Canadian seeks K1 while remaining in the US (Is is possible?)

[Timothy Campbell 0]

Thanks, everybody, for your guidance and comments. I will now move on to the "Adjustment of Status (Green Card) General Discussion" forum.

[bszoom42 0]

As I recall, the other Canadian drove across the boarder so had no passport stamp or I-94. Flying should produce a passport stamp but sometimes not. At least the round trip plane ticket and boarding passes will show legal entry and intent to return.

The company I work for has an office in Canada, so both my Canadians colleagues and myself do quite a bit of travelling via plane between the two countries. We have found that often, the border patrol does not stamp our passports (Canadian and US alike). Before, I didn't care and used to let it slide. Now, since I know much more about this thanks to VJ.com, I make it a common practice to request a stamp if they did not stamp my passport, and I also check to make sure the stamp is legible before I leave their presence.

Although sometimes I get responses from the Border Patrol like - "You don't need a stamp, you're a US Citizen" or "I typically don't bother stamping frequent travellers because you'll just need to get a new passport sooner" ; I stick to it, because I know this is the only proof that I have that I did legally enter and exit both countries; in case I ever need to proof later on.

[Cassie 8]

this whole thread makes me nervous.

[Timothy Campbell 0]

this whole thread makes me nervous.

Why is that, Cassie?

[Yodrak 7]

Timothy Campbell,

My suggestion is that you have a consultation with a US immigration attorney without delay. You may like the advice you receive after discussing your situation.

Yodrak

Short Version: I am Canadian. My fiancee is American. We've been investigating the K1 Visa. I've been living with her in Kentucky since May 5th. It seems that I have no choice but to go back to Canada on July 31st. I would rather stay with her. Is that possible?

Long Version: I met my fiancee K via an online philosophy discussion group. I flew down here to Kentucky for 2 weeks in February so that her parents could see that I wasn't a nut. This opened the door for us to live together, starting on May 5th. I told the immigration officer at the airport that I planned to return to Canada on or before July 31st -- i.e. just under 3 months. (He did not give me an I-94 form, by the way; he just waved me past.)

K and I had decided that we needed to get to know one another, since we only knew each other from the net. I'm pleased to say that after two months we are ready to marry, but (1) we don't have money for expensive lawyers and (2) we shudder at the prospect that if I return to Canada the processing could keep us apart for weeks or even months.

We've got a good life here, and it'd be wonderful if I could extend my stay somehow and apply for the K1 visa here in Kentucky. But with less than 20 days to go, I wonder if that's possible. I've looked for something about an extension, but I didn't find anything that seemed quite right. I'm worried about introducing a complexity that would mess up the K1 application.

We're prepared to drive all the way to the Louisville office if necessary, but it would be pointless if all they're going to do is shrug.

My Question: Does anybody have any suggestions about this kind of situation?

Addendum: I'll be logging in daily, so if you need to know more, feel free to ask in this thread. Thanks!