Come to the USA or not?

[melimax 1]

My fiancé and I filed our K1 Visa application a few months ago, and have already received our NOA2. We are now in the waiting process between NOA2 and the interview process at his local US embassy.

Lately he has been really concerned with the job "waiting game" after he enters the US and after we get married (during the AOS stage of the process). I think it is really killing him that during that time he won't be able to work and will essentially be sitting around waiting for the approval before he can apply for jobs in the US.

Because he is anxious about this... he is rethinking the entire process. He keeps asking me about the idea of him getting hired somewhere else in the world before his entry into the US. (He is applying for jobs outside of the US and one in particular he is very interested in).

As you can imagine, I want to be there to support whatever decision he wants.... but it scares me that our immigration process will be postponed until he is ready to face the waiting game. I don't think he realizes that immigration into the US takes a lot of time, patience, and money. And he's suddenly starting to wonder whether it is really all worth it when I (a US citizen) can immigrate to another country with him. My thoughts tell me that for me to immigrate somewhere else would be just as much of a headache.

I think everyone who goes through the K1 visa process feels hopeless during the AOS stage of the process, simply because they have to wait t work. Sometimes I wonder if the CR-1 process would have been less of a headache during his job-hunt once he enters the US.

Does anybody have any words of wisdom? The long-distance between him and I is making me extra emotional, and I would like to hear some encouraging words from somebody who understands!

Thank you!!

Mel

[Penguin_ie 5,996]

Well, three things to keep in mind:

- unless he'll be looking for a minimum wage job, the hiring process often takes a while anyways.

- He can apply for jobs before he gets his AP/ EAD combo card, he just cannot start working. With the economy as it is, it may well take him a while to find a job.

- It'll take him a while to get used to everything and settle in. He may think he knows the place already from visits, but it is very different when you move here. It'll take a while to get his drivers license, get to know the area, network to find a job, learn how to fashion his French cv into a US resume etc.

[CaroSL 68]

Well, three things to keep in mind:

- unless he'll be looking for a minimum wage job, the hiring process often takes a while anyways.

- He can apply for jobs before he gets his AP/ EAD combo card, he just cannot start working. With the economy as it is, it may well take him a while to find a job.

- It'll take him a while to get used to everything and settle in. He may think he knows the place already from visits, but it is very different when you move here. It'll take a while to get his drivers license, get to know the area, network to find a job, learn how to fashion his French cv into a US resume etc.

I totally agree with this. 3 months waiting for EAD is not that long.

I would add that getting married is a lifetime decision, when you weigh the waiting period against it, it really is nothing! I still don't have a job and I got my work authorization close to a months ago.

It is definitely frustrating and scary... But it was 200% worth it to come here, and I don't regret any of it.

[Kajikit 65]

Also, there is more to life than just work! The waiting period isn't forever and at least you'd get to spend it together. There's plenty of things he can do during that time - he can do community service, he can take classes, he can pursue a hobby... he just can't get paid.