Just starting the process

[GoddessGrrrl 0]

Hello everyone! On August 1st, I married my husband (I'm still all giddy when I get to say that!) in Sheffield, England. He is a citizen there and has lived there all his life, and I have lived in the US all mine. We are trying to get him over here, but we are both feeling very overwhelmed about the whole process.

I am under the impression that I file the I-130 first, then once that is recieved I file the I-129F so he can come here and wait for his immigration visa to come through.

If anyone here has been through this before and has ANY advice or wants to share their timelines with me, I would appreciate it so very much.

[payxibka 10,045]

Hello everyone! On August 1st, I married my husband (I'm still all giddy when I get to say that!) in Sheffield, England. He is a citizen there and has lived there all his life, and I have lived in the US all mine. We are trying to get him over here, but we are both feeling very overwhelmed about the whole process.

I am under the impression that I file the I-130 first, then once that is recieved I file the I-129F so he can come here and wait for his immigration visa to come through.

If anyone here has been through this before and has ANY advice or wants to share their timelines with me, I would appreciate it so very much.

No, submission of the I-129F does NOT mean he can simply or freely come here and wait for his visa to come through... If he desires to come here to visit (read VISIT not STAY), he would need to do that under a tourist visa or the VWP. As always, his entry could be denied.

Edited September 16, 2008 by fwaguy

[KYlady 1]

Hello everyone! On August 1st, I married my husband (I'm still all giddy when I get to say that!) in Sheffield, England. He is a citizen there and has lived there all his life, and I have lived in the US all mine. We are trying to get him over here, but we are both feeling very overwhelmed about the whole process.

I am under the impression that I file the I-130 first, then once that is recieved I file the I-129F so he can come here and wait for his immigration visa to come through.

If anyone here has been through this before and has ANY advice or wants to share their timelines with me, I would appreciate it so very much.

No, submission of the I-129F does NOT mean he can simply or freely come here and wait for his visa to come through... If he desires to come here to visit (read VISIT not STAY), he would need to do that under a tourist visa or the VWP. As always, his entry could be denied.

There are a few options that you may want to look at. This is information that an immigration attorney sent me. It may be of some assistance. GOOD LUCK!! Of course the first one will not work for you since you are already married. CONGRATS on that!

IMMIGRATION OPTIONS FOR THE FIANCE OF A U.S. CITIZEN

There are three options for the fiancé of an U.S. citizen who wants to immigrate to the United States: 1) K-1 visa, 2) immigrant visa, or 3) K-3 visa.

OPTION 1: K-1 VISA.

The first option is the K-1 visa. This is for a couple who are engaged but not yet married. The first step is to file an application for the K-1 visa. It takes approximately 6 months to obtain the approval. After the approval, the fiancé is scheduled for an interview at the U.S. embassy or consulate in the country where the fiancé lives. After receiving the visa, the fiancé enters the United States in K-1 status. The fiancé must either marry the U.S. citizen or depart the United States within 90 days after his/her arrival in the U.S.

After the fiancé and U.S. citizen marry, the fiancé can then apply for adjustment of status. The fiancé will receive an employment authorization card approximately 90 days after applying for adjustment of status and will receive permanent resident status approximately 6 months after applying.

For this option,

K-1 visa application (Form I-129F)

Adjustment of status (Forms I-485, I-765, i-131 and biometrics fee)

There are filing fees for each of the above.

There is also a visa application fee, which must be paid at the embassy or consulate. There is also a medical examination fee, which must be paid directly to the doctor who performs the medical examination.

OPTION 2: Immigrant Visa

The second option is to get married (either in the U.S. or in another country) then apply for an immigrant visa for the spouse. It takes approximately 6 months to obtain approval of the immigrant visa petition. After the petition is approved, the spouse of the U.S. citizen is scheduled for an interview at the U.S. embassy or consulate in the country where he/she lives. After receiving the visa, the spouse enters the United States and becomes a permanent resident immediately upon admission into the U.S. The spouse is authorized to work automatically.

I-130 petition

There is also a visa application fee which must be paid at the embassy or consulate. There is also a medical examination fee which must be paid directly to the doctor who performs the medical examination.

OPTION 3: K-3 Visa

The third option is to get married (either in the U.S. or in another country) then apply for a K-3 visa for the spouse. The first step is to file an I-130 Petition. After receiving the I-130 Petition, the next step is to apply for a K-3 visa for the spouse. The processing time for the K-3 visa petition is usually 3 to 4 months but can be as long as 6 months, depending on the workload at the processing centers. After the K-3 visa petition is approved, the spouse is scheduled for an interview at an U.S. embassy or consulate in the country where the foreign spouse lives. After receiving the K-3 visa, the spouse enters the United States in K-3 status. The spouse can apply for employment authorization after entering the United States and will normally receive employment authorization 90 days after applying for it. After the I-130 Petition is approved, the spouse can then apply for adjustment of status.

For this option:

I-130 Petition

I-129F Petition (for the K-3 visa)

Adjustment of status case (Forms I-485, I-765, biometrics fee)

[GoddessGrrrl 0]

Hello everyone! On August 1st, I married my husband (I'm still all giddy when I get to say that!) in Sheffield, England. He is a citizen there and has lived there all his life, and I have lived in the US all mine. We are trying to get him over here, but we are both feeling very overwhelmed about the whole process.

