentence, not
> > drugs,
> > just a stupid thing, one-off) - would than make any difference (declaring
> > before or after marriage)? I did enter the US without declaring this with
> > no problems.
> >
> > Any advice and/or pointers to internet resource, step-by-step guide for
> > someone in my position, or a good agency to contact will be GREATLY
> > appreciated.
> >
> > TIA, Joe.
Aug 14th 2006, 5:04 am
#6
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Marrying a US citizen
Ok, I purchased a PC monitor from my then boss - he told me he had ordered a
large quantity and the company gave him one personally as a 'freebie' - a
gift if you like for the large order. Literally a couple of years later,
the company found out, claimed the monitor was theirs and reported us both.
I pleaded not guilty, gave the monitor back no questions, but was found
guilty - to this day I don't know why, but I was - even the policeman who
arrested me said I would probably be found innocent. Does this make sense?
I didn't get a custodial sentence, just a little community service. I could
get great references from all probabtion officers if necessary, indeed they
have become good friends as they know I'm a good guy who was VERY unlucky.
I've done my 'time' and feel quite aggrieved that it is now still hanging
over my head, and one silly naive trip could have spoiled my chances to be
with and marry my fiancé. I would go to the US embassy in London tomorrow
and retrospectively get a Visa if I could - like I said, I didn't know I had
to declare it as it is 'spent'.
Joe.
<[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected] oups.com...
Sorry, but saying "I didn't understand what I declared" won't get you
far, especially in this post- 9/11 world.
Now, if it didn't involve 'Moral Turpitude', you should be fine - the
crime will be forgiven, and you wouldn't have previously lied.
Tell us what exactly what happened:
Did you know that the goods were stolen at the time you handled those?
Did you get a benefit (financial or otherwise) from that activity?
If the answer to both questions is "No", you should be fine. But if
there is a "Yes" (especially to the first one), then you should see an
immigration attorney.
JoeBrown wrote:
> It wasn't really a lie, and wasn't purposefully dishonest, just naive, my
> conviction is 'spent' under UK law, therefore I didn't think I needed to
> declare it. It was only one short (four night) trip - it is only since I
> have started to research moving to the USA that I realised I should have
> obtained a proper Visa. The question on the Visa Waiver form asks if
> you've
> ever been arrested for 'Moral Turpitude' - this is the first time I've
> seen
> this word and had no idea what it meant!! Would any of this make a
> difference if I were already married to a US citizen? It was a minor
> crime
> for which there were huge mitigating circumstances.
>
> Joe.
>
> <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected] ups.com...
> You have previously lied to the immigration authorities ... that's
> serious stuff.
>
> If there is no record on your police report, you may get away with it
> by remaining consistent with your lie ... but nobody in this newsgroup
> would recommend that course of action (not because of the likelyhood of
> getting caught, but because we don't recommend dishonest behavior).
>
> If you choose to disclose your criminal record (and thereby disclosing
> that you previoulsy lied), you would have a tough case : you criminal
> record would have probably have been forgiven, and you would have been
> been able to come to the US, chances are that you wouldn't even needed
> a waiver.
> However, lying to US immigration is serious stuff, you will need a very
> good immigration attorney to get away with that one.
>
>
>
>
> JoeBrown wrote:
> > Ok, apologies in advance, but I'm sure a lot of the following has
> > already
> > been covered, I'm after good advice and resources to read...
> >
> > I am a UK citizen. I have known my (now) fiancé (US citizen born and
> > bred)
> > on and off for around 20 years by way of writing (penpals), later emails
> > etc, but we finally met up recently in Las Vegas and fell madly in love
> > and
> > got engaged.
> >
> > I plan to sell up and move to the US (I will have around $100,000 to
> > bring
> > with me, not as much as I'd like, but divorce wipes you out).
> >
> > Is it best if we're married before applying (i.e. get a quick marriage
> > in
> > Vegas, then apply for residency)?
> >
> > I do have a criminal record from years ago for a minor thing (handling
> > stolen goods, community punishment order, not custodial sentence, not
> > drugs,
> > just a stupid thing, one-off) - would than make any difference
> > (declaring
> > before or after marriage)? I did enter the US without declaring this
> > with
> > no problems.
> >
> > Any advice and/or pointers to internet resource, step-by-step guide for
> > someone in my position, or a good agency to contact will be GREATLY
> > appreciated.
> >
> > TIA, Joe.
large quantity and the company gave him one personally as a 'freebie' - a
gift if you like for the large order. Literally a couple of years later,
the company found out, claimed the monitor was theirs and reported us both.
I pleaded not guilty, gave the monitor back no questions, but was found
guilty - to this day I don't know why, but I was - even the policeman who
arrested me said I would probably be found innocent. Does this make sense?
I didn't get a custodial sentence, just a little community service. I could
get great references from all probabtion officers if necessary, indeed they
have become good friends as they know I'm a good guy who was VERY unlucky.
I've done my 'time' and feel quite aggrieved that it is now still hanging
over my head, and one silly naive trip could have spoiled my chances to be
with and marry my fiancé. I would go to the US embassy in London tomorrow
and retrospectively get a Visa if I could - like I said, I didn't know I had
to declare it as it is 'spent'.
Joe.
<[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected] oups.com...
Sorry, but saying "I didn't understand what I declared" won't get you
far, especially in this post- 9/11 world.
Now, if it didn't involve 'Moral Turpitude', you should be fine - the
crime will be forgiven, and you wouldn't have previously lied.
Tell us what exactly what happened:
Did you know that the goods were stolen at the time you handled those?
