# British Fiancee Marrying Me USA Fiancee help



## batcola (Jul 29, 2015)

I am curious as I am getting some confusion about hypothetically if he comes here on a visit visa to visit me and we decide to marry does that cause problems or mass confusion. Or does it mean that we can proceed to live together. I am reading things that this is possible and thus we then apply for him a spousal visa and only provde (to who? can this be done by mail?) a marriage certificate.lane:


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## Davis1 (Feb 20, 2009)

IF YOU MARRY ON A VISIT

The alien spouse has to return to hi country while you file for a spousal visa .... if you earn enough...he than returns a year later to a green card SPOUSAL VISA
http://travel.state.gov/content/visas/english/immigrate/family/immediate-relative.html



or 

For a fincee visa 

US Citizen can apply for a special visa to allow a non-citizen (their fiancée) to enter the country in order to get married to a US citizen inside the US. 
Once issued, the K1 visa will allow the non-citizen to enter the United States legally, for 90 days in order for the marriage ceremony to take place. Once you marry, the non-citizen can remain in the US and may apply for permanent residence. While USCIS processes the application, the non-citizen can remain in the US legally 
The US citizen income must meet the require minimum to fulfill the affidavit of support 
currently $19912 for a 2 person household


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## batcola (Jul 29, 2015)

nm glad for the help thanks


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## batcola (Jul 29, 2015)

Homepage | USCIS


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## batcola (Jul 29, 2015)

I am reading lots about attorneys and all this? Can I go to the courthouse get it done then all this other forms and stuff? I am new to this obviously?


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## batcola (Jul 29, 2015)

I am overwhelmed


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## Crawford (Jan 23, 2011)

Once you are married you (the US wife) sponsor your British husband to join you in the US. He has to remain in the UK during the process.

Read the following

Bringing Spouses to Live in the United States as Permanent Residents | USCIS

The process takes about 8 to 12 months.

You have to have income of around 19K USD to sponsor him. If not then you need to get a joint sponsor.

Courthouses do not deal with this. The US Immigration Service does.


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## BBCWatcher (Dec 28, 2012)

Crawford said:


> You have to have income of around 19K USD to sponsor him. If not then you need to get a joint sponsor.


No, that's incomplete. Let's please stop being that, for it's especially important to get this part right.

If the sponsor cannot pass the income test then either a qualified joint financial sponsor *or* a minimum amount of combined (both spouses) wealth meeting certain criteria is sufficient. Wealth works too!

Moreover, these financial tests do not occur until after the I-130 stage.


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## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

BBCWatcher said:


> No, that's incomplete. Let's please stop being that, for it's especially important to get this part right.
> 
> If the sponsor cannot pass the income test then either a qualified joint financial sponsor *or* a minimum amount of combined (both spouses) wealth meeting certain criteria is sufficient. Wealth works too!
> 
> Moreover, these financial tests do not occur until after the I-130 stage.


BBC, the Expat Forums exist to give "friendly" advice and to point people to authoritative sources, not to provide extensive detailed counseling. Generally speaking, most sponsors meet the requirements using their current income and if they fall short on that count, they often can't meet the wealth test. And, although the financial tests may come later, it seems unwise to blow out the initial filing fee (over $400 last time I checked) if you aren't able to come up with the financial means to pass the next or subsequent tests. 

No one should be relying exclusively on advice given in this (or any other) online forum for something as important as immigration requirements. What's on offer here is guidance, rather than the definitive Word on procedures and processes.
Cheers,
Bev


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

BBCWatcher said:


> No, that's incomplete. Let's please stop being that, for it's especially important to get this part right.
> 
> If the sponsor cannot pass the income test then either a qualified joint financial sponsor *or* a minimum amount of combined (both spouses) wealth meeting certain criteria is sufficient. Wealth works too!
> 
> Moreover, these financial tests do not occur until after the I-130 stage.


