Marriage with a US Citizen

[roland 0]

Dear All.

I am a Non US resident and I will be visitin US with a 6 months Visitor visa.

My partner is a US Citizen and we plan to get married as soon as I arrive

in US.

I have no idea of if the procedure is possible and my wife either has no

idea of how to start.

Please could somebody tell us what to do exactly because we are very

much in love and we won't be able to support again waiting months and

months of long process before I am able to go in US.

I am looking forward reading you replies soo and thanks in advance for

all you advices.

cheers

[midicat 0]

If you were to do that it can cause you problems later on down the line. They will make you show evidence that you did not intend on getting married on the visitor visa when you came over because a visitor visa is a non-immigration visa. If it was an easy way out from the waiting and being away from our loved ones we'd all be doing it, trust me. Hopefully someone else can touch on this more.

[featherB 1]

There's nothing to stop you getting married while you're in the US on your visitor visa. But as the visitor visa is quite clearly NOT for immigration purposes, you would then need to return to your own country (without overstaying on your visa) and have your USC husband/wife petition for you as a spouse. Alternatively, the two of you could apply for a fiance(e) visa and then get married (and stay) in the US once you get it. Either way, a long wait will be involved. And being 'very much in love' and not wanting to be apart makes you, oooh, no different whatsoever from any of the other people who are posting on here - funnily enough we're all in love with our fiances/spouses and don't relish the idea of having to spend months apart.

Like midicat says... entering the US with a visitor visa with the intention of using it to marry and immigrate is, well... illegal. And you would run into problems down the line when you tried to adjust status to become a permanent resident. If it was as easy as that, nobody would bother going through the proper process, and would just use tourist visas or the visa waiver program to immigrate to the US - however, they are NOT for immigrant purposes, and USCIS doesn't care that you're in love.

Have a read of the guides at the top of the page here and have a talk with your partner - you can work out which way will be the best way for the two of you. It pretty much comes down to being separated while engaged or separated while a married couple, but if you read the guides & FAQs (and come back here to ask any more questions you might have) you'll be able to get a good idea of which process will be best for you.

Good luck.

Edited January 7, 2007 by featherB

[KarenCee 3]

Dear All.

I am a Non US resident and I will be visitin US with a 6 months Visitor visa.

My partner is a US Citizen and we plan to get married as soon as I arrive

in US.

I have no idea of if the procedure is possible and my wife either has no

idea of how to start.

Please could somebody tell us what to do exactly because we are very

much in love and we won't be able to support again waiting months and

months of long process before I am able to go in US.

I am looking forward reading you replies soo and thanks in advance for

all you advices.

cheers

I *think* the problem will lie in what I have bolded. You are saying you are *planning* to marry while here on your visitor's visa. There are those who visit, fall in love and marry, without the intent to immigrate. That isn't fraud. Planning to enter the US on a visitor's visa to marry IS fraud. Yes, you can marry, but you will have to return to your home country to wait out the K3 process. The huge majority of us feel the same way about waiting...none of us like it. There are a lot whose wait time is shorter than others though. Still...waiting is a definate.

Best of luck to ya.

[Ladylethal 12]

The moment you're stating you plan to marry there and stay, you're committing immigration fraud. You can indeed get married there on a tourist visa, but you should leave the country afterwards and file for a K3 visa. You can also file for a K1 now and wait for the visa to be issued and then go to US, get married, and stay there.

What you plan to do is against procedure and it's fraud and VJ and it's members won't give you advice to do go ahead and do it.

[Magnolia31 0]

There's nothing to stop you getting married while you're in the US on your visitor visa. But as the visitor visa is quite clearly NOT for immigration purposes, you would then need to return to your own country (without overstaying on your visa) and have your USC husband/wife petition for you as a spouse. Alternatively, the two of you could apply for a fiance(e) visa and then get married (and stay) in the US once you get it. Either way, a long wait will be involved. And being 'very much in love' and not wanting to be apart makes you, oooh, no different whatsoever from any of the other people who are posting on here - funnily enough we're all in love with our fiances/spouses and don't relish the idea of having to spend months apart.

Like midicat says... entering the US with a visitor visa with the intention of using it to marry and immigrate is, well... illegal. And you would run into problems down the line when you tried to adjust status to become a permanent resident. If it was as easy as that, nobody would bother going through the proper process, and would just use tourist visas or the visa waiver program to immigrate to the US - however, they are NOT for immigrant purposes, and USCIS doesn't care that you're in love.

Have a read of the guides at the top of the page here and have a talk with your partner - you can work out which way will be the best way for the two of you. It pretty much comes down to being separated while engaged or separated while a married couple, but if you read the guides & FAQs (and come back here to ask any more questions you might have) you'll be able to get a good idea of which process will be best for you.

Good luck.

Hello!

