ESTA to Fiancé Visa or Spousal Visa?? Please help

[laylalex 7,289]

22 hours ago, Boiler said:

She is not the Scottish half, pure Americun and probably at work or lunching with another Lady.

I was working and then I was dealing with a bunch of holiday-related commitments, including taking my visiting SIL for breakfast (not lunch) before she went back to the UK yesterday. Just busy. I am allowed to disappear for over 24 hours!

 

23 hours ago, Nomfry said:

Hey a fellow Scottish person ❤️ That's great news about the EAD, hopefully that'll be us. My main concern is just that he gets to stay during the process. Which it looks like he will be able to. So if we decide to get married, we just need to file for a status adjustment (I read that getting married on an ESTA is frowned upon, is that true? We didn't intend to get married when he came, just came to the realization we wanted to as time went on <3) and then go through the process of obtaining his spousal visa? Is that the gist of it?

Boiler and jorgedig explained this, but it isn't "frowned upon." Things happen while you're visiting, and the law allows you to change your mind while you're here. The forums are full of people who did exactly what you've done and gone through it successfully. And when you AOS you don't need a spousal visa, you're here on the VWP.

 

You came to the right place to find out what to do -- and you got this! Just be prepared for your husband's life to be on hold for a while. I went through AOS with my first husband, also from the UK, and he was going nuts during the time he didn't have the right to work or travel internationally. He ended up working out a lot! But it did put a strain on our emotions in the first few months of our brand new marriage. You need to be prepared for a husband who is at loose ends. Make a plan for how he will fill his days. There will be a lot of them to fill, and it does neither of you nor your marriage any favors if he fills them with boredom and restlessness. If your husband is anything like mine, he doesn't do well with not having something useful to do. Sure, he has his "zoned out and playing Xbox and blasting Mogwai" times, but he's a doer. And a pacer. If he'd been stuck with nothing to do for a year, he would have worn a hole in the floorboards.

 

23 hours ago, Jorgedig said:

Entirely depends upon local field office, not necessarily timing.  Seattle for example has been at >12 months for several years.  We waited 14 months in 2019.  Now it is closer to two years.

That's appalling.  It definitely isn't so bad here in LA.

[Boiler 45,557]

39 minutes ago, laylalex said:

I was working and then I was dealing with a bunch of holiday-related commitments, including taking my visiting SIL for breakfast (not lunch) before she went back to the UK yesterday. Just busy. I am allowed to disappear for over 24 hours!

 

You need to remember your responsibilities!