richardsgirl

Hi,

I am a USC and my boyfriends is a UKC. We have only been dating for about 6 months and we are both young with less than amazing incomes in our respective countries, making it difficult to do a ton of travelling back and forth. We really want to be together in the same country (preferrably the US since I just got back from travelling through Europe for 8 months) but we don't think we're ready to get married (or engaged) to deal with the immigration issues. I am curious to know how other people have dealt with similar situations. How do you spend time together to know or decide that your bicontinental relationship will work long-term in a more permanent (married) state? Maybe this isn't an appropriate post for this forum, but I would think everyone here would have had some experience with this problem at some point if they know about marriage-based visas. We've both done a fair amount of research and we've both stayed with the other in their respective country for at least three weeks. I guess we're just wondering if there is some loophole (doubtful) or another way to spend more extensive time together before fully plunging into engagement and marriage. What have other people done before applying for the marriage-based visa?

Any and all suggestions/stories/websites are greatly appreciated!
-T.

sime303

If you are very serious I would say just go ahead and get engaged. Start the K1 process. Should take less than a year to get the Visa and he can come and visit on the VWP in the mean time.

He can come here for up to 90 days on the VWP but under no circumstances what so ever should he overstay on the VWP, not even by a day.

If you can't afford to travel back and forth and you don't want to get married just yet then get a good webcam and some phone cards or an internet phone thingy.

I myself travelled over once or twice a year as did my future wife to visit me in the UK. We did that for about 2 years and spent a lot of time and money on the phone (was late 90's before broadband).

californian

I met my now husband whilst I was studying on a study abroad program in the UK. Afterwards, we wanted to test the waters so I came back to the UK and worked on the BUNAC work visa. You only get 6 months and to be eligible you must have been in school w/in the past 6 months (which is sounds like you have not been). There are a limited number of "gap programs" that will allow the UKC to come to the US. We did not do much research into them b/c they were more limiting with respect to work.

Another thing you may want to consider is for you both to live/work in a neutral country, such as Canada or Australia --- which you will find easier to get work visas for. Similar programs as the above operate in both. But it also easier (than in the UK or the US) to obtain points based work visas.

Another option that many student types explore is pursuing a degree in their significant other's country. The US offers visas for many types of schooling.

I know you said neither of you have high power jobs but another option is to look into intra-company transfers.

Unfortunately, many of these options won't be viable in a lot of cases . . . but these are the things *we* looked into. The first option worked for us -- after BUNAC I went home and applied for UK fiance visa (you cannot get married in the UK w/o proper residency, which BUNAC does not provide). We got married 1 month later and afterwards I adjusted status to a 2 year marriage visa.

Good luck to you.

richardsgirl

Thanks for the responses, we really appreciate it. We discussed it this morning, and we are just going to start the application process. We're also looking at me going to the UK on their marriage-based visa which sounds slightly easier and faster. Thanks again!
-T.

californian

Definitely check this forum for tips on USCs going to the UK on the Marriage Visa --- as many people here have done this (some as they wait for the UKC to be *let in* to the US).

Step 1: Check out BritianUSA which contains everything you need to know about the relatively pain free process of coming to the UK!

Noorah101

In my case, I met my (now) husband briefly in 1997 while I was on vacation in Turkey. I felt there could be something there, but didn't pursue it then, because I had no time to get to know him while I was there, and figured I'd never see him again after that. In 2001, I went to Turkey again on vacation, looked him up, and he was still there (took a little detective work, but I found him), On that trip, we spent a week together, both felt the spark, and decided we wanted to get to know each other better. We spent 2 years having a long-distance telephone relationship, and in 2003 we decided we were serious enough to get engaged, so I went to Turkey again and we did a formal engagement. I stayed 3 weeks on that trip. When I retured to the USA I started the K-1 fiance visa process. In 2004 he got his visa interview, so I went to Turkey again and stayed 2 weeks. He got approved, we came back to the USA together, got married 2 weeks after that, and just celebrated our 4th wedding anniversary in April.

As you can see, we didn't spend a whole lot of time together in person, it was too far and expensive for me to travel to see him, and he was unable to get a visitor's visa to the USA. So we got to know each other during those 2 years on the phone, we knew the spark was there in person anyway, and took the plunge. It was the best decision either of us had ever done, and it worked out 100% for us. As you can also see, it wasn't a fast decision for us, we met first in 1997 and he got his visa in 2004. We just took our time with it all.

