Help!! Canuck wanting to immigrate to the US

[lollee 0]

Hello, my name's Leighann - im a newcomer.

I know theres probably FAQ's or guides I should be reading about this, but to be honest iv been doing nothing but reading everything under the sun for months now and im still lost. Heres my situation:

I wish to move to the United States, to work, and live. My boyfriend currently lives in Florida and I want more than anything to be down there with him. I cannot go to school, as I don't have the money to pay up front, my family will not support me in this. Nor would I make enough money to go to school, live on my own, and make monthly payments twords the 12 month $16,000 tuition. (I was told by the university that internationals either have to pay up front or make monthly payments and have it payed off by the time my course is done)

What other options do I have.Or is there something he can do? He is a born American Citizen. I don't want to rush and fake some marriage just to get into the country, and I don't exactly have any special qualifications. Do I just not qualify to even work down there?

Any advice/suggestions are very welcome! Thank you!

Edited May 3, 2009 by lollee

[GheTToJaTTi 0]

tell him to apply for fiancee visa!

[scandal 951]

Hello, my name's Leighann - im a newcomer.

I know theres probably FAQ's or guides I should be reading about this, but to be honest iv been doing nothing but reading everything under the sun for months now and im still lost. Heres my situation:

I wish to move to the United States, to work, and live. My boyfriend currently lives in Florida and I want more than anything to be down there with him. I cannot go to school, as I don't have the money to pay up front, my family will not support me in this. Nor would I make enough money to go to school, live on my own, and make monthly payments twords the 12 month $16,000 tuition. (I was told by the university that internationals either have to pay up front or make monthly payments and have it payed off by the time my course is done)

What other options do I have.Or is there something he can do? He is a born American Citizen. I don't want to rush and fake some marriage just to get into the country, and I don't exactly have any special qualifications. Do I just not qualify to even work down there?

Any advice/suggestions are very welcome! Thank you!

Do I just not qualify to even work down there? Probably not. Getting work authorization is not automatic.

As a Canadian you theoretically do have a leg-up over the rest of the world due to NAFTA, and the TN visa. This is a renewable visa that permits qualified Canadians to work in the US. The catch is 'qualified'- it is intended for professionals (e.g. engineers, healthcare, etc.). If you don't have any particular skills or an employment offer from an American firm, and you simply have a vague notion of wanting to find general employment once you are in the US, you are not going to qualify.

I don't want to rush and fake some marriage just to get into the country That's very laudable of you. You definitely should NOT fake a marriage - that's a serious way to get in trouble with immigration authorities here. And it's wrong in your personal life - don't marry someone unless you really want to be married to them.

What you can legally do (and which many people on this site cannot do) is visit your boyfriend as often as you like. As a Canadian you are not limited from legally crossing the border on visits (not to work, of course). If you and your boyfriend determine that you really do want to get married because you want to spend your lives together, then he (as a USC) can petition you to join him in the US. It's a lengthy process, so prepare to have some patience. That is where this site will be very helpful to you, in navigating that system.

Good luck!

[lollee 0]

Hello, my name's Leighann - im a newcomer.

I know theres probably FAQ's or guides I should be reading about this, but to be honest iv been doing nothing but reading everything under the sun for months now and im still lost. Heres my situation:

I wish to move to the United States, to work, and live. My boyfriend currently lives in Florida and I want more than anything to be down there with him. I cannot go to school, as I don't have the money to pay up front, my family will not support me in this. Nor would I make enough money to go to school, live on my own, and make monthly payments twords the 12 month $16,000 tuition. (I was told by the university that internationals either have to pay up front or make monthly payments and have it payed off by the time my course is done)

What other options do I have.Or is there something he can do? He is a born American Citizen. I don't want to rush and fake some marriage just to get into the country, and I don't exactly have any special qualifications. Do I just not qualify to even work down there?

Any advice/suggestions are very welcome! Thank you!

Do I just not qualify to even work down there? Probably not. Getting work authorization is not automatic.

As a Canadian you theoretically do have a leg-up over the rest of the world due to NAFTA, and the TN visa. This is a renewable visa that permits qualified Canadians to work in the US. The catch is 'qualified'- it is intended for professionals (e.g. engineers, healthcare, etc.). If you don't have any particular skills or an employment offer from an American firm, and you simply have a vague notion of wanting to find general employment once you are in the US, you are not going to qualify.

