US resident on becoming a citizen and marring a Colombian

[nomore 0]

HI. I'm a US resident and my fiance is Colombian. We are planning on getting married and then moving to Colombia until i can become a US citizen because we are told the process would be too long if i we apply with me being just a resident. What worries me now is that we need to find a co-sponsor since i won't be filling taxes in the time i'll be living in Colombia. Those are the plans so far. I'm working in the Sates right now until i can save enough for the wedding next March. But I don't know if me living in Colombia could become an issue in my process of becoming a US Citizen.

Does any one have a better idea of what we could do? Maybe apply right now even as a resident? Help please this is very confusing!

[payxibka 10,047]

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.ph...=132407&hl=

[Staashi 371]

HI. I'm a US resident and my fiance is Colombian. We are planning on getting married and then moving to Colombia until i can become a US citizen because we are told the process would be too long if i we apply with me being just a resident. What worries me now is that we need to find a co-sponsor since i won't be filling taxes in the time i'll be living in Colombia. Those are the plans so far. I'm working in the Sates right now until i can save enough for the wedding next March. But I don't know if me living in Colombia could become an issue in my process of becoming a US Citizen.

Does any one have a better idea of what we could do? Maybe apply right now even as a resident? Help please this is very confusing!

To become a US Citizen you will need to live here for three years after receiving your greencard, unless your husband is in the military or works for the US government and is assigned overseas. You really need to read the pages on this website, as well as USCIS to have an excellent understanding as to what is required of you as an LPR.

Good Luck!

[Mononoke28 135]

I answered your question in the other thread you have going.

Diana

[chitown 0]

HI. I'm a US resident and my fiance is Colombian. We are planning on getting married and then moving to Colombia until i can become a US citizen because we are told the process would be too long if i we apply with me being just a resident. What worries me now is that we need to find a co-sponsor since i won't be filling taxes in the time i'll be living in Colombia. Those are the plans so far. I'm working in the Sates right now until i can save enough for the wedding next March. But I don't know if me living in Colombia could become an issue in my process of becoming a US Citizen.

Does any one have a better idea of what we could do? Maybe apply right now even as a resident? Help please this is very confusing!

how long have been a resident? When you got your green card/ permanent residence card what was it based on? Since you start becoming a green card holder did you stay in USA at ALL TIME?

[nomore 0]

HI. I'm a US resident and my fiance is Colombian. We are planning on getting married and then moving to Colombia until i can become a US citizen because we are told the process would be too long if i we apply with me being just a resident. What worries me now is that we need to find a co-sponsor since i won't be filling taxes in the time i'll be living in Colombia. Those are the plans so far. I'm working in the Sates right now until i can save enough for the wedding next March. But I don't know if me living in Colombia could become an issue in my process of becoming a US Citizen.

Does any one have a better idea of what we could do? Maybe apply right now even as a resident? Help please this is very confusing!

To become a US Citizen you will need to live here for three years after receiving your greencard, unless your husband is in the military or works for the US government and is assigned overseas. You really need to read the pages on this website, as well as USCIS to have an excellent understanding as to what is required of you as an LPR.

Good Luck!

i thought you were supposed to live in the States at least 5 years ?

[motu 6]

i thought you were supposed to live in the States at least 5 years ?

Since you are not married to a US citizen - you will need to meet the 5 year requirement. As far as moving and living in Colombia - if you can maintain a US address (use the address of a relative or friend) it will be good as well as filing taxes - yes you should file US taxes even though you may be able to exempt all of your Colombian income. Especially since, you will at least have one part year (unless you move out on the 31st of Dec) - I am assuming you will wait till you get your citizenship before you move out of here and US citizens are required to file taxes on worldwide income (yes, you can exempt it if earned abroad (within limits) and probably won't have to pay US taxes. Lastly, why do you want US citizenship if you are content to live in Colombia? We may be moving out of USA in a few years (perhaps to Colombia). Good Luck

[nomore 0]

HI. I'm a US resident and my fiance is Colombian. We are planning on getting married and then moving to Colombia until i can become a US citizen because we are told the process would be too long if i we apply with me being just a resident. What worries me now is that we need to find a co-sponsor since i won't be filling taxes in the time i'll be living in Colombia. Those are the plans so far. I'm working in the Sates right now until i can save enough for the wedding next March. But I don't know if me living in Colombia could become an issue in my process of becoming a US Citizen.

Does any one have a better idea of what we could do? Maybe apply right now even as a resident? Help please this is very confusing!

how long have been a resident? When you got your green card/ permanent residence card what was it based on? Since you start becoming a green card holder did you stay in USA at ALL TIME?

I've been a resident for three years. My mom started the process for me and my brothers. I've only left the States for vacation twice, once for two weeks and then a month.

[nomore 0]

i thought you were supposed to live in the States at least 5 years ?

Since you are not married to a US citizen - you will need to meet the 5 year requirement. As far as moving and living in Colombia - if you can maintain a US address (use the address of a relative or friend) it will be good as well as filing taxes - yes you should file US taxes even though you may be able to exempt all of your Colombian income. Especially since, you will at least have one part year (unless you move out on the 31st of Dec) - I am assuming you will wait till you get your citizenship before you move out of here and US citizens are required to file taxes on worldwide income (yes, you can exempt it if earned abroad (within limits) and probably won't have to pay US taxes. Lastly, why do you want US citizenship if you are content to live in Colombia? We may be moving out of USA in a few years (perhaps to Colombia). Good Luck

Well the reason why i'm going to Colombia is because I'm going to get married there and i want to live with my wife and not wait until she gets a green card to be with her. We are going to be doing social and missionary work while we are there, it's been our dream! Plus i don't want to be going back and forth so we thought we'd just wait in Colombia! And we wanted to wait until i become a citizen to file her petition (in two more years)since we are told it's faster than submitting everything now that i'm just a resident. So i really don't know how this is gonna go. I want to be able to spend as much time as i possibly can by her side, without jeopardizing my naturalization process... but it seems really complicated. Specially because i need proof of income when i submit her application and i won't be making much in Colombia, they told us we need to get a co-sponsor in the States.

