Girlfriend coming for 5 month stay on B2 visa (merged)

[grdlock 0]

I'm seeing a girl in Lebanon who has an active B2 visa. We met almost a year ago on one of her previous trips to the US. In September she's planning on coming to stay with me for 5 or 6 months, purpose is for us to spend some real time together, more than just a week or two, to see if we really want to get married.

I read mixed reports on the best way to handle this. A lot of what I read is that if she tells CBP she's coming to stay with her boyfriend for this long they're going to just assume intent to marry and reject her. So this worries me a bit. I don't want her to lie either though. So the purpose of her visit could be to come spend Thanksgiving and Christmas with her boyfriend's family. Not a lie, that's part of the stay. Should she even volunteer that information though? I know the goal is to give as little details as possible unless they ask more questions. So what should she say for the purpose of her visit initially, assuming they don't ask for more information, to account for a 5 month stay? Visiting family? Visiting boyfriend (which I read is a red flag??). What? She has residence in Lebanon (with her mother/brother), and she works as a freelance programmer so she technically doesn't have permanent employment that ties her to Lebanon, which I understand could be a red flag. As I mentioned though she's been here multiple times over the past few years, usually doing some job-oriented training courses, and has never overstayed or violated her visa in the past.

Just trying to figure out how to handle this situation, and I read so much conflicting information all over the place, and most of what I read talks about people staying a few weeks, etc, not for a 5 or 6 month period.

[grdlock 0]

In September my girlfriend is coming to stay with me in the US on a B2 visa for 5 or 6 months. We met on one of her previous trips here and we want to spend some actual extended time together to see if we want to marry.

She's coming here with no intent to get married. Just spending time together, spending the holidays with my family, etc. But the thought has of course crossed my mind that what if I did decide I wanted to marry her while she's here? I'd hate for her to have to go back to Lebanon and us be apart for ~6 months or so while processing a K1 visa. But I also want to go about this in the proper manner as well.

So if she's here for purposes of visiting my family and I, and we LATER decide we want to marry, would that disqualify us from getting her an AOS while she's still here in the US?

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

My advice: Cross that bridge when you come to it. Good luck.

[PostOakGuy 13]

I would purchase a round trip ticket for a two week vacation in the US so CBP will not get suspicious about why she plans on staying so long. 99.9% chance CBP was give her six months in US and then you guys can change the ticket the following week. Just know that if she stays for six months in the US, she will not be able to take another trip to US for a while using her B2. At that point you guys need file for K1 while she's here in US if you decide to marry.

[grdlock 0]

I would purchase a round trip ticket for a two week vacation in the US so CBP will not get suspicious about why she plans on staying so long. 99.9% chance CBP was give her six months in US and then you guys can change the ticket the following week. Just know that if she stays for six months in the US, she will not be able to take another trip to US for a while using her B2. At that point you guys need file for K1 while she's here in US if you decide to marry.

We did already purchase round trip tickets of course, but we didn't purchase one for her return trip until February, 5 months later.

[PostOakGuy 13]

My wife use to come stay with me many times on her B2 visa before we married. She never stayed that long with me until the last visit and we began the K1 process while she was here in the states with me. Personally, I would not want my fiancé to have to try to explain why she's staying five months for vacation, it's not worth the risk because they will usually ask

[Transborderwife 4,666]

It's never a good idea to advocate lying to immigration at any point. Be honest.

[PostOakGuy 13]

If your fiancé tells a CBP officer that she's going to stay for five months in the US with her boyfriend she will most likely be denied entry and her B2 could be revoked. It happens all the time.

[Transborderwife 4,666]

That doesn't mean that you lie to immigration.

[PostOakGuy 13]

Nobody is talking about lying..

[Transborderwife 4,666]

Saying you'll stay for two weeks when you plan on 5 months is lying.

[Ryan H 3,821]

Tell the truth; period, full-stop.

**Moderator hat on**

***Thread closed to additional discussion under the below quoted provision of the TOS; do not restart this thread.***

By way of example, and not as a limitation, you agree that when using the Service, you will not:

• Condone or instruct, either directly or indirectly, others on how to commit fraudulent or illegal immigration activities in any way, shape, manner or method.

[WandY 430]

You already crossed the proverbial legal bridge by announcing probable intent and motive. Whether or not she is complicit in the "what if" is not an issue because you are the wheel that moves the machine. In legal theory, it's called conspiracy. Have a real plan and act according to the law.