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[pawfectchis 0]

Here is my question. By gathering information from all of you on here I question if we should be doing this. My thing is that it takes so long for this process. My fiance has signed contract with the US for only another two years. Then he can retire with his 20 years in. We'll by the time I could get the visa, move to the US I would be there for less than a year and now we both wouldn't have jobs if he decided to retire. My choice would then be to move back to Canada where I am only taking a leave of absence from the Cdn Forces. Now we come back here and I have a job to support us, we both have children to support so money is a big deal.

Our other option is for him to sign on to stay in the Military again, get married in Canada, I read somewhere that a Military spouse is easier/faster to move to the US than if you got married in the US. Not sure why that matters, where you get married?? Ask for an overseas posting and request our application to be expedited. I don't know how long those ones take? I would then concider the CR-1 visa so it is less money, less filing and you can work right away.

My other idea would be if he stayed in and not go for an overseas posting is to file for a K1 visa that get us together faster but takes more money and more filing but I know I can get through it will the help of all the amazing people on here. The decisions are brutal. I didn't know I had to make all these decisions right now about our future for the next few years to come. I tell everyone on here, I had no idea, absolutely no idea all this had to take place to be together with someone you married out of your own country.

So now to my question. If we decided to move back to Canada after he retired, would be have to go through all this work and filing fees for my now husband to move back to Canada with me, so I can now go back to work. If that is the case then we really have to decide what are we going to do. Live in Canada or the US??!!

Thanks for listening all and for all the advice I have received as well.

[misa 2]

In short, yes, you'd have to file paperwork and fees for him to immigrate to Canada.

If you do decide to go the U.S. immigration route, you may want to look into how that affects your U.S. permanent residency when you do get it. Would you live on a military base? Is that considered U.S. soil? Would you be able to retain your U.S. PR status?

There are people here who went through or are going through both processes right now (good and bad experiences).

Good luck with whatever you decide!

Edited October 25, 2007 by misa

[pawfectchis 0]

Thank you for the reply. No we won't be living on the base. But you raise a good point. I end up going to the US get my PR card then we move to some other country for the next three years. We would still be employed by the US forces though. Where is "push" when I need his great advice?

[misa 2]

Thank you for the reply. No we won't be living on the base. But you raise a good point. I end up going to the US get my PR card then we move to some other country for the next three years. We would still be employed by the US forces though. Where is "push" when I need his great advice?

You will definitely want to look into retaining U.S. PR status. I have no idea if there are exceptions to PRs that work for the U.S. forces but this is general info on retaining PR status:

http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/men...00045f3d6a1RCRD

Maintaining Permanent Residence

Maintaining Permanent Residence You may lose your permanent residence status if you commit an act that makes you removable from the United States under the law in section 237 of the Immigration and Nationality Act. If you commit such an act, you may be brought before the immigration courts to determine your right to remain a Permanent Resident.

You may be found to have abandoned your permanent resident status if you:

* Move to another country intending to live there permanently.

* Remain outside of the US for more than one year without obtaining a reentry permit or returning resident visa. However in determining whether your status has been abandoned any length of absence from the US may be considered, even if it is less than one year.

* Remain outside of the US for more than two years after issuance of a reentry permit without obtaining a returning resident visa. However in determining whether your status has been abandoned any length of absence from the US may be considered, even if it is less than one year.

* Fail to file income tax returns while living outside of the US for any period.

* Declare yourself a “nonimmigrant” on your tax returns.

[misa 2]

ETA: You should ask your fiance to ask the military for advice on the PR status & working for the military overseas.