I am under the impression that I file the I-130 first, then once that is recieved I file the I-129F so he can come here and wait for his immigration visa to come through.

If anyone here has been through this before and has ANY advice or wants to share their timelines with me, I would appreciate it so very much.

No, submission of the I-129F does NOT mean he can simply or freely come here and wait for his visa to come through... If he desires to come here to visit (read VISIT not STAY), he would need to do that under a tourist visa or the VWP. As always, his entry could be denied.

There are a few options that you may want to look at. This is information that an immigration attorney sent me. It may be of some assistance. GOOD LUCK!! Of course the first one will not work for you since you are already married. CONGRATS on that!

IMMIGRATION OPTIONS FOR THE FIANCE OF A U.S. CITIZEN

There are three options for the fiancé of an U.S. citizen who wants to immigrate to the United States: 1) K-1 visa, 2) immigrant visa, or 3) K-3 visa.

OPTION 1: K-1 VISA.

The first option is the K-1 visa. This is for a couple who are engaged but not yet married. The first step is to file an application for the K-1 visa. It takes approximately 6 months to obtain the approval. After the approval, the fiancé is scheduled for an interview at the U.S. embassy or consulate in the country where the fiancé lives. After receiving the visa, the fiancé enters the United States in K-1 status. The fiancé must either marry the U.S. citizen or depart the United States within 90 days after his/her arrival in the U.S.

After the fiancé and U.S. citizen marry, the fiancé can then apply for adjustment of status. The fiancé will receive an employment authorization card approximately 90 days after applying for adjustment of status and will receive permanent resident status approximately 6 months after applying.

For this option,

K-1 visa application (Form I-129F)

Adjustment of status (Forms I-485, I-765, i-131 and biometrics fee)

There are filing fees for each of the above.

There is also a visa application fee, which must be paid at the embassy or consulate. There is also a medical examination fee, which must be paid directly to the doctor who performs the medical examination.

OPTION 2: Immigrant Visa

The second option is to get married (either in the U.S. or in another country) then apply for an immigrant visa for the spouse. It takes approximately 6 months to obtain approval of the immigrant visa petition. After the petition is approved, the spouse of the U.S. citizen is scheduled for an interview at the U.S. embassy or consulate in the country where he/she lives. After receiving the visa, the spouse enters the United States and becomes a permanent resident immediately upon admission into the U.S. The spouse is authorized to work automatically.

I-130 petition

There is also a visa application fee which must be paid at the embassy or consulate. There is also a medical examination fee which must be paid directly to the doctor who performs the medical examination.

OPTION 3: K-3 Visa

The third option is to get married (either in the U.S. or in another country) then apply for a K-3 visa for the spouse. The first step is to file an I-130 Petition. After receiving the I-130 Petition, the next step is to apply for a K-3 visa for the spouse. The processing time for the K-3 visa petition is usually 3 to 4 months but can be as long as 6 months, depending on the workload at the processing centers. After the K-3 visa petition is approved, the spouse is scheduled for an interview at an U.S. embassy or consulate in the country where the foreign spouse lives. After receiving the K-3 visa, the spouse enters the United States in K-3 status. The spouse can apply for employment authorization after entering the United States and will normally receive employment authorization 90 days after applying for it. After the I-130 Petition is approved, the spouse can then apply for adjustment of status.

For this option:

I-130 Petition

I-129F Petition (for the K-3 visa)

Adjustment of status case (Forms I-485, I-765, biometrics fee)

Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you! I have been researching like crazy online trying to find something that breaks it down like that, and I swear, it's impossible.

[vareska 3]

Hello everyone,

I'm a newbie here, and I look forward to talking to all of you in the months to come while awaiting mu spouse's entry to the US.

I thank all of you in advance for all your responses and support throughout the process, and I hope to be able to help another soul after I have completed this long process:(

Now let's make friends:D

I just got married last month in Bosnia-Herzegovina. I am a US citizen (naturalized, lived here 9 years), my hubby is citizen of Bosnia, he is still there.

We have reviewed the information posted on the USCIS website, and we have gathered that we need to file for the K3 visa. Have not filed yet. Now I am a little confused after reading the post above bu KYlady.

It might be just that my brain is dead after all the tiresome wedding preparations:)

What are the advantages and disadvantages of filing K3 versus Immigrant Visa?

If I am reading this correctly, with K3 status, hubby needs to go through process of obtaining work permit and adjustment of status, whereas immigrant visa he is automatically authorized to work in US and he is permanent citizen right of the bat.

Who could I contact to obtain info which process would take less time in our case; do I call American Embassy in Bosnia, or could I contact someone in the US?

Also, I have taken my husband's last name at our marriage in Bosnia, and now I wonder if I need to legally change my name prior to filing all this paperwork for his visa? Do I file under my new:D name and attach our marriage certificate with the paperwork, or do I file under my maiden name?

I tried calling that number given on USCIS site, but unless you have already filed, it is such a pain getting ahold of a representative , especially getting ahold of one who understands what the heck I am asking them.

If anyone can direct me on the name change issue, I would be most appreciative.

What's the right way to go about filing, who can I call or visit for questions? I live in Texas.

Thanks for help ya'll!

Edited September 16, 2008 by vareska