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deathdigital

Living with fiancée and attending college for 9 months with F1 visa.

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Filed: F-1 Visa Country: Scotland
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Hello,

I was recently accepted into a college in California to study welding and have an F1 visa interview at the end of this month.

I have been reading over many forums (including this one) and I've read that having a fiancée in the US whom I'll be living with may put my F1 application under heavy scrutiny.

My intentions are completely genuine and honest, I have all the sufficient funds and a little over, I have parents that I live with, a brother, a sister-in-law, two nieces and many aunts and uncles who I'm very close with and see regularly (some are already pre-booking flights to come out and visit while I study haha). I fully intend to come back to the UK with my fiancée when my visa expires, but I am a little worried about how my intentions to study will be perceived by a consular officer.

My reasons for studying in the US and my plans after are as follows: (and if anyone could advise me of any case-bolstering (evidence, documents etc) in regards to my reasons for study and my family ties it will be greatly appreciated)

I intended to leave my job in aviation engineering this summer for a number of reasons (no room to progress, fresh and inexperienced staff on considerably higher wages, but I won't go into that...) to pursue other jobs within the field.
I then researched studying welding in California as it would enable me to learn a trade in an industry I have experience in, gain dual college/job training, and also if me and my fiancée do one day settle in the US I will have a decent trade and a welding certificate to match. Another main reason is it will enable me and my fiancée to spent a solid amount of time together whilst I obtain my certificate.

For the record, we have no intentions of marrying or applying for K1 visas etc, whilst I am studying. We are mid-to-late 20's and have been flying back and forth for over a year now, are very happy and agree that there's no rush for marriage. After my course is finished she is putting in for a transfer at Whole Foods to a branch in London and coming back with me.

Bottom line is, I want to obtain my American welder's certificate, spend 9 months together whilst doing so, come home with her once my F1 expires and live in the UK for however long is realistic for her, then see where we want to settle after that.

Could this be a bad thing in the eyes of a consular officer?

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Ummm...tell him the chance to spend 9 months in the sunshine while getting a trade appealed to you???

England.gifENGLAND ---

K-1 Timeline 4 months, 19 days 03-10-08 VSC to 7-29-08 Interview London

10-05-08 Married

AOS Timeline 5 months, 14 days 10-9-08 to 3-23-09 No interview

Removing Conditions Timeline 5 months, 20 days12-27-10 to 06-10-11 No interview

Citizenship Timeline 3 months, 26 days 12-31-11 Dallas to 4-26-12 Interview Houston

05-16-12 Oath ceremony

The journey from Fiancé to US citizenship:

4 years, 2 months, 6 days

243 pages of forms/documents submitted

No RFEs

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Filed: F-1 Visa Country: Scotland
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Cheers for your reply Nich-Nick.

That's what I intend to say as it's the truth. Plus the college I'm going to has great facilities and services for working in a relevant job while learning at college.

But I was wondering if they'd want more evidence of my returning and that I'm not going to marry my fiancée and stay there, as I've read with a lot of people experiences on the forums.

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Filed: Citizen (apr) Country: Sweden
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I wasn't engaged at the time I applied for a student visa. We were only girlfriend/boyfriend at the time. I was honest and said I would be living with him for 1 year and the only question I got was "Are you planning on marrying him?". I only told him that I am not planning on anything. If things work out, they work out, if they don't they don't. He then just told me if I want to live in America I need an immigrant visa.

I don't know if it was because I was going to study at a US College through an organization in Sweden but I did not need more proof than what they asked for: proof of finances and ties to my home country.





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Filed: K-1 Visa Country: Wales
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Why a US Welding certificate?

“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.”

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Filed: K-1 Visa Country: Wales
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No he does not.

Not my field but I would have thought UK Employers would expect a UK qualification?

“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.”

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Filed: Citizen (apr) Country: Sweden
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No he does not.

Not my field but I would have thought UK Employers would expect a UK qualification?

Isn't welding, welding no matter where it's made?

"I then researched studying welding in California as it would enable me to learn a trade in an industry I have experience in, gain dual college/job training, and also if me and my fiancée do one day settle in the US I will have a decent trade and a welding certificate to match. Another main reason is it will enable me and my fiancée to spent a solid amount of time together whilst I obtain my certificate."





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Filed: K-1 Visa Country: Wales
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Isn't welding, welding no matter where it's made?

Not quite, there are specialist types of welding, for example Titanium, a lot of that was sourced from Russia as they had experienced welders as a result of their military industrial base.

But if I was the CO I would be wondering why California when you can train locally, what is this course offering.

“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.”

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Filed: F-1 Visa Country: Scotland
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But if I was the CO I would be wondering why California when you can train locally, what is this course offering.

I intended to leave my job this July as it's dead-end, no room to progress and certain people are favored for their social skills rather than job skills and that's reflected in wages. I can weld and it's an integral part of the work I do daily, but my current employer has no interest in making this skill "official".

So, that leads me on to California and my reasons for training there:

  • I searched colleges within a realistic travel distance here in Berkshire and they truly suck. Offering only two-hour evening classes or six week courses. I find their course information restrained and they don't have a comprehensive list of skills you'll learn like the college I've been accepted to.
  • In California, I will receive the welding training I didn't receive at my job, the opportunity to gain some work experience while at college and I will test for an American Welders Society certificate (AWS standards are commonly used here in the UK too).
  • When I obtain my certificate, I believe it will show a potential and decent employer back in the UK that I can succeed out of my comfort zone, away from friends and family and I think shows a good level motivation too.
  • A local education and AWS certificate would be valuable should we in the future settle in California.
  • I'll also get to spend 9 months with my fiancée in a beautiful part of the country before moving back together to the UK.
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Filed: K-1 Visa Country: Wales
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Just wondering what you consider a realistic travel distance from Berkshire when you are looking to go to California.

Forget it, I am intrigued to see of you get a visa, let us know.

“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.”

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Filed: F-1 Visa Country: Scotland
Timeline

I wasn't engaged at the time I applied for a student visa. We were only girlfriend/boyfriend at the time. I was honest and said I would be living with him for 1 year and the only question I got was "Are you planning on marrying him?". I only told him that I am not planning on anything. If things work out, they work out, if they don't they don't. He then just told me if I want to live in America I need an immigrant visa.

I don't know if it was because I was going to study at a US College through an organization in Sweden but I did not need more proof than what they asked for: proof of finances and ties to my home country.

Thanks for the reply, Maria&Seve. That's reassuring!

Just wondering what you consider a realistic travel distance from Berkshire when you are looking to go to California.

Forget it, I am intrigued to see of you get a visa, let us know.

If that is the only question you have after I've just outlined my reasons then I don't think I'll be letting you know. Thanks for your input nonetheless.

Edited by deathdigital
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  • 1 month later...
 
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