PLEASE HELP!!! Fiancé is here on R B1/B2 visa-doing AOS I-864

[Tiffany Davenport 0]

Hello all I'm new here and new to everything. My fiancé is here from Ghana. Been here off and on since November 2023. He came back for his six months this past August and his stay is until February 16, 2026. We are in Columbus, Ohio. We are planning to get married on January 26, 2026 and immediately start the AOS-I864 process to avoid him being in overstayed status. I see so many saying all this evidence and I'm nervous. We do not live together as we are waiting until we are married. Should we get married sooner? My income of support is more than enough so that's fine. We are just so new to this and I'm starting to think we may need to change our wedding date!1 ANY advice is welcome. PLEASE HELP thank you. ( we met after he already had his visa at church) He had no intent to marry! 

[OldUser 10,881]

12 minutes ago, Tiffany Davenport said:

 Should we get married sooner?

Yes, what's holding you? Do you love each other? Do you guys want to start a family? You can't petition him unless you are married.

Edited 20 hours ago by OldUser

[Ban Hammer 14,656]

20 minutes ago, Tiffany Davenport said:

Hello all I'm new here and new to everything. My fiancé is here from Ghana. Been here off and on since November 2023. He came back for his six months this past August and his stay is until February 16, 2026. We are in Columbus, Ohio. We are planning to get married on January 26, 2026 and immediately start the AOS-I864 process to avoid him being in overstayed status. I see so many saying all this evidence and I'm nervous. We do not live together as we are waiting until we are married. Should we get married sooner? My income of support is more than enough so that's fine. We are just so new to this and I'm starting to think we may need to change our wedding date!1 ANY advice is welcome. PLEASE HELP thank you. ( we met after he already had his visa at church) He had no intent to marry! 

better to get married before the end of the year as you will get the tax deduction for all of 2025.

[Tiffany Davenport 0]

@Ban HammerWe were trying to wait..we love each other but have only been dating since the end of summer. We are both divorced with grown children. We are over 40, so for us we didn't see a need to wait. We just thought everyone else might think we are crazy and will not understand. So we were trying to push it out further..and he was just going to over stay his time and not go back Ghana, but we know that will cause issues so we decided to get married before his stay is over. That's why I'm looking for advice!! 

 

[Tiffany Davenport 0]

@OldUser we do..we just haven't been dating long, but when you know you know. From our first date I knew we were meant for each other! I've been married and divorced already. I just didn't want it to look strange to Immigration, like we rushed it. So I just don't know what to do, that's why I'm here.

[wildbug100420 366]

21 minutes ago, Tiffany Davenport said:

@OldUser we do..we just haven't been dating long, but when you know you know. From our first date I knew we were meant for each other! I've been married and divorced already. I just didn't want it to look strange to Immigration, like we rushed it. So I just don't know what to do, that's why I'm here.

Expect a lot of scrutiny at the AoS interview. How much time have you spent in person? How long have you known him?

[OldUser 10,881]

52 minutes ago, Tiffany Davenport said:

@Ban HammerWe were trying to wait..we love each other but have only been dating since the end of summer. We are both divorced with grown children. We are over 40, so for us we didn't see a need to wait. We just thought everyone else might think we are crazy and will not understand. So we were trying to push it out further..and he was just going to over stay his time and not go back Ghana, but we know that will cause issues so we decided to get married before his stay is over. That's why I'm looking for advice!! 

 

I see. Why don't you let things develop naturally? If he doesn't overstay, he can go back home, then you can visit him. And on one of the visits, either yours to Ghana or his to the US, you can marry.

 

Don't center everything around immigration, because then it becomes suspicious. Marriage is a big commitment. Why not take it slow, learn the person better and make a decision down the line?

Edited 19 hours ago by OldUser

[Ontarkie 15,062]

~~Moved to AOS from Work, Student and Tourist Visas, from AOS from K1/K3 P&P- the OP's fiance is in the US on a tourist visa.~~

[JD2 197]

3 hours ago, Tiffany Davenport said:

immediately start the AOS-I864 process

I-864 is only the form to financially sponsor.  You should fill all of these: I-130, I-130A, I-485, I-864, I-765, I-131, and G-1145 (plus forms for your payments).  An alternative is to file an I-130 for your spouse then he goes back home and consular processes.  He can continue to visit during that time using his visitor visa.  I suggest you review the guide here:  

 

[appleblossom 5,276]

2 hours ago, Tiffany Davenport said:

have only been dating since the end of summer

That’s going to be a tough sell to immigration when he’s from a high fraud country like Ghana. I concur with @OldUser, consular processing after more time together would be a much better idea. 
 

What visa is he in the US on? 

[JD2 197]

1 minute ago, appleblossom said:

What visa is he in the US on? 

The title of the post says B1/B2.

3 minutes ago, appleblossom said:

consular processing after more time together would be a much better idea. 

There is one big problem with consular processing in Ghana.  There is a 2+ year wait for an interview.

[appleblossom 5,276]

5 minutes ago, JD2 said:

The title of the post says B1/B2.

It also says R, and the OP said he ‘has his visa at church’. 
 

Which is why I asked, as it’s not clear and if it’s an R visa then there may be more time to be together and build a good case for immigration. 

[Edward and Jaycel 2,313]

8 hours ago, appleblossom said:

It also says R, and the OP said he ‘has his visa at church’.

 

I think that was just a wording issue -  Taking the whole last part of her post in context, I believe what she was trying to say was, "We met at church after he already had his visa - He had no intention of marrying when he came to the US."    OP correct me if I'm wrong  

[appleblossom 5,276]

14 minutes ago, Edward and Jaycel said:

 

I think that was just a wording issue -  Taking the whole last part of her post in context, I believe what she was trying to say was, "We met at church after he already had his visa - He had no intention of marrying when he came to the US."    OP correct me if I'm wrong  

 

Possibly, but my query is just if it is an R visa (which is a religious/church visa) rather than a B - that would mean they may not need to rush to marry and adjust his status. 

[Edward and Jaycel 2,313]

14 minutes ago, appleblossom said:

 

Possibly, but my query is just if it is an R visa (which is a religious/church visa) rather than a B - that would mean they may not need to rush to marry and adjust his status. 

 

Ah ok.... I wasn't aware of the R visa! Thanks for pointing that out