scottie21_uk

Hi,

This is the first time i have used this forum so hello everyone.

I am a 32 year old male in the UK who has been in a relationship with a female partner aged 29 for a few years now.

My girlfriend may be getting offered a job in the US with the company she currently work for. This position looks like it will have a fixed period of 3-5 years and possibly permanent thereafter.

We are still very much in the early stages to see if things are viable however if she agrees to the position things will start moving pretty fast so we are looking at ways to make this work.

Is there any way when it comes to Visa's that i can accompany my girlfriend to the US as her partner or would i have to attempt to apply for a different visa altogether.

Whist she works fairly high up in finance i myself don't have any university education. Most of my working life was spent working for Motorola as a technician following that i have been a successful Personal Trainer. Whilst i have done well at this i fear it wont look great on paper when trying to enter another country.

Can anyone offer any advice on this situation? I have spent most of the morning googling information and it just seems to be a complete jumble sale of info out there.

Any help or starting points would be much appreciated.

penguinsix

Read this:

http://britishexpats.com/wiki/Pulask...ork_in_the_USA

Then just get married.

Hate to be blunt, but really that's your most reliable way to get a visa to enter. In fact, it might be your only way.

Do you know what type of visa she is going to get? Probably an L1 in which case you would be eligible, as a married partner, for an L2 visa. But as just a boyfriend you aren't eligible for much (and to be honest, think of all the marriage scams for visas that are out there already--just imagine if there was a 'boyfriend or girlfriend' visa--we'd be swamped with applicants).

The only visa you might have a stretch at is an H1, but absent a university degree you will need 12 years of work in a specialized industry (such as technology, law or medicine) AND some company willing to pony up the cost of applying, let alone wait the time for the paperwork to come together. I don't think you'll get an H1 as a personal trainer.

scottie21_uk

Hi Penguinsix,

Thanks for the quick reply.

Having a look through the link now. I had a sneaky suspicion that this would be the only way it would work.

Don't get me wrong we were planning on getting married at some point anyway...Just seems more that a little un-romantic to be doing it to meet the criteria of a form.

I don't have any specialised industry experience and have no family contacts in the US already.

So basically it looks like we would have to do some kinda quickie wedding? Just sounds very extreme.

Any other possibilities anyone can think of or is that what we are stuck with?

Ive read some stuff that says intent to marry within 3 months also covers it but is that only if your to marry someone who is already a US citizen?

penguinsix

The only other solution I could think of is you coming over to study for university, but that would cost a considerable amount and you would not be able to work while here (basically). But it might get you here for a year or so while you sort out 'what comes next' with your relationship.

scottie21_uk

Thanks again Penguinsix.


I shall see her tonight and go over it with her. Thanks for giving me the Visa types..Its a lot easier when someone tells you in plain English.

penguinsix

Plan B is something like this.

She comes over on her visa, you come over on Visa Waiver Program and stay 90 days. (hint: don't go through immigration together, use separate lines / agents so they don't think you are together).

After 89 days, leave. Go back to the UK. Stay awhile, a month or two or three.

Come back to the USA on the Visa Waiver program again. This is another 90 days. If things are going well, consider the marriage route. If not, then discuss other options.

This gets you nine months into her stay in the US with you being around six of those months. It also gives you a good three month 'cooling off' period in which you can really decide if you want to be together, or it is a good three months where you can plan your wedding and doing things right and steady.

No need to rush necessarily.

Noorah101

Hi Scottie, welcome to BE.

You can try for a B2 cohabitating partner visa. If you can prove you've been living together for a while, this might work for you, although you'll still be a visitor in the USA...you won't be able to work, might be difficult to get drivers license and ID, no SSN, etc.

If you haven't been living together, this route won't work for you anyway.

Rene

ian-mstm

You might want to consider marriage as a means of both of you living together on the same continent! When you look at it that way, it puts immigration in perspective.

Ian

scrubbedexpat099

Or a job on The Biggest Loser?