Well now........talk about coming full circle....

[Damian P 92]

Morning all. Was a regular on here a few years ago when I was the alien fiance. Now I find myself the petitioner after falling hard for a fine Yorkshire lass - who'd a' thunk it. So strange to be back in familiar, yet unfamiliar territory. All I know is that this site proved to be an invaluable source of information and support, and many friendships (pretty much all of which stand to this day) were forged. Here's hoping the same holds true this time around.

Now then, to the crux of the matter. It's been a while. But I remember what a pain in the ####### it all was. And I so can't be arsed to trawl through endless ###### archives to refresh my memory. I mean, I will if I have to, but I'd rather not. Which is why I'm kinda hoping someone currently going through this, in my exact situation, could cut through a lot of the red tape for me (or at least direct me to an existing thread they may know of).

Situation:

Me - permanent legal resident (10 year Green Card). Not a U.S. citizen. Eligible to file for naturalization in May 2014.

Her - UK citizen. No criminal record. A regular Mary Poppins.

Quickest way to get her here, folks?

Thanks. -x-

[carton025 38]

You must wait until you are a USC and then you can either do the I-129F or I-130 petition. Your choice.

[*Snowdrop* 603]

As an LPR you can marry now and file - but there is a longer wait so it might be quicker to wait until you are a USC and file either the Fiancé or Spousal visa. You can't file for the Fiance visa until you are a USC.

[Penguin_ie 5,986]

Marry now, file. If she's not here by the time you become a US citizen (spouse of LPR visa currently takes about 2.5 years), you can upgrade so the visa will be processed asap. She can visit during the process on her via waiver but must be careful not to overstay.

[Nich-Nick 3,353]

. And I so can't be arsed to trawl through endless ###### archives to refresh my memory.

So you've come back as one of those spoon feeders?

Her - UK citizen. No criminal record. A regular Mary Poppins.

A Mary Poppins and you??? No way!!

Damian!!! Great to see you mate. The Uk forum is not fun and friends anymore. Well maybe the pregnant thread, but I don't qualify for that one. You can't do fiancé visa because that's for USCs. What Penguin said is correct. A LPR can file for a spouse, but there is a queue for visa availability....a limited number per year. So if you marry, you can file the I-130 petition, get to a certain point, then wait. Filing gets you a "priority date" like pulling a number at Argos. Then you wait for your turn at a visa to come up. Once your date comes up, you carry on, do the London medical, interview etc.

Right now they are serving people who got in line October 2010. There is a visa bulletin that comes out each month. You look to see the dates for second preference F2A. February is here http://www.travel.state.gov/visa/bulletin/bulletin_5856.html. The main page to bookmark is here http://www.travel.state.gov/visa/bulletin/bulletin_1360.html to find the next month.

When you become a USC, say Sept-Oct 2014, there is no wait for visa availability. You can notify the NVC and you get to move to the front of the queue and it just takes as long as processing takes...a few months to send documents in, medical, interview. The visa is CR1 or IR1. So with that scenario, it could be just under two years from now that she could get here. If you marry and file as an LPR, you get in the queue faster than waiting until you're a USC to start. If you are married 2 years when she enters, she gets a 10 year card. Otherwise a 2 year card and removal of conditions has to be done.

This is the spouse visa guide http://www.visajourney.com/content/i130guide1 but it is written for USCs. It will be the same process for LPRs, but a long wait at the NVC for your priority date to come up or until you become a USC and move to the front of the queue.

[Empress of Groovy 373]

I just wanted to say, awesome, dude!

[elmcitymaven 9,711]

Congrats, Daymo! I can't believe Mary Poppins agreed to marry YOU.

I think in celebration, we should co-opt your thread to revive some of the old camaraderie around here (I see Joyce already beat me here). We've missed your effing and blinding around here. Tell us more about this Yorkshire lass -- does she have a high tolerance for swearing?

[Nich-Nick 3,353]

Congrats, Daymo! I can't believe Mary Poppins agreed to marry YOU.