I don't want to rush and fake some marriage just to get into the country That's very laudable of you. You definitely should NOT fake a marriage - that's a serious way to get in trouble with immigration authorities here. And it's wrong in your personal life - don't marry someone unless you really want to be married to them.

What you can legally do (and which many people on this site cannot do) is visit your boyfriend as often as you like. As a Canadian you are not limited from legally crossing the border on visits (not to work, of course). If you and your boyfriend determine that you really do want to get married because you want to spend your lives together, then he (as a USC) can petition you to join him in the US. It's a lengthy process, so prepare to have some patience. That is where this site will be very helpful to you, in navigating that system.

Good luck!

Iv read the penalties of "faked marriages", and I definatly do not want to go down that road!

I can see myself marrying him, and he has already told me he would want to. I guess I shall have to wait and see where everything takes me. Or maybe il get lucky and win the lottery so I can go to school

Thank you so much for the input.

[JillA 2]

Hello, my name's Leighann - im a newcomer.

I know theres probably FAQ's or guides I should be reading about this, but to be honest iv been doing nothing but reading everything under the sun for months now and im still lost. Heres my situation:

I wish to move to the United States, to work, and live. My boyfriend currently lives in Florida and I want more than anything to be down there with him. I cannot go to school, as I don't have the money to pay up front, my family will not support me in this. Nor would I make enough money to go to school, live on my own, and make monthly payments twords the 12 month $16,000 tuition. (I was told by the university that internationals either have to pay up front or make monthly payments and have it payed off by the time my course is done)

What other options do I have.Or is there something he can do? He is a born American Citizen. I don't want to rush and fake some marriage just to get into the country, and I don't exactly have any special qualifications. Do I just not qualify to even work down there?

Any advice/suggestions are very welcome! Thank you!

Welcome to VJ!!

Unfortunately, a work visa is hard to come by unless you have some very special skills and/or are sponsored by a US company. Your only option would be a Fiancee or Spousal Visa. No of course you should not "fake" the marriage, but many of us here going the K-1 Fiancee route have a civil ceremony upon arrival (as you must be married within 90 days) and have our big wedding later. Yes it's not ideal, but if you want to be with the one you love it's the only option. If you are engaged, or plan on being engaged in the near future and want to spend your life with your boyfriend, the fiancee visa may be the route for you.

If you go the K-1 route, you cannot work right away. After you are married and adjust your status, you also apply for a work document. This comes approx. 60-90 days after so you won't be working for a little while.

You don't really have any other options but marriage to move there legally. If you're not ready for that, you can visit as often as you like as long as you don't stay over 6 months!

Best of luck in your decision making, VJ is a great place to find out all the info you need!

[lollee 0]

Hello, my name's Leighann - im a newcomer.

I know theres probably FAQ's or guides I should be reading about this, but to be honest iv been doing nothing but reading everything under the sun for months now and im still lost. Heres my situation:

I wish to move to the United States, to work, and live. My boyfriend currently lives in Florida and I want more than anything to be down there with him. I cannot go to school, as I don't have the money to pay up front, my family will not support me in this. Nor would I make enough money to go to school, live on my own, and make monthly payments twords the 12 month $16,000 tuition. (I was told by the university that internationals either have to pay up front or make monthly payments and have it payed off by the time my course is done)

What other options do I have.Or is there something he can do? He is a born American Citizen. I don't want to rush and fake some marriage just to get into the country, and I don't exactly have any special qualifications. Do I just not qualify to even work down there?

Any advice/suggestions are very welcome! Thank you!

Welcome to VJ!!

Unfortunately, a work visa is hard to come by unless you have some very special skills and/or are sponsored by a US company. Your only option would be a Fiancee or Spousal Visa. No of course you should not "fake" the marriage, but many of us here going the K-1 Fiancee route have a civil ceremony upon arrival (as you must be married within 90 days) and have our big wedding later. Yes it's not ideal, but if you want to be with the one you love it's the only option. If you are engaged, or plan on being engaged in the near future and want to spend your life with your boyfriend, the fiancee visa may be the route for you.

