[dblume]

What is the first thing we would need to do for my fiancée from England to come over here so that we could be married?

[dblume]

What is the first thing we need to do for my fiancée to come to the U.S. in order for us to be married? I am a U.S. citizen.

[smoothy]

Where do ou plan on living afterwards. Getting married doesn't give her the right to live here... nor does it guarantee she can ever get a green card... and that Green card might takes years to get and she wouldn't be allowed to be here during that period.

I went through this... Born and raised here to American Parents. Wife Italian Citizen, Took me several years, thousands of dollars... and still got absolutely nowhere until I pulled some political strings which got action or I would have been fighting yeas more. Most people can't do wat I got done.

Problem was't incompetance at ONE INS office.....I ran into the same problems at TWO INS offices in two states.

I have a friend.. a Citizen, child born here, 10 years fighting, over $100,000 spent, to get a final court ruling the wife will NEVER be issued a green card.

She can become illegal after only 6 months here and trigger a 10 year ban...

You need to think this through because you have one heck of a lot of work and expense ahead of you. Consider getting a UK VISA to live and work there while you process one here.


You don't need anything to get married, outside of a marriage liscense, tourists can do that.....its everything else that poses the problem for you..

There are some people that might argue otherwise...but they haven't walked in my shoes....

[newacct]

What is the first thing we need to do for my fiancée to come to the U.S. in order for us to be married? I am a U.S. citizen.

Probably the easiest way is to petition her for a fiancée visa. File I-129F.

[dblume]

We plan to live in U.S. I am sorry for all the trouble you have had! What do you mean by a 10-year ban after becoming illegal? How important is it to get a Green card? Neither one of us has much money at all. How do you get a UK Visa and would he only be able to live here temporarily? I would HATE to have him here and then have to say goodbye to him!

[tickle]

He means that if you overstay a visa, then you have a ten year ban from entering the US again.

If you want to work in the US, you must have a green card. Please pay attention to 'newacct's post regarding your situation, and I strongly suggest you get in touch with US Immigration before making any plans, just to be on the safe side.

[smoothy]

As a tourist she can only be here 6 months and not allowed to work... if she doesn't leave she becomes illegal and triggers a 10 year ban from being allowed to apply.

Even on a fiancees visa... it might expire long before she ever gets a green card... assuming she ever is. Its not a sure thing. Too many people are under the false impression its automatic and marrying an American citizen makes it a sure thing. Might have been true 50 years ago... it wasn't true even 20 years ago... and if anything its far more expensive now... and the lines are even longer.

Might be worth hiring an immigrations attorney. Its still not a sure thing... but they like giving people the wrong forms and wrong applications to collect fees off that will be rejected and given different forms which require new fees which will eventually be rejected... and so on and so on...

It's a racket to separate you from your money and delay doing what you are trying to do.

Like I said... if it was one office... I'd say incompetence... but this happened several times in each of two different offices in two different states... (yes I moved during the process) Same problems at BOTH offices meaning its institutionalized... and not a random incompetent government employee.

Lord knows how long it would have taken... how much I would have spent if I had not talked to just the right person about it when I did... (A Delegate) who talked to an influential person in the House or Representatives who walked the papers as a favor and was lied to by the very same people who lied to me... only he knew better.

Won't give names but lets say... what resulted next redefined the phrase "expedited service".

Something so far over what I was even hoping for...and something nobody could reasonably expect. He earned my solid support ever since...( and I wasn't even his constituent when he helped me)...I moved into his district after he did this.

[dblume]

If he came over here as a tourist and then went back to the UK, how long after that could he come back over as a tourist again?

[newacct]

If he came over here as a tourist and then went back to the UK, how long after that could he come back over as a tourist again?

I thought your fiancé wants to come over to get married and immigrate. Why are you asking about coming over here as a tourist now? (Also, I thought it was a "fiancée", hence it was a "she", not "he".)

He/she could come as a tourist and go back. But that doesn't help him/her immigrate. Since he/she intends to immigrate, he/she should not come over here as a tourist.

