Marrying A US Citizen - What's next?

[Stephens 0]

Ok, so I currently in the country on an OPT, which ends in February of 2016. I recently graduated university and have found a job which is starting in August. Me and my now Fiance (U.S. Citizen) are planning on getting married in October 2015 and going through the process of AoS and applying for a Green Card. Now while this seems like it should be an easy process, I know that is not going to be the case.

Some issues that we face are that she is still in university, so will not be able to show she can support me financially. Now this isn't an issue to us, as with me starting a job in August money should not be a huge issue, in terms of living etc (within reason - I don't think many recent college grads live that comfortably!) We would like to go through this process without an attorney if that's possible because we feel its an added expense that at this point in our lives don't want to have to spend unless needed.

Some questions that I have if anyone is able to help me answer them are:

What forms do we need to complete? We want to apply for adjustment of status as soon as possible, and for a green card (work permit) so that I can continue working at my same job come February.

Would you recommend having legal help for this process? What are some of the advantages of having this?

I have been reading that financially we can have a sponsor support us for this process, which basically means they will say that if my life goes down hill they will support me and not the government. Who is allowed to do this and what are the restrictions?

What time frame are we looking at for this process? I guess what I'm really asking is, will it affect my job, as for another year this will be our only source of income, so will I legally be able to continue working past February if we apply in October?

Any help would greatly be appreciated, as I find myself getting lost in the endless websites.

Thank You!

[newacct 688]

A joint sponsor can be anyone who is a US citizen or permanent resident.

When you submit I-485, you should also submit I-765 for EAD for free, to allow you to work before you get the green card. The EAD you will get within 3 months no matter how long AOS takes.

[Dashinka 23,198]

Welcome.

As to completing the AOS yourself, you have come to the right place as VJ is definitely slanted toward doing it yourself. For the AOS, visit the guide and examples here through the links on the top banner, they will be very helpful. I am not sure how this will affect your work status, others may have had a similar experience, but you should have little issue getting through the process.

Good Luck!

[Penguin_ie 5,984]

**** Moving from AOS from Family Visa to AOS from Student Visa forum *****