About to visit husband to be and want CR-1 advice

[Kate Jones 0]

My husband to be (US Citizen) and I were planning on taking the K-1 route and he was going to be filing the petition in the next few weeks.

I am going out next Thursday to visit for 3 months. We are going to see an immigration lawyer then.

I spoke to a friend of mine today, who took the CR-1 route. He and his wife got married in the US and then he applied for the CR-1 and didn't have to go home.

I would much rather take this route as I am dreading coming home and not being with my boyfriend for months at a time.

Would anyone be able to confirm that his is a potential way of doing it? I am seeing the lawyer anyway, but it'd be nice to know what to expect.

I know it's a bit more expensive and a lot more paperwork but I really don't want to be separated from Matt.

Thanks everyone!

Edited July 24, 2009 by Kate Jones

[lgg 2]

The short answer to this is no. The CR-1 route is to be taken if you get married and then leave the US to allow the processing to take place and such (see the guides for an explanation of processing) What your friend did was illegal and they, most likely, did not get a CR1 visa. You are NOT ALLOWED to enter the US with the intent of marrying and then staying -- this is illegal. YOu can get married, but you cannot stay.

We would all like to take this route, we all dread having to come home and be apart from our partners but in order to do things legally, it is the way it must be. An FYI? Don't kid yourself or waste money on a lawyer who you think is going to tell you otherwise -- there is no way to do this legally. If you just 'happened' to pop by the US to visit your guy and just 'happened' to get marred and 'just happened' to not have ties to the UK and such, perhaps it could be settled and the US govt. would accept your attaining landed status but it's very hard to prove that you did not intend to marry. In fact, almost impossible and in in being caught doing so, you risk being banned even entering the US for a good many years, if not for life.

A lawyer will NOT help you break the law and again... we ALL hate being apart from our loved ones and if it were as easy as all this, would you not suspect that there would be far less people on this board? Or this board's existence in general?

Good luck. Read the guides and don't take a chance on having yourself banned for many years to life.

My husband to be (US Citizen) and I were planning on taking the K-1 route and he was going to be filing the petition in the next few weeks.

I am going out next Thursday to visit for 3 months. We are going to see an immigration lawyer then.

I spoke to a friend of mine today, who took the CR-1 route. He and his wife got married in the US and then he applied for the CR-1 and didn't have to go home.

I would much rather take this route as I am dreading coming home and not being with my boyfriend for months at a time.

Would anyone be able to confirm that his is a potential way of doing it? I am seeing the lawyer anyway, but it'd be nice to know what to expect.

I know it's a bit more expensive and a lot more paperwork but I really don't want to be separated from Matt.

Thanks everyone!

[imaisha 1]

Well it's illegal, so in that sense no it's not a potential way of doing it. You cannot enter the U.S. on any other visa (or visa waiver) with the intention of getting married and adjusting status. And they haven't applied for a CR-1 in that case. A CR-1 is a visa, which is used to enter the country. If he's already in the country all he is doing is adjusting status.

None of us want to be separated from our SO but unfortunately if you're going to do this the legally, that's the way it goes.

You can both feel free to visit each other. You'd have to bring a lot more proof that you're going to return to the U.K. but he shouldn't have a hard time.

[Lansbury 19]

My husband to be (US Citizen) and I were planning on taking the K-1 route and he was going to be filing the petition in the next few weeks.

I am going out next Thursday to visit for 3 months. We are going to see an immigration lawyer then.

I spoke to a friend of mine today, who took the CR-1 route. He and his wife got married in the US and then he applied for the CR-1 and didn't have to go home.

I would much rather take this route as I am dreading coming home and not being with my boyfriend for months at a time.

Would anyone be able to confirm that his is a potential way of doing it? I am seeing the lawyer anyway, but it'd be nice to know what to expect.

I know it's a bit more expensive and a lot more paperwork but I really don't want to be separated from Matt.

Thanks everyone!

If you enter on the visa waiver program with the intent to get married and stay, that is illegal and misuse of the VWP.

If you are thinking of that it is daft to make it public. Have people done that of course they have. Have all been successful - no but just how many come unstuck no-one really knows.

If you enter the USA on the VWP and spontaneously decided to marry that is legal. Or entry to marry with the intention of returning home, which I did as my then wife was coming to the UK to live. But seek a one time consultation with an immigration lawyer in the US to have all your options properly explained.

[chinese_mutt 11]

get married and go home... you are luckier than most of us... you are from a VWP country and you can visit your spouse anytime as long as you can prove strong ties back home.

don't risk a ban.

