lolodxb

On 9/25/2017 at 2:53 PM, JFH said:

The husband-to-be is the USC, living in the USA.

 

The wife-to-be is British living in Dubai. 

 

OP, a K-1 process will cost you about $2000. After arriving in the USA you will have 90 days to get married and then it will take up to a year for you adjustment of status to be complete. So if you are not planning to live here for a year or longer, it's a ridiculous waste of money in your case. Also in that period there will be up to 6 months where you cannot work or travel overseas. If you move away from the USA after the adjustment is complete, having spent all that money, you will still need to do the whole spousal visa process anyway if you want to come back to live here in the future. 

Thanks,  to clairfy,  after the change of status is complete 6months - 1year), I would be free to travel outside of the US, I just wouldn’t be able to move for 3 years? (Unless I was to go through the spousal visa process)?

Im wondering whether it would be worth it to start the k1 process with the option of cancelling it if we decide, in the next 4months, to stay outside of the US counting the cost of losing the application fee of course.  

Is is anyone aware of any problems related to cancelling the k1 application & later applying for the cr1 visa?  

Thank you both!

@JFH  He is currently living & working in the US. Which is why we have the dilemma.  

After reading both both your replies, I still have 2 questions:

1. If we get married from a k1 visa, are we obligated to stay in the US & if so, for how long?

2. If we get married on the VWP, & then apply for the cr1 visa from outside the US, could I go back to the states & stay with him whilst it’s in process (if he stays there)?  Or even travel to the states with him on vacation.

The timeframes of each are quite daunting. It’s either 6 months to wait now & then potentially be stuck there, or get married & potentially spend our first year apart.  😒

My boyfriend & I are looking at getting engaged at the end of the year. He is a US national.  I am a British national, living and working in Dubai. We would like to get married in the US, but haven’t decided which one of us will move, once we are married. As the K1 process is so long, I would ideally like to get it underway, but I’m concerned we would have problems if we decided to leave the US to live in Dubai, after the wedding.

Second question, could I go over & get married on the visa waver (tourist visa) & either leave after the wedding (& do a spousal visa from outside the country) or change my status in the US if we decide to stay?

Any help/information would be appreciated.