So here's my very high level plan

[StuBro74 6]

11 minutes ago, Jojo92122 said:

No, it's not.  There's no such rule.

I was trying to piece together my days and flights over the last year! Thank you!!

[Jojo92122 1,924]

29 minutes ago, StuBro74 said:

I was trying to piece together my days and flights over the last year! Thank you!!

There's no need to do that.  

 

On the VWP, it's 90 days per visit. 

 

There is no 90 days limit total over 2 years rule.

 

Many people have visited the US on the VWP with multiple visits exceeding 90 days total over a 2 years period because each visit was limited to less than 90 days.

[TNJ17 1,329]

Your frequent trips in and out are gonna catch up to you when you get to a not so friendly officer at the border and they don’t feel like letting you in. You might wanna hang back on the visits and save it for when baby is due. 

[StuBro74 6]

8 minutes ago, TNJ17 said:

Your frequent trips in and out are gonna catch up to you when you get to a not so friendly officer at the border and they don’t feel like letting you in. You might wanna hang back on the visits and save it for when baby is due. 

Thank you, baby is due in August so I will be trying to hold back until then 

[fip & jim 452]

On ‎6‎/‎25‎/‎2018 at 11:08 AM, StuBro74 said:

It's 90 days total over 2 years

What the hell? It's 90 days. Being cavalier won't change that. We are trying to help you. Go ahead, be an <word removed> about it, it's your child that will suffer. 

Edited June 27, 2018 by Ryan H
Reason for edit: to remove alternate spelling of profanity.

[StuBro74 6]

On ‎6‎/‎25‎/‎2018 at 2:43 PM, fip & jim said:

What the hell? It's 90 days. Being cavalier won't change that. We are trying to help you. Go ahead, be an <word removed> about it, it's your child that will suffer. 

What do you mean by cavalier? I thought it was cumulative but it's not. 

Edited June 27, 2018 by Ryan H
Reason for edit: to remove alternate spelling of profanity in quote.

[fip & jim 452]

1 minute ago, StuBro74 said:

What do you mean by cavalier? I thought it was cumulative but it's not. 

Do you know what? We were granted a visa last week & I'm up to my neck in trying to sort details. I have a daughter & a son. They rely on me. 

Get educated. Read up. Your child needs you to be a father, so go do it. If you mess it up you are ultimately answerable to your child. What I say, what any stranger says to you on this forum won't ultimately matter. You get this chance to be a father. One chance. Do it right. 

 

[StuBro74 6]

7 minutes ago, fip & jim said:

Do you know what? We were granted a visa last week & I'm up to my neck in trying to sort details. I have a daughter & a son. They rely on me. 

Get educated. Read up. Your child needs you to be a father, so go do it. If you mess it up you are ultimately answerable to your child. What I say, what any stranger says to you on this forum won't ultimately matter. You get this chance to be a father. One chance. Do it right. 

 

Hence the forum post. I class this as research. You seem to have gone from understanding to supportive to combative within a short time

[Going through 5,671]

Sometimes threads seem to take a circular route.  This one seems to be no exception. 

Perhaps OP has his answers.

[StuBro74 6]

17 hours ago, Jojo92122 said:

Keeping your trips short is why you haven't been denied entry for visiting too much.

 

At this point, minimizing the time that you can not work is key.  Now that you understand the restrictions on K1 visa holders, you need to focus on what actions are possible that are not described in the instructions.  

 

What do you do for a living and what kind of work do you want to do in the US?  Start looking for jobs before you enter on the K1.  (DO NOT LOOK FOR JOBS WHILE YOU ARE ENTERING ON ESTA/VWP.  YOU DON'T WANT THEM TO SEARCH YOUR PHONE AND FIND OUT YOU ARE LOOKING FOR WORK AND ENTERING ON THE VWP.  BE CAREFUL.)  You can request an expedite of the EAD after you file for AOS if you have a written job offer.  Focus on this.  

Thank you! I didn'd know about the expedite at AOS stage. I work in project management. Ive researched the market and I think I will be able to move into something fairly swiftly as I have 15 years experience across government, banking and oil&gas. The issue is which is the same here that unless you are ready to start work agencies have no time for you.