Just a quick question. I stumbled upon this thread and was wondering about the topic being posted. I now know 4 people who are from Germany, who ended up going to the states with their boyfriends on a tourist visa ... who then all ended up getting married, being able to stay in the states permanently. How on earth did they get away with that if you are not supposed to do that? And just today, a friend of mine told me she is leaving next month and is doing the same exact thing. I recommended that she get the fiance visa and she laughingly asked me "why?"

It frustrates me to no end because I am sitting here waiting out this long process for my fiance visa and find it so unfair that other people are getting away with something that I was told not to do. So, does anyone have any idea why some are still getting away with this?

[misa 2]

It frustrates me to no end because I am sitting here waiting out this long process for my fiance visa and find it so unfair that other people are getting away with something that I was told not to do. So, does anyone have any idea why some are still getting away with this?

It's something that frustrates us all of us I think regardless of what route we're taking (K1, K3, CR/IR). It's a huge risk for people to do that since it is immigration fraud and could bite them in the ### when it comes time to do their adjustment of status. If they get denied, they have to leave and get barred from the country (I think that's how it works).

There is someone here that posted recently that their lawyer advised them that an overstay would be forgiven but their husband ended up getting deported.

It's just not worth the risk IMHO.

[MPGGPM 0]

There's nothing to stop you getting married while you're in the US on your visitor visa. But as the visitor visa is quite clearly NOT for immigration purposes, you would then need to return to your own country (without overstaying on your visa) and have your USC husband/wife petition for you as a spouse. Alternatively, the two of you could apply for a fiance(e) visa and then get married (and stay) in the US once you get it. Either way, a long wait will be involved. And being 'very much in love' and not wanting to be apart makes you, oooh, no different whatsoever from any of the other people who are posting on here - funnily enough we're all in love with our fiances/spouses and don't relish the idea of having to spend months apart.

Like midicat says... entering the US with a visitor visa with the intention of using it to marry and immigrate is, well... illegal. And you would run into problems down the line when you tried to adjust status to become a permanent resident. If it was as easy as that, nobody would bother going through the proper process, and would just use tourist visas or the visa waiver program to immigrate to the US - however, they are NOT for immigrant purposes, and USCIS doesn't care that you're in love.

Have a read of the guides at the top of the page here and have a talk with your partner - you can work out which way will be the best way for the two of you. It pretty much comes down to being separated while engaged or separated while a married couple, but if you read the guides & FAQs (and come back here to ask any more questions you might have) you'll be able to get a good idea of which process will be best for you.

Good luck.

Hello!

Just a quick question. I stumbled upon this thread and was wondering about the topic being posted. I now know 4 people who are from Germany, who ended up going to the states with their boyfriends on a tourist visa ... who then all ended up getting married, being able to stay in the states permanently. How on earth did they get away with that if you are not supposed to do that? And just today, a friend of mine told me she is leaving next month and is doing the same exact thing. I recommended that she get the fiance visa and she laughingly asked me "why?"

It frustrates me to no end because I am sitting here waiting out this long process for my fiance visa and find it so unfair that other people are getting away with something that I was told not to do. So, does anyone have any idea why some are still getting away with this?

They get away with it because they probably knew up front the ways around this system.

I am sure if someone went to the AOS interview and blatantly said they came to the USA with intent to marry......they'd more than likely get denied and possibly banned for a few years. But I am sure those people knew enough about the system to NOT say that they intentionally entered with the idea of marrying and most likely lied and said it was spontaneus. And since it is their word against USCIS and I am sure very hard for USCIS to prove that they are lying........they get their green cards etc..

It's a loophole in the system and I am sure it's done every day.....but it is NOT the way things are supposed to be done, and if they got caught lying somehow, I'm sure the penalties would be harsh.

But until someday the rules are changed, people will continue to come on tourist visas to marry here and avoid the lengthy separation.

Not a fair system......but that's the way it goes.

[amaniman 0]

Does the original poster actually have his B-2 visa for travel from Cameroun to the USA? If he has not yet applied, I would think twice about entering and marrying this way. For a B-2 visa, he will have to have some information about where he is visiting and whom he is staying with. If he divulges that he will be staying with a girlfriend, he will be denied the B-2 visa. That will not look good on his K-1 fiance visa application.

[maggieNomar 0]

It's a big chance to take just to prove you were above the rules. The correct way to to do and the consequences of immigration fraud have already been stated. I have a friend in Calif who met a girl online and she came down from Canada. They married in 2 weeks. This happened back in July. She just passed her 6 month limit to be here, and was telling me all smug like how she did all this and applied for her I130 just like some of her other relatives have done. She even asked me why I don't do like her!!! Well when she heard about the rules and visa, and the words IMMIGRATION FRAUD. Now she is walking around a scared mess, knowing full well if the CO pays attention to the fact that they married a mere two weeks after arrival, she is looking at a ban. Those of us who chose to follow the rules get punished with additonal waits and bureaucratic mess by those of you who break the rules.

