Hi Everyone!

How are you? I just wanted to say "hello" and introduce myself to the visa journey community.
Good luck to everyone on their own USA immigration journeys!!!

Ant

P.S. A special "hello" to all you cannuckys north of the border. Ah Canada, "my home and native land" (or is it the USA now, "the land of the free and the home of the brave"?)

sorry about this comment, but would be obvious to me on a visitor's visa that one's intention were not only to "visit" he if got married after 2 weeks on a B2.....

Oh well some people get away with it, i guess...

Wasnt the best time for me to read that.

Hi ant , welcome to the board.

Not necessarily?

Anyway, welcome to VJ, Ant!

Hi Everyone,

Thanks for your welcomes. It's nice to be in an online community sharing a common interest in immigration issues. Good luck on all of your visa journeys...
In answer to the posts above/below, we really did have no intention of getting married when I came over to visit, as my intention was just to visit my husband (then fiance), his family and the USA countryside. It was only after I came over and stayed for a week that we decided that because of family here and of the beautiful scenery (ahh..'tis America the beautiful), that it was best for us to get married in the USA. So yeah, who knew that a two week vacation in the USA would end up being a lifetime here (that's another long story)...
Believe me, being hassled at the border for about two hours, scrambling to have a wedding/elopement in one week, and not knowing for months whether I would be deported back to Canada, is not what I would call a "picnic in the park preplanning".

Ant

awww ant , you didn't need to explain yourself but thank you for sharing:)

Welcome to VJ

Hi CutienPurg,

No problem about the sharing, after all, isn't sharing about immigration experiences is what the vj community is about?

Ant

[quote name='girl 37' post='680727' date='Jan 24 2007, 10:05 AM'

Not necessarily?

Anyway, welcome to VJ, Ant!
[/quote]

Im sorry but I've seen people getting their a** chewed out for less than that on the boards in the last few months, and usually people that did it this way are not welcomed as far as I know because everybody is just working really hard on here to make it the right way.

My 2 cents. hate me for it if you want.

What's your problem? There's nothing WRONG with deciding to get married while visiting a girlfriend / boyfriend / fiancee / fiance in the US. If there was, it wouldn't be legal, *which it is*.

Just because you've chosen to do things the way you did is no reason to be rude to someone who's new here.

Hello and Welcome to VJ!

Welcome!


Mo

It happens, we don't need to resent other people just because it was easier for them. Welcome Ant.

Welcome to the board. Don't worry about what others think. You did nothing wrong. It is illegal to come and get married and then knowingle stay in the USA, but I would think would be a tad hard to prove, and immigration has better things to worry about and so do I, lol many different visa routes than k1/k3 cr-1/ir-1
Prior to my wife and I commencing the Visa journey, we stopped in and had a free consult with an immigration attorney in the DC area. She told us to marry and for me to stay!! And then AOS, quite similar to what you are doing. I was stil in the Air force so it wasnt an option for us to go that route. Probably happens a fair bit, someone comes to the USA to see thier boyfriend, out of the blue they get married and he/she stay. If you have nothing to go back to in Canada, why not!!! Its amazing on how many US people think if you marry an American citizenship, you automatically get ur Green card!! We did a courthouse wedding on one of my trips down, then I left, and commenced the CR-1 route. later on we did the big pretend family wedding. Majority thought and still do think it was our real wedding,lol Best of luck

Hi Everyone,

Thanks for your welcomes to VJ! Good luck on all of your immigration journeys too!

Answering indirectly to the posts above/below, basically all I can say is, "You did it your way and I did it mine. Whatever works for you is fine". Every US immigration situation is different, as some might take longer time, some might take shorter time, some might be easy, some might be harder, etc. But either way, one should not be judged as to how they are going through the immigration process (or any other way for that matter).

Rest assured that the way that I got my US permanent residency was perfectly legal and right for our particular situation. And yes, for anyone else, it does help to consult with a good immigration lawyer about important stuff like this too.

Instead, the important thing for everyone is to focus on spending time with your significant other (boyfriend/girlfriend, fiance/fiancee, husband/wife, etc.), even though that could be extra challenging at times while going through the immigration process together.

Ant

Everytime I see someone saying that they did things "the right way" when trying to dis someone who adjusted from a tourist visa, I feel like cracking up. No one did anything wrong!! Anyway, hi there Ant!

Hi Flames (I'm assuming you are a Calgary Flames hockey fan)?

I agree, immigration people have better things to worry about and so do we. As long as what one does is legal, then I figure, go for it. It's a good idea that you consulted with lawyers, especially about something important as immigration. I'm sure the AOS thing does happen quite a bit too and the lawyers know about it (otherwise they wouldn't recommend it). I agree, why bother going back if one has nothing or not much else to go back to (though there are still some Canadian quirky things that I miss, like where do I get a box of "Smarties" and poutine around here). I definately agree with taking the risk and moving to the US. Yes, I can relate to the American attitude towards immigration and citizenship. "It's not that easy. It takes a whole bunch of paperwork and years to become a citizen. You're lucky you don't have to go through this since you were born here." I say and explain the whole process to the Americans who I've known. Glad everything worked out for you regarding the wedding stuff too (don't worry, we at VJ won't tell your family about it). Good luck on your own immigration journey.

Ant

Hi Jane,

Thanks for the welcome. Good luck on your own immigration journey. I agree, there is no right or wrong way to do things, merely just the way that is best for them and their particular situation.

Ant