Did you get a benefit (financial or otherwise) from that activity?
If the answer to both questions is "No", you should be fine. But if
there is a "Yes" (especially to the first one), then you should see an
immigration attorney.
JoeBrown wrote:
> It wasn't really a lie, and wasn't purposefully dishonest, just naive, my
> conviction is 'spent' under UK law, therefore I didn't think I needed to
> declare it. It was only one short (four night) trip - it is only since I
> have started to research moving to the USA that I realised I should have
> obtained a proper Visa. The question on the Visa Waiver form asks if
> you've
> ever been arrested for 'Moral Turpitude' - this is the first time I've
> seen
> this word and had no idea what it meant!! Would any of this make a
> difference if I were already married to a US citizen? It was a minor
> crime
> for which there were huge mitigating circumstances.
>
> Joe.
>
> <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected] ups.com...
> You have previously lied to the immigration authorities ... that's
> serious stuff.
>
> If there is no record on your police report, you may get away with it
> by remaining consistent with your lie ... but nobody in this newsgroup
> would recommend that course of action (not because of the likelyhood of
> getting caught, but because we don't recommend dishonest behavior).
>
> If you choose to disclose your criminal record (and thereby disclosing
> that you previoulsy lied), you would have a tough case : you criminal
> record would have probably have been forgiven, and you would have been
> been able to come to the US, chances are that you wouldn't even needed
> a waiver.
> However, lying to US immigration is serious stuff, you will need a very
> good immigration attorney to get away with that one.
>
>
>
>
> JoeBrown wrote:
> > Ok, apologies in advance, but I'm sure a lot of the following has
> > already
> > been covered, I'm after good advice and resources to read...
> >
> > I am a UK citizen. I have known my (now) fiancé (US citizen born and
> > bred)
> > on and off for around 20 years by way of writing (penpals), later emails
> > etc, but we finally met up recently in Las Vegas and fell madly in love
> > and
> > got engaged.
> >
> > I plan to sell up and move to the US (I will have around $100,000 to
> > bring
> > with me, not as much as I'd like, but divorce wipes you out).
> >
> > Is it best if we're married before applying (i.e. get a quick marriage
> > in
> > Vegas, then apply for residency)?
> >
> > I do have a criminal record from years ago for a minor thing (handling
> > stolen goods, community punishment order, not custodial sentence, not
> > drugs,
> > just a stupid thing, one-off) - would than make any difference
> > (declaring
> > before or after marriage)? I did enter the US without declaring this
> > with
> > no problems.
> >
> > Any advice and/or pointers to internet resource, step-by-step guide for
> > someone in my position, or a good agency to contact will be GREATLY
> > appreciated.
> >
> > TIA, Joe.
Aug 14th 2006, 5:21 am
#7
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Marrying a US citizen
You bought an item, paid for it and didn't know it was stolen.
That could happen to anybody who ever bought something ... and end up
being unlucky.
That doesn't look like moral turpitude to me.
So, were eligible for the VWP, you never lied, and your case is pretty
straightforward.
Be sure to disclose it on with your visa application, include a letter
to explain what happened - and include supporting documentation, if you
can - but that shouldn't cause you any major problem.
All right, so I think that the fiancee (K-1) visa ( using form I-129F )
would be fastest (it takes between 3 and 6 months). For that, you would
wait for you visa, you would get a one entry visa, and then go to the
US, marry him within 90 days and finally apply for the green card (
I-485 package ).
The alternative would be to marry him now, and then he could sponsor
you for an immigrant visa ( which becomes a green card as soon as you
enter the US ), he would have to file form I-130 once you are married.
In the midtime, you could get a spousal (K-3) visa ( using form I-129F
), while waiting for the immigrant visa to be approved. However, those
days the K-3 is not much faster than the immigrant visa.
You can gather more info at
http://groups.google.com/group/alt.visa.us.marriage-based?lnk=li and
http://visajourney.com/
Take care,
Olivier
JoeBrown wrote:
> Ok, I purchased a PC monitor from my then boss - he told me he had ordered a
> large quantity and the company gave him one personally as a 'freebie' - a
> gift if you like for the large order. Literally a couple of years later,
> the company found out, claimed the monitor was theirs and reported us both.
> I pleaded not guilty, gave the monitor back no questions, but was found
> guilty - to this day I don't know why, but I was - even the policeman who
> arrested me said I would probably be found innocent. Does this make sense?
> I didn't get a custodial sentence, just a little community service. I could
> get great references from all probabtion officers if necessary, indeed they
> have become good friends as they know I'm a good guy who was VERY unlucky.
> I've done my 'time' and feel quite aggrieved that it is now still hanging
> over my head, and one silly naive trip could have spoiled my chances to be
> with and marry my fianc�. I would go to the US embassy in London tomorrow
> and retrospectively get a Visa if I could - like I said, I didn't know I had
> to declare it as it is 'spent'.
>
> Joe.
>
> <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected] oups.com...
> Sorry, but saying "I didn't understand what I declared" won't get you
> far, especially in this post- 9/11 world.
>
> Now, if it didn't involve 'Moral Turpitude', you should be fine - the
> crime will be forgiven, and you wouldn't have previously lied.
>
> Tell us what exactly what happened:
>
> Did you know that the goods were stolen at the time you handled those?
> Did you get a benefit (financial or otherwise) from that activity?
>
> If the answer to both questions is "No", you should be fine. But if
> there is a "Yes" (especially to the first one), then you should see an
> immigration attorney.