[StuBro74 6]

On ‎25‎/‎06‎/‎2018 at 9:48 AM, fip & jim said:

I can't speak for everyone but it's a very draining process and tests your patience. Some of us have been waiting years to be with our loved ones so when someone (not necessarily you) doesn't get that it can light the fuse on a bad day.

 

I hope it doesn't put you off asking in the future.

 

Did you look at the guides? It's best to read about your options then ask specific questions if you need to. You need to meet the requirements of a visa, not the other way round. 

 

I'm guessing the pregnancy wasn't planned and you're trying to find a solution for the short term. Which country are you working in? Can your fiancee move to be with you there?

 

For us, it has been easier for my fiance to visit us because there aren't the same restrictions for him visiting the UK as there are for us visiting him in the US. That's the short term solution. Long term we planned to be together permanently and that has to be in the US because of our circumstances. There are no certainties until you get the visa in hand and that's not the end, that's barely half the journey. 

 

You have lots to consider. Take time to research and think over the different options. A marriage based visa may be your best option if you eventually decide to live in the US and need to work and travel. There are no short cuts to doing this legally and it is a long process and it's currently getting longer with further delays expected. Not that long ago you would have been advised that a K1 is quicker to get than a CR1 or IR1, but currently the processing times are long. K1 will not be a short term solution for you being there for your fiancee throughout your pregnancy. 

 

If you are currently going to the States on an ESTA I'd advise you to think carefully about using up the 90 days allocated for the 2 years. When we committed to being together I tried to divide those days equally, so rationed 45 days for each year and tried to space out evenly how I used them. You never know what might happen and with a baby on the way you'll want to be there at crucial points, if your fiancee stays in the States. 

 

Maybe it would help for you to write down what your priorities are, short term and long term and explore what is available in both countries for you. Unfortunately, there is no quick or easy fix. 

 

Another consideration is where you want your child to be raised, or even born, as it impacts their identity and future. 

If you are currently going to the States on an ESTA I'd advise you to think carefully about using up the 90 days allocated for the 2 years. When we committed to being together I tried to divide those days equally, so rationed 45 days for each year and tried to space out evenly how I used them. You never know what might happen and with a baby on the way you'll want to be there at crucial points, if your fiancee stays in the States. 

 

I thought that this wasn't a cumulative allowance and that it's 90 days limit per trip?

[Boiler 46,361]

On 25/06/2018 at 9:52 AM, fip & jim said:

Who is 44 and who is 33? 

 

Baby due in August, yeah you are entitled to freak out. That's what? Potentially 6 weeks away. How many days on the ESTA do you have left? 

VWP is 90 days per trip, no idea where the 2 years comes from, ignore it.

[fip & jim 452]

On 26/06/2018 at 6:25 PM, Boiler said:

VWP is 90 days per trip, no idea where the 2 years comes from, ignore it.

? 

"The VWP is intended to be used for occasional, short visits to the US. If a US immigration officer thinks you’re trying to ‘reset’ the clock by making a short trip out of the US and re-entering for another 90-day period, you can be denied entry."

http://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/usa/entry-requirements

Edited June 30, 2018 by fip & jim

[geowrian 22,338]

6 minutes ago, fip & jim said:

Your ESTA authorization is generally valid for multiple trips over a period of two years (starting the date that you are approved) or until your passport expires, whichever comes first. http://help.cbp.gov/app/answers/detail/a_id/1126/~/esta---length-of-approval

It comes from there. Official source. Know the facts. 

The ESTA is typically valid for 2 years, true. But the 90 days is still per trip...no idea where one thought the 90 days was cumulative over the ESTA's period.

Edited June 30, 2018 by geowrian

[fip & jim 452]

23 hours ago, geowrian said:

The ESTA is typically valid for 2 years, true. But the 90 days is still per trip...no idea where one thought the 90 days was cumulative over the ESTA's period.

One prefers to be a responsible adult with ones children. "Discretion" is down to the CO. If OP chooses to walk a knife edge when his child is due in a few weeks then that's up to him. He risks being barred from visiting the US. It is completely decided by a Customs Officer at point of entry. It's not a knife edge I would walk, but hey ho, it's up to him.