If you go the K-1 route, you cannot work right away. After you are married and adjust your status, you also apply for a work document. This comes approx. 60-90 days after so you won't be working for a little while.

You don't really have any other options but marriage to move there legally. If you're not ready for that, you can visit as often as you like as long as you don't stay over 6 months!

Best of luck in your decision making, VJ is a great place to find out all the info you need!

Thank you!

A few questions if I may regarding the K-1 Visa.

It is to my understanding that you must go for an interview in this process. Say we decided to go for it in the future, and wanted to start out with a civil ceremony, and a big one later on down the road when it can be afforded, would the person interviewing us understand this? Im very nervous when it comes to interviews, even for jobs, I wouldn't want to mess it up!

Say I get a approved for the K-1 Visa, if I have the civil ceremony (which im assuming involves going to a courthouse or similar building to sign marriage papers), planning for the later "big one", would that allow me to work? And adjust my status?

And, last one I promise! lol. Would they need some form of evidence in this interview that we truely want to go through with this? aka photos, travel dates, proof of how we met, my enormous cellphone long distance texting/calling bills

Thank you!! It's much appreciated!!

[SapphireDreams 71]

Here are some answers to your questions

A few questions if I may regarding the K-1 Visa.

It is to my understanding that you must go for an interview in this process. Say we decided to go for it in the future, and wanted to start out with a civil ceremony, and a big one later on down the road when it can be afforded, would the person interviewing us understand this? Im very nervous when it comes to interviews, even for jobs, I wouldn't want to mess it up!

-Yes, they understand this, but to be perfectly honest they will not ask for details around your wedding. All they care about is that you go and get legally married within 90 days. The second wedding will not really be a legal wedding as you'll already be married. The interview is a piece of cake, so don't even worry about that part. You have a long way to go.

Say I get a approved for the K-1 Visa, if I have the civil ceremony (which im assuming involves going to a courthouse or similar building to sign marriage papers), planning for the later "big one", would that allow me to work? And adjust my status?

Once you enter the US using your K1 visa, you have 90 days to get legally married. Once married, you must adjust your status and apply for a work permit and travel authorization. The work permit and travel auth usually come within 60-90 days after you adjust - so you cannot work right when you enter, you must wait until after you are legally married and have applied for the correct documentation.

And, last one I promise! lol. Would they need some form of evidence in this interview that we truely want to go through with this? aka photos, travel dates, proof of how we met, my enormous cellphone long distance texting/calling bills

Yes, the K1 Visa petition, the very first step in the process, requires documentation that you have met in person at least once within the past 2 years. You would need to provide airline boarding passes, passport stamps and photos as the primary evidence and then telephone and online communcation is secondary. We also provided receipts from vacations we had travelled on together with both of our names on them.

The best thing for you to do right now is read the Guides here: http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.php?autocom=custom&page=k1guide

Just so you know, a K1 visa takes around 7-10 months to process and isn't the cheapest process to go through so it's definitely something to discuss very seriously with your boyfriend.

Good Luck!

[Kathryn41 3,205]

A few questions if I may regarding the K-1 Visa.

It is to my understanding that you must go for an interview in this process. Say we decided to go for it in the future, and wanted to start out with a civil ceremony, and a big one later on down the road when it can be afforded, would the person interviewing us understand this? Im very nervous when it comes to interviews, even for jobs, I wouldn't want to mess it up!

Yes, there is an interview involved. The K-1 process starts by the US fiance petitioning the US government for permission for the foreign fiancee to get a fiancee visa. When the petition is approved - in your case - the file would be transferred to the US Consulate in either Montreal (if you live in Eastern Canada) or Vancouver (if you live in Western Canada). They would send you a packet of information and forms that you complete and a list of documents you must collect (ie, have a medical exam, security clearances, long form birth certificate, passport, etc.). When you have the documents ready, you notify the Consulate and they schedule you for an interview at the Consulate. If you pass the interview they grant you a K-1 visa which is valid for 6 months and is good for a one time entry to the US. Once you enter, you must then get married within 90 days. USCIS doesn't care whether you have a big ceremony or a small ceremony - just that you do get married within the 90 days The marriage would come after the interview.

