I am a British citizen and have planned a wedding in the UK with my US fiancée in June. We would like to return together to the US in July.

I spoke with a UCIS assistant who said I should either have her petition for me while I wait in the UK (6 months separated from each other after our honeymoon does not appeal to us), or I could try to return on the VWP but it would be at the discretion of the Immigration officer whether he'd let me in (I think there might be some alarm bells as they asked me lots of questions about visiting my fiancée the last time I entered).


I am currently visiting my fiancée in the US on the Visa Waiver Program. I am now considering running down to city hall and getting married here... would that be that only way to ensure we can stay together?

Marrying a US citizen does NOT automatically give you a right to live here... it does not guarantee you will actually get a green card when you apply.

Trust me... I went through hell getting my wife legal after we were married in Europe.

It took almost 2 years to do it in my case and cost thousands of dollars.

If you marry here in the US, then you can certainly apply for PR immediately. At the same time, apply for the advance parole for travel during the process and you can safely travel for another ceremony and re-enter to complete the PR process.

Congratulations and good luck!

Yes you can apply right after the marriage... but don't be surprised if she has to leave before its completed. She can only visit for 6 months before she becomes an illegal. And if they deport her... its 5-10 years before she can reapply. Forget the exact number.

The wedding ring doesn't mean they will approve the application. Its not an automatic pass.