Best Wishes
Rene

penguinbar

My fiancee and I met online in April of 2007. We chatted on MSN and then on the phone. He booked a trip to New York from Scotland two weeks later. We had an amazing week and knew that this was something. Wetalked on the phone every day until I went to Scotland to see him in August. Stayed for a week. We discussed marriage but nothing was formalised. I made plans to go to Scotland again inNovember. He propsed on the phone in September because he didn't want to wait to be engaed to me. He did it formally in November. I styed another week. He came to the States in February for a week. I went to Scotland in June. He had his visa interview and we had our engagement party. The visa was approved nd he will be coming here in October or November.We have talked on the phone every day since we have met. Technically we have only spent a month together and got engaged four months after we met. It's not always about the length of time.Long distance is hard but it can work! Think long and hard before making any major decisons. You mentioned that you are both young. Good luck with everythin!

Tsboy

Thanks for all the feedback so far, I am the guy that richardsgirl is referring to in this thread. Its really good to hear of people who are or have been in a similar situation. Earlier in the thread it mentions we are young, just to clarify we are both 26 so I guess its not super young. Its annoying that in two developed English speaking nations its seems so limited as to the options available to be with the person you love! From looking at a few sites it looks like if we go for the UK fiancée visa it seems it is processed a lot quicker than its counterpart in the USA. Has anyone any experience of this? Also as my girlfriend would rather stay in the US how would a potential UK fiancée visa (if we hypothetically got marred) work if we both decided to move to the US (basically would we still have to go through the same complex long process for the US)? We both really appreciate your help and responses, thanks.
Richard

Noorah101

Yes, check out www.uk-yankee.com.

Yes, you would still do all the lengthy complicated paperwork for your US visa, unless she stays in the UK long enough and with a permanent status in order to file the I-130 directly in London, which makes the process only about 6 months as opposed to 10 months, but if she doesn't want to live in the UK that long, don't count on that method. But the paperwork and requirements are all the same anyway, for your US immigrant visa...whether she applies from the UK or from the USA.

Rene

Noorah101

US Immigration doesn't distinguish between countries. They treat every immigrant the same, whether they are from an English-speaking developed country, or from a non-English speaking third world country. When it comes to Immigration, no one has a big advantage over anyone else, which is how it should be, in all fairness...so try not to let that annoy you. You are being treated as an equal opportunity immigrant.

Rene

meauxna

How can a UK fiance visa be faster for living in the US?

The right tool for the job.
If you want to live in the US, you have to look at the tools that will get you to the US.

californian

Hi Richard,

The UK Fiance visa is processed quite quick (you'll have to check the Britain USA website for current processing times, but when I did it was 5-10 days), and unlike the US Fiance visa it gives you 6 months to marry. You can't, however, work on the UK Fiance visa (when your Fiance adjusts status to a Marriage Visa she would be able to work).

If your GF came to the UK on a Fiance visa and then adjusted status to a Marriage Visa and was willing to stay for a while it might speed up the processing of your US Green Card, in that she could file the petition (for *Alien* Spouse) in London. Now, when I say a while, you might read *6 months* is the period of time it takes but as I have posted on this forum before, it is really up to the Embassy as to whether or not they will accept her petition. If she gains Indefinite Leave to Remain (she can apply 2 years after the marriage visa) then they will most likely accept her petition. If you're able to file in London the process is much easier and less time consuming. But if you're looking for the quickest route back to States, rather than the less leisurely, these are my thoughts . . .

It would be feasible for your GF to come into the UK on the Fiance Visa and then after she marries you she could file her petition in the US (and could adjust her status here, so that she could work while your GC was being processed). It is currently taking about 10 months to receive a GC when the petition is filed in the US. Which means, theoretically, if your GF came in on the Fiance Visa the two of your could move back to the States within a year.

I hope this helps.

Noorah101

Insert "Immigrant Visa" in place of "green card" in the paragraph above. The OP won't get a green card until he enters the USA using an Immigrant Visa.

It takes 10 months or so regardless of where they get married or whether the GF lives in the UK during the process or not. The only advantage would be that she could stay with him in the UK while the Immigrant Visa processes...that is, if she can still qualify for the I-864 affidavit of support if she gives up her job in the USA to live in the UK with him for a while.

Rene

californian

I was trying to get a lot out there in a short reply but I should have cleared this up.

This is also true but it sounds like they just want to be together and give this relationship a real go!


Don't let this freak you too much, Richard & GF. A co-sponsor might be necessary (one her parents might need to help) as it sounds like she has been traveling for some time and probably not earning an income.

Just Jenney

The K1 visa is not a "getting-to-know-you-better" visa. It's for engaged couples who are looking to marry in the US. A statement of intent to marry is part of the I-129F petition, which is the first stage of the K1 process. In this statement, both partners must declare that they are engaged to the other, and that they intend to marry each other within 90 days of the foreign fiance(e)'s entry to the US on the approved K1 visa.

The OP has said that they are not ready to get engaged, much less get married. Submitting a statement of intent to marry means they would be knowingly providing false information with the I-129F petition. The last thing anyone should do is lie on an immigration application and/or to immigration officials.

~ Jenney