The Best Way to Go

[True Brit 10]

Hello everyone - I wonder if someone would be kind enough to help? My partner of 10 years and I are living in the UK. He has American citizenship and I am a British citizen. He has just accepted a job as Dean in an American University. We want to stay together and wonder if we would be better getting married here in the UK and travelling to the States together or whether we should go the 'fiancee' route. For the latter, I understand that he would have to establish residency in the States and that it could be 7 months before I would be allowed to join him. We have been told we need an immigration lawyer because the whole system is so complex. Would everyone agree with that? Can anyone suggest a straightforward way that we could both travel to the States in September and for me to remain there until (and IF I suppose!) my papers came through allowing me to stay came through. As I am sure you will gather from my post - we are complete and utter novices at this!!!! Thank you in advance to anyone kind enough to reply.

[Anh map 2,098]

Get married in the next couple of weeks and then have him petition for a spouse visa directly through the London embassy. That would be the fastest route to a visa, hopefully by September. Also, this gives you the green card upon entry to the US meaning that you are work authorized immediately.

See this page on the US Embassy website >>> http://london.usembassy.gov/dhs/uscis/i130filing.html

[KayDeeCee 4,900]

Hello everyone - I wonder if someone would be kind enough to help? My partner of 10 years and I are living in the UK. He has American citizenship and I am a British citizen. He has just accepted a job as Dean in an American University. We want to stay together and wonder if we would be better getting married here in the UK and travelling to the States together or whether we should go the 'fiancee' route. For the latter, I understand that he would have to establish residency in the States and that it could be 7 months before I would be allowed to join him. We have been told we need an immigration lawyer because the whole system is so complex. Would everyone agree with that? Can anyone suggest a straightforward way that we could both travel to the States in September and for me to remain there until (and IF I suppose!) my papers came through allowing me to stay came through. As I am sure you will gather from my post - we are complete and utter novices at this!!!! Thank you in advance to anyone kind enough to reply.

You do not need a lawyer unless your case has complications that would require one. Most people here on this site do it themselves.

You can see this chart that shows the different visa options: http://www.visajourney.com/content/compare

If he is a resident of the UK, it might be the fastest route for you to take if you got married there in the UK and filed for the spousal visa using DCF (direct consular filing).

[Inky 1,111]

This forum is made up of mostly people who have not used lawyers for any part of the process. No need to waste extra money. There is also quite a few horror storys on here about people who have used lawyers and ended up with a completely messed up petition.

I suggest you follow what Anh map suggestes though. DCF will be much faster for you and you can stay together in the UK until you are done.

[zapatosfeos 17]

Familiarize yourself with this site. You will get alot more productive information in a couple hours of researching on Visa Journey than paying an outrageous amount to a lawyer for something very simple !! Good luck !!

[JoannaV 174]

Probably the best option would be to get married asap, file through London asap, and then he move in September and you follow as soon as you receive the visa. I wouldn't expect you to get your visa by September but you won't have to be apart for long. (And you could visit him.) By the time of your interview he will be in US employment and so have the required proof of financial support.