[michguy 0]

get married and go home... you are luckier than most of us... you are from a VWP country and you can visit your spouse anytime as long as you can prove strong ties back home.

don't risk a ban.

what eamil address you guys used to sent DS3032 to NVC.... Thanks

[Kate Jones 0]

Thank you. I don't think you need to be quite so aggressive. If I doubted the people who post here, I wouldn't ask.

The short answer to this is no. The CR-1 route is to be taken if you get married and then leave the US to allow the processing to take place and such (see the guides for an explanation of processing) What your friend did was illegal and they, most likely, did not get a CR1 visa. You are NOT ALLOWED to enter the US with the intent of marrying and then staying -- this is illegal. YOu can get married, but you cannot stay.

We would all like to take this route, we all dread having to come home and be apart from our partners but in order to do things legally, it is the way it must be. An FYI? Don't kid yourself or waste money on a lawyer who you think is going to tell you otherwise -- there is no way to do this legally. If you just 'happened' to pop by the US to visit your guy and just 'happened' to get marred and 'just happened' to not have ties to the UK and such, perhaps it could be settled and the US govt. would accept your attaining landed status but it's very hard to prove that you did not intend to marry. In fact, almost impossible and in in being caught doing so, you risk being banned even entering the US for a good many years, if not for life.

A lawyer will NOT help you break the law and again... we ALL hate being apart from our loved ones and if it were as easy as all this, would you not suspect that there would be far less people on this board? Or this board's existence in general?

Good luck. Read the guides and don't take a chance on having yourself banned for many years to life.

My husband to be (US Citizen) and I were planning on taking the K-1 route and he was going to be filing the petition in the next few weeks.

I am going out next Thursday to visit for 3 months. We are going to see an immigration lawyer then.

I spoke to a friend of mine today, who took the CR-1 route. He and his wife got married in the US and then he applied for the CR-1 and didn't have to go home.

I would much rather take this route as I am dreading coming home and not being with my boyfriend for months at a time.

Would anyone be able to confirm that his is a potential way of doing it? I am seeing the lawyer anyway, but it'd be nice to know what to expect.

I know it's a bit more expensive and a lot more paperwork but I really don't want to be separated from Matt.

Thanks everyone!

Thank you. We're seeing an immigration lawyer as soon as I get there anyway. So he would have confirmed this.

Thank you for your help.

My husband to be (US Citizen) and I were planning on taking the K-1 route and he was going to be filing the petition in the next few weeks.

I am going out next Thursday to visit for 3 months. We are going to see an immigration lawyer then.

I spoke to a friend of mine today, who took the CR-1 route. He and his wife got married in the US and then he applied for the CR-1 and didn't have to go home.

I would much rather take this route as I am dreading coming home and not being with my boyfriend for months at a time.

Would anyone be able to confirm that his is a potential way of doing it? I am seeing the lawyer anyway, but it'd be nice to know what to expect.

I know it's a bit more expensive and a lot more paperwork but I really don't want to be separated from Matt.

Thanks everyone!

If you enter on the visa waiver program with the intent to get married and stay, that is illegal and misuse of the VWP.

If you are thinking of that it is daft to make it public. Have people done that of course they have. Have all been successful - no but just how many come unstuck no-one really knows.

If you enter the USA on the VWP and spontaneously decided to marry that is legal. Or entry to marry with the intention of returning home, which I did as my then wife was coming to the UK to live. But seek a one time consultation with an immigration lawyer in the US to have all your options properly explained.

[Allie and Nigel 2]

We're not being aggressive, we're stating a point so you can understand. You will get no wishy washy here. Its black and white with most of us, keeps it easy and to the point.

[christeen 966]

We're not being aggressive, we're stating a point so you can understand. You will get no wishy washy here. Its black and white with most of us, keeps it easy and to the point.

Actually, for someone just starting out in the system, many of the remarks in my opinion did come off very snippy. Perhaps when dealing with people who are just looking for information and new to the process, it might be a better tactic to add a bit more "grey" to the "black and white" of your comments to make them more palatable.

Think about when you were first starting this process and seeing all the options and all the conflicting information you heard and read. After all, we are stating our opinions which are not necessarily "black and white". A little compassion for those new to this process please.

Regarding the topic at hand, I agree with the previous posts that I would not risk it. A lawyer is definetly an option, but judging from what I have read in many of the post and my own experience, I believe I feel a bit better being in control of my own situation. Each person and case of course is different, but this site offers a wealth of information and very detailed instructions.

Best of luck on your journey!

Edited July 25, 2009 by christeen