Can we live separately to finish our education?

[Anonymous Guy 3]

My wife, who's US Citizen, has sponsored me for my green card. I have a conditional green card. My wife is a student at Yale University and I just got into Stanford. While we are married and are currently living together, I would like to attend Stanford and she doesn't want to transfer out of Yale, which I understand. Can I finish my school in California and she in Connecticut? When we both finish school, we will be living and working together. However, we are worried that if we stop living together for a few years to finish our schools, it may be a issue while we apply for my removal of conditions for the green card. Would the USCIS understand that sometimes even married people have to live separately to make something out of thier lives? Do we have to show the same address for both of us? We love each other so much, but opportunities like these don't come often and I got full scholarship! Please advise!!!

[droplets 2]

My wife, who's US Citizen, has sponsored me for my green card. I have a conditional green card. My wife is a student at Yale University and I just got into Stanford. While we are married and are currently living together, I would like to attend Stanford and she doesn't want to transfer out of Yale, which I understand. Can I finish my school in California and she in Connecticut? When we both finish school, we will be living and working together. However, we are worried that if we stop living together for a few years to finish our schools, it may be a issue while we apply for my removal of conditions for the green card. Would the USCIS understand that sometimes even married people have to live separately to make something out of thier lives? Do we have to show the same address for both of us? We love each other so much, but opportunities like these don't come often and I got full scholarship! Please advise!!!

Sounds like a bad idea and sounds fishy to me.

[together4evr 360]

A CR1 got a FULL scholarship to Stanford? Not many USC can get that!

His USc wife is at Yale?

WOW- you both are very lucky and smart

I am not sure of the answer but good luck saying you came here to be with your wife but your actions show education is your primary immigration purpose

You culd live by her till she finishes school then she moves to work in cali in 2 years or so

[Christi85 86]

Sounds like a bad idea and sounds fishy to me.

Why is it fishy? More couples than you realize are actually in the OP's situation due to either work or education.

OP- while the situation will not be ideal in USCIS' eyes (they like clear cut cases and typically want couples to prove they live together), living separately because of education will not in itself result in a denial. I suggest you present as much evidence as possible of co-mingled finances (joint bank accounts, joint credit cards, joint insurance policies listing each other as the beneficiary etc., any joint assets you may hold such as cars etc. - you get the gist) and as much solid evidence as you can find for living together from the beginning of your marriage 'till now. When it comes to addressing the lack of common address, present an statement signed from both of you explaining the situation the same way you explained it here. It may also be a good idea to include a few affidavits from family and friends attesting that your marriage is still in good standing etc. Also, while you will be living apart, make sure you gather evidence from every meeting with your spouse when she comes to visit you or when you go to visit her, such as flight bookings, receipts for things you did together, pictures etc. to show that you are still visiting each other. That being said, because your case will not be the standard clear cut case, be prepared for the possibility of an RFE or even an interview where they will want both of you to be present. Since your marriage is legit there's nothing to worry about, but they may request those extra steps to satisfy themselves that your claim of a good standing marriage is indeed true. Best of luck in your ROC!

[christeen 966]

Agreed, to pass an opportunity like that would be difficult for sure... As a previous poster said, I would go out of my way to document that although you are living apart physically, you are in all other ways a co-mingled couple. Be sure to document visits, Skype chats and call logs showing constant communication, joint bank accounts and investments, perhaps a life insurance policy with each other a benificeries, if you have a lease see if you can be joint applicants and car insurance etc... But the best thing is to document your ongoing relationship regardless of how unorthodox it might be... And congratulations!

[Christi85 86]

A CR1 got a FULL scholarship to Stanford? Not many USC can get that!

His USc wife is at Yale?

WOW- you both are very lucky and smart

I am not sure of the answer but good luck saying you came here to be with your wife but your actions show education is your primary immigration purpose

You culd live by her till she finishes school then she moves to work in cali in 2 years or so

Respectfully, this does not hold true.

If his primary purpose was to be in the US for education, he could have obtained a student visa much easier and with much less hassle than obtaining a green card through marriage. As a matter of fact, a lot of people on student visas try to adjust status to a green card through marriage to give themselves a way to stay in the country permanently, but I've never heard of anyone going through the hoops of obtaining an immigrant visa and subsequent green card just to study at a US university.

There's nothing in USCIS' rules that forbids green card holders from pursuing their education/career goals and the fact that he is pursuing further education does not in itself prove he is not devoted to his marriage.

Yes, the OP and his wife are likely going to have a case that's a bit more complicated than a typical straightforward ROC with joint filing, but if he presents his case strongly enough with his wife's support, he should still be approved.

OP- not sure how scholarships in the US work and whether they have an "expiration date" so to speak, but if you can also prove that your scholarship was time-sensitive, i.e. you had to use it on a certain academic year, or you'd lose it, which would explain why you could not afford to wait until your wife's graduation, that would also be good additional evidence towards your case.

[AnotherLostSoul 167]

I don't know about the ROC stage as we have not been there yet, but we lived separate when we got married, and when we filed due to the exact same reason (school). The IO asked at the interview if we lived together, and we told her no due to school. We took our transcripts to show the proof of our school and program. We even told her we would like to finish our schools, so it won't be anytime soon that we'll live together. We got approved on the spot with no problem. But like I said, I don't know about the ROC stage....we have not gone there yet, but it will be the same case as back when we were AOSing...good luck, let me know if it had effect or not as we'll be in the same shoe...

My wife, who's US Citizen, has sponsored me for my green card. I have a conditional green card. My wife is a student at Yale University and I just got into Stanford. While we are married and are currently living together, I would like to attend Stanford and she doesn't want to transfer out of Yale, which I understand. Can I finish my school in California and she in Connecticut? When we both finish school, we will be living and working together. However, we are worried that if we stop living together for a few years to finish our schools, it may be a issue while we apply for my removal of conditions for the green card. Would the USCIS understand that sometimes even married people have to live separately to make something out of thier lives? Do we have to show the same address for both of us? We love each other so much, but opportunities like these don't come often and I got full scholarship! Please advise!!!

[Darnell 8,479]

I dunno, seems really hard to answer about RoC when no one can figure out when that might occur.

http://www.visajourney.com/timeline/profile.php?id=146800

http://www.visajourney.com/timeline/profile.php?id=146800

http://www.visajourney.com/timeline/profile.php?id=146800

Could you, would you, purty please (with curry laksa on it, no less) fill out yer timeline over at

http://www.visajourney.com/timeline/profile.php?id=146800

since yer here asking a question ?