>
>
> JoeBrown wrote:
> > It wasn't really a lie, and wasn't purposefully dishonest, just naive, my
> > conviction is 'spent' under UK law, therefore I didn't think I needed to
> > declare it. It was only one short (four night) trip - it is only since I
> > have started to research moving to the USA that I realised I should have
> > obtained a proper Visa. The question on the Visa Waiver form asks if
> > you've
> > ever been arrested for 'Moral Turpitude' - this is the first time I've
> > seen
> > this word and had no idea what it meant!! Would any of this make a
> > difference if I were already married to a US citizen? It was a minor
> > crime
> > for which there were huge mitigating circumstances.
> >
> > Joe.
> >
> > <[email protected]> wrote in message
> > news:[email protected] ups.com...
> > You have previously lied to the immigration authorities ... that's
> > serious stuff.
> >
> > If there is no record on your police report, you may get away with it
> > by remaining consistent with your lie ... but nobody in this newsgroup
> > would recommend that course of action (not because of the likelyhood of
> > getting caught, but because we don't recommend dishonest behavior).
> >
> > If you choose to disclose your criminal record (and thereby disclosing
> > that you previoulsy lied), you would have a tough case : you criminal
> > record would have probably have been forgiven, and you would have been
> > been able to come to the US, chances are that you wouldn't even needed
> > a waiver.
> > However, lying to US immigration is serious stuff, you will need a very
> > good immigration attorney to get away with that one.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > JoeBrown wrote:
> > > Ok, apologies in advance, but I'm sure a lot of the following has
> > > already
> > > been covered, I'm after good advice and resources to read...
> > >
> > > I am a UK citizen. I have known my (now) fianc� (US citizen born and
> > > bred)
> > > on and off for around 20 years by way of writing (penpals), later emails
> > > etc, but we finally met up recently in Las Vegas and fell madly in love
> > > and
> > > got engaged.
> > >
> > > I plan to sell up and move to the US (I will have around $100,000 to
> > > bring
> > > with me, not as much as I'd like, but divorce wipes you out).
> > >
> > > Is it best if we're married before applying (i.e. get a quick marriage
> > > in
> > > Vegas, then apply for residency)?
> > >
> > > I do have a criminal record from years ago for a minor thing (handling
> > > stolen goods, community punishment order, not custodial sentence, not
> > > drugs,
> > > just a stupid thing, one-off) - would than make any difference
> > > (declaring
> > > before or after marriage)? I did enter the US without declaring this
> > > with
> > > no problems.
> > >
> > > Any advice and/or pointers to internet resource, step-by-step guide for
> > > someone in my position, or a good agency to contact will be GREATLY
> > > appreciated.
> > >
> > > TIA, Joe.
That could happen to anybody who ever bought something ... and end up
being unlucky.
That doesn't look like moral turpitude to me.
So, were eligible for the VWP, you never lied, and your case is pretty
straightforward.
Be sure to disclose it on with your visa application, include a letter
to explain what happened - and include supporting documentation, if you
can - but that shouldn't cause you any major problem.
All right, so I think that the fiancee (K-1) visa ( using form I-129F )
would be fastest (it takes between 3 and 6 months). For that, you would
wait for you visa, you would get a one entry visa, and then go to the
US, marry him within 90 days and finally apply for the green card (
I-485 package ).
The alternative would be to marry him now, and then he could sponsor
you for an immigrant visa ( which becomes a green card as soon as you
enter the US ), he would have to file form I-130 once you are married.
In the midtime, you could get a spousal (K-3) visa ( using form I-129F
), while waiting for the immigrant visa to be approved. However, those
days the K-3 is not much faster than the immigrant visa.
You can gather more info at
http://groups.google.com/group/alt.visa.us.marriage-based?lnk=li and
http://visajourney.com/
Take care,
Olivier
JoeBrown wrote:
> Ok, I purchased a PC monitor from my then boss - he told me he had ordered a
> large quantity and the company gave him one personally as a 'freebie' - a
> gift if you like for the large order. Literally a couple of years later,
> the company found out, claimed the monitor was theirs and reported us both.
> I pleaded not guilty, gave the monitor back no questions, but was found
> guilty - to this day I don't know why, but I was - even the policeman who
> arrested me said I would probably be found innocent. Does this make sense?
> I didn't get a custodial sentence, just a little community service. I could
> get great references from all probabtion officers if necessary, indeed they
> have become good friends as they know I'm a good guy who was VERY unlucky.
> I've done my 'time' and feel quite aggrieved that it is now still hanging
> over my head, and one silly naive trip could have spoiled my chances to be
> with and marry my fianc�. I would go to the US embassy in London tomorrow
> and retrospectively get a Visa if I could - like I said, I didn't know I had
> to declare it as it is 'spent'.
>
> Joe.
>
> <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected] oups.com...
> Sorry, but saying "I didn't understand what I declared" won't get you
> far, especially in this post- 9/11 world.
>
> Now, if it didn't involve 'Moral Turpitude', you should be fine - the
> crime will be forgiven, and you wouldn't have previously lied.
>
> Tell us what exactly what happened:
>
> Did you know that the goods were stolen at the time you handled those?
> Did you get a benefit (financial or otherwise) from that activity?
>
> If the answer to both questions is "No", you should be fine. But if
> there is a "Yes" (especially to the first one), then you should see an
> immigration attorney.
>
>
> JoeBrown wrote:
> > It wasn't really a lie, and wasn't purposefully dishonest, just naive, my
> > conviction is 'spent' under UK law, therefore I didn't think I needed to
> > declare it. It was only one short (four night) trip - it is only since I
> > have started to research moving to the USA that I realised I should have
> > obtained a proper Visa. The question on the Visa Waiver form asks if
> > you've
> > ever been arrested for 'Moral Turpitude' - this is the first time I've
> > seen
> > this word and had no idea what it meant!! Would any of this make a
> > difference if I were already married to a US citizen? It was a minor
> > crime
> > for which there were huge mitigating circumstances.
