Law Offices of Chris M. Ingram – K1 Fiance Visa Guide

“Love Is All Around: The world as I know it, has shrunk!”

Or is it just me? With the amount of traveling people do and with relationships being developed over the Internet, Skype, MSN Messenger, chat rooms, on-line dating, etc., it’s not surprising that many US citizens are finding love abroad. Sooner or later, the couple (having met in person a number of times) decide they want to get married. The question then becomes, how do you as a US citizen bring your fiancé (e) into the US?

Thinking of Marriage: The subject of marriage and immigration often don’t make ‘good bedfellows’. Many clients ask, ‘am I getting married for true love or for a green card? Shouldn’t I explore every other immigration option first before deciding whether to marry the love of my life? What will people think?’ Clients agonize about these issues when they have fallen head over heels in love with an American citizen. In truth, the answer is very simple. Marrying your US partner will virtually eliminate all immigration issues if all the right immigration paperwork is prepared and filed at the right time.

Once Married: Obtaining a work permit and a green card will quickly follow. Done and dusted, now you can get on with your life together. The amount of clients who would rather jump through as many employment or business based immigration hoops as possible, rather than marrying the one they love and getting on with it is, admittedly, surprising. Marriage based on true love is a good thing, isn’t it?

The Actual Immigration Process: If you wish to get married in the US, we will need to prepare a petition on behalf of the alien fiancé (e) for a suitable visa. This visa will enable your fiancé (e) to enter or stay in the US specifically for the purpose of getting married. Due to recent changes in US Immigration protocols, the average processing time is around 6-9 months. So getting the process under way early is essential.

Marrying Abroad: As an alternative to this approach you may marry your fiancé (e) abroad and then we can file for a green card and work permit for your spouse. My office can handle the immigration work either way. However, the overall processing time is about the same. To find out exactly where you stand on these issues, click the “Book Your Consultation” button, and we can get started as soon as possible.

Book Your Consultation Today: We are at the cutting edge of all the procedural twists and turns of US Immigration procedure. We have developed administrative systems our end to make sure that your case is processed as quickly as possible to reduce the overall processing time. Booking your consultation early can make the difference between the wedding going forward on time or having to be postponed.

Preface

The main purpose of this guide is to enable you to understand the steps your immigration attorney will take you through in the preparation of your K1 Fiancé(e) visa. This is not a self-help guide. This guide also broadly outlines what you should expect once you have completed the K-1 phase and outlines the process to enable the alien spouse to work and obtain their green card. We also discuss how US Immigration will monitor your marriage over the first two years and what is required by US Immigration from you. By reading this guide thoroughly and repeatedly as you now go through this process you will be able to work closely with your attorney to ensure that your immigration experience runs as smoothly as possible.

Deciding To Get Married

The subject of marriage and immigration often don’t make good bedfellows. Many clients ask, ‘Am I getting married for true love or for a green card? Shouldn’t I explore every other immigration option first before deciding whether to marry the love of my life? What will people think?’ Clients agonize about these issues when they have fallen head over heels in love with an American citizen. In truth the answer is very simple. Get Married.

Marrying your US partner will enable you to obtain a work permit and green card within a matter of months. Once in green card status, you pretty have much resolved all of your main immigration issues for life. If you avoid this route then you have to jump through many non-immigrant visa hoops which, even when you are successful, will only last for a limited number of years and then you have to apply for another visa. This hopping from visa to visa can get very expensive over time and the only real solution in the end will be a green card.

For this reason US Immigration (USCIS) estimates that about fifty percent of all marriage-based immigration applications are fake or sham marriages. Yes, people who have entered into a financial business deal to get married so the alien can cut through all the major red tape and obtain green card status. This was so common that Hollywood made a film called ‘Green Card’ starring Andie MacDowell and Gérard Depardieu. It’s actually a very good film.

Today USCIS starts with the presumption that all marriage-based applications are sham marriages so they scrutinize each and every application very carefully to root out these fraudulent cases. BTUSA will ensure that your case is carefully put together and is well documented so that it will stand out as being one hundred percent genuine. Your BTUSA immigration attorney will request a great deal of information from you to fully prepare your case.