I think in celebration, we should co-opt your thread to revive some of the old camaraderie around here (I see Joyce already beat me here). We've missed your effing and blinding around here. Tell us more about this Yorkshire lass -- does she have a high tolerance for swearing?

That's what I want to know too. Do tell.

And did you continue with school. What kind of job do you have now. So much to catch up on. Maybe you can get another VJ suspension in Round 2. Let the fun begin!

[Trompe le Monde 1,107]

Wait, Mary Poppins?

does that mean you are ####### Van #######?

[Damian P 92]

Firstly, thanks for the "Groundhog Day" NN - it was you who first replied to my first post 5 years ago. And once again, massive thanks for the info. And guys, she's not really Mary Poppins - she likes to drink, enjoys loud rock music, and says "c**t" a lot, which makes her "practically perfect in every way!"

[X Factor 1,110]

Firstly, thanks for the "Groundhog Day" NN - it was you who first replied to my first post 5 years ago. And once again, massive thanks for the info. And guys, she's not really Mary Poppins - she likes to drink, enjoys loud rock music, and says "c**t" a lot, which makes her "practically perfect in every way!"

Aaaaah - a 21 century Mary Poppins

[Stinky Monkey 1]

Firstly, thanks for the "Groundhog Day" NN - it was you who first replied to my first post 5 years ago. And once again, massive thanks for the info. And guys, she's not really Mary Poppins - she likes to drink, enjoys loud rock music, and says "c**t" a lot, which makes her "practically perfect in every way!"

Ok first I want an invite to the piss up

second how come you are not eligible to become a citizen till 2013 I thought it was something like 3 years after you got here, I am sure you are eligible now but how the hell should I know I am so out of all of this now just like to drink listen to loud rock and say the F word a lot hold on do I have a sister I dont know about .........................................

Yay the old gang is coming back on VJ lets shake this mutha up

Edited February 25, 2013 by Stinky Monkey

[Damian P 92]

I would have been eligible last year had what happened not happened - you have to stay married for the 3 year rule. It's 5 years otherwise.

[Nich-Nick 3,353]

Oh gawd. Shaz has returned. Crazy. Love you guys.

So how about your citizenship Shaz? Magpie took the plunge. Don't you want two passports? It would give you more options.

Groundhog Day...funny. Yep I'm still here for you Daymo, but I don't know all the cr1 cr@p and the NVC tricks.

Edited February 25, 2013 by Nich-Nick

[Damian P 92]

Checked out those links, NN - oh, how it takes me back!! NOA, NVC, AOS, packet 3, medical, interview, tax returns, police check, long form birth certificate......just reminded me what a long and tedious road it was to get here!!

So to surmise, it looks like the best option is to get hitched and file the I-130 whilst still a LPR, then get citizenship and "upgrade" to expedite the process, yes? Presumably then, the filing-to-NOA2 process won't take any longer than it did if I were already a USC, rather the hold-up will come at the NVC stage, correct? And tell me, whatever happened to the "Adjusting Status From The VWP" section of the site? Because that always used to be an option, albeit not one that was ever particularly recommended.

Yes, I finished my two year community college course, and subsequently sat the corresponding AHIMA examination, the successful completion of which enabled me to hold the credential of Registered Health Information Technician. Naturally, I then became a hotel manager!! That lasted for a couple of years, before a short, and very ill-fated spell in radio advertising sales, the conclusion of which signaled the end of my time in Southern Illinois. I moved to a town just outside Kansas City, MO, three weeks ago and am currently staying with a friend whilst I try to find gainful employment. And it's proving slightly harder to find said employment this time around than in the past, so much so that I have an interview (if indeed you can even call it that) at a local slaughterhouse/pork processing plant on Thursday - I sh!t you not. Can't say I'm particularly thrilled about the prospect of spending my working day knee deep in pig sh!t/guts/blood but hey, the money's decent and my Spanish will undoubtedly improve.

Anyhoo, that's where I'm at, chica. I see your visa journey is now complete, btw - congratulations. Hopefully I shall join you on said N-400 plateau sooner rather than later.