> >
> > Joe.
> >
> > <[email protected]> wrote in message
> > news:[email protected] ups.com...
> > You have previously lied to the immigration authorities ... that's
> > serious stuff.
> >
> > If there is no record on your police report, you may get away with it
> > by remaining consistent with your lie ... but nobody in this newsgroup
> > would recommend that course of action (not because of the likelyhood of
> > getting caught, but because we don't recommend dishonest behavior).
> >
> > If you choose to disclose your criminal record (and thereby disclosing
> > that you previoulsy lied), you would have a tough case : you criminal
> > record would have probably have been forgiven, and you would have been
> > been able to come to the US, chances are that you wouldn't even needed
> > a waiver.
> > However, lying to US immigration is serious stuff, you will need a very
> > good immigration attorney to get away with that one.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > JoeBrown wrote:
> > > Ok, apologies in advance, but I'm sure a lot of the following has
> > > already
> > > been covered, I'm after good advice and resources to read...
> > >
> > > I am a UK citizen. I have known my (now) fianc� (US citizen born and
> > > bred)
> > > on and off for around 20 years by way of writing (penpals), later emails
> > > etc, but we finally met up recently in Las Vegas and fell madly in love
> > > and
> > > got engaged.
> > >
> > > I plan to sell up and move to the US (I will have around $100,000 to
> > > bring
> > > with me, not as much as I'd like, but divorce wipes you out).
> > >
> > > Is it best if we're married before applying (i.e. get a quick marriage
> > > in
> > > Vegas, then apply for residency)?
> > >
> > > I do have a criminal record from years ago for a minor thing (handling
> > > stolen goods, community punishment order, not custodial sentence, not
> > > drugs,
> > > just a stupid thing, one-off) - would than make any difference
> > > (declaring
> > > before or after marriage)? I did enter the US without declaring this
> > > with
> > > no problems.
> > >
> > > Any advice and/or pointers to internet resource, step-by-step guide for
> > > someone in my position, or a good agency to contact will be GREATLY
> > > appreciated.
> > >
> > > TIA, Joe.
Aug 14th 2006, 5:41 am
#8
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Marrying a US citizen
Sorry, for some reason, I thought that you were the girl and he was the
guy. But that doesn't change the content of my answers ; the US has the
same laws for boys and girls in that manner
[email protected] wrote:
> You bought an item, paid for it and didn't know it was stolen.
>
> That could happen to anybody who ever bought something ... and end up
> being unlucky.
>
> That doesn't look like moral turpitude to me.
>
> So, were eligible for the VWP, you never lied, and your case is pretty
> straightforward.
>
> Be sure to disclose it on with your visa application, include a letter
> to explain what happened - and include supporting documentation, if you
> can - but that shouldn't cause you any major problem.
>
> All right, so I think that the fiancee (K-1) visa ( using form I-129F )
> would be fastest (it takes between 3 and 6 months). For that, you would
> wait for you visa, you would get a one entry visa, and then go to the
> US, marry him within 90 days and finally apply for the green card (
> I-485 package ).
>
> The alternative would be to marry him now, and then he could sponsor
> you for an immigrant visa ( which becomes a green card as soon as you
> enter the US ), he would have to file form I-130 once you are married.
> In the midtime, you could get a spousal (K-3) visa ( using form I-129F
> ), while waiting for the immigrant visa to be approved. However, those
> days the K-3 is not much faster than the immigrant visa.
>
> You can gather more info at
> http://groups.google.com/group/alt.visa.us.marriage-based?lnk=li and
> http://visajourney.com/
>
> Take care,
>
> Olivier
>
>
> JoeBrown wrote:
> > Ok, I purchased a PC monitor from my then boss - he told me he had ordered a
> > large quantity and the company gave him one personally as a 'freebie' - a
> > gift if you like for the large order. Literally a couple of years later,
> > the company found out, claimed the monitor was theirs and reported us both.
> > I pleaded not guilty, gave the monitor back no questions, but was found
> > guilty - to this day I don't know why, but I was - even the policeman who
> > arrested me said I would probably be found innocent. Does this make sense?
> > I didn't get a custodial sentence, just a little community service. I could
> > get great references from all probabtion officers if necessary, indeed they
> > have become good friends as they know I'm a good guy who was VERY unlucky.
> > I've done my 'time' and feel quite aggrieved that it is now still hanging
> > over my head, and one silly naive trip could have spoiled my chances to be
> > with and marry my fianc�. I would go to the US embassy in London tomorrow
> > and retrospectively get a Visa if I could - like I said, I didn't know I had
> > to declare it as it is 'spent'.
> >
> > Joe.
> >
> > <[email protected]> wrote in message
> > news:[email protected] oups.com...
> > Sorry, but saying "I didn't understand what I declared" won't get you
> > far, especially in this post- 9/11 world.
> >
> > Now, if it didn't involve 'Moral Turpitude', you should be fine - the
> > crime will be forgiven, and you wouldn't have previously lied.
> >
> > Tell us what exactly what happened:
> >
> > Did you know that the goods were stolen at the time you handled those?
> > Did you get a benefit (financial or otherwise) from that activity?
> >
> > If the answer to both questions is "No", you should be fine. But if
> > there is a "Yes" (especially to the first one), then you should see an
> > immigration attorney.
