mukahaka

I think you need to re-think your expectations a little. You wrote that you want to move to the USA "as soon as possible". Immigration is never going to be quick. You need to think of this in terms of months and years, not weeks. There's no other way to say it - it takes a long time. Even for a case like yours that is relatively straightforward.

Reckon on a year before you are settled in the USA and working. I don't know why you have even been looking for jobs there yet. It's just not going to happen that quickly. Is the company happy to wait a year for you? Fair enough if they are but usually when a company has a position available they want it filled sooner rather than later.

If you start the K-1 now, you could be approved in the spring. So it'll be the summer before your EAD is approved.

If you get married now and start the CR-1, it'll be approved next summer and you can start right away in your new job when you arrive. Either way, you are looking at a year.

Don't attempt anything illegal. It's just not worth it. The wait is long and awful but at least you are together. Some of us are doing this wait thousands of miles apart. And we have all survived.

When i said "as soon as possible" i meant around 6 months, and you are totally right it is probably going to take a year :/. I got the job offer while on a ESTA in USA and it was a really good one so basically that is why we are looking to move there. I think the offer will stand until next year so hopefully everything goes smooth up until then. I think we are going for the CR-1 since it seems to be both the safest option and the best financially. Its a shame that Sweden doesnt have the DCF anymore, that seemed to be a matter of weeks...

Hello,

I am a Swedish citizen living with a US-citizen in sweden and she is registered swedish resident. We are looking into moving to US as soon as possible and have been looking at a lot of different options.

Since my girlfriend has been studying here in Sweden she cannot be a sponsor and we have to use one of her family members in the US as a joint sponsor.

I have a job offer in the US and our biggest concern is that i would have to work as soon as possible once arriving in the US since she is going to study in the US (or use savings and be bored to death for 3 months).

So basically here is the options we have looked at:

K-1 visa, get married in US, apply for AOS and work permit. (90 days without being able to work in the US?). costs money

K-3 visa, get married in Sweden, apply for work permit. (90 days without being able to work in the US?). takes time, costs money

CR-1 visa, get married in Sweden, (get to work immediately?) takes time

optional but risky:

get married in sweden and go to US on ESTA and apply for AOS upon arrival?

Right now we are not sure which is the smartest way to go, especially since we only get one shot at it. If we get married here we can no longer apply for the K-1 visa and if the K-1 visa gets denied we cant really just get married and apply for CR-1 straight after... ive also read that K-3 is not really a viable option any more.

Thanks!