Jupiter

Hello all,

I am a USC living in Switzerland with my Swiss fiancee. I have some
questions about the immigration process.

Question 1:
What are the advantages and disadvantages to the following approaches?
a) get married in Switzerland and then apply for a marriage visa (K-3)
b) get married in Switzerland and then apply for a fiance visa (K-3)
c) apply for a fiance visa and then get married in the USA (K-1)

Question 2:
I was working in Switzerland for the past 2 years, but I recently
became unemployed. If I am unemployed when I submit the I-134 (Affidavit
of Support), how much money would I need in my savings account? Is it very
important for me to be employed at the time I submit the I-134? If yes,
how long would I need to have been employed at a new job before
submitting the I-134? Can I be employed in a foreign country when
submitting I-134?

Question 3:
Would the petition process be much easier if I moved to the USA first,
without my fiancee? Can you think of any problems I might encounter as a
result of my living in Switzerland during the petition/application process?

Thanks!

Best Wishes,
Jupiter

Folinskyinla

Hi:

Why do you want to do a K-3? Curious minds would like to know. You can do what is called "DCF" in lay terms or "direct consular" filing.

You would have to do the I-864 rather than the I-134. Can you line up a job in the US which is waiting for you? Since you have already been employed in Switzerland, your US tax returns will show that inocme.

meauxna

Jupiter,
Ignore all that other baloney & check Folinskyinla's post.
You are eligible to file overseas and have your Swiss spouse enter the US as a Permanent Resident/Green Card Holder. All complete in one step.
Check this Guide (which is written for the USC NOT living in the foreign country) http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.php?pg=dcf and find the Immigrant Visa page of the US Consulate in Zurich for details of how to do this locally.

You may use assets held by either spouse if you've been living together +6 months already. You will use the Form I-864 and the Consulate will be aware that you've been living overseas, so your case will be unique to you. You may have some joy reasearching the term 'domicile' as applied to USCIS/DoS.

My spouse and I did this process 2.5 years ago while we were living in Greece and find that the biggest obstacle is collecting all the US-based docs that you'll need. In other words, not a big obstacle at all.
Write us back if you have questions!

Sophie T

"meauxna" <member1851@british_expats.com> wrote in message
news:[email protected] m...
    >> Hello all,
    >> I am a USC living in Switzerland with my Swiss fiancee. I have some
    >> questions about the immigration process.
    >> Question 1:
    >> What are the advantages and disadvantages to the following approaches?
    >> a) get married in Switzerland and then apply for a marriage visa (K-3)
    >> b) get married in Switzerland and then apply for a fiance visa (K-3)
    >> c) apply for a fiance visa and then get married in the USA (K-1)
    >> Question 2:
    >> I was working in Switzerland for the past 2 years, but I recently
    >> became unemployed. If I am unemployed when I submit the I-134
    >> (Affidavit
    >> of Support), how much money would I need in my savings account? Is it
    >> very
    >> important for me to be employed at the time I submit the I-134? If
    >> yes,
    >> how long would I need to have been employed at a new job before
    >> submitting the I-134? Can I be employed in a foreign country when
    >> submitting I-134?
    >> Question 3:
    >> Would the petition process be much easier if I moved to the USA first,
    >> without my fiancee? Can you think of any problems I might encounter as
    >> a
    >> result of my living in Switzerland during the petition/application
    >> process?
    >> Thanks!
    >> Best Wishes,
    >> Jupiter
    > Jupiter,
    > Ignore all that other baloney & check Folinskyinla's post.
    > You are eligible to file overseas and have your Swiss spouse enter the
    > US as a Permanent Resident/Green Card Holder. All complete in one step.
    > Check this Guide (which is written for the USC NOT living in the foreign
    > country) http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.php?pg=dcf and find the
    > Immigrant Visa page of the US Consulate in Zurich for details of how to
    > do this locally.
    > You may use assets held by either spouse if you've been living together
    > +6 months already. You will use the Form I-864 and the Consulate will be
    > aware that you've been living overseas, so your case will be unique to
    > you. You may have some joy reasearching the term 'domicile' as applied
    > to USCIS/DoS.
    > My spouse and I did this process 2.5 years ago while we were living in
    > Greece and find that the biggest obstacle is collecting all the US-based
    > docs that you'll need. In other words, not a big obstacle at all.
    > Write us back if you have questions!
    > --
    > Posted via http://britishexpats.com

Just to add a little to this post...
I believe you'll need to contact the embassy in Bern (the agencies in Geneva
and Zurich don't issue visas). We did direct consular filing there in 2000.
At the time, they allowed filing there by non-resident US citizens, but they
no longer do this as easily. That doesn't matter though, since you are a
resident in Switzerland, it should be easy. (As easy as any of this
immigration stuff gets anyway!) :-)
Good luck!
--Sophie

meauxna

Take it to PM or somewhere else.