chickentime

I realized the rule that if you are outside of the US for over a year you lose your green card right? After finishing my degree we plan on living in Canada and working there to pay off a lot of the school and living expense debt - so it would be pointless for us to get any kind of green card now.

Thank you for your help everyone

Here is our situation:

I came to the US in Fall 2010 from Canada (I am Canadian) on a F1 student visa.

Starting dating a US citizen Feb of 2011

We got engaged Dec 2011 in Paris, visited my family in Canada after.

Returned to America end of Dec on my F1 (as I was still in school)

Mar 2012 we had our Pastor sign our marriage certificate with just us, and had the public wedding ceremony and reception June 16 - we got officially married earlier as we thought we would move overseas after our wedding and wanted her name changed by the time we left for overseas.

June 17th following our wedding we traveled overseas until now, and currently are in the Philippines. We had planned to live in the Philippines.

I have already transfered my classes from being on campus (in Kansas), to an all online program through a different University in a different state (Mass.) so I could finish my degree overseas. School starts in a few weeks from today).

A week ago I received notice from my financial supporter of my school tuition that he will only support me if I am attending ON campus, not online.

And we found out how long it can take for me to get my green while overseas and would rather be stuck in the US than overseas.

Our plan now is to return to the US - me in a week (already booked my ticket and will be flying alone), my USC wife in 3 weeks (she has to wait for a shipment of our stuff that is arriving to the Philippines then).

Here are our desires.

1. Return to the US on my current F1 visa, and file for AOS once I am in the US (when I adjust for that is up for debate for you guys).

2. Drop school in Kansas after filing for AOS right away (before school in Kansas starts and thereby staying in the country legally),

And continue University at the other school (Mass), but part time on my AOS status (if on my F1 I have to take full time which is twice as expensive as my original university).

My questions and concerns:

Is it okay to enter the US on my F1 (still valid),

1. even though I am married. 2. even though I want to adjust my status (yet still plan to go to school)? 3. Also considering we have been legally married since March.

I plan on continuing to go to school either way BUT

if adjusting my status right away is not legal or a good idea, I can continue at my current on campus university (in Kansas) for a semester (though not my preference) thereby not dropping my F1 status and file after 60-90 days.

My preference is to drop that school right away as I want to transfer to the new school in (Mass).

Please help me sort this out as I don't want to commit visa fraud!

-Andrew

Here is our situation:

I came to the US in Fall 2010 from Canada (I am Canadian) on a F1 student visa.

Starting dating a US citizen Feb of 2011

We got engaged Dec 2011 in Paris, visited my family in Canada after.

Returned to America end of Dec on my F1 (as I was still in school)

Mar 2012 we had our Pastor sign our marriage certificate with just us, and had the public wedding ceremony and reception June 16 - we got officially married earlier as we thought we would move overseas after our wedding and wanted her name changed by the time we left for overseas.

June 17th following our wedding we traveled overseas until now, and currently are in the Philippines. We had planned to live in the Philippines.

I have already transfered my classes from being on campus (in Kansas), to an all online program through a different University in a different state (Mass.) so I could finish my degree overseas. School starts in a few weeks from today).

A week ago I received notice from my financial supporter of my school tuition that he will only support me if I am attending ON campus, not online.

And we found out how long it can take for me to get my green while overseas and would rather be stuck in the US than overseas.

Our plan now is to return to the US - me in a week (already booked my ticket and will be flying alone), my USC wife in 3 weeks (she has to wait for a shipment of our stuff that is arriving to the Philippines then).

Here are our desires.

1. Return to the US on my current F1 visa, and file for AOS once I am in the US (when I adjust for that is up for debate for you guys).

2. Drop school in Kansas after filing for AOS right away (before school in Kansas starts and thereby staying in the country legally),

And continue University at the other school (Mass), but part time on my AOS status (if on my F1 I have to take full time which is twice as expensive as my original university).

My questions and concerns:

Is it okay to enter the US on my F1 (still valid),

1. even though I am married. 2. even though I want to adjust my status (yet still plan to go to school)? 3. Also considering we have been legally married since March.