> >
> >
> > JoeBrown wrote:
> > > It wasn't really a lie, and wasn't purposefully dishonest, just naive, my
> > > conviction is 'spent' under UK law, therefore I didn't think I needed to
> > > declare it. It was only one short (four night) trip - it is only since I
> > > have started to research moving to the USA that I realised I should have
> > > obtained a proper Visa. The question on the Visa Waiver form asks if
> > > you've
> > > ever been arrested for 'Moral Turpitude' - this is the first time I've
> > > seen
> > > this word and had no idea what it meant!! Would any of this make a
> > > difference if I were already married to a US citizen? It was a minor
> > > crime
> > > for which there were huge mitigating circumstances.
> > >
> > > Joe.
> > >
> > > <[email protected]> wrote in message
> > > news:[email protected] ups.com...
> > > You have previously lied to the immigration authorities ... that's
> > > serious stuff.
> > >
> > > If there is no record on your police report, you may get away with it
> > > by remaining consistent with your lie ... but nobody in this newsgroup
> > > would recommend that course of action (not because of the likelyhood of
> > > getting caught, but because we don't recommend dishonest behavior).
> > >
> > > If you choose to disclose your criminal record (and thereby disclosing
> > > that you previoulsy lied), you would have a tough case : you criminal
> > > record would have probably have been forgiven, and you would have been
> > > been able to come to the US, chances are that you wouldn't even needed
> > > a waiver.
> > > However, lying to US immigration is serious stuff, you will need a very
> > > good immigration attorney to get away with that one.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > JoeBrown wrote:
> > > > Ok, apologies in advance, but I'm sure a lot of the following has
> > > > already
> > > > been covered, I'm after good advice and resources to read...
> > > >
> > > > I am a UK citizen. I have known my (now) fianc� (US citizen born and
> > > > bred)
> > > > on and off for around 20 years by way of writing (penpals), later emails
> > > > etc, but we finally met up recently in Las Vegas and fell madly in love
> > > > and
> > > > got engaged.
> > > >
> > > > I plan to sell up and move to the US (I will have around $100,000 to
> > > > bring
> > > > with me, not as much as I'd like, but divorce wipes you out).
> > > >
> > > > Is it best if we're married before applying (i.e. get a quick marriage
> > > > in
> > > > Vegas, then apply for residency)?
> > > >
> > > > I do have a criminal record from years ago for a minor thing (handling
> > > > stolen goods, community punishment order, not custodial sentence, not
> > > > drugs,
> > > > just a stupid thing, one-off) - would than make any difference
> > > > (declaring
> > > > before or after marriage)? I did enter the US without declaring this
> > > > with
> > > > no problems.
> > > >
> > > > Any advice and/or pointers to internet resource, step-by-step guide for
> > > > someone in my position, or a good agency to contact will be GREATLY
> > > > appreciated.
> > > >
> > > > TIA, Joe.
guy. But that doesn't change the content of my answers ; the US has the
same laws for boys and girls in that manner
[email protected] wrote:
> You bought an item, paid for it and didn't know it was stolen.
>
> That could happen to anybody who ever bought something ... and end up
> being unlucky.
>
> That doesn't look like moral turpitude to me.
>
> So, were eligible for the VWP, you never lied, and your case is pretty
> straightforward.
>
> Be sure to disclose it on with your visa application, include a letter
> to explain what happened - and include supporting documentation, if you
> can - but that shouldn't cause you any major problem.
>
> All right, so I think that the fiancee (K-1) visa ( using form I-129F )
> would be fastest (it takes between 3 and 6 months). For that, you would
> wait for you visa, you would get a one entry visa, and then go to the
> US, marry him within 90 days and finally apply for the green card (
> I-485 package ).
>
> The alternative would be to marry him now, and then he could sponsor
> you for an immigrant visa ( which becomes a green card as soon as you
> enter the US ), he would have to file form I-130 once you are married.
> In the midtime, you could get a spousal (K-3) visa ( using form I-129F
> ), while waiting for the immigrant visa to be approved. However, those
> days the K-3 is not much faster than the immigrant visa.
>
> You can gather more info at
> http://groups.google.com/group/alt.visa.us.marriage-based?lnk=li and
> http://visajourney.com/
>
> Take care,
>
> Olivier
>
>
> JoeBrown wrote:
> > Ok, I purchased a PC monitor from my then boss - he told me he had ordered a
> > large quantity and the company gave him one personally as a 'freebie' - a
> > gift if you like for the large order. Literally a couple of years later,
> > the company found out, claimed the monitor was theirs and reported us both.
> > I pleaded not guilty, gave the monitor back no questions, but was found
> > guilty - to this day I don't know why, but I was - even the policeman who
> > arrested me said I would probably be found innocent. Does this make sense?
> > I didn't get a custodial sentence, just a little community service. I could
> > get great references from all probabtion officers if necessary, indeed they
> > have become good friends as they know I'm a good guy who was VERY unlucky.
> > I've done my 'time' and feel quite aggrieved that it is now still hanging
> > over my head, and one silly naive trip could have spoiled my chances to be
> > with and marry my fianc�. I would go to the US embassy in London tomorrow
> > and retrospectively get a Visa if I could - like I said, I didn't know I had
> > to declare it as it is 'spent'.
> >
> > Joe.
> >
> > <[email protected]> wrote in message
> > news:[email protected] oups.com...
> > Sorry, but saying "I didn't understand what I declared" won't get you
> > far, especially in this post- 9/11 world.
> >
> > Now, if it didn't involve 'Moral Turpitude', you should be fine - the
> > crime will be forgiven, and you wouldn't have previously lied.
