Immigration to the USA please help!
 

Good Evening,

I wondered if you could help me!

My partner lives in the USA (Nebraska) and we have been together for a while. We have discussed getting married in the future, but because of her pharmcutical certificate it will only allow her to practice in her state alone (for now) so she wants to stay in the US.

I also have a brother (same mum), who is a permenant resident in the US and lives in NY.

I have looked for hours on the internet for a simple explanation of where I need to start the process obtaining a visa and what options I'd have.

I myself have a HCE in Construction Management and currently Drywall in the UK.. I don't know whether my qualification and background wosuld help me obtain a visa.

I just need someone to break down what my options are and where I need to start.

Any help would be amazing!

Thanks,

Josh

Re: Immigration to the USA please help!
 

http://britishexpats.com/wiki/Comparison_of_marriage-based_visas

Sounds like you're getting married and moving to Nebraska.

Re: Immigration to the USA please help!
 

Married and move to Nebraska.

What's the worst that could happen? Penny comes from there!

Re: Immigration to the USA please help!
 

It's a beautiful place! Nice reference to the BBT, I love that show too.

I have just been on the US Visa Website and found some kinda useful info. But they make it sound so hard!

Do you know how long this process takes?

Re: Immigration to the USA please help!
 

If your spouse lives in the US, it'll take 8-10 months to get your visa after you get married, but you can work immediately after you have cleared immigration on arrival in the US with your visa. You can visit the US while your visa is being processed, but you will need to be in the UK for your medical, your interview, and to respond if you are asked for furthur evidence (RFE).

A K-1 fiancé visa is an alternative, but you are unlikely to be able to work for about five months after you arrive in the US. You have 90 days to get married after you arrive on a K-1 fiance visa. You also have to "adjust status" from you fiancé status to a married status, which requires more forms and of course, more fees.

Re: Immigration to the USA please help!
 

8-10 months start to finish.

Check the link I posted for comparison of your options.

This will likely need moving to the marriage forum.

Re: Immigration to the USA please help!
 

If we got married and I stayed in the UK. What visa process would I take instead of the K-1? I must admit, I've looked into the K-1 Visa and it seems the easiest. But then again, I don't know much at the moment.

The govt website gives a lot of information that is hard to understand.

Re: Immigration to the USA please help!
 

If you get married then return to the UK to apply for a visa the visa will be a CR-1. Despite having been a member of BE for 15 years, and very active for about half of those years, I have only come to realize in the past few weeks that many people are plumping for the K-1 fiancé(e) visa because they aren't aware of the CR-1 process and how it works.

In truth neither the K-1 nor the CR-1 are "ideal", but the CR-1 can have a significant cost advantage because the immigrant spouse can work right up until they leave for the US with their CR-1 visa, and they can work immediately upon arrival in the US. When I got my CR-1, I worked until October 31, left the UK on November 6, and started work on November 12 - that was all in 2001. :)

Re: Immigration to the USA please help!
 

Scroll up the page where this thread is located and you'll see the section heading for the forum on marriage based visas. You'll find lots of info there, along with a comparison of the fiancé and spouse visas.

Re: Immigration to the USA please help!
 

That's great advice, thanks a lot! I was thinking maybe the CR-1 visa would be more ideal in the long run as I'd be able to work straight away. So it would be the one I'd naturally go for.

If I went to the US to marry and return. Would I be able to do so on a normal travel visa? Or would I have to apply for one to be married? That's the only other question I have.

It seems like a really intense process, of course it will be worth it in the end. :)

Re: Immigration to the USA please help!
 

If you are eligible to use the VWP, you will not need a travel visa. Also if you are planning leaving the US for the UK after your marriage you do not need a visa to enter the US to marry and then leave before your VWP stay expires.

It is NOT an intense process. It is only appears so because you are overwhelmed with too much information to take in at the moment. The process is simple and straightforward and easily done. The only way for it not to be successful is if you, the foreigner, have a criminal history or a medical issue that is communicable or injurious to yourself or others.

Please read the links listed in the posts above.

Re: Immigration to the USA please help!
 

Thanks helpful! Thanks.

Fortunately I have no criminal record and I'm rather healthy (Touch wood).

Thanks for all the advice! I'm feeling more confident about the process now.

Re: Immigration to the USA please help!
 

I'm closing this thread as the OP has started a thread in the marriage forum.

Rene
Moderator