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Advice on marrying my American boyfriend

Advice on marrying my American boyfriend

Old May 11th 2008, 12:12 am
  #31  
 
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Default Re: Advice on marrying my American boyfriend

Originally Posted by Raoul Duke
I'm looking into doing this and was just wondering about the timescales other people were working on.

EDIT: also, is there a minimum time you have to have been engaged for/known your partner for before you can apply this way?

Cheers
hi new folks!
I've *got* to know about this username; I like it!

first, let me direct you all to the freshly updated wiki pages, starting here
http://britishexpats.com/wiki/K1

You'll see there that the first step is for the USC/US citizen to petition, enabling you to apply for a visa after petition approval.
In order to file a petition, the petitioner must
-be a USC,
-intend to marry the beneficiary (foreign fiance) within 90 days of fiance arriving in the US,
-be free to marry on the day the petition goes in (same for the beneficiary--all divorces final with decree absolute)
-met the beneficiary in person at least once sometime in the past 24 months

There is no minimum time you must know each other or have been engaged.
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Old May 11th 2008, 12:32 am
  #32  
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Default Re: Advice on marrying my American boyfriend

Yeah as meauxna states as long as you have met within the past 2 years (as you obviously have) you'll be fine, aslong as you don't have any criminal convictions/medical problems that is!

Good luck, you are lucky that you get to spend 6 months with your g/f before marriage, a lot of people in long distance relationships spend a lot less time together
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Old May 11th 2008, 2:12 am
  #33  
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Default Re: Advice on marrying my American boyfriend

Originally Posted by Raoul Duke
Do you know anything about my other question? (minimum time you need to have been engaged for before you can apply for a visa and so on).

Thanks for the info.
You do not need to be engaged any minimum amount of time before filing the I-129F. You just have to have met in person at least once within the 2 years just before filing the I-129F.

Rene
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Old May 11th 2008, 11:56 am
  #34  
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Default Re: Advice on marrying my American boyfriend

Originally Posted by meauxna
hi new folks!
I've *got* to know about this username; I like it!

first, let me direct you all to the freshly updated wiki pages, starting here
http://britishexpats.com/wiki/K1
Hi all, thanks for the info. I've read the Wiki pages, very useful.

My username is a pseudonym used by the late, great Hunter Thomspon. He wrote Fear & Loathing In Las Vegas.

Cheers.
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Old May 11th 2008, 12:15 pm
  #35  
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Default Re: Advice on marrying my American boyfriend

Originally Posted by Raoul Duke
... minimum time you need to have been engaged for before you can apply for a visa...
About one minute... maybe not even that long!

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Old May 14th 2008, 5:51 am
  #36  
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Default Re: Advice on marrying my American boyfriend

Hiya everyone,

I'm a newbie!

I'm in a similar situation to you Haircolourist, I have an American boyf, wanna move to the U.S to be with him and we're discussed marriage. Flying back n forth between London to NY is taking its toll. I just want us to be together - all the time!! We miss one another so much.

How long does the process typically take from start to finish?? How soon could I be in the U.S? We talking under a year? A year?

Thanks - didn't wanna start a new thread as I thought my question was kinda relevant to the original posters question too.

Thanks everyone
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Old May 14th 2008, 10:46 am
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Default Re: Advice on marrying my American boyfriend

Originally Posted by Blushbaby
Hiya everyone,

I'm a newbie!

I'm in a similar situation to you Haircolourist, I have an American boyf, wanna move to the U.S to be with him and we're discussed marriage. Flying back n forth between London to NY is taking its toll. I just want us to be together - all the time!! We miss one another so much.

How long does the process typically take from start to finish?? How soon could I be in the U.S? We talking under a year? A year?

Thanks - didn't wanna start a new thread as I thought my question was kinda relevant to the original posters question too.

Thanks everyone
Under a year, sure, if there's no problem or dalay.

Most say 8-10 months for the fiance visa route, I think it *might* be as fast as 6.

Don't make any firm plans until you have a visa thought, there can be unexpected delays.
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Old May 14th 2008, 11:16 am
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Default Re: Advice on marrying my American boyfriend

Originally Posted by Tracym
Under a year, sure, if there's no problem or dalay.

Most say 8-10 months for the fiance visa route, I think it *might* be as fast as 6.

Don't make any firm plans until you have a visa thought, there can be unexpected delays.
Wow, that's not long at all! You've just made my day. Yep will def apply for the visa first. We're gonna set the ball rolling in Jan 2009. We're doing all our research and just getting our finances in order first.
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Old May 14th 2008, 11:36 am
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Default Re: Advice on marrying my American boyfriend

Originally Posted by Blushbaby
Wow, that's not long at all! You've just made my day. Yep will def apply for the visa first. We're gonna set the ball rolling in Jan 2009. We're doing all our research and just getting our finances in order first.
You might also want to consider getting married, and applying for to come over as a spouse.

This doesn't generally take significantly longer, and you'd then arrive as a permanent resident, able to work from day 1 if you like.

You would have to get married on a visit, and then spend the time apart waiting for a visa AFTER you were married though, not the most romantic of course.
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Old May 14th 2008, 12:16 pm
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Default Re: Advice on marrying my American boyfriend

Originally Posted by Tracym
You might also want to consider getting married, and applying for to come over as a spouse.

This doesn't generally take significantly longer, and you'd then arrive as a permanent resident, able to work from day 1 if you like.

You would have to get married on a visit, and then spend the time apart waiting for a visa AFTER you were married though, not the most romantic of course.
Hmmm I've just been emailing my boyf and we've decided to start the process when we get back from Cancun in May 2009. Yeah I'd rather get married first and have the wedding the way we wanna have it, rather than do a rushed ceremony within those 90 days and then be apart for a few mths.

