Do I need an Immigration Lawyer?

[AlexOz 0]

Hello all,

Sorry for asking any questions that may have been asked thousands of times already.

My fiancée is coming very soon so we can have a civil wedding.

She holds a tourist Visa. Now I’m aware of fraud when marrying on a tourist visa but she is not staying. She is coming on vacation leave from work. Then she returns after 3 wks.

I will then pursue a spousal Visa (CR-1), I understand the K1 Fiancee Visa would be quicker and perhaps easier. She wants to take care of a lot of things in the Philippines and does not want to do the K1 visa which would have her wait on a work permit before she could look for work once we're married. She wants to be able to search for work as soon as possible. Hit the ground running as we can say. So thus the CR-1 visa route. I’m also aware it could be quite sometime before she could receive a CR-1 Visa and we both know she’d lose the tourist visa once we apply.

So do I need an immigration lawyer or just follow the CR-1 completion guide? Or is the point of these forums to skip lawyers?

If by any chance I’ve missed anything, I apologize in advance. I also thank everyone ahead of time for reading.

[SelinaWill 5]

If you will have a regular case without circumstances that will make it complicated (such as your fiancé having a criminal record) then you really don't need a lawyer. That would be a waste of money because if you are well informed about everything then the whole thing isn't such a big deal and can be perfectly done (I would even say sometimes better) without one.

Good luck and have a great wedding day!

[AlexOz 0]

Thank you Selina, I appreciate your response. It doesn't seem we need one for the paperwork but the fact we are getting married on her tourist visa seems to be an issue regardless if she leaves home after getting married. I'll start a new question for that. Thank you again.

[crissycris 0]

Thank you Selina, I appreciate your response. It doesn't seem we need one for the paperwork but the fact we are getting married on her tourist visa seems to be an issue regardless if she leaves home after getting married. I'll start a new question for that. Thank you again.

Hi,

You should be just fine as time as she returns home after you'll get marry and she'll wait there until she gets her visa.

IMO you don't need to spend your money on lawyers,if something will really come up you can hire one during the process.You'll find on visajourney all the info you need and a lot of people willing to help you with answers.Most people over here don't have a lawyer,you just need to read the guides.I was clueless at the beginning of this road and I learned a lot reading other topics and with some help from all this nice people around here.With the money that we have spent on a lawyer,we preferred to take our honeymoon in a nice destination.Happy wedding!

[SelinaWill 5]

I travelled to the states as a tourist (esta, visa waiver), got married and went back home. How else should you be married to file for the cr1 visa? Or all the people flying in to get married in Vegas are not doing anything wrong eiither. It's only illegal to travel into the states with the intention to stay.

Now still she shouldn't tell the immigration officers right away that she will get married to a USC because he might suspect she wants to stay afterwards. (I took my engagement ring off, told the officer I'm visiting my boyfriend (only when he asked who I'm going to) and had binding ties to Germany with me (nobody wanted to see those)

Long story short, you guys really don't need a lawyer!

Edited January 30, 2014 by SelinaWill

[AlexOz 0]

I travelled to the states as a tourist (esta, visa waiver), got married and went back home. How else should you be married to file for the cr1 visa? Or all the people flying in to get married in Vegas are not doing anything wrong eiither. It's only illegal to travel into the states with the intention to stay.

Now still she shouldn't tell the immigration officers right away that she will get married to a USC because he might suspect she wants to stay afterwards. (I took my engagement ring off, told the officer I'm visiting my boyfriend (only when he asked who I'm going to) and had binding ties to Germany with me (nobody wanted to see those)

Long story short, you guys really don't need a lawyer!

Thank you again Selina for taking the time to write. I find your experience very useful and appreciate it. After much discussion, she decided to go K-1 Visa after all. Shes figuring if we're married then we really shouldn't be apart. Shes gonna be without work for some time once here.

[SelinaWill 5]

You are very welcome! Good luck with the k1 (I guess that's the faster version anyways)