My story

[kpakusch 0]

I posted this in the new members forum but I feel like it would make more sense here so I will repost..

Hello! I am completely new to this website and forum but I have been looking around the internet for some information and there seems to be a lot of it here! I am not sure if this is the right place to start, but here is my story and my questions..

I am a US citizen and I have a Mexican boyfriend. We met two and a half years ago while we were both working on an internship in Orlando, FL. He was on a J1 visa at the time. We spent 5 months together, fell in love, and at the end of his internship he went back to Mexico. He then started employment with a cruise line (an American company) and has a working visa for that company. Before he left for his first contract I visited him in Mexico for 3 weeks. After his contract ended I visited him again in Mexico for 1 month. During my time there he got a tourist visa and came to visit me for 10 days shortly after I returned to the States. He is now working on a second contract with the cruise line and is due to finish on December 1st. We have been able to be together for a few hours here and there while he has been working on the ship as he is based out of a city very close to me. Once he is done with this contract he is planning to first return to Mexico and then visit me again here in the Sates. We want to get married and settle down together. Are we able to do this while he is here on a tourist visa? Or does he first need to go back to Mexico and apply for a Fiancee visa? Would it be any easier for us to get married in Mexico? We have no yet decided where we want to live ultimately. All of this is very confusing to me and I am not sure where to start or who to talk to. Any advice you can give is greatly appreciated! Thank you

[KayDeeCee 4,895]

Welcome to VJ! Entering the US on a tourist visa with intent to marry and stay is fraud, so that route is out. You can marry while he is in the US on the tourist visa, but then he would leave before overstaying and you could pursue a spousal visa. Check this comparison guide for choosing which visa is right for you. http://www.visajourney.com/content/compare

~ Moved from K-1 Process to What Visa Do I Need- OP still deciding which visa path to choose | Duplicate topic from another forum removed ~

[Cathi 5,782]

You can marry while on the tourist visa as long as he doesn't overstay and returns home while you petition a spouse visa for him. He cannot stay and attempt to adjust status as that is your intent beforehand. That is visa fraud and carries a lifetime ban with no appeal.