US citizen marrying a UK citizen

[ntoc80 0]

I am a natural born US citizen. So to make a long story short, met the love of my life (UK Citizen) in Vegas while she was visiting and I was visiting. We kept in touch daily via facebook, facetime, text messages, etc. She came out to visit me for a week and it went amazingly. I'm heading out to the UK to visit her for a few weeks. Anyways, we are discussing marriage. We both have jobs and want to don't want to break any laws or anything. If she wishes to move to the US to marry me, what is the best way to go about it? I'm going around in circles reading different opinions. Some people say avoid the K Visa, some say do the K Visa. I've read that people get denied 2-3 times on their K visas and spend years apart. I'd rather not spend years apart from this amazing woman. We have not completely decided who is going where yet, but I want to cover my bases if she is coming to the US. Advice for a newbie please

[LeftCoastLady 441]

Welcome to VJ.

Going through London is one of the "easier" embassies, so unless your fiancée has a significant number of red flags, I wouldn't spend a lot of time worrying about being denied.

You have two options, remain unmarried and file a petition for the fiancée visa, or, get married and file a petition for the spousal visa. Check the VJ comparison chart (ignore the K-3 visa as that's obsolete) to weigh the pros/cons of each.

Like everything else in the world, people have their preferences on which is better, the K-1 or IR-1/CR-1. In the end, it's up to you and your fiancée to determine what will work for you situation. Read the comparison chart and then read the specific guides for each to learn more about what's involved. Also, fill in your profile to select the UK flag. It will appear in the UK portal area and serves as a bat signal to those of us who have gone through or are going through London.

Good luck!

I am a natural born US citizen. So to make a long story short, met the love of my life (UK Citizen) in Vegas while she was visiting and I was visiting. We kept in touch daily via facebook, facetime, text messages, etc. She came out to visit me for a week and it went amazingly. I'm heading out to the UK to visit her for a few weeks. Anyways, we are discussing marriage. We both have jobs and want to don't want to break any laws or anything. If she wishes to move to the US to marry me, what is the best way to go about it? I'm going around in circles reading different opinions. Some people say avoid the K Visa, some say do the K Visa. I've read that people get denied 2-3 times on their K visas and spend years apart. I'd rather not spend years apart from this amazing woman. We have not completely decided who is going where yet, but I want to cover my bases if she is coming to the US. Advice for a newbie please

[ntoc80 0]

Welcome to VJ.

Going through London is one of the "easier" embassies, so unless your fiancée has a significant number of red flags, I wouldn't spend a lot of time worrying about being denied.

You have two options, remain unmarried and file a petition for the fiancée visa, or, get married and file a petition for the spousal visa. Check the comparison chart (ignore the K-3 visa as that's obsolete) to weigh the pros/cons of each.

Like everything else in the world, people have their preferences on which is better, the K-1 or IR-1/CR-1. In the end, it's up to you and your fiancée to determine what will work for you situation. Read the comparison chart and then read the specific guides for each to learn more about what's involved. Also, fill in your profile to select the UK flag. It will appear in the UK portal area and serves as a bat signal to those of us who have gone through or are going through London.

Good luck!

Awesome, thank you for the great information!

[C-ma'am 684]

I moved your post to the UK Regional forum, because you have a wonderful community that can assist you on the very specific processes done in the UK for Fiance(e) or Spousal visas.

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

I am a natural born US citizen. So to make a long story short, met the love of my life (UK Citizen) in Vegas while she was visiting and I was visiting. We kept in touch daily via facebook, facetime, text messages, etc. She came out to visit me for a week and it went amazingly. I'm heading out to the UK to visit her for a few weeks. Anyways, we are discussing marriage. We both have jobs and want to don't want to break any laws or anything. If she wishes to move to the US to marry me, what is the best way to go about it? I'm going around in circles reading different opinions. Some people say avoid the K Visa, some say do the K Visa. I've read that people get denied 2-3 times on their K visas and spend years apart. I'd rather not spend years apart from this amazing woman. We have not completely decided who is going where yet, but I want to cover my bases if she is coming to the US. Advice for a newbie please

My quick comparison without all the details

If you aren't ready to marry right away then you can start the fiancé petition today...so a quick start. It processes while you work out the future marriage plans.

For a spouse petition you will have to go to the UK to marry (they have a few rules) or she can come to the US on VWP and marry you pretty easily with a quick courthouse or Vegas wedding then return to the UK. Then you can start the spouse petition. So the start is later because of having to marry first.

The spouse visa is cool because the day she enters the US, she can work, get a drivers license and is a permanent resident. It is also cheaper but takes a month or more longer (plus you can't start it yet before marrying).

The fiancé visa is cool because she may get here faster, but when she arrives she is going to be frustrated. Why? Because you will have to spend $1070 and do yet another application for her greencard and work permit. She will be stuck at home for at least 3-4 months with no friends, you at work, unable to get a drivers license or job, and unable to leave the US while she waits on approvals. That wait is assuming you marry and apply within weeks of her arrival. If you dont marry for 2 months, then make that 5-6 months where she's bored at home. All those permissions are what takes a little longer for the spouse visa because they happen before arrival.

So maybe she would be happier with 2 extra months in the UK with her mates and job in order to be able to hit the ground running as a US resident the day she arrives.

As far as fearing denial--unless she's a drug dealer, habitual criminal, prostitute, terrorist, Nazi, or overstayed her VWP illegally for years, she will be fine.

As far as longer processing than normal--expect that if she was born in the Middle East, India, Pakistan or is Muslim because of extra time needed for more extensive security checks following the interview in London (either visa).

