Get married or apply for a Fiance Visa?

[phrog91 0]

My girlfriend is traveling to Brazil right now (and I am going to meet her there, very excited!) We are planning on getting married some day, but would like to wait until we have more money and the resources to bring her parents, buy a nice ring, have a small nest egg, etc.

She has a student visa which is valid for three more years, but she lost her passport a few months ago. Now, she is in Brazil, showing them the police report she filed here, etc., and waiting to see if she can get an F-1 Visa.

It's going to be somewhat expensive to apply to the same language school she was studying at, so she is considering switching to something cheaper. In addition, she is applying to transfer her credits (she has most of her Bachelor's degree from a university in Brazil but has one semester left) to the United States and may wish to attend that school rather than her language school. However, that school doesnt start until August, and she wants to come back in March.

Basically, should we get married in Brazil? Should we apply for her to come study at the language school, and then get married and apply to transfer her F-1 status? Should she stay in Brazil until I can get her here on a Fiance Visa? We don't want to rush into the marriage before we're ready to afford a "real" one, but if it makes it easier for her to emigrate, or if we're going to be faced with the same situation (i.e. if she is going to have to leave the country and then come back if we do get married in the country at a later date) then we want to just solve this now and get the ball rolling on her citizenship.

Any ideas would be appreciated.

EDIT: We live in NYC, she is from Sao Paulo Brazil, if this is relevant.

Edited February 9, 2010 by phrog91