That's why we are asking around... because it can get confusing. Thanks so much... it's been wonderful to get so much help!

[warlord 73]

i thought you were supposed to live in the States at least 5 years ?

Since you are not married to a US citizen - you will need to meet the 5 year requirement. As far as moving and living in Colombia - if you can maintain a US address (use the address of a relative or friend) it will be good as well as filing taxes - yes you should file US taxes even though you may be able to exempt all of your Colombian income. Especially since, you will at least have one part year (unless you move out on the 31st of Dec) - I am assuming you will wait till you get your citizenship before you move out of here and US citizens are required to file taxes on worldwide income (yes, you can exempt it if earned abroad (within limits) and probably won't have to pay US taxes. Lastly, why do you want US citizenship if you are content to live in Colombia? We may be moving out of USA in a few years (perhaps to Colombia). Good Luck

Well the reason why i'm going to Colombia is because I'm going to get married there and i want to live with my wife and not wait until she gets a green card to be with her. We are going to be doing social and missionary work while we are there, it's been our dream! Plus i don't want to be going back and forth so we thought we'd just wait in Colombia! And we wanted to wait until i become a citizen to file her petition (in two more years)since we are told it's faster than submitting everything now that i'm just a resident. So i really don't know how this is gonna go. I want to be able to spend as much time as i possibly can by her side, without jeopardizing my naturalization process... but it seems really complicated. Specially because i need proof of income when i submit her application and i won't be making much in Colombia, they told us we need to get a co-sponsor in the States.

That's why we are asking around... because it can get confusing. Thanks so much... it's been wonderful to get so much help!

Well in your situation you will be giving up your LPR status by moving to Colombia. So yes you will be with her, but you won't be going back to the US at all to live. You need to maintain your residency or you will have been assumed you have abandoned your Green Card and LPR status by living outside the US. If you want the citizenship then you will just have to wait it out then get married so you can petetion her to the US. If you desperatly want to get married and want to be together like you mentioned, then just give up on the US and move there with her and start your live there instead...

[NickD 203]

Wonder who makes these laws and why? Took my mom-in-law living in Bogota owning her own home over a year to get a visa just to come visit us, where I can hop in a plane and shoot down to visit her. Sure didn't find any bargains down there, Colombia charges a 30% tariff on good imported from the USA, but thank somebody, we don't charge a tariff on roses or coffee from Colombia. Can do without the roses, but need that coffee.

Must be some bad guys in Colombia with that drug stuff, the huge majority of the people I met down there were great, but mom and wife were very concerned about me as I like to roam around. Only thing I have heard about was three American contractors kidnapped for ransom some five years ago, hell, can get shot walking down the streets on the north side of Milwaukee or the south side of Chicago. Also a whole bunch of Germans and Italians living down there and I do fine as long as I keep my English speaking mouth shut.

Mom tells me my wife will get her house and condo when she goes, just tell her, much rather have her, and I mean that. But in the future, paying a hundred bucks a year for property taxes and zero for air conditioning and heating costs does seem very attractive to me, that is a huge expense living in the good ole USA. And I don't believe I would have to go through all that BS with Colombian immigration, but frankly have not looked into it yet.

What can be said about the USA, as both a scientist and engineer, we have a known ten thousand year supply of other energy sources we can start using today, but are getting screwed to the wall with oil prices we don't even need. South American countries are well known for corruption in government, seems like that bled up to here as well.

I am starting to ask questions that I never really asked before, what's more important, your family or your country? In reading between the lines of our immigration forms, a key factor is immigrants coming here and paying taxes. Even used that as an argument with my senator, hey if you want my wife to continue paying taxes, you better quit screwing around and give her a new green card. Also said if I hear about another politician talk about family values would like to give him a good kick in the ###.

My kid brother also married an immigrant and leaned he is searching for a country that will accept his wife's family, I haven't gotten to that stage yet, but it certainly is a thought. We just had eight years of the worse administration in the history of this country, maybe things will get better.

Can say this, marrying the person next door sure didn't work for me nor my wife and you would think our government would actually put family values first.

[nomore 0]

yeah it's sad when you have to decided between the people you love and the country you've learned to appreciatte and value as well. We love Colombia and we love the opportunites God gave us in the States. We love each other and that tilts the balance. But i don't think i'm giving up the privilege of iving in america as it has been suggested in the forum. That's why i'm trying to figure out the best way to keep our options open. Things are getting better in Colombia, you're right not so good in the States, but still way better than anywhere else, this is still a blessed land. I went on the USCIS website an found out about this N-470 form that allows you to stay out 4 more than a year withouth abandoning your residence, and since we are doing missionary/cleargy work i qualify. That should help out while we wait and then off course i'll keep up with taxes and stuff. I will obviosly come back to the US often as to prove them that i do value my green card (!) and then we'll get a co-sponsor since i won't be making enough to petition my wife... i don't know,...this is conplicated, but we are getting informed and we are praying 4 God to help us through.

Thanks everyone, your imput has been great!

[NickD 203]

Use to be an old joke, "If God wanted man to fly, he would give them airline tickets". That sure is coming back, last year it was 600 bucks for a round trip ticket from Minneapolis to Bogota, this year more than double that price. And they say the price is going up further.