ShazShaz

If you paid the card fee, you would have received an email, subject: Pay.gov Payment Confirmation: USCIS Immigrant Fee. It will also contain a tracking ID in the email.

There’s nothing wrong to admitting but there’s also no need to mention if they didnt ask. Confidence is key. I told CBP that I’m flying in to get married and tour because K1 is too troublesome and USCIS might find a US marriage certificate easier to understand. The CBP agent appreciated that I was upfront with the info. Global entry is extremely useful when travelling internationally. It skips the long immigration queue for international visitors. I would presume less questions at the border since she would be pre-cleared by the Global entry program. However each entry is still at the mercy of the CBP agents. If money is not an issue, I would recommend since Japan is one of the few countries who are eligible for the program.

After you paid the fees for your green card processing, did you get a receipt number? You can use that number to check the status of your green card.

3yrs ago, I visited on Esta, got married, filed CR1 and left. Total stay was 85days. I know the CBP environment is now different, I’m sharing my experience in case it helps. 1) Be ready to answer questions on reason for visit. I answered truthfully that I was visiting to tour my future country, get married, file for CR1 and then leave. I also informed that I have a return ticket on xx date. Esta is for tourism, not for living in the US, hence I emphasized I will be doing some tourism. 2) Be ready to assure CBP that there are no plans to adjust status and your gf’s previous clean visit records show that she plan to handle her migration the rightful way. Also ensure she knows your house address by heart. I had left my job when I did my Esta/marriage visit. CBP did not ask about my work, I think they are more lenient towards Esta visitors. On a side note, she can consider applying for Global Entry with her Japanese passport.

My GC was lost in mail. I90 applied in Jan 2024, new GC arrived in Mar 2025.

@gandalf1989 I did the same as your fiancée 3yrs ago. I came in on ESTA, got married, filed i-130 when I was still in US and went home after 85days (out of the permissible 90days). We thought a US marriage certificate would be less of a hassle with USCIS than a foreign certificate. My general advice is not to have your fiancée stay the full 3 months when she visits, she might accidentally overstay in case of any travel delays. All the best!

Check in agents might not be familiar with the endorsement, so head to the airport early. At US side, they will ask if you have your GC. Just reply honestly “it arrived at home after I left”, “I have not received it” or etc. They might send you to head to secondary to ensure the endorsement is legit, but there’s nothing to be concerned as long as the endorsement is still valid.

There’s a receipt number attached to that payment, starts with IOE… search that receipt number at USCIS Case Status check page. It should tell you if the card has been issue and sent, or still in processing. If it was sent but you didn’t receive it, wife should have an USCIS online account, to file I-90. No fees needed. For SSN, head to nearest SS office and inform them the card was not received, please send a new one. They will ask you to countercheck some information, whereby the SSN is listed, so you will know the number immediately, while waiting for new card to arrive. I’m in same boat a few months ago. Hope this helps.

Qn on why not use K1 to get married, my answer would be simply that K1 and CR1 takes about the same time. Since we are both committed, CR1 is more superior in starting our lives together and moving on. I also echo what others have asked. Which country is she from, does she has Esta or B1/2, or needs to apply for a tourist visa? As a foreigner, she should be interested to find out such questions herself. Recommend for her to join VJ and address her concerns here directly.

I’m Asian f, husband USC m. I flew in on Esta in 2022, got married, filed I-130, stayed for total 85days and flew back to home country to wait out the application process.

Get an ITIN number in US too. Husband will need it when he file taxes and you can use that as evidence too.

I was truthful. I basically bitched (complained) to the CBP officer that k1 will take too long, so I’m flying in to get married, apply for CR1, travel a bit and return home. He asked me about my length of stay and return flight info, which I could reply instantly. He then laughed and wished me luck with USCIS… Not all CBP officers are friendly and attitudes can be subjected by the passport you hold. Will your second trip be a connection to head home, or are you planning a second months-long vacation in US? Each entry to US will be at the mercy of the CBP officer. If you don’t find your own reasons compelling, neither will the officer. Tourist visas are meant for tourism.

My husband and I submitted the account opening document and one latest financial statement. The account had some money and almost no transactions, that was sufficient for our petition with no RFE. I guess it was doable as I’m from a low fraud country. If you share your girlfriend’s country, perhaps more VJ folks can comment on country specifics.

From personal experience as an ESTA visitor who got married in Vegas: My USC fiancée applied for marriage license online. Different states/counties have different wait times. Once applicable, I flew into US, we flew to Vegas, went to county clerk to pick up the paperwork, and got married next day. The officiant mailed back the paperwork, we flew back and started filing up i-130 online. A week later we got an email from county clerk on how to request/pay for a physical marriage cert. Once cert is in hand, we completed/submitted the I-130, enjoyed 2 mths together and then I flew home. Sooo the short story is there is no “wait time” to marry as long as the paperwork is ready and available. You can marry on a tourist visa, however be truthful when CBP asks you about your nature of visit. Impress on him that you are aware of how immigration works, your intention to marry and depart home to await the I-130 process, also have your return flight details ready (if CBP asks). If you intend to visit your USC often while waiting the I-130 process, keep the visits short and spaced out. CBP will deny you if they think you are misusing your b1/2 visa to live in US. Congratulations on the upcoming nuptials and welcome to your CR1 journey!

My opinion is not to bring it up. When I had my I-130 (non dcf) interview last year, the CO asked what are my plans for life in the US. I guess this will be when your wife shares about job prospects awaiting her. I personally believe the CO needs to find questions to ask, so let this be their question. A possible follow up question CO might ask “what if I-130 visa is not approved”. Your wife can then share the university can offer h1b visa but she prefers I-130 as you both are married and work is secondary, hence she is going through spousal visa route first.