Any tips or advice and where to go from here

[Trompe le Monde 1,107]

No we didn't know a lot of detail which is why I prefer to ask the OP questions before suggesting they will have a lifetime ban, or giving them advice on cautions before knowing the full story and then offering them conjecture based on my own opinion. The fact is, a lot of people seem to have an issue with the fact that people can adjust on VWP, which colors the "advice" they offer.

This issue of adjusting from VWP comes up time and time again and the amount of bad information and moralizing people spew out before they fully understand the OP's situation (usually someone new and unfamiliar with the finer points of family immigration) or understanding of the risks is not helpful.

Incidentally, someone on VJ once entered using VWP US with a pending K-1 and adjusted without any problems. She did so at the advice of USCIS! Several people went into secondary and have adjusted without issues, as mentioned before. I have in 5 years seen a single, solitary person (who had sold up before leaving) have problems with immigrant intent at POE.

I would never tell anyone they are going to be "okay" since people often don't tell the whole story. I would also never tell someone to approach this issue without legal help (though many do, successfully). But the scaremongering on this subject is not in proportion to the actual risks that we have seen over time.