How should I process ????? I really need your help

[Ana92 0]

Hi,

I want to say thank you in advance of all people who will help.

I discovered this website few days ago, it is a treasure!!!

I am totally lost in this administrative jungle !

I do not know what to do, I do not sleep at night because i have so munch stress for this.

I will appreciate your advices and help.

My story (tried to make sort)

I am French citizen, I met my boyfriend end of 2008. He is American citizen.

I used live in Paris, I have living in Canada for almost 2 years with a work permit.

We was friend couple of years before starting your relationship. We had a break for a year.

Finally, he proposed me !! :joy:after a long time !!! as you know long distance relationship is not easy at all. then, I said YES !!!

Now, we are talking about wedding, papers etc.................

We are not on the same pages because i read stories on this website, lawyers websites etc... to get information.

I want to make sure i understand the process.

Problem is he said to me in reality it does not work like that !!!!!

He told me so many stories about people he knows who married with somebody who is not american. I have heard so stories on my side.

I read a lot of information on this website all the week end. and I understood most of the information.

I need advice, to follow the best issue for us, and come in US as soon as possible.

My questions are:

1. Which way would be easier and faster for us ??

- to get married in US (enter as a tourist) and apply in USA or get married in Canada and apply from Canada ????

I am asking because i know that a lot of people come in US as tourist, get married and the husband apply (one of my friend here canadian, she has a BF in US, she asked to the immigration officer (border), just to know) The officer said to her, you come then you marry WEIRD ANSWER ??????? How you can enter to US as tourist, say to the officer i am getting married then let her go ???????????

- I know that K1 visa takes like 6 to 8 months.

Do you think if i married him in Canada or US and apply for a K3 visa would be easier and faster ???? or should i go in US marry then and apply from there ???

I am so so confused

Thanks in advance for your precious help.

[Boiler 45,533]

Illegal to enter as a tourist with intent to stay.

K1's are a bit longer than you mentioned but shorter than a CR1 which is the married option.

K3 is effectively dead and best ignored.

[Alaska2012 462]

If you enter on a tourist visa with the intent to get married and stay it will be fraud. You can enter and get married but you have to go back to Canada after

[Ryan H 3,812]

Moved from IR-1/CR-1 Process & Procedures to What Visa Do I Need - Family Based Immigration forum.

[canadian_wife 1,822]

What part of Canada are you in? In Ontario it can take 6-8 weeks after the marriage to get your marriage certificate. Meaning you cannot petition for a visa until almost 2 months after marriage.

Good luck

[Ana92 0]

Illegal to enter as a tourist with intent to stay.

K1's are a bit longer than you mentioned but shorter than a CR1 which is the married option.

K3 is effectively dead and best ignored.

Thank you very much for your help.

I really do not understand.

I know for sure some people come as tourist and get married then apply. and they got it ! weird !

How long it will take for CR1 ?

Thanks in advance

[Ana92 0]

What part of Canada are you in? In Ontario it can take 6-8 weeks after the marriage to get your marriage certificate. Meaning you cannot petition for a visa until almost 2 months after marriage.

Good luck

Thanks for your help.

I am in Montreal, Quebec.

Should i get married in Montreal or better in US ?

[Boiler 45,533]

Thank you very much for your help.

I really do not understand.

I know for sure some people come as tourist and get married then apply. and they got it ! weird !

How long it will take for CR1 ?

Thanks in advance

They probably entered without intending to stay.

CR1 about a year, always a bit of a guess.

[Ana92 0]

They probably entered without intending to stay.

CR1 about a year, always a bit of a guess.

Thank you very much.

It was about 1 year for one of my boyfriend's friend who did it.

I do not understand, people who enter as tourist, get married and apply, intented to stay.

It does not make any sense.

[Boiler 45,533]

Simplistically there immigrant visas and no immigrant visas.

It depends on what you want to do.

[Cathi 5,755]

entering the US with the VWP or a visitor visa with the intent to marry, stay and adjust status is visa fraud. If you were to choose this option(don't) and you were denied, you will have a lifetime ban from the US with no appeal.

Read the guides at the top of the page, it will explain more. The superior visa is the CR1. If you go that route you will enter the US and have an immediate green card and authorization to work, and it is by far less expensive than a k-1. A k-1 may be faster by a month or 2, but there is far more hassle and expense

[Ana92 0]

entering the US with the VWP or a visitor visa with the intent to marry, stay and adjust status is visa fraud. If you were to choose this option(don't) and you were denied, you will have a lifetime ban from the US with no appeal.

Read the guides at the top of the page, it will explain more. The superior visa is the CR1. If you go that route you will enter the US and have an immediate green card and authorization to work, and it is by far less expensive than a k-1. A k-1 may be faster by a month or 2, but there is far more hassle and expense

I agree 100% with you.

I do not want to put myself in trouble.

i am just trying to understand why some people do it and get it without trouble.

I am french, i do not need any visa for visiting.

You are right. I would get married in US, go back to Canada, apply from there and wait.

Thanks your help.

[MickAmy 26]

To put it easiest as my fiance and I also went through every last piece of information available to us to decide, your best option is likely the K-1 or the Spousal Visa. Do not enter as a tourist as you are already engaged. People who enter as tourists, get married, and are able to stay have to prove with a LOT of evidence that they initially did not plan on getting married and it was a spur of the moment type of thing. This is a basic explanation. There are more in depth rules and regulations you can look up through the guides above, on the USCIS website, and on the Department of Homeland Security website. Do not believe the border officer, chances are they are looking for any reason to nail someone. Do it right and completely legal, don't take any shortcuts as it could inevitably keep you guys apart for a longer or more permanent time.

My fiance initially came over on a Visa Waiver from Australia after we were together for a few months. We did not get engaged until after spending real time together. He came back on a visitor visa and that is when we decided we wanted to plan a wedding. We did weeks worth of researching to make sure the K-1 was the way for us to go and we decided it was definitely best. You can visit him while your visa is processing with the Visa Waiver and such, but I will not lie, it can be stressful and very difficult. My fiance and I have been apart for nearly 7 months this time (Longest we have every been apart), however it is worth it to do it right and know you won't have to worry about deportation and such. Consider this time a time to really test the waters and make sure that you can make it through the hardest parts of your relationship. If it's worth it, no time apart is too much.

Just remember to do a lot of research for your best possible option and do not commit visa fraud as they will find a way to track it. Good luck with your journey and if you need more information directly from me about our research, feel free to private message.

[mallafri76 1,012]

It's not allowed to enter the US under the VWP or a tourist visa with the intent to marry and stay. That said, obviously a lot of people do it with the excuse that they weren't planning on getting married when the spouse was over to visit for a month, it just happened.... I'll keep my opinion about that to myself. But that is how your fiance's friends were able to do that, they either told the CBP office that they were just coming to visit or that they were coming to marry and then travel back home. It's perfectly fine to enter the US under the VWP or a tourist visa with the intent to marry IF you are planning on returning home afterwards. Lots of people do that.

Options for you are either apply for a K-1 visa, which I hear takes about six months, then enter the US, marry and adjust or....

Enter as a tourist, get married, return to your home country and apply for CR-1 visa, which takes about a year.

[CallMeShams 34]

Thank you very much for your help.

I really do not understand.

I know for sure some people come as tourist and get married then apply. and they got it ! weird !

How long it will take for CR1 ?

Thanks in advance

I know of someone who did that too. I imagine they do it, enlist the assistance of an immigration lawyer and there you have it.