# uk citizen wanting to marry a us citizen and move to the usa



## Andy&Millie (Dec 1, 2012)

My boyfriend and I are planing to get married, but we are a bit confused and don't know the steps we should take before we do it. I currently live in Puerto Rico I am a US citizenship and my boyfriend lives in the UK with UK citizenship. 

The plan is to get married in PR and move to Florida afterwards. We don't know exactly how to do it. He's allowed to stay legally in PR for 90 days, and we don't know if he would need some sort of visitor visa when he comes to PR so that we can get married, or if we could do it within the 90 days he's allowed to stay legally without any type of visa. 

From what we have read, we understand that once we are married he would need to apply for a K1 visa within 90 days of marriage, and that he would have to go back to England and wait for the visa to arrive so that he can come to the USA legally. I will appreciate any information regarding this situation, since we are a bit lost!


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## Crawford (Jan 23, 2011)

Look here:

USCIS - Family of U.S. Citizens

You have the following options:

- he flies into the US on the VWP, you get married and then he leaves and applies for a spouse visa (CR-1)from the UK (spouse visa will take between 6 to 8 months, and during this time you can visit one another)

- you apply for a fiancee visa (K-1) now for him - that takes about 6 to 8 months. He flies into the US, you get married within 90 days and then he applies for adjustment of status to permanent resident. 

Either way there is a wait before he can reside in the US.


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## Andy&Millie (Dec 1, 2012)

I can apply for the k-1 for him before we get married? and its completely legal for us to get married without him a having a visa then? what type of documents or evidence he will need? someone told me he just needs his passport and birth certificate is this true?

Thank you so much!


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## Crawford (Jan 23, 2011)

Andy&Millie said:


> I can apply for the k-1 for him before we get married? and its completely legal for us to get married without him a having a visa then? what type of documents or evidence he will need? someone told me he just needs his passport and birth certificate is this true?
> 
> Thank you so much!


No..... if you go the fiancee route (K-1) you apply NOW for a visa for him.. in about 6 to 8 months when the visa is issued, he will then be able to enter the US, you get married within 90 days, and he then is able to stay in the US to apply for adjustment of status to a permanent resident.

On the other hand, you don't need a visa to just get married in the US. 

He could enter the US, you get married but then HE MUST LEAVE the US in order to apply for the spouse visa which will allow him to live in the US with you.


You need a visa for him to reside in the US with you.


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## Davis1 (Feb 20, 2009)

K1 Process Flowchart


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## Andy&Millie (Dec 1, 2012)

Thank you davis1. That's really helpful cheers.


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