# I'm completely lost...someone please help



## Alinsofia (Mar 17, 2011)

greetings out there i just joined up. I am an American citizen and have a British Fiance. Her and I have been looking online about immigration process and what not. We are both feeling overwhelmed and just wonder if we are making it harder than what it actually is.

We are both divorced and have kids. Our plan is for her to come here to the USA and get married. I have heard that if she comes here without a k-1 visa and marries me that it could amount to immigration fraud. Is it easier for me to immigrate to the UK or for her to immigrate here?

All these papers and information just has me in front of my laptop with my jaw open like duhhhh where do i start first? Totally overwhelmed and don't know where to start. Should i just hire an immigration lawyer? If anyone needs to know anything out then just feel free to ask. I'm tired of reading intimidating information from things that are really not that clear to me.

We would like to hear it from anyone that knows or that has experience in this. Anyone gone through what we are going through? i mean, is it really difficult for an american to marry a british citizen? We are kinda feeling like we are lost at sea with no wind to blow us any direction lol...

thanks in advance for any information you can help us with


----------



## twostep (Apr 3, 2008)

One step at a time. Is the father of the EU kids agreeable to let them move to the US? Does the UK system require specific documentation? Do you plan to adopt them?


----------



## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

Where you're planning on getting married and where you plan to settle once you are can be two entirely different issues, and generally that's what determines who has to get a visa.

In any event, for either the US or UK, the spouse who is native to the country where you are going to settle needs to show sufficient resources to be able to support the "foreigner" and keep them off welfare/the dole. So, if she's coming to the US to get married and plans on settling there with you, she'll probably need a fiancé visa. If you get married in the US, but then plan on moving together back to the UK to settle, she can probably manage ok with a VWP, then you'll have to apply for a spouse visa for the UK (while she returns to the UK until your visa comes through).

As twostep say, however, the matter of the kids can complicate matters greatly.
Cheers,
Bev


----------



## Alinsofia (Mar 17, 2011)

twostep said:


> One step at a time. Is the father of the EU kids in writin OK to have them move to the US. Do you plan to adopt them.




The Father has told my Fiance that he will fight for them and just make things difficult so the kids cant leave. But he pays no child support to the kids for 3 years, and he isn't able to even have them move in with him not even to stay overnight for a weekend. He has room mates. My fiance has taken care of them for their whole life and it is well documented that her ex was abusive. There are police reports on it. So really he doesn't have a chance in hell and doesnt have money to pay for the legal costs.

She owns her own home in London and is raising two boys, one who is autistic. He drops by on the weekend and spends around three hours with them and drops them back off at home. I know that the court battle might take a few...but at the same time i don't want that to slow our paper work down.

We were just talking about her coming to visit for two weeks cause we miss each other. Of course i will do it the right way getting the k-1 visa. But is it illegal for us to be like...hmmm why don't we just get a civil marriage while you are here?

thanks for the quick reply


----------



## twostep (Apr 3, 2008)

You can get hitched any time you want to in Vegas but you have to consider the Little Person. Any way to talk sense into the father? Go legal? It may be time. I know nothing about the UK system but personally - get custody squared away first.


----------



## Zoom (Jul 7, 2008)

Why not just move the whole crew to Paris and get married there? Then get some work in France and enjoy life. Why move the family back here (USA)? Expose the kids to all the gun violence, out-of-control greed, superficial values, ignorant thinking, and horrible schools? As Gordon Gekko tells his College audience in "Money Never Sleeps - WALL ST. II" (after he opens his speech to them with "You're all f***ed") He follows "You're part of the NINJA generation - No Income, No Jobs, No Assets" I know enough people in banking and finances to know that he's spot on - it's just a movie but that's exactly the reality we live in. The future here looks either bad or horrible (unless you're in the top 2% wealthiest). I wouldn't want my children to have that kind of future or exposed to those kind of "values". Just an alternative suggestion (if you still MUST live here come up with 1 million $ to start a new business and things will move real fast, believe me) ZOOM


----------



## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

Hi Zoom, long time, no see!

Moving to Paris, however, is no solution - especially to the custody issue. If the French courts should get involved, it will take YEARS to resolve, with much pain, aggravation and big legal fees in the meantime.

The OP and his wife to be need to decide where they want to settle (probably wherever either of them is better positioned job-wise and finance-wise) and then work out the situation from there. There's also the matter of the OP's kids, who he might also want to see from time to time.

I know you're aching to relocate to France, but please don't advise everyone in America to follow your lead. It's not a solution for everyone - and actually, if there are too many Americans over here, it won't be France anymore...
Cheers,
Bev


----------

