Amendment to the FAQ and Guides?

[emerce 0]

Hello Everyone, I wanted to bring something up...maybe there is a section that I am missing on the page or maybe there wasnt enough demand for the information so it was never added. I know that overall this site is designed to assist people who are petitioning for their fiances or spouses from overseas and track the long and patience testing road that awaits them. In terms of support, this forum is absolutely top rate.

However, I dont fit into any of those categories and i'm new so I havent come across anyone yet whose in the same boat as me. I'll make the story as short as possible. I met my husband online in 2005, we visited back and forth and I really wanted to be with him. In December 2007 I moved to Canada with him on a study permit because i'm young and I thought hey, two birds with one stone, I get to study internationally and be with him. My study permit and his apartment lease expired within the same week, the last week of June last year. He had never met my parents and since I visited him he decided to visit me in New Jersey. We barely had anything so we packed up some clothes and took the greyhound for THREE days from Edmonton to Atlantic City. We were here for a couple months and my parents are wealthy so they took care of everything. They LOVED him. We were just being totally free spirited and had no plans but to chill out and enjoy the beach. Well one day he took me to the lake and into the gazebo, got down on one knee and proposed with my grandmothers diamond ring. We went through the marriage discussion at my church, met with our pastor and talked things over, then we got married November 22nd. After our lawyer being a total joke we filed the AOS paperwork March 20th.

So I dont know if anyone here is with me on this, the situation where you were visiting and had no idea you were getting married and then got married and filed here. We've spoken to a billion lawyers who have all said that the catch here is that if they bring it up in the interview we HAVE to prove that we didnt come here to get married, it just happened. I just dont see anything about it in the guides and no one talking about similar situations (Although like I said i'm new). I really wish I knew what I was getting into with the interview - you know, things you just should or shouldnt say. If anyone wants me to start a section on this and my experience let me know OR if theres a section here where I can get these answers please point me to it.

Thank you SO much, you guys are the best.

-Erin

[Heliosphan 1]

Hello Everyone, I wanted to bring something up...maybe there is a section that I am missing on the page or maybe there wasnt enough demand for the information so it was never added. I know that overall this site is designed to assist people who are petitioning for their fiances or spouses from overseas and track the long and patience testing road that awaits them. In terms of support, this forum is absolutely top rate.

However, I dont fit into any of those categories and i'm new so I havent come across anyone yet whose in the same boat as me. I'll make the story as short as possible. I met my husband online in 2005, we visited back and forth and I really wanted to be with him. In December 2007 I moved to Canada with him on a study permit because i'm young and I thought hey, two birds with one stone, I get to study internationally and be with him. My study permit and his apartment lease expired within the same week, the last week of June last year. He had never met my parents and since I visited him he decided to visit me in New Jersey. We barely had anything so we packed up some clothes and took the greyhound for THREE days from Edmonton to Atlantic City. We were here for a couple months and my parents are wealthy so they took care of everything. They LOVED him. We were just being totally free spirited and had no plans but to chill out and enjoy the beach. Well one day he took me to the lake and into the gazebo, got down on one knee and proposed with my grandmothers diamond ring. We went through the marriage discussion at my church, met with our pastor and talked things over, then we got married November 22nd. After our lawyer being a total joke we filed the AOS paperwork March 20th.

So I dont know if anyone here is with me on this, the situation where you were visiting and had no idea you were getting married and then got married and filed here. We've spoken to a billion lawyers who have all said that the catch here is that if they bring it up in the interview we HAVE to prove that we didnt come here to get married, it just happened. I just dont see anything about it in the guides and no one talking about similar situations (Although like I said i'm new). I really wish I knew what I was getting into with the interview - you know, things you just should or shouldnt say. If anyone wants me to start a section on this and my experience let me know OR if theres a section here where I can get these answers please point me to it.

Thank you SO much, you guys are the best.

-Erin

Hmm, it's happened before. The only sticky part of this situation is that most people that enter the US legally come on a visa and/or get and I-94 upon entry that they have to surrender on exit. Taking the bus from Canada to the US, does he have either one of those? He needs them to prove that he entered the country legally before he can begin adjusting status to a permanent resident.

[motu 5]

Thousands have done this already - sorry to disappoint you - you are not the only one. Basically you file for Adjustment of Status based on marriage to a USC. This is hardly new. Good Luck

Don't worry about the I94 etc. - thats never a necessity for Canadians coming to USA. You are good to go.

Edited June 3, 2008 by motu

[emerce 0]

Oh believe me, I'm not disappointed. I know people have done this, I just haven't myself had the opportunity to talk to one of them. No, he has no I-94 because like they said Canadians can just come through to visit. I'm just wondering how harshly the officers will act about proving we had no idea we were getting married, its seems like complete speculation to me, like you can never prove or disprove that. We will of course have as much evidence as we can get to prove the "bona fide marriage". Tons of stuff in our name. I guess I can only hope that they make that the important part

[Heliosphan 1]

Oh believe me, I'm not disappointed. I know people have done this, I just haven't myself had the opportunity to talk to one of them. No, he has no I-94 because like they said Canadians can just come through to visit. I'm just wondering how harshly the officers will act about proving we had no idea we were getting married, its seems like complete speculation to me, like you can never prove or disprove that. We will of course have as much evidence as we can get to prove the "bona fide marriage". Tons of stuff in our name. I guess I can only hope that they make that the important part

I wouldn't worry about proving anything especially since you've been to Canada yourself, it's really not that new of a situation. A lot of people get married without planning it. Last week someone came on a visitors visa and surprisingly got married in Vegas.

[emerce 0]

I 've just heard some horror stories about immigration officers accusing people of coming to the US to skip the regular K1 process and having them be accused of fraud which is some serious business. Plus its a little odd because the only tie he had to Canada was a bank account and some family members back there. Since we're only 22 the fact that his lease was up and he had just finished school was the perfect window of opportunity to see what my family was all about. But at first glance it looks like he wasn't planning on going back.

[Heliosphan 1]

I 've just heard some horror stories about immigration officers accusing people of coming to the US to skip the regular K1 process and having them be accused of fraud which is some serious business. Plus its a little odd because the only tie he had to Canada was a bank account and some family members back there. Since we're only 22 the fact that his lease was up and he had just finished school was the perfect window of opportunity to see what my family was all about. But at first glance it looks like he wasn't planning on going back.

Well nothing is guaranteed with the USCIS

But you can rest assured you're not the first and last people to jump into an impulsive marriage or file for adjustment of status based on it. Don't worry about the situation, a bona fide marriage proves itself and like you said you're both young. Whatever they throw at you, you know what's real. Just work on gathering evidence because you'll need it but you'll both be fine.