As Bev says, Expat Forum _isn't _here to give 'complete' & detailed advice about individual cases. It is specifically _not _a forum where people should be looking for step by step 'how do I personally get my visa' information. 

None of us are professional nor registered immigration advisors, so shouldn't be giving immigration advice per se.

Crawford's response giving a link to the official information is the very best kind of information we should be giving.


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## BBCWatcher (Dec 28, 2012)

xabiachica said:


> Crawford's response giving a link to the official information is the very best kind of information we should be giving.


I agree with that, but I don't agree with mischaracterizing or providing incomplete facts. It's perfectly easy to say, for example, "After USCIS approves the petition, you have to pass a financial test. There are at least three options. See the Web site for details."

I disagree that the wealth test isn't important. It's _extremely_ important. It's the only one of the three major financial options that takes into account the immigrant's financial status. It's a common way a married couple qualifies when the American spouse is nonworking.

This forum section is here to help people who want to immigrate to the United States. I think we need to try to be genuinely helpful.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

BBCWatcher said:


> I agree with that, but I don't agree with mischaracterizing or providing incomplete facts. It's perfectly easy to say, for example, "After USCIS approves the petition, you have to pass a financial test. There are at least three options. See the Web site for details."
> 
> I disagree that the wealth test isn't important. It's _extremely_ important. It's the only one of the three major financial options that takes into account the immigrant's financial status. It's a common way a married couple qualifies when the American spouse is nonworking.
> 
> This forum section is here to help people who want to immigrate to the United States. I think we need to try to be genuinely helpful.


The best way to be helpful is to guide people researching visas towards the _official _guidance - no more than that. 

This forum isn't to help people get visas - here's what it says at the top of the forum. 



> *America Expat Forum for Expats Living in America* The America Expats forum is dedicated those individuals that have chosen to make the USA their new home. This forum is an ideal place for Expats now living in the United States to meet and discuss all aspects of their new American way of life.


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## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

But to get back to the original question:



batcola said:


> I am curious as I am getting some confusion about hypothetically if he comes here on a visit visa to visit me and we decide to marry does that cause problems or mass confusion.


Yes. If he comes on a visit visa (i.e. VWP) and you get married, he will have to return home while you file the paperwork to get approved as a sponsor for him for a spouse visa. Chances are, you'll be separated for a good 6 to 12 months before the visa is granted and, while it is possible for him to visit you during this time, it's tricky.



> Or does it mean that we can proceed to live together.


No, not until he has the appropriate paperwork (i.e. spouse visa)


> I am reading things that this is possible and thus we then apply for him a spousal visa and only provde (to who? can this be done by mail?) a marriage certificate.lane:


Apparently, under some very specific circumstances it may be possible, but the process is tricky and expensive, and if you're refused, he risks being banned from the US for a lengthy period of time. Better (and ultimately simpler) to play by the rules. You've got a number of links in this thread regarding the official line on the correct process.

One (small) warning, though. Given the investigation into events in San Bernadino, it's quite likely that there will be some "tightening up" of the requirements for both spousal and fiancé visas. At the very least, you can be sure that they will for the foreseeable future be looking more carefully at the visa submission to be very sure they really do meet all the requirements. This is not the time to be trying any short-cuts.
Cheers,
Bev


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## twostep (Apr 3, 2008)

lane:h


BBCWatcher said:


> No, that's incomplete. Let's please stop being that, for it's especially important to get this part right.
> 
> If the sponsor cannot pass the income test then either a qualified joint financial sponsor *or* a minimum amount of combined (both spouses) wealth meeting certain criteria is sufficient. Wealth works too!
> 
> Moreover, these financial tests do not occur until after the I-130 stage.


Why do your not just post the link as it goes into detail? OP is new to the woes of US immigration. Try not to confuse her with half baked statements. Give her the actual information to read up on.


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## Crawford (Jan 23, 2011)

As per the British section, one could just say sponsorship can be undertaken by income/savings/investments - that covers just about most things.


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