> >
> > Tell us what exactly what happened:
> >
> > Did you know that the goods were stolen at the time you handled those?
> > Did you get a benefit (financial or otherwise) from that activity?
> >
> > If the answer to both questions is "No", you should be fine. But if
> > there is a "Yes" (especially to the first one), then you should see an
> > immigration attorney.
> >
> >
> > JoeBrown wrote:
> > > It wasn't really a lie, and wasn't purposefully dishonest, just naive, my
> > > conviction is 'spent' under UK law, therefore I didn't think I needed to
> > > declare it. It was only one short (four night) trip - it is only since I
> > > have started to research moving to the USA that I realised I should have
> > > obtained a proper Visa. The question on the Visa Waiver form asks if
> > > you've
> > > ever been arrested for 'Moral Turpitude' - this is the first time I've
> > > seen
> > > this word and had no idea what it meant!! Would any of this make a
> > > difference if I were already married to a US citizen? It was a minor
> > > crime
> > > for which there were huge mitigating circumstances.
> > >
> > > Joe.
> > >
> > > <[email protected]> wrote in message
> > > news:[email protected] ups.com...
> > > You have previously lied to the immigration authorities ... that's
> > > serious stuff.
> > >
> > > If there is no record on your police report, you may get away with it
> > > by remaining consistent with your lie ... but nobody in this newsgroup
> > > would recommend that course of action (not because of the likelyhood of
> > > getting caught, but because we don't recommend dishonest behavior).
> > >
> > > If you choose to disclose your criminal record (and thereby disclosing
> > > that you previoulsy lied), you would have a tough case : you criminal
> > > record would have probably have been forgiven, and you would have been
> > > been able to come to the US, chances are that you wouldn't even needed
> > > a waiver.
> > > However, lying to US immigration is serious stuff, you will need a very
> > > good immigration attorney to get away with that one.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > JoeBrown wrote:
> > > > Ok, apologies in advance, but I'm sure a lot of the following has
> > > > already
> > > > been covered, I'm after good advice and resources to read...
> > > >
> > > > I am a UK citizen. I have known my (now) fianc� (US citizen born and
> > > > bred)
> > > > on and off for around 20 years by way of writing (penpals), later emails
> > > > etc, but we finally met up recently in Las Vegas and fell madly in love
> > > > and
> > > > got engaged.
> > > >
> > > > I plan to sell up and move to the US (I will have around $100,000 to
> > > > bring
> > > > with me, not as much as I'd like, but divorce wipes you out).
> > > >
> > > > Is it best if we're married before applying (i.e. get a quick marriage
> > > > in
> > > > Vegas, then apply for residency)?
> > > >
> > > > I do have a criminal record from years ago for a minor thing (handling
> > > > stolen goods, community punishment order, not custodial sentence, not
> > > > drugs,
> > > > just a stupid thing, one-off) - would than make any difference
> > > > (declaring
> > > > before or after marriage)? I did enter the US without declaring this
> > > > with
> > > > no problems.
> > > >
> > > > Any advice and/or pointers to internet resource, step-by-step guide for
> > > > someone in my position, or a good agency to contact will be GREATLY
> > > > appreciated.
> > > >
> > > > TIA, Joe.
Aug 14th 2006, 8:11 am
#9
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Marrying a US citizen
Thank you for your replies Oliver - yes, I am a bloke, and I have met a
wonderful American girl - I like your more positive message, I had been on a
'downer' all evening. I will employ an attorney any way, but I still have a
lot of baggage to sort out here, house to sell, family to inform, kids etc.
It is VERY difficult being apart, why couldn't I have met a damn English
girl??!! I guess there are hundreds in my position however - doesn't make
it any easier though.
Many thanks again,
Joe
<[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected] oups.com...
Sorry, for some reason, I thought that you were the girl and he was the
guy. But that doesn't change the content of my answers ; the US has the
same laws for boys and girls in that manner
[email protected] wrote:
> You bought an item, paid for it and didn't know it was stolen.
>
> That could happen to anybody who ever bought something ... and end up
> being unlucky.
>
> That doesn't look like moral turpitude to me.
>
> So, were eligible for the VWP, you never lied, and your case is pretty
> straightforward.
>
> Be sure to disclose it on with your visa application, include a letter
> to explain what happened - and include supporting documentation, if you
> can - but that shouldn't cause you any major problem.
>
> All right, so I think that the fiancee (K-1) visa ( using form I-129F )
> would be fastest (it takes between 3 and 6 months). For that, you would
> wait for you visa, you would get a one entry visa, and then go to the
> US, marry him within 90 days and finally apply for the green card (
> I-485 package ).
>
> The alternative would be to marry him now, and then he could sponsor
> you for an immigrant visa ( which becomes a green card as soon as you
> enter the US ), he would have to file form I-130 once you are married.
> In the midtime, you could get a spousal (K-3) visa ( using form I-129F
> ), while waiting for the immigrant visa to be approved. However, those
> days the K-3 is not much faster than the immigrant visa.
>
> You can gather more info at
> http://groups.google.com/group/alt.visa.us.marriage-based?lnk=li and
> http://visajourney.com/
>
> Take care,
>
> Olivier
>
>
> JoeBrown wrote:
> > Ok, I purchased a PC monitor from my then boss - he told me he had
> > ordered a
> > large quantity and the company gave him one personally as a 'freebie' -
> > a
> > gift if you like for the large order. Literally a couple of years
> > later,
> > the company found out, claimed the monitor was theirs and reported us
> > both.
