billyboom

Forgive the brashness of the thread title, but I'm just trying to cut to the chase.

I'm a UK resident, girlfriend is an American in Los Angeles.

I'm planning to go over there next month. From what I've read and understood from this forum, me marrying the girl is pretty much the only way to stay in the country for a sustained period of time and eventually for good.

But I really wanna know, after getting married, what can I do?

I can't work (straight away) right?

Can I take driving lessons?

Can I study at universities/colleges?

Basically, I would like to know what I can legally do in the first 3 months of marriage. Anything? Or do I have to wait a long time for paperwork to come through...etc..

Apologies if this has been asked time and time before. I've been doing a fair bit of reading on various websites, but would like to get some actual human responses.

Thanks a lot.

Elvira

It is LEGAL to get married in the US and return to the UK to wait for an immigrant visa (which obviously requires a certain amount of form-filling and jumping through various hoops).

The alternative is filing for a K1 visa before moving to the US.

It is ILLEGAL to get married in the US with the INTENT to stay and adjust status. (This is also known as the 10-foot-pole issue...)

Please read the Wiki and READ ME threads to familiarise yourself with the process and come back with specific questions. (But post in the Marriage Based Immigration forum.)

meauxna

Yeah, your plan is illegal.

If you're married to a USC, eventually you may apply to be a Permanent Resident, one way or another.
This is what PRs can do:
Now That You Are A Permanent Resident

I'd like to clarify that to make it even stronger, E.

It is illegal to present yourself at the border as a visitor (implicit in the VWP use) with the intention of immigrating on that visit.
AKA lying aka material misrepresentation aka fraud.

VWP entrants also sign away all of their right to appeal by using that entry method. Despite whatever stories you've heard in the past, things are changing and more people are getting caught straight out with it. For others, it blows up on them later.

billyboom

Thanks for the replies.

So basically, even after I get married it doesn't give me a license to do anything.

I must go home after 90 days and wait for my immigrant visa. And then return to the USA. THAT'S when I will be able to do stuff.

Rete

Well you can come and visit and then go home and have your US GF file the I-129F for the start of your fiancee visa. When that is all completed and you have the visa in your passport from the US Consulate in London, you come back to the US going through JFK in New York so that you get the 90 day EAD stamp in your passport, get married, stay, get your social security number, and find a job. You drive on your UK license until you get your one year EAD and then you apply for your California license. You can go to school but the school will determine what your tutition fees will be, as they are the ones to decide if you are to considered a resident of the state for lower tutition or not.

BTW the US is in the middle of a very bad recession. No telling if you will be able to find employment that you concern worthy of you or not.

Just Jenney

One thing you can do right away -- without even being married -- is not to refer to your beloved as "the girl."

~ Jenney

billyboom

I know, I know...I realise that I haven't been using the right wording here, but for the benefit of the forum, I'm gonna skip all the lovey-dovey talk. And besides, to everyone in this forum, she is just "a girl".

Trixie_b

hahahahah my thoughts exactly!!!!!!!!!

Ash UK/US

Me too... Are you marrying 'the girl' for the purpose of becoming a US resi or do you actually love her?

meauxna

Like MrF likes to say, "What's love got to do with it?".

The marriage must not be entered into solely for the immigration benefit.

hobbes79

The girl

billyboom

No, I hate her guts.

As soon as she marries me, I'm going to chop her up into little pieces, put her in a suitcase and throw her into the Pacific Ocean.

meauxna

No one ever told you about not joking in the airport about carrying a bomb, did they?

billyboom

Oh, plenty. But in case you hadn't noticed...we're not in an airport now.

hobbes79

Oh, I did that once in the moment of MASSIVE irritation. My laptop had been stolen from outside the terminal... problem being the passports of myself and my family were also in the laptop bag.

I noticed within seconds it had been taken and quickly went anywhere I could go to get security... or police... anyone!?!?

The best suggestion I got was to phone airport security from my cell phone and ask them to come to the terminal... hello, aren't airports meant to be covered in security these days??? Did that, and got an answering machine!!!

It was at that point I said "it's fine, I'll just say I have a bomb".

I got a look of incredible irritation, though unsurprisingly, still no police so no need to worry... another 45 mins for someone to show up...