Marriage visa for dummies

[kitkat105 0]

Hi, my name is Kat and I am currently living in Australia. My fiance lives in the US and I plan to move there & marry him in July 2012.

Now while I know Google has a wealth of information on the subject I am struggling to find simplistic information regarding the visa process. It is incredibly overwhelming.

Basically I know I want to stay there once we get married because we are currently apart now and I couldn't do it again. Is it possible to stay there in the US while my visa is being processed? Approximately how long does it take to receive, for example, conditional residence?

While I am waiting for my greencard visa to be processed an I apply for a work permit? How long does this usually take to be granted? Does the work permit include a social security number? (I need a social security number to sit the NCLEX in California).

Sorry for asking questions that have been probably asked a million times over. I appreciate any and all help & advice in advance.

[Penguin_ie 5,993]

Your timeline isn't going to work. If you do not want to be apart after the wedding, he needs to petition you for a K1 fiance visa and even if he files tomorrow, it won't be ready by July this year, they take 6-8 months on average. If you have your heart set on the wedding date, you can go on the Visa Waiver Program and marry him, but you cannot stay longer than the 90 days allowed./ He can then petition for the CR-1 spousal visa and you go back to Australia and wait (you can visit during the wait- 8-10 months).

Good "visa guide for dummies": http://www.visajourney.com/content/guides