tourist visa question

[anamericanwoman 0]

My fiance in Morocco wants to come here on a tourist visa, and once he's here, apply for a work visa so he can stay. Is that possible? Or is it better for me to go there, and then come back to the USA and file fiance or spousal papers.

[Kathryn41 3,205]

No, it is not possible for your fiance to come to the States on a visitor's visa and then apply for a Work Permit so he can stay. Visitors are not allowed to accept employment, and a Work Visa need to be in place before he arrives in the US. It requires an employer to sponsor him. There are also a limited number of these visas available every year and they usually meet the quota within 6 months so no more are available for the rest of the year. If you are in a serious relationship together, then you can sponsor him to come to the US as your fiance using a K-1 visa, then get married within 90 days and he then applies to Adjust his Status to become a permanent resident. He can apply for permission to work with his Adjustment of Status application, and once he receives it, will be allowed to work. Or, you can get married overseas and sponsor him to come to the US as your husband using a K-3 visa or a CR1. All of these methods take time - usually a minimum of 9 months to several years, depending on the country and the individual applicant. Read the guides at the start of the forums and you will see the steps involved in each process. Good luck.

[raymaga 25]

Kathryn has given you the steps you will need to take to get your fiance here to the U.S.

Unfortunately, there are no "short-cuts", and you will have to either apply for the fiance visa or a spousal visa in order to get your fiance here.

Good luck with whatever route you decide to go. There is a lot of information available here on the VJ site, and reading the "Guides" and "Visa FAQ" sections will be a good start for you.