I was worried that getting married first and THEN applying would make the process much longer but that's good to hear that it won't. Approx hw long would we be looking at if we got married elsewhere first.

My Mum is hellbent on her only daughter having a huge white wedding with the whole family in attendence. She'd have a fit if I called her from NY with the news that I'd just gotten married *groan*

ETA: Do we HAVE to get married in either the U.S or UK - or can we get hitched elsewhere?

Last edited by Blushbaby; May 14th 2008 at 12:32 pm.
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Old May 14th 2008, 1:03 pm
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Default Re: Advice on marrying my American boyfriend

Originally Posted by Blushbaby
Hmmm I've just been emailing my boyf and we've decided to start the process when we get back from Cancun in May 2009. Yeah I'd rather get married first and have the wedding the way we wanna have it, rather than do a rushed ceremony within those 90 days and then be apart for a few mths.

I was worried that getting married first and THEN applying would make the process much longer but that's good to hear that it won't. Approx hw long would we be looking at if we got married elsewhere first.

My Mum is hellbent on her only daughter having a huge white wedding with the whole family in attendence. She'd have a fit if I called her from NY with the news that I'd just gotten married *groan*

ETA: Do we HAVE to get married in either the U.S or UK - or can we get hitched elsewhere?
OK, I'm a little confused now - if you have the "rushed" ceremony in the 90 days (presume you mean fiance visa) you would then NOT be separated.

If you do the fiance visa, you MUST be married in the U.S.

For the spousal visa, you can be married anywhere you like. You also have the option of a quickie (legal) marriage, then when you're granted the spousal visa, have the big ceremony with family later.

Here's my quickie summary of options:

1. K-1 (fiance visa)

6-10 months (ESTIMATE) visa is granted
You can *possibly* visit him while waiting
You have up to 6 months to use the visa - enter the U.S.
You have 90 days to get married
After marriage, you stay in the U.S.
Apply for adjustment of status to permanent resident (green card)
Time...? 6 months? More?
After you're married and file for AOS etc.:
May take up to 3 months or more for work permission
You cannot leave the U.S. and return until "advance parole" is granted, up to 3 months (estimate) after marriage and filing of papers

2. Get married in UK, apply for spouse visa

Apply for marriage visa for your fiance (I believe it's quick)
Have your big wedding in the UK
He returns to U.S.
Apply for spousal visa to the U.S. (8-10 months?)
You can *possibly* visit him while waiting
You enter the U.S. as a permanent resident, will get green card, can work

3. Get married in U.S. on a visit

Have a quickie marriage (or whatever you like) in the U.S.
You return to the UK
Apply for spousal visa, as in #2
You can have the big formal do wherever and whenever you like
(would technically be renewal of vows or something though,
you'd have to make sure minister or whoever doesn't mind)
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Old May 14th 2008, 1:24 pm
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Default Re: Advice on marrying my American boyfriend

Originally Posted by Blushbaby
ETA: Do we HAVE to get married in either the U.S or UK - or can we get hitched elsewhere?
Just a note here, you can get married elsewhere, but if you do, don't go for a K-3 visa. Go directly for the immigrant visa. Reason being, that the K-3 visa interview must be held in the country you got married in (unless you got married in the USA, then you have the interview in your home country).

So for example, you don't want to get married in Mexico, then start the K-3 process, and then have to fly all the way to Mexico again for your K-3 visa interview. K-3 is not the best option these days, anyway, but just wanted to give you the warning up front.

And, as Tracey said, if you do the fiance visa and get married in the USA within 90 days, you will not be separated after that. You will file for adjustment of status and remain in the USA after marriage.

Best Wishes,
Rene
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Old May 14th 2008, 1:25 pm
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Default Re: Advice on marrying my American boyfriend

Originally Posted by Noorah101
Just a note here, you can get married elsewhere, but if you do, don't go for a K-3 visa. Go directly for the immigrant visa. Reason being, that the K-3 visa interview must be held in the country you got married in (unless you got married in the USA, then you have the interview in your home country).

So for example, you don't want to get married in Mexico, then start the K-3 process, and then have to fly all the way to Mexico again for your K-3 visa interview. K-3 is not the best option these days, anyway, but just wanted to give you the warning up front.

And, as Tracey said, if you do the fiance visa and get married in the USA within 90 days, you will not be separated after that. You will file for adjustment of status and remain in the USA after marriage.

Best Wishes,
Rene
Thanks Rene - I should have clarified. I was NOT considering a K-3 an option (imo no reason for it) I was referring to the immigrant spousal visa for sure!
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Old May 14th 2008, 1:29 pm
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Default Re: Advice on marrying my American boyfriend

Originally Posted by Blushbaby
Hmmm I've just been emailing my boyf and we've decided to start the process when we get back from Cancun in May 2009.
You can expect the visa process (either for the K-1 fiance or the spouse Immigrant Visa) to take around 8 to 10 months. So you are adding time to your wait for immigration by pushing your marriage out further. That's OK, just wanting to make sure you're aware of that.

For example, if your boyfriend files the I-129F for you today, towards the K-1 visa, you'll be immigrating to the USA around March 2009 or so.

If you wait and get married in Cancun in May of 2009, you'll be immigrating around March 2010 or so. May 2009 is a whole year away, and processing times can change a lot by then, so I'm guesstimating using todays processing time. By that time, who knows...could be faster, could be slower.

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Old May 14th 2008, 1:29 pm
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Default Re: Advice on marrying my American boyfriend

I just wanted to say "good luck" to all of you who are separated from your OH during this process. My OH and I were separated during our relationship for over 3 years....it can be done...we've been married for over 17years now. In years to come you'll look back on all of this and realise how it's made you stronger in your relationship.
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