I plan on continuing to go to school either way BUT

if adjusting my status right away is not legal or a good idea, I can continue at my current on campus university (in Kansas) for a semester (though not my preference) thereby not dropping my F1 status and file after 60-90 days.

My preference is to drop that school right away as I want to transfer to the new school in (Mass).

Please help me sort this out as I don't want to commit visa fraud!

-Andrew

I'm still having trouble finding the 6 months part on the website.

So you are saying we should send in the I-130 by mail right now? What would we put as our address? I can put my parents address in the US? Or should I put our Manila address in the Philippines where we will be waiting until we can enter the US again? Would I have my interview, medical examination and all that in Manila at the embassy? (They have a USCIS office there).

Thanks so much for your help again

You can't file directly in Manila until you have lived there for 6 months legally, so it would be faster for you to file via the lockbox in the USA.

Can you point me to a government website that talks about this?

Hello I am an American citizen, who married a Canadian March 10th of this year in Texas (He was on a Student Visa). We have been traveling for our honeymoon out of the US and will be arriving in the Philippines to live until my husbands paperwork is ready for us to move back into the United States.

How do you recommend me filing the I-130 form? We will arrive in Manila this August. Will it be quicker to file it with the office in Manila, or to mail it to the United States now? Are we going about this in the correct manner?

Thank you for your assistance and reply,

Whitney

So is there any reason why I wouldn't start the CR-1 the day I move to the Philippines? Do you know what I mean? Then it could be ready by the time we want to come back if we do? If we can visit even while it's pending, then there is really no consequence to starting it early? Once the CR-1 is approved is there a time limit of how quick we have to come to the states? And could we come to the states, pick up my green card, and if we want to move overseas again would I still have my green card?

I know if you're away for long enough that you lose it don't you?

Yeah we are leaving the day after our wedding. Flight ticket already booked. Plus we would rather be "stuck" overseas then in the US.. funny enough.

so is what you're talking about the K3 visa? I have to get that to come in to the states later when I want, then once I'm in the states do I need to apply for a AOS?

Or am I straight up applying for a green card overseas in the philippines?

And if I apply for that CR-1 do I have to stay in the philippines while its being processed? or just as long as I'm out of the US?

Here is our situation.

I have been living in the states attending university since August 2010. I am a Canadian on an F1 visa.

This last december I proposed to my American girlfriend, (who I met in August 2010, starting dating in December 2010), in europe, we flew back to Canada for Christmas to see my family, then came into America together, me on my student visa to continue school.

At that point we were unsure of when or where we would get married, but I was going to continue school.

We are now having our wedding in Texas in June this year. Immediately after we will be moving to the Philippines for at least 6 months or more. I will be continuing my degree online,

as well as doing local mission work.

My questions are:

What do I need to know?

Is it okay for us to get married while I'm on a student visa?

Is there any kind of adjustment of status I need to do now or later?

Is there anything we need to prepare now?

Is there any marriage/ wedding related documents or procedures I need to know or follow?

When we decide to come back to the States, whether visiting or moving, what will we need to do, and should we start that process immediately when we get to the Philippines?

Any help is greatly appreciated. We have been trying to get ahold of USCIS on the phone but its proving a difficult task

Thanks again

Andrew

Here is our situation.

I have been living in the states attending university since August 2010. I am a Canadian on an F1 visa.

This last december I proposed to my American girlfriend, (who I met in August 2010, starting dating in December 2010), in europe, we flew back to Canada for Christmas to see my family, then came into America together, me on my student visa to continue school.

At that point we were unsure of when or where we would get married, but I was going to continue school.

We are now having our wedding in Texas in June this year. Immediately after we will be moving to the Philippines for at least 6 months or more. I will be continuing my degree online,

as well as doing local mission work.

My questions are:

What do I need to know?

Is it okay for us to get married while I'm on a student visa?

Is there any kind of adjustment of status I need to do now or later?

Is there anything we need to prepare now?

Is there any marriage/ wedding related documents or procedures I need to know or follow?

When we decide to come back to the States, whether visiting or moving, what will we need to do, and should we start that process immediately when we get to the Philippines?

Any help is greatly appreciated. We have been trying to get ahold of USCIS on the phone but its proving a difficult task

Thanks again

Andrew