confused

[cateyes221981 0]

hello

I was planning on entering the usa and finally marrying my partner however i am not sure what i should be looking at here? After we get married we were planning on staying in the us he has his job and i was going to look for work.

Anyone know what i should be concentrating on here for this type of marriage?

[garfield529 47]

hello

I was planning on entering the usa and finally marrying my partner however i am not sure what i should be looking at here? After we get married we were planning on staying in the us he has his job and i was going to look for work.

Anyone know what i should be concentrating on here for this type of marriage?

First of all, welcome! Second....

[Anh map 2,098]

Entering the US on a tourist visa (or the visa waiver program) with the intention of staying is visa fraud. You can visit, marry while in the country, and return home while your US citizen spouse petitions for an immigrant visa for you.

Do some reading in the Guides to evaluate your options. VJ is a great do it yourself tool if you choose to go that way.

Welcome to VJ.

[NickD 203]

Unfortunately, the USCIS is like a very demanding father, can get married legally, but really need their permission to stay here.

[ELW 5]

Welcome to Visa Journey! There are a LOT of resources here. You have two choices right now: you can file with a K1 Fiance visa with you in your country and your honey in USA; or you can visit USA, get married, then return to your country and have your husband file for a Spousal K3 or IR-1 visa. The K1 and K3 take about 4-6 months and the IR-1 takes sometimes double that time. Please see the link below for very clear comparisons. After you decide on the best visa for you, you can look into the GUIDES (tab above) for step by step instructions. Good luck!

Visa Types

[cateyes221981 0]

ok thanks here is the issue my partner works ikn the usa and cant come back with me after getting married so that means we wont see each other for six months after getting married?

[cateyes221981 0]

another thing is since i am canadian i am allowed six months to stay in the usa as a visitor legally i think they are more laid back with canaidans

[cateyes221981 0]

i tried to get some reading done last night but i was so upset i spent the whole night crying on my bed

[ELW 5]

Yes most of us had to be away from our partners for 6-24 months or more. I didn't see my husband for a whole three years. But when we got together again, we forgot all the pain of separation.

However, like you said, being a Canadian, you will probably be able to visit each other more easier then most the rest of us.

[antda 13]

Hi Cateyes221981,

As a Canadian with intention to marry and immigrate to the USA to be with your partner, here are your visa options, for immigration based on marriage:

K1 (fiance visa...be in Canada, file the paperwork, come to the USA, get married in the USA, adjust status),

K3 (marriage visa...be in Canada, get married in Canada, file paperwork, come to the USA, adjust status),

CR (marriage visa...be in Canada, get married in Canada, file paperwork, come to the USA...)

As well, note that despite being a Canadian, during some processes, you might have to file for "advance parole" in order to travel between Canada and the USA, while you marriage visa case is pending, since you are not a visitor anymore and cannot use that status.

For more Canada to USA specific information, you might want to try posting in the visa journey Canada forum here:

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.php?showforum=93

Hope this helps. Good luck on your journey too.

Ant (From one Canadian/American, to another fellow Canadian....)

hello

I was planning on entering the usa and finally marrying my partner however i am not sure what i should be looking at here? After we get married we were planning on staying in the us he has his job and i was going to look for work.

Anyone know what i should be concentrating on here for this type of marriage?

another thing is since i am canadian i am allowed six months to stay in the usa as a visitor legally i think they are more laid back with canaidans

Edited November 29, 2009 by Ant+D+A

[Kathryn41 3,205]

moved from US citizenship forum to General Immigration Forum as OP has not yet determined what type of visa they will pursue.

[canadian_wife 1,826]

Yes you can visit for up to 6 months, however your admittance and duration of stay is up to the border guard when you enter. They may not let you stay beyond a certain amount of time.

Sadly, being separated is likely part of your future - as most of us have been during our journey. But being Canadian makes visiting a lot easier

Good luck.

[SunDrop 59]

Depends on your circumstances in Canada, but how feasible would it be to enter the US, get married pretty quickly and file for a CR1 immediately (IR1 is for marriages of more than 2 years at the time of interview) and use the 6 months to wait out the petition process. You'd have to return to Canada to complete the process, but it does reduce the amount of time you are apart. Or if not wanting to get married too quickly, enter the US and file the K1 and then wait it out as per the rest.

Whatever you do, don't sell up all your worldly belongings and give notice on your home, quit your job etc, planning the above. The risk of being turned away at the border is high if you can't prove ties to Canada.

It sucks, but doing things the legal way usually means a separation...

Edited November 30, 2009 by SunDrop