Marrying an American AND Starting Your Career in the USA

[Wishing 1]

So basically ask yourself this:

Do you intend on marriage? If so, it's the finance visa route

Do you just intend on just dating? If so maybe a TN would be better

Do you intend on dating and then eventually getting married? Tricky one, and it may be tricker to convince the IO that as well if you try for a TN status.

[SapphireDreams 71]

My opinion on this kind of thing is really - if your ultimate goal is to get married and live and reside in the US indefinitely, then it's worth the 7-9 month wait for the K1 visa. Work visas are only temporary and not worth the hassle long term.

Also urge you to consider your timeline and figure out if jumping right into this is the right decision. We probably could've done a K1 straight out of college - but we chose to do long distance for another 3 years so that we could both establish ourselves, get some really good job experience and save lots of $$$$. Sure, it was hard and it was 3 long years of travelling (on top of the 3 years we had already spent dating) but I can honestly say that it was 10000% the best decision we ever made. And i know it's not for everyone, but I urge everyone to consider your situation and put your heart on the side table for just 1 minute to think about things like, what will our financial situation be like (can we afford to live, deal with visa expenses etc and not encounter debt or hardship)? What is the job market going to be like? (easier to get an entry level job in your field, or easier if youhave a few years experience?) and not just I don't care about anythign but being together. Because life is not roses and daises when you are together...a few weeks after the move and reality sets in and you need to be ready for things like unemployment, visa expenses, bills and many other expenses that come up.

Getting a job with 2-3 years experience was ultimately my best bet, we also knew we needed ample money to not only live on one income for 4 months(while still paying my student loans) and also afford to furnish our new apartment completely, pay a deposit and still be able to enjoy life, go out to eat regularly, go on vacations a few times this year and then have an extravagent wedding (which is entirely not necessary, but something we wanted and wouldn't have been happy without).

Obviously your goal is to be together as fast as possible - but definitely weigh the pros and cons to faster vs. waiting for the right time.

OKay, I'll step off my soapbox now!

[Udella&Wiz 325]

My opinion on this kind of thing is really - if your ultimate goal is to get married and live and reside in the US indefinitely, then it's worth the 7-9 month wait for the K1 visa. Work visas are only temporary and not worth the hassle long term.

Also urge you to consider your timeline and figure out if jumping right into this is the right decision. We probably could've done a K1 straight out of college - but we chose to do long distance for another 3 years so that we could both establish ourselves, get some really good job experience and save lots of $$$$. Sure, it was hard and it was 3 long years of travelling (on top of the 3 years we had already spent dating) but I can honestly say that it was 10000% the best decision we ever made. And i know it's not for everyone, but I urge everyone to consider your situation and put your heart on the side table for just 1 minute to think about things like, what will our financial situation be like (can we afford to live, deal with visa expenses etc and not encounter debt or hardship)? What is the job market going to be like? (easier to get an entry level job in your field, or easier if youhave a few years experience?) and not just I don't care about anythign but being together. Because life is not roses and daises when you are together...a few weeks after the move and reality sets in and you need to be ready for things like unemployment, visa expenses, bills and many other expenses that come up.

Getting a job with 2-3 years experience was ultimately my best bet, we also knew we needed ample money to not only live on one income for 4 months(while still paying my student loans) and also afford to furnish our new apartment completely, pay a deposit and still be able to enjoy life, go out to eat regularly, go on vacations a few times this year and then have an extravagent wedding (which is entirely not necessary, but something we wanted and wouldn't have been happy without).

Obviously your goal is to be together as fast as possible - but definitely weigh the pros and cons to faster vs. waiting for the right time.

OKay, I'll step off my soapbox now!

These points are all really good. Money does become a huge factor in the immigration process (there's always a fee to pay along the way...see the guides) and to potentially be coming off a grad degree with possible debt and no job experience would add obstacles. The K1 has it's fees, and then when you move, marry and file for the AOS ($1010.00 BTW) it's a tough year.

We're not trying to discourage, just warn about things we probably didn't consider when we first started off.

[Gemmie 142]

I would also like to add that every job application form I've filled in always asks "will you at any time need sponsorship for employment?"

This kind of pre-screening, in my view, is there to get rid of the people that will make more work for the employer, and they aren't interested in that.