Applying for spousal visa from foreign country

[crankyandchaco 0]

I am a U.S. citizen living abroad in Panama with my husband. He is a Panamanian citizen and I want to move to the states with him one day. Will I be able to apply for the visa from here in Panama or will it be better to go back home and apply? I am also not working at this time because I am a student, would I be able to have a sponsor who is not a family member but a very good friend? I have tried asking all these questions directly to USCIS and the embassy here in Panama but no one knew the answers to any of these questions and I could not find them online. Hope someone can help us!

Thanks,

Cathy

[aaron2020 11,652]

I am a U.S. citizen living abroad in Panama with my husband. He is a Panamanian citizen and I want to move to the states with him one day. Will I be able to apply for the visa from here in Panama or will it be better to go back home and apply? I am also not working at this time because I am a student, would I be able to have a sponsor who is not a family member but a very good friend? I have tried asking all these questions directly to USCIS and the embassy here in Panama but no one knew the answers to any of these questions and I could not find them online. Hope someone can help us!

Thanks,

Cathy

First, USCIS and the US Embassy's role is to process the petition and look for fraud. Their job is not to give you legal advice on how to navigate through their process. If you want advice, you get it from lawyers or the Internet. This is why you got no where with USCIS and the US Embassy.

You can apply from Panama, but you need to file the petition with the Chicago lockbox since DCF is not available in Panama.

Any USC or LPR over age 18 can be your Joint Sponsor. A foreign citizen who is not an LPR cannot be your Joint Sponsor.

[Smoochies2011 19]

holaa yo soy from Panama too ! I would recommend you to leave then ask for him as your spouse! but you musy knoe that if you leave is not going to be easy at all ! long distance love is hard if you married him already ask for a ir or cr visa and if you arent married ask for a k1 os the fastest . dont really call the embassy or uscis they dont help go thru google actuslly this website helped my hubby and I a lot good luck on your journey

[Darnell 8,479]

eh - one doesn't have to leave to file.

[Smoochies2011 19]

is harder to file out of the states fyi

[Ryan H 3,903]

is harder to file out of the states fyi

Could you elaborate on that? Unless you are referring to the issues of domicile and meeting the income requirements for sponsorship without a joint sponsor when it comes to the Affidavit of Support.

[lost_at_sea 995]

Look up the instruction PDF for the I-864. That's the only form that's a little more complicated if the sponsor is abroad. Otherwise, process is the same.