[ntoc80 0]

awesome, thanks. While waiting on a fiance visa, she can still come here on a travel visa right?

[MmmBlondie 8]

Me and my fiance met in Vegas Your Story kind of reminds me of mine! Good Luck with whatever you do

[ntoc80 0]

Me and my fiance met in Vegas Your Story kind of reminds me of mine! Good Luck with whatever you do

Awesome! Vegas, making miracles happen. I love it. Good luck to you guys too. How long ago was it?

[MmmBlondie 8]

Awesome! Vegas, making miracles happen. I love it. Good luck to you guys too. How long ago was it?

Where about in Vegas did you meet? We met in the Luxor, on the casino floor/bar area haha. We joke that he stalked me as he heard my British accent haha

We filed on the 23rd October. He is currently serving in Afghanistan so its just a pain sorting everything out lol. I sent him a christmas parcel today though and we can Skype tonight!! Woop!

[ntoc80 0]

Where about in Vegas did you meet? We met in the Luxor, on the casino floor/bar area haha. We joke that he stalked me as he heard my British accent haha

We filed on the 23rd October. He is currently serving in Afghanistan so its just a pain sorting everything out lol. I sent him a christmas parcel today though and we can Skype tonight!! Woop!

haha, love those British accents. I was there in May for my birthday, already there for too many days. My buddy and I went to Margaritaville to grab lunch before our flight that night. She was sitting there by herself waiting for her friends to arrive in a few hours. We started talking and totally hit it off. Hours went by, her friends got to their hotel, so we exchanged numbers and she said she would call me later to meet up. I told my buddy that if she calls, we are cancelling our flights and staying another day. As a good buddy would, he said no problem! The rest is history

And I know how you feel, lots of skyping and texting.

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

awesome, thanks. While waiting on a fiance visa, she can still come here on a travel visa right?

If she's British, she doesn't need a visa to visit ( as a fiancé or spouse). Brits are part of the visa waiver program VWP.

[david'sgirl 134]

Nich has given you good advice.

Just throwing in my 2 cents....I would recommend the CR1 over the fiance visa. You can see timelines to get an idea how long you can expect. At the time we filed the fiance visa took longer. We decided it would be cheaper and make more sense in the long rub to go the Cr1 route. He wanted to be able to get a job and work right away once he moved here. We wed in the UK and I came home and applied immediately. The process is pretty straightforward. Good luck.

[Justine+David 218]

I would just chime in and say that we went for the K1 visa and we appreciated it more because he didn't have to say good-bye to me after we got married. I can't imagine becoming married and then immediately being forced to separate from my husband for half a year or more.

As far as adjusting status to get a green card, each month is different, but David got his work permit within two months of arriving here and he spent the time adjusting to life in America, so it didn't really bother him.

Edited November 16, 2012 by Justine+David

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

I would just chime in and say that we went for the K1 visa and we appreciated it more because he didn't have to say good-bye to me after we got married. I can't imagine becoming married and then immediately being forced to separate from my husband for half a year or more.

As far as adjusting status to get a green card, each month is different, but David got his work permit within two months of arriving here and he spent the time adjusting to life in America, so it didn't really bother him.

It didn't bother my husband either, but we had a different situation. I didn't have to go to work, we had two cars, and he drove from day 1 on his British license. It was like being on a long holiday together.

But I've read a hundred sad stories from fiance's who were so bored being stuck in an apartment all day with no public transportation, no car or didn't know how to drive, and hubby too exhausted to do anything after work. Even worse when you live at the in-laws house. It was the same bright-eyed and eager fiances who were so impatient to get here. Then unhappiness and homesickness and bickering. Some people cope and others crumble. I guess it depends on where you live, too. Where we are, if you don't have a car, you're stuck unless you wanted to walk 5 miles to a grocery store or 10 miles to the mall or library with no sidewalk or "pavement" as the Brits say.

[LeftCoastLady 441]

It didn't bother my husband either, but we had a different situation. I didn't have to go to work, we had two cars, and he drove from day 1 on his British license. It was like being on a long holiday together.

But I've read a hundred sad stories from fiance's who were so bored being stuck in an apartment all day with no public transportation, no car or didn't know how to drive, and hubby too exhausted to do anything after work. Even worse when you live at the in-laws house. It was the same bright-eyed and eager fiances who were so impatient to get here. Then unhappiness and homesickness and bickering. Some people cope and others crumble. I guess it depends on where you live, too. Where we are, if you don't have a car, you're stuck unless you wanted to walk 5 miles to a grocery store or 10 miles to the mall or library with no sidewalk or "pavement" as the Brits say.

Agree that everyone's situation is different. Fortunately, my fiancé visited twice and we have great public transit (already bought him a pass for the rest of November), plus he loves just walking any/everywhere. Since I work from home, he'll likely be the one leaving the house everyday.

I believe that the "what will they do once they're here" part is one of the portions of the visa journey that many don't think about until the partner has arrived in the US, especially if the partner hasn't visited the US previously and if they're not able to file the adjustment of status documentation right away. It's why I believe everyone needs to evaluate their personal situations as part of deciding which petition/visa to use.

My .02 for those just about to embark on this journey or are already in it but waiting: talk with your partner about where you live. Make plans for what they can do around your town. The Internet is great, but you don't want a spouse sitting on the computer 24/7. If the decision is made to do the K-1, start making plans to get the AOS paperwork filed as soon as possible. The filing fees should be known to you ahead of time, which gives you a head start if you can't afford it all at once.