[misa 2]

It's a big chance to take just to prove you were above the rules. The correct way to to do and the consequences of immigration fraud have already been stated. I have a friend in Calif who met a girl online and she came down from Canada. They married in 2 weeks. This happened back in July. She just passed her 6 month limit to be here, and was telling me all smug like how she did all this and applied for her I130 just like some of her other relatives have done. She even asked me why I don't do like her!!! Well when she heard about the rules and visa, and the words IMMIGRATION FRAUD. Now she is walking around a scared mess, knowing full well if the CO pays attention to the fact that they married a mere two weeks after arrival, she is looking at a ban. Those of us who chose to follow the rules get punished with additonal waits and bureaucratic mess by those of you who break the rules.

Does she plan on going back up to Canada or is she going to risk the overstay? The smart thing for her to do is go back home ASAP.

[jsnearline 2]

Keep in mind that USCIS can revoke permanent residence and citizenship in cases where immigration fraud is found. There is no statute of limitations on this, so just because someone managed to work the system and get a green card does not necessarily mean they are home free.

If the OP can't afford or isn't willing to leave the US again to process a K3 after they come here and get married, going for a K1 visa is the best way to go.

[KarenCee 3]

There's nothing to stop you getting married while you're in the US on your visitor visa. But as the visitor visa is quite clearly NOT for immigration purposes, you would then need to return to your own country (without overstaying on your visa) and have your USC husband/wife petition for you as a spouse. Alternatively, the two of you could apply for a fiance(e) visa and then get married (and stay) in the US once you get it. Either way, a long wait will be involved. And being 'very much in love' and not wanting to be apart makes you, oooh, no different whatsoever from any of the other people who are posting on here - funnily enough we're all in love with our fiances/spouses and don't relish the idea of having to spend months apart.

Like midicat says... entering the US with a visitor visa with the intention of using it to marry and immigrate is, well... illegal. And you would run into problems down the line when you tried to adjust status to become a permanent resident. If it was as easy as that, nobody would bother going through the proper process, and would just use tourist visas or the visa waiver program to immigrate to the US - however, they are NOT for immigrant purposes, and USCIS doesn't care that you're in love.

Have a read of the guides at the top of the page here and have a talk with your partner - you can work out which way will be the best way for the two of you. It pretty much comes down to being separated while engaged or separated while a married couple, but if you read the guides & FAQs (and come back here to ask any more questions you might have) you'll be able to get a good idea of which process will be best for you.

Good luck.

Hello!

Just a quick question. I stumbled upon this thread and was wondering about the topic being posted. I now know 4 people who are from Germany, who ended up going to the states with their boyfriends on a tourist visa ... who then all ended up getting married, being able to stay in the states permanently. How on earth did they get away with that if you are not supposed to do that? And just today, a friend of mine told me she is leaving next month and is doing the same exact thing. I recommended that she get the fiance visa and she laughingly asked me "why?"

It frustrates me to no end because I am sitting here waiting out this long process for my fiance visa and find it so unfair that other people are getting away with something that I was told not to do. So, does anyone have any idea why some are still getting away with this?

IF you can prove that there was no intent to immigrate when you married, that's how. There have been a few on here who did just that. Came to visit...no intentions of remaining nor marrying...decide to get married. It's probably not the best way, but the onus is on you the immigrant to prove there was no intent when you entered the US. Otherwise the AO will suspect fraud.

There are always someone to post on here looking for a quick way to circumvent the Immigration Process. There isn't. This is the way my husband and I see it: at least we don't have to worry about him being deported or his PR revoked because of anything fraudulently. We did this process by the book. We can sleep at night without worry.

[Ladylethal 12]

Agreed. It's possible to go around? Yes. But it's wrong. We did things by the book and I know I won't have any worries with future dealings with Immigration.

[featherB 1]

Agreed. It's possible to go around? Yes. But it's wrong. We did things by the book and I know I won't have any worries with future dealings with Immigration.

Exactly... the whole process wreaks enough havoc on your nerves as it is, even when you know you've done everything right and by the book. I can't imagine how it would be to have the constant worry that they could turn around and say 'sorry, we don't believe you' at any stage in the process - even for someone who genuinely *did* marry as a spontaneous thing after entering on a tourist visa with no intent to immigrate, there must be a constant worry that they'll assume you're lying. People who think they'll avoid the hassle of doing it properly so they can be together sooner will then have it hanging over them constantly - they have to get through AOS, removal of conditions, naturalisation if that's what they want to do... ugh, there's no way I could live like that! They'd just have to find one tiny hole in your story, something that didn't add up... definitely not worth it.