What do we do?

[shoelace 0]

I'm an american who met a canadian online, we met a few times in person and decided to get married. We were going to do the K-1 visa, but on her last trip down we decided to get married and she didn't take her flight back home. Now we're stuck on what to do and would like some advice. We've talked to a lawyer, but haven't retained them yet. Everything we've read seems to originate the filing for her in canada. Can we do it with her in america? Should we go the CR1/IR1 route? Also, it seems they want proof of marriage now so how do we go along to get joint documents? (like adding her to my bank account) We're just looking for some general direction, because a lawyer is very expensive and this all seems complicated and confusing.

[canadian_wife 1,829]

http://www.visajourney.com/content/i130guide2

Congratulations on your marriage, follow the guide in the link above. She does not have to go back to Canada, in fact, if you start this process she cannot leave the US until she has permission to do so in the form of her travel doucment or her green card

This is a DIY site, so unless you have a particularly difficult case, come here and ask all your quesitons

Good luck

[Kathryn41 3,205]

Since she last entered the US without the intention of getting married and staying, she is allowed to apply to change her status from visitor to permanent resident without leaving the US. In fact, she will not be able to leave the US until she gets either her green card or a travel document known as an Advance Parole. If she had intended on getting married and remaining in the US when she last crossed the border, or if she had returned to Canada after getting married, you would not have the option of applying to change status from within the US. Since there was no immigrant intent upon arrival, USCIS considers that her circumstances have changed since her arrival and she is allowed to apply.

So, read the link Canadian_Wife provided, and use visa journey as an information resource and support network for the two of you to go through the immigration process. Many of us here have done this without lawyers and have a wealth of information at our fingertips.

Good luck - and congratulations.