A Canadian expat marries an American expat.

[straysod 0]

I am Canadian and my fiance is American, but we live and work in Indonesia. Like many of you on this site, we want to get married and return to the US. However, our situation is different because we don't plan on living in the US for another 3-5 years. As such, I'm not sure which VISA will work best for us. K1, K2, DCF?

What should we do? Can I still apply for a green card if I am not planning on living in the US anytime soon?

Any advice?

Edited April 6, 2008 by straysod

[jula 0]

I am Canadian and my fiance is American, but we live and work in Indonesia. Like many of you on this site, we want to get married and return to the US. However, our situation is different because we don't plan on living in the US for another 3-5 years. As such, I'm not sure which VISA will work best for us. K1, K2, DCF?

What should we do? Can I still apply for a green card if I am not planning on living in the US anytime soon?

Green card is a proof of residency in the USA. As a resident, you have priviliges (to live in USA) and obligations (to live in USA). I don't understan why would you go through all the paperwork now if you don't plan to live here? You can easily lose GC if USA is not your primary place of living.

Once, when you know you are moving to the USA, your USC spouse can petition for you through USA consulate (DCF) for an immigrant visa IR-1. Nowdays, it takes a few months to get visa

K1 is fiance visa. Your fiance would have to petition for you in the USA, and once you have visa you'll have to go to the USA, get married within 90 days and file for adjustment of status to that of permanent resident. It may take a few months to a year to get green card...And in the meantime you should be in the USA (most of the time).

[pushbrk 13,092]

I am Canadian and my fiance is American, but we live and work in Indonesia. Like many of you on this site, we want to get married and return to the US. However, our situation is different because we don't plan on living in the US for another 3-5 years. As such, I'm not sure which VISA will work best for us. K1, K2, DCF?

What should we do? Can I still apply for a green card if I am not planning on living in the US anytime soon?

Green card is a proof of residency in the USA. As a resident, you have priviliges (to live in USA) and obligations (to live in USA). I don't understan why would you go through all the paperwork now if you don't plan to live here? You can easily lose GC if USA is not your primary place of living.

Once, when you know you are moving to the USA, your USC spouse can petition for you through USA consulate (DCF) for an immigrant visa IR-1. Nowdays, it takes a few months to get visa

K1 is fiance visa. Your fiance would have to petition for you in the USA, and once you have visa you'll have to go to the USA, get married within 90 days and file for adjustment of status to that of permanent resident. It may take a few months to a year to get green card...And in the meantime you should be in the USA (most of the time).

Right, you both live abroad. My advice is to go on with your lives, get married and then a few months before you plan to permanently move to the USA, go the Direct Consular Filing route. Start looking into the visa process a year or so ahead to see if anything major has changed. In the meantime you don't need a visa to visit.