I have mentioned a little already, but there are basically 2 correct ways to get your fiancé(e) here to immigrate:

• K-1 fiancé(e) visa. You petition him/her. After going through the process (may take a few months), they get the visa through the U.S. consulate. They come here. You guys get married within 90 days. He/she files for Adjustment of Status. As soon as he/she files for adjustment of status, he/she is authorized to stay in the U.S. as long as it is pending. They stay in the U.S. during this time. When it is approved, they become a permanent resident.
• IR-1/CR-1 Immigrant visa. You guys get married first (anywhere). Then he/she stays in his/her home country. You petition him/her. After that is approved, he/she goes through consular processing at the U.S. consulate in his/her home country. At the end, he/she gets an immigrant visa. Upon entry to the U.S. with that visa, he/she immediately becomes a permanent resident.

Both ways are pretty straightforward and lots of people do it themselves. The two ways differ in where your fiancé(e) will be during the process (K-1 is part in home country and part in U.S. whereas CR-1 will be all in home country).

[dblume]

Sorry about the mix up about he or she. HE does want to immigrate here. We DO want to be married. We have never met in person, except on webcam (almost everyday for over four years). I think we have to meet in person first, right? Thank you for the info you gave me on the K-1 Fiancé visa and IR-1/CR-1 Immigrant visa.

[newacct]

Sorry about the mix up about he or she. HE does want to immigrate here. We DO want to be married. We have never met in person, except on webcam (almost everyday for over four years). I think we have to meet in person first, right? Thank you for the info you gave me on the K-1 Fiancé visa and IR-1/CR-1 Immigrant visa.

You have to have met in the last 2 years in order to petition for K-1 Fiancé visa.

Plus, immigration is a big commitment so in any case neither you nor him want to do this without spending time together in real life.

[visacoach]

What is the FIRST thing?

Book a ticket to fly to meet each other face to face.

Both the US government and common sense require you to know him much better,
Before you make marriage plans, before you begin the process for immigration.

Once you fully, truly, know marriage is the plan, then AFTER your face to face
You can continue as follows:

Here is how the process works:

What you should apply for is called a Fiancée or K1 visa. Once approved your foreign Fiancé will be allowed to LEGALLY enter the USA for the purpose of marrying you,
Then permanently remaining in the USA.


To summarize.

First of all you have a real courtship and relationship and you both intend to get married.

Then check that you both meet the eligibility requirements: You are a US citizen. You both are currently 'free to marry'. You earn over $15,510 annual income. You have met each other 'face to face' at least once, during the past two years.

You will have to 'prove' that you have a real, genuine, 'bone fide' relationship. You do this by presenting copies of correspondences, photos, letters, plane tickets, etc.

You should make sure that you build from the start a solid 'paper trail' of the communications of your relationship. This means itemized telephone records, emails, instant messages, voip calls, snail mail, packages. If you use prepaid telephone cards make sure yours gives you an itemized call list or find a different card to use..

When traveling to visit your fiancée, take plenty of photos, vary the shots, locations, wardrobes. Meet his family, and friends. Document with photos. Turn date stamping on.

Don't move too quickly. Couples who instantly fall in love and get engaged or married may be suspected of fraud. Go slowly, build your relationship.

Once your relationship gets serious, don't let too much time elapse between trips to meet each other "Face to Face". The longer the separation, the more suspect the relationship is. I recommend travel to meet with your Fiancé at least every 6 to 9 months.

Once your relationship has progressed, you have made 1 or more trips, and you have abundant proof of your relationship. Then You apply for the visa, to USCIS, Homeland Security.

Then about 6 to 8 months later he will be asked to come to the US embassy for his interview. If all goes well he will be granted your visa, come to the USA and you can then marry.

Once you marry, he applies for his Green Card and then can remain together with you permanently in the USA.

Costs:

$340 Fiancée visa filing fee, when You originally apply to USCIS
$200 medical exam fee, just prior to his interview
$240 Visa application fee, just prior to his interview

[smoothy]

And it it goes that smoothly its time you run out and buy some lottery tickets before your luck runs out.

[dblume]

Once he visits for a face-to-face visit, how long can he stay in the US until he has to go back to England? Also, I do not make $15,000 a year. Would that number include if he was able to find a job here in the US?