Traveling with AP and Financial worries

[kfish2 0]

My boyfriend and I are in the preliminary stages of planning our engagement and wedding. I'd like to be able to have a ceremony in both countries (US and UK) - we are planning for an official US wedding (to live here) and, afterward, a UK blessing ceremony. How can we do this if he is unable to travel immediately after our US wedding? How long are the Advanced Parole wait times? Would they approve parole for this reason? Is there perhaps a better way of going about this that I'm not aware of? Would having the blessing ceremony prior to the wedding make things any simpler? Would I even be allowed into the UK if his US Visa application is pending? Help! We want both of our families to celebrate this time with us, but that means planning two ceremonies in two counties. We'd rather not have them be months apart to save on money. How can we do this?

Also, I am a second-year master's student with plenty of debt. We'd like to start our application 4 months prior to my graduation, but I will not yet have a full time job. My parents are willing to be co-sponsors. Will this hurt our chances of having his application approved? Would having more than 2 co-sponsors help? Would it be better to wait to apply until I've secured a full-time job? Also, his work experience is quite varied and has gaps because of travel. How do we handle this for our application and his interview? Many thanks.

[Inky 1,110]

You have to wait until he has AP (3-4months wait) no way around that if you want to file for a K-1.

If you want to get married first, he could travel to the US and marry then you both could return to the UK and have the blessing then you return to the USA and he waits for 1 year while you file a Spousal visa.

[Allegra+Hadrien 2]

Hey!

This is what I did:

we got married at the courthouse in the States (France requires you to do that before the ceremony). I filed the I-130 petition as soon as I got the mariage certificate and then Hadrien flew back to Paris. We waited a couple of months and had the huge family/friends ceremony in France. We were able to see each other while waiting for visa. I had to go back to the States for work, but luckily we only have to wait one more month or so for him to come home!

As for you being a student. Have your parents fill out a co-sponsor from, as long as they make enough above the poverty line, you do not need to work AT ALL. I had my dad fill out one and my credit is not good. They do not check any of that. My co-sponsor form was accepted without any dilemna.

From personal experience, I think the Cr1 visa is the way to go. For both finace visas and k3, you have to go through two extra steps of forms and payments. The wait is long as it is, I prefered to do it in one time and give Hadrien a couple of months to make money, pack up and say bye to France (which is a huge deal when you think of it). That is just my opinion.

Feel free to message me if I could help you out with anything.

Good luck!!

Edited October 22, 2011 by Allegra+Hadrien

[Allegra+Hadrien 2]

and p.s. you do have the right to go to the UK - as many times as you would like.

He technically can't come to the States while waiting for his visa, but I have seen some instances of people going to visit as long as they returned to their country of origin. It is a risk of being denied entry though.

[Dan & Jenni 457]

my advice is to research both fiance and spousal visas and work out which is best for you as they can differ by a large amount in cost especially when you take in to everything in to consideration like the ability to be able to work once your fiance reaches america. if you do go the K-1route then there is no work or travel until he has AP and EAD (about 2-3 month).... that plus AOS will cost another 1000 dollar on top of the K-1 process. having any kind of ceremony prior to marriage is considered a bad idea on here. having a co-sponsor will not hurt your application at all but having more than 1 co-sponsor isnt possible as far as i know. his work experience isnt important.

godspeed

[Brother Hesekiel 2,235]

Have him travel to the U.S. without a visa and get married on U.S. soil in the presence of your family and friends. Send off the readily prepared I-130 as soon as you have the Certificate of Marriage at hand. Then you both fly to the U-kay and have the ceremony you so much desire with his family and friends. After the honeymoon in Europe you'll return home and he'll apply for a CR-1 based on the approved I-130, which takes about 5 months. Once his immigrant visa is approved, he'll hit the ground running, can get a driver's license and work from day 1 on. Another advantage is that you guys don't have to go through the $1,070 AoS process.

CR1 = K-1 + AoS