Canadian to USA - K-1 help please

[sred28 0]

I am Canadian. My fiancee is American. He proposed recently after we had been dating for over two years. We are looking to start the K-1 process as soon as possible and were hoping to find an attorney to help us through it, but we seem to be having trouble locating one that specializes in fiancee/spousal visas specifically (most deal with working non-immigrant visas). We have some questions and would be grateful for any feedback, personal experiences, answers, etc.

- I do know that I am allowed to visit him while the K-1 is in pending. We currently live only a few hours apart so visiting has never been an issue; however, he is moving across the country to start his new job next month so visiting will be much more difficult.

-Canadians are allowed to visit the U.S. for up to 6 months (without a visa - just passport).

Does anyone know, or has anyone been in this situation where you have visited your significant other for the 6 month period to know if it is possible or likely that they won't turn you away?

If I am able to visit for 6 month periods at a time, how long do I have to return to Canada before I can go back and visit for another prolonged period (as it seems K-1 Visa processing times are taking up to 13 months these days)?

Is there another course of action to take so that our separation may not be so long?

Any help or suggestions would be appreciated, especially from those who are Canadian with U.S. partners. Thank you in advance!

[ricnally 258]

You don't need a lawyer. This site has more than enough info for you to do it yourself without all that expense. You can stay for 6 months but that's the max for any 12-month period. So you can't, say, stay for 6 months, then leave for a few days/weeks and then come back for another 6 months. Also, once the visa is pending, you might need to show ties to Canada, (return ticket, lease, letter from employer) at the border, to prove that you're not intending to stay. Otherwise you may be denied entry. Also, if you're bringing a lot of stuff for a 6-month stay, that will raise some eyebrows, and you might be denied entry. There's really no way to do it without enduring a period apart, unfortunately.