> > I pleaded not guilty, gave the monitor back no questions, but was found
> > guilty - to this day I don't know why, but I was - even the policeman
> > who
> > arrested me said I would probably be found innocent. Does this make
> > sense?
> > I didn't get a custodial sentence, just a little community service. I
> > could
> > get great references from all probabtion officers if necessary, indeed
> > they
> > have become good friends as they know I'm a good guy who was VERY
> > unlucky.
> > I've done my 'time' and feel quite aggrieved that it is now still
> > hanging
> > over my head, and one silly naive trip could have spoiled my chances to
> > be
> > with and marry my fiancé. I would go to the US embassy in London
> > tomorrow
> > and retrospectively get a Visa if I could - like I said, I didn't know I
> > had
> > to declare it as it is 'spent'.
> >
> > Joe.
> >
> > <[email protected]> wrote in message
> > news:[email protected] oups.com...
> > Sorry, but saying "I didn't understand what I declared" won't get you
> > far, especially in this post- 9/11 world.
> >
> > Now, if it didn't involve 'Moral Turpitude', you should be fine - the
> > crime will be forgiven, and you wouldn't have previously lied.
> >
> > Tell us what exactly what happened:
> >
> > Did you know that the goods were stolen at the time you handled those?
> > Did you get a benefit (financial or otherwise) from that activity?
> >
> > If the answer to both questions is "No", you should be fine. But if
> > there is a "Yes" (especially to the first one), then you should see an
> > immigration attorney.
> >
> >
> > JoeBrown wrote:
> > > It wasn't really a lie, and wasn't purposefully dishonest, just naive,
> > > my
> > > conviction is 'spent' under UK law, therefore I didn't think I needed
> > > to
> > > declare it. It was only one short (four night) trip - it is only
> > > since I
> > > have started to research moving to the USA that I realised I should
> > > have
> > > obtained a proper Visa. The question on the Visa Waiver form asks if
> > > you've
> > > ever been arrested for 'Moral Turpitude' - this is the first time I've
> > > seen
> > > this word and had no idea what it meant!! Would any of this make a
> > > difference if I were already married to a US citizen? It was a minor
> > > crime
> > > for which there were huge mitigating circumstances.
> > >
> > > Joe.
> > >
> > > <[email protected]> wrote in message
> > > news:[email protected] ups.com...
> > > You have previously lied to the immigration authorities ... that's
> > > serious stuff.
> > >
> > > If there is no record on your police report, you may get away with it
> > > by remaining consistent with your lie ... but nobody in this newsgroup
> > > would recommend that course of action (not because of the likelyhood
> > > of
> > > getting caught, but because we don't recommend dishonest behavior).
> > >
> > > If you choose to disclose your criminal record (and thereby disclosing
> > > that you previoulsy lied), you would have a tough case : you criminal
> > > record would have probably have been forgiven, and you would have been
> > > been able to come to the US, chances are that you wouldn't even needed
> > > a waiver.
> > > However, lying to US immigration is serious stuff, you will need a
> > > very
> > > good immigration attorney to get away with that one.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > JoeBrown wrote:
> > > > Ok, apologies in advance, but I'm sure a lot of the following has
> > > > already
> > > > been covered, I'm after good advice and resources to read...
> > > >
> > > > I am a UK citizen. I have known my (now) fiancé (US citizen born
> > > > and
> > > > bred)
> > > > on and off for around 20 years by way of writing (penpals), later
> > > > emails
> > > > etc, but we finally met up recently in Las Vegas and fell madly in
> > > > love
> > > > and
> > > > got engaged.
> > > >
> > > > I plan to sell up and move to the US (I will have around $100,000 to
> > > > bring
> > > > with me, not as much as I'd like, but divorce wipes you out).
> > > >
> > > > Is it best if we're married before applying (i.e. get a quick
> > > > marriage
> > > > in
> > > > Vegas, then apply for residency)?
> > > >
> > > > I do have a criminal record from years ago for a minor thing
> > > > (handling
> > > > stolen goods, community punishment order, not custodial sentence,
> > > > not
> > > > drugs,
> > > > just a stupid thing, one-off) - would than make any difference
> > > > (declaring
> > > > before or after marriage)? I did enter the US without declaring
> > > > this
> > > > with
> > > > no problems.
> > > >
> > > > Any advice and/or pointers to internet resource, step-by-step guide
> > > > for
> > > > someone in my position, or a good agency to contact will be GREATLY
> > > > appreciated.
> > > >
> > > > TIA, Joe.
wonderful American girl - I like your more positive message, I had been on a
'downer' all evening. I will employ an attorney any way, but I still have a
lot of baggage to sort out here, house to sell, family to inform, kids etc.
It is VERY difficult being apart, why couldn't I have met a damn English
girl??!! I guess there are hundreds in my position however - doesn't make
it any easier though.
Many thanks again,
Joe
<[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected] oups.com...
Sorry, for some reason, I thought that you were the girl and he was the
guy. But that doesn't change the content of my answers ; the US has the
same laws for boys and girls in that manner
[email protected] wrote:
> You bought an item, paid for it and didn't know it was stolen.
>
> That could happen to anybody who ever bought something ... and end up
> being unlucky.
>
> That doesn't look like moral turpitude to me.
>
> So, were eligible for the VWP, you never lied, and your case is pretty
> straightforward.
>
> Be sure to disclose it on with your visa application, include a letter
> to explain what happened - and include supporting documentation, if you
> can - but that shouldn't cause you any major problem.
