How soon after arrival can my fiancee work or earn money?

[PokuPoku 24]

My understanding is once we get married, she can fill out form i-765 and that takes 4 to 7 months to process. So roughly ~6 months?

What are the specific rules on not being allowed to work until she receives works authorization? We both separately run an online business. Does this mean she can no longer manage or earn money from her online business? What about my business, can she perform work for my business for free? If i'm at a craft fair, and she is behind my table helping me sell merchandise (as an assistant/volunteer, not an employee), is that technically legal or illegal?

I work part time for another business that would hire her the moment she is allowed to be employed. Would that help allow her to start working sooner?

 

I know these are very specific questions! I hope I can get some answers so I know what to expect when she arrives next year. Thank you! ❤️

[appleblossom 2,694]

She can’t work at all until she has the EAD. That includes running her own business remotely if she’s in the US, or working for you (as it’s a job somebody else could do). She can do true volunteer work such as helping at an animal shelter or soup kitchen though. 
 

This is one of the major disadvantages of a K1 and why a CR1 is usually recommended. 

[Boiler 45,673]

If she wants to or needs to work then you chose the wrong route.

 

You have to marry before you can file anything and then it will be 8 months? before she is work/volunteer authorised.

[PokuPoku 24]

16 minutes ago, appleblossom said:

She can’t work at all until she has the EAD. That includes running her own business remotely if she’s in the US, or working for you (as it’s a job somebody else could do). She can do true volunteer work such as helping at an animal shelter or soup kitchen though. 

Thanks. I wanted to make sure since I didn't see any discussion about this regarding self employed people.
 

18 minutes ago, Boiler said:

If she wants to or needs to work then you chose the wrong route.

I'm not sure there was another route? She would've had to apply for a visa to visit here, which likely would have been denied (a friend of ours was denied when trying to visit her bf), and we legally can't get married in her country.

[Sam Burns 157]

Look at my timeline, wife got her work permit in less than a month and her green card in about three months after we got married in July of this year.

[PokuPoku 24]

1 minute ago, Sam Burns said:

Look at my timeline, wife got her work permit in less than a month and her green card in about three months after we got married in July of this year.

wow! That great to hear

[SalishSea 17,928]

21 minutes ago, PokuPoku said:

wow! That great to hear

That person's experience is definitely the exception.  Average processing times for I-765 and I-485 are available on uscis.gov.

[appleblossom 2,694]

8 hours ago, PokuPoku said:

I’m not sure there was another route? She would've had to apply for a visa to visit here, which likely would have been denied (a friend of ours was denied when trying to visit her bf), and we legally can't get married in her country.

I think Boiler meant the other spousal route, CR1 (or IR1) I mentioned above. Then she’d have been a green card holder on arrival and could have started work straight away - in the baggage hall if she wanted! 

[carmel34 3,639]

9 hours ago, PokuPoku said:

and we legally can't get married in her country.

Utah Zoom marriage works in these situations, lots of CR-1 approvals going this route, you just have to meet in person after the Zoom marriage or be physically together for the ceremony.

[mam521 2,103]

10 hours ago, PokuPoku said:

I'm not sure there was another route? She would've had to apply for a visa to visit here, which likely would have been denied (a friend of ours was denied when trying to visit her bf), and we legally can't get married in her country.

Is there any reason you and she cannot meet in another country somewhere?  Utah wedding then you go visit her to legitimize the marriage?

 

You can get married in Malaysia, but there is admittedly a lot of work to be done to prepare to marry in Malaysia.  

[Sam Burns 157]

16 hours ago, SalishSea said:

That person's experience is definitely the exception.  Average processing times for I-765 and I-485 are available on uscis.gov.

I wonder about this as other people in the group I was in (July 2023 filers for I-485) were getting processed quickly too

 

 

Edited November 28, 2023 by Sam Burns

[beloved_dingo 1,979]

1 hour ago, Sam Burns said:

I wonder about this as other people in the group I was in (July 2023 filers for I-485) were getting processed quickly too

OP get could lucky and his spouse get her EAD in one month, but he should not count on it. There have always been cases that get approved lightning fast and there have always been cases that take far too long (with no good reason). I would always advise to hope for the best but expect the worst, as far as USCIS goes. Speculation regarding approval times does not address the OP's question.

[powerpuff 6,736]

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*** Thread moved to Working & Traveling during US immigration forum *** 

Edited November 28, 2023 by powerpuff

[Scandi 4,171]

Legally she cannot work without having both SSN and a document allowing her to work (EAD in her case). My husband was self-employed and mostly working from home when I moved here and obviously I helped him with his work instead of just sitting around. Would've been super awkward staying in bed all day while he was working hard in the next room. 🤣