Say I get a approved for the K-1 Visa, if I have the civil ceremony (which im assuming involves going to a courthouse or similar building to sign marriage papers), planning for the later "big one", would that allow me to work? And adjust my status?

Once you are married you need to apply to adjust your status from non-immigrant fiance to permanent resident. At the same time you can apply for permission to work and for permission to travel outside of the US and return. Once you receive either your permanent residence (green card ) or your Employment Authorization (EAD) you can work - not before. This can only happen after you marry and after you apply to adjust your status (AOS). Your type of wedding ceremony has no bearing on the matter.

And, last one I promise! lol. Would they need some form of evidence in this interview that we truely want to go through with this? aka photos, travel dates, proof of how we met, my enormous cellphone long distance texting/calling bills

Yes, absolutely. You can start saving now proof that you have a relationship, and more importantly, proof that you have met in person during the 2 years prior to when you apply for a K-1. Passport stamps, boarding passes, and receipts showing you both in the same place at the same time count as primary documentation. Photographs are secondary documentation but you want to include some as well. Examples of your cellphone bills and emails, etc. help to prove a relationship, although that isn't as difficult a challenge for Canadians as for other countries.

Thank you!! It's much appreciated!!

Good luck with whatever you decide to do. You may want to start gathering 'evidence' of your ties to Canada if you intend to visit him in Florida very often. It is your responsibility to prove to the border guards when you enter the US that you have the intention to return to Canada. "Proof of ties" include rent receipts, leases, car documents; letter from an employer, utility bills; class schedules, etc. If you visit often or stay for a long time (no more than 6 months - you don't want out of status time at all!) you may find the border officials becoming suspicious and they may deny you entry unless you can reassure them of your intentions.

Edited May 3, 2009 by Kathryn41

[lollee 0]

Thank you Kathryn and Sapphire!

Im definatly going to be sharing all this information with him, and I finally feel like I know what to do now...the US embassy/Visa pages are rather confusing lol.

However I do not have any passport stamps, and I fly out of Buffalo NY and cross the border by either bus or car (relative/friend drives me, I do not currently own one). They always just ask me a few questions and let us pass without a stamp. Do you think previous flight info print-off's would suffice?

[Hugglebuggles 60]

However I do not have any passport stamps, and I fly out of Buffalo NY and cross the border by either bus or car (relative/friend drives me, I do not currently own one). They always just ask me a few questions and let us pass without a stamp. Do you think previous flight info print-off's would suffice?

This is exactly what I've done for the last 4 years. I live fairly close to the border so my fiance and I use Buffalo International as our airport of choice. For evidence I submitted our flight info from Buffalo-Denver and vice versa, as well as photographs of us together, and phone logs showing our many conversations everyday. This was more than enough to get us a speedy approval, no problems

Good luck with whatever you decide and welcome to VJ!

[July09Bride 1]

However I do not have any passport stamps, and I fly out of Buffalo NY and cross the border by either bus or car (relative/friend drives me, I do not currently own one). They always just ask me a few questions and let us pass without a stamp. Do you think previous flight info print-off's would suffice?

This is exactly what I've done for the last 4 years. I live fairly close to the border so my fiance and I use Buffalo International as our airport of choice. For evidence I submitted our flight info from Buffalo-Denver and vice versa, as well as photographs of us together, and phone logs showing our many conversations everyday. This was more than enough to get us a speedy approval, no problems

Good luck with whatever you decide and welcome to VJ!

Welcome to VJ! You can also submit bank printouts of your spending in the US and his spending in Canada. Emails are also allowed (just becareful what you include!). When my fiance' came to the US, he had to request time off from work, and they gave him copies of the forms. Those forms had the dates of the approved vacation days and where he'd be in the US (just because that's how he filled out the forms) but we included those too.

Proof is the easy part, but the interview is even easier. I can say that now... LOL... I was a bucket of nerves leading up to our interview. Think of the interview this way... it's basically their way of making sure you are who you say you are and that you're all legal and good in Canada and the US.

Good luck! Check out the gazillion threads, but also beef free to ask questions. We'll help as much as we can. We're not experts; we help based on our individual experiences.