So you finally found your perfect match, however, it took travelling across the world to find her, get ready to embrace the USCIS process. If your lucky, she lives in a country where visitation to the United States is easy, if not welcome to the tumultuous journey into the USCIS process. There are many options for the Newlyweds to take, make sure you choose the one that is right for you. If you want to marry your wife in her country, and she needs Visa approval to enter the USA, than don’t expect your free pass to America, as you will spend 8-12 months of paperwork, and red tape before the USCIS allows her to come.
However, if you do choose to marry in her country, there are some advantages. The first and most important is that if you marry there , you will apply for the I-131 Visa which if approved (roughly 6-12 months) she gets her green card the moment she steps on U.S soil. If she marry’s you on U.S soil and you use the engagement visa to get her here right away for 3 months, and than you must marry or send her back. You can expect a few years before receiving the green card. In 2 years with the I-131 she can apply for U.S. citizenship if she likes. The hardest part of this Visa is going through the 3 phases of producing enough paperwork to prove you two are the real deal. If you can manage that, it is better for her, especially if she wants to work right when she arrive in America.
The education visa is a clever way to get her over, but if you marry her while she is here, than you must prove that you had not pre-planned her visa for marriage as this is very Illegal and can get you in alot of trouble. However, if you can prove you just met while she was here getting educated and that the marriage just happened, you should have no problems. The USCIS process investigates all issues relating to how you met, and carefully looks through emails, phone calls, correspondence through the mail, money transfers etc… I would not try this method for marriage although if you were not ready for marriage and she gets approved for a 4-5 year education visa and you marry in the last year, you should be free and clear of any pre-existing marriage plans.
Countries that don’t allow tourist visa’s easily are commonly swayed if your visiting fiance has over 30 thousand dollars in her savings account. The embassy see’s that amount or more as a means of income great enough to trust that she will be just visiting the states as an actual tourist, and not looking to escape through the sanctity of marriage. Money talks, even when it comes to travelling abroad. You could always fund her bank account, but make sure you really trust this girl, as she might have a change of heart and take the cash deal. Just remember the USCIS process is easier if you just pay an online program or attorney to handle it, taking this on yourself could prove costly and time consuming.
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