>
> All right, so I think that the fiancee (K-1) visa ( using form I-129F )
> would be fastest (it takes between 3 and 6 months). For that, you would
> wait for you visa, you would get a one entry visa, and then go to the
> US, marry him within 90 days and finally apply for the green card (
> I-485 package ).
>
> The alternative would be to marry him now, and then he could sponsor
> you for an immigrant visa ( which becomes a green card as soon as you
> enter the US ), he would have to file form I-130 once you are married.
> In the midtime, you could get a spousal (K-3) visa ( using form I-129F
> ), while waiting for the immigrant visa to be approved. However, those
> days the K-3 is not much faster than the immigrant visa.
>
> You can gather more info at
> http://groups.google.com/group/alt.visa.us.marriage-based?lnk=li and
> http://visajourney.com/
>
> Take care,
>
> Olivier
>
>
> JoeBrown wrote:
> > Ok, I purchased a PC monitor from my then boss - he told me he had
> > ordered a
> > large quantity and the company gave him one personally as a 'freebie' -
> > a
> > gift if you like for the large order. Literally a couple of years
> > later,
> > the company found out, claimed the monitor was theirs and reported us
> > both.
> > I pleaded not guilty, gave the monitor back no questions, but was found
> > guilty - to this day I don't know why, but I was - even the policeman
> > who
> > arrested me said I would probably be found innocent. Does this make
> > sense?
> > I didn't get a custodial sentence, just a little community service. I
> > could
> > get great references from all probabtion officers if necessary, indeed
> > they
> > have become good friends as they know I'm a good guy who was VERY
> > unlucky.
> > I've done my 'time' and feel quite aggrieved that it is now still
> > hanging
> > over my head, and one silly naive trip could have spoiled my chances to
> > be
> > with and marry my fiancé. I would go to the US embassy in London
> > tomorrow
> > and retrospectively get a Visa if I could - like I said, I didn't know I
> > had
> > to declare it as it is 'spent'.
> >
> > Joe.
> >
> > <[email protected]> wrote in message
> > news:[email protected] oups.com...
> > Sorry, but saying "I didn't understand what I declared" won't get you
> > far, especially in this post- 9/11 world.
> >
> > Now, if it didn't involve 'Moral Turpitude', you should be fine - the
> > crime will be forgiven, and you wouldn't have previously lied.
> >
> > Tell us what exactly what happened:
> >
> > Did you know that the goods were stolen at the time you handled those?
> > Did you get a benefit (financial or otherwise) from that activity?
> >
> > If the answer to both questions is "No", you should be fine. But if
> > there is a "Yes" (especially to the first one), then you should see an
> > immigration attorney.
> >
> >
> > JoeBrown wrote:
> > > It wasn't really a lie, and wasn't purposefully dishonest, just naive,
> > > my
> > > conviction is 'spent' under UK law, therefore I didn't think I needed
> > > to
> > > declare it. It was only one short (four night) trip - it is only
> > > since I
> > > have started to research moving to the USA that I realised I should
> > > have
> > > obtained a proper Visa. The question on the Visa Waiver form asks if
> > > you've
> > > ever been arrested for 'Moral Turpitude' - this is the first time I've
> > > seen
> > > this word and had no idea what it meant!! Would any of this make a
> > > difference if I were already married to a US citizen? It was a minor
> > > crime
> > > for which there were huge mitigating circumstances.
> > >
> > > Joe.
> > >
> > > <[email protected]> wrote in message
> > > news:[email protected] ups.com...
> > > You have previously lied to the immigration authorities ... that's
> > > serious stuff.
> > >
> > > If there is no record on your police report, you may get away with it
> > > by remaining consistent with your lie ... but nobody in this newsgroup
> > > would recommend that course of action (not because of the likelyhood
> > > of
> > > getting caught, but because we don't recommend dishonest behavior).
> > >
> > > If you choose to disclose your criminal record (and thereby disclosing
> > > that you previoulsy lied), you would have a tough case : you criminal
> > > record would have probably have been forgiven, and you would have been
> > > been able to come to the US, chances are that you wouldn't even needed
> > > a waiver.
> > > However, lying to US immigration is serious stuff, you will need a
> > > very
> > > good immigration attorney to get away with that one.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > JoeBrown wrote:
> > > > Ok, apologies in advance, but I'm sure a lot of the following has
> > > > already
> > > > been covered, I'm after good advice and resources to read...
> > > >
> > > > I am a UK citizen. I have known my (now) fiancé (US citizen born
> > > > and
> > > > bred)
> > > > on and off for around 20 years by way of writing (penpals), later
> > > > emails
> > > > etc, but we finally met up recently in Las Vegas and fell madly in
> > > > love
> > > > and
> > > > got engaged.
> > > >
> > > > I plan to sell up and move to the US (I will have around $100,000 to
> > > > bring
> > > > with me, not as much as I'd like, but divorce wipes you out).
> > > >
> > > > Is it best if we're married before applying (i.e. get a quick
> > > > marriage
> > > > in
> > > > Vegas, then apply for residency)?
> > > >
> > > > I do have a criminal record from years ago for a minor thing
> > > > (handling
> > > > stolen goods, community punishment order, not custodial sentence,
> > > > not
> > > > drugs,
> > > > just a stupid thing, one-off) - would than make any difference
> > > > (declaring
> > > > before or after marriage)? I did enter the US without declaring
> > > > this
> > > > with
> > > > no problems.
> > > >
> > > > Any advice and/or pointers to internet resource, step-by-step guide
> > > > for
> > > > someone in my position, or a good agency to contact will be GREATLY
> > > > appreciated.
> > > >
> > > > TIA, Joe.
