mrh12

A company is offering to sponsor my L1 visa to move to the US. I'm trying to make sure my partner can come with me to live as well. She doesn't need to work, but I understand that repeatedly requesting a visitor's visa will make it less likely to get approved, as she's essentially living there (which is true, so I can't really complain!).

I'm looking at options for including her in my L1 visa directly.
1. Is civil partnership a suitable legal binding, or is marriage the only way?
2. How difficult is it to update the visa with a spouse? For example, can I get married while applying for my own L1 visa, then add my partner to it later while she's on a visitor's visa?

Thanks!

scrubbedexpat099

Does a company mean your Employer?

Marriage for a L2, she is not added.

I am not aware of too many issues getting a B2 as a cohabiting partner of a L1.

mrh12

Yes, my employer. I've been with them for over a year and L1 is definitely what I'd be applying for.

Does that mean she could stay with me using a visitor's visa, then apply for a B2 from there?

scrubbedexpat099

B2 is a visitors visa, and visas are applied for outside a country to allow somebody to enter it.

tht

While not visa related you may also want to consider a few other things, if your future US employer will cover a “civil partner” on your health insurnace would be the first… buying that separate could be expensive.

It may also be wise to understand the difference in how you will be taxed as “civil partners” vs. married, especially if she is not working. It works differently to the UK and if you file married here and only 1 works you get a higher standard deduction to cover both of you. Not sure if you can get a SSN or ITIN or B1.

scrubbedexpat099

L2 is work authoried so can get EAD and SSN

S Folinsky

Household members can obtain a B-2 visa to accompany or join a long term non-immigrant in the US. This has often been used for unmarried domestic partners, parents, etc. Before gay marriage became legal, it was used quite often for gay couples.

Scroll down to “cohabiting partners” at this link in the Foreign Affairs Manual.

SanDiegogirl

Don't you have to renew the B2 every 6 months or so, and also show that you have residency outside of US?
Seems like a pain if one is wanting to live permanently in the US

destone

You can petition for L-2 after marriage. Your L-1 has zero to do with your dependents at the time of your company's original L-1 petition. In my case, my daughter was born in the UK three months after my L-1 approval. Securing L-2 for her was easy and just required a routine London U.S. Embassy appointment.

Rete

An L visa does not allow one to live in the US permanently. It also has to be renewed. While a green card application is a possibility if the company offers to sponsor him, his partner and he can marry at that time and she can be included in the change of status and get a green card as well.

Not sure if you have to leave the US every six months if you are a co-habiting partner.

S Folinsky

In the link I provided, the FAM suggests that the visa holder should request admission for a year. Also, the consular officer can make a notation on the visa that it is a cohabiting family member.

Also, I am not assuming that OP is free to marry the partner. For example, OP may be married but estranged from the legal spouse. So, the current live in partner can obtain a B-2 (but their children can obtain L-2).