My name is Melissa (aka "Mia") and I am a U.S. citizen, born and raised in California. My new husband Sabry is from Egypt. We got married on January 9th, 2014. But he has been living in the USA with an F-1 Student Visa for the last 2 years.
He came into my life in May, 2013. He and I were "good friends" at first, but we got so much closer and decided to moved in together. We lived together for about 6 months before deciding to get married. We developed a very strong family-type bond, because I had lost both of my parents to heart attacks between July 2013 and December 2013. Sabry was my strength and my rock during these devastating times, and it really drew us close together.
Since his future plans changed after meeting me, we are basically looking to change status from his non-immigrant F-1 student visa, to immigrant status (family/marriage based). So it seems we will have to file an "Immigration petition I-130" and then follow that up with an "Adjustment of status form I-485". So I will likely be asking around for advice on the entire procedure.
I would also love to meet other American/Egyptian couples here.
We are wanting to file this adjustment of status while he is still here. I've heard that can be risky with a non-immigrant visa, because in order to get a non-immigrant visa, you have to state that you have no plans to immigrate before they will give it to you. And the only way they will approve a change to immigrant status, is if you can show that you simply changed your mind, after you got here. Which is exactly what happened, and that is clear with the fact that we didn't know each other before, and he was single the first year and 3 months he was in this country. Well, it happens all the time, people come to America, thinking they're just gonna go to school here, and then they meet someone special. I'm not really sure exactly how you are supposed to "prove" that you had no preconceived intentions to immigrate, other than giving your word, and pointing out the way you have been living here.
Yes, you could just have the student go home and file for a marriage visa. But he's not done with his studies here! Also, he and I live together, we share bills, cell phones, bank accounts, car bills, rent,etc. We are pinned under a lease in this new apartment as well. With BOTH of my parents dead, this apartment here with Sabry is my only home in the world. And I can't afford all this stuff by myself. Which is why we need to apply for the change of status with Sabry still here, instead of him going home. Well, I hope to make a lot of friends here, and learn plenty of helpful info!
