Rene T

We 100% want to spend the rest of our lives together, there’s no doubt I want to be with anyone else. I’ve waited a long time to meet someone like him. And we have spent every single day together the last year so we have heaps of evidence of our relationship. we just didn’t want to get married right away but then the pandemic happened and we’re thinking if we want to stay together then this is our best option! I am thinking we will get married in NZ and then I will move back to Florida and get a job and start waiting out this visa process there. After it’s all said and done and we can get him over there then we can start our lives together  thank you everyone for the support and advice! 

Mostly in the US Virgin Islands, but why should that matter if I am a US Citizen? 

I understand, and that is unfortunate because I started my nomadic lifestyle years before I met him. It does not seem fair to punish us because I do not wish to be in the rat race of the career life. However, we both have held a stable income and job while in New Zealand. We can prove that we have paid rent in an apartment for this year and that we have bank accounts and phone bills while here. He can prove that he had a stable job and income in the UK for five years prior to coming to New Zealand. I hope that helps our situation 

21 hours ago, Luckycuds said:

So I may have missed it but is this your boyfriend or fiancé? Gotta start there. Where do you ultimately want to live your lives for the next day 3-5 years? A permanent resident is not for the nomad life. He can visit the US up to 90 days on his ESTA- it is not recommended to stay the full 90 days and generally he should be out of the US Double what he was in. So say 90 days in US 180 out. So he still needs a home base to go to; he will risk losing his esta if he abuses it. If he loses his esta his chances of obtaining a b1/b2 visa are slim (especially w no ties to home)
 

If you choose CR1 or K1 you need to establish domicile someplace in the US (show you have been paying taxes, job, place to stay etc)

 

A limit for the k1 is he wouldn’t be able to work or travel for approx 6months after he arrives to the US. 

I don’t see the point of him coming to Florida for 90 days just to hang out other than if you are both NOT set on marriage and you OnLY want to hang out- because if he does decide to immigrate down the road you will be separated longer because he’s already spent so much time in the US

 

Yes, he can enter the US on his Esta with a pending CR1 or K1 but his lack of ties to anywhere in the world other than you doesn’t help. It is always up to the CO Ro decide to let people in the US. Is he willing to go back home to the UK and settle there for some time? He CAN NOT stay in the US for the duration of his pending visa. Whichever route you chose there will be separation- that’s part of The immigration Process that everyone goes through. 

He is my boyfriend.

We want to eventually end up in the states or the Virgin Islands just depending on where we adjust as a couple, the islands are not for everyone! As of right now we are nomads, honestly I am more than him. However I am a US citizen and want to be near my family when I start to settle down. I have met a man that I am starting to see that future with, and even though we were not exactly ready to go back to my home and settle, this pandemic is making it known that it is our time, if you know what I mean. 

Hello Everyone, 

I have written on here a couple of times now and seem to get great advice, let me explain my current situation and hope I can continue to learn from the feedback!

I am a 27 year old, female, American Citizen, and I have been traveling on and off for the last five years. Most of my time, since I sold everything to travel in 2015, has been spent in the US Virgin Islands, and during hurricane seasons I have spent time in other countries backpacking. In October 2019 I flew into Auckland, New Zealand alone to spend a year on a Holiday Work Visa. The second day I was here, I met a man that became a very good friend of mine, he is also 27 years old and from the UK, one thing lead to another and we became more than friends. As time went on we started dating and moved into an apartment together in Queenstown, NZ and got jobs. Then COVID happened and being locked in a house together made us much closer and a lot stronger of a relationship. We had plane tickets to fly to the UK and to the states to meet each others families in June, until they got canceled. 

Our original plan was to see out our year visa in New Zealand, visit family once while here and then move to Australia on a one year Holiday Work Visa and do another visit to family in that year. After the two years down under we thought about moving back to the Virgin Islands so I can bring him into my wonderful life in the beautiful Caribbean. By that time we were sure we would get married, have him enter the country on a K1 fiancé visa and have our wedding in the islands within the 90 days. Then we planned to start settling ourselves in the islands. I know it sounds like a lot planned in the short 10 months of being together, but we had a lot of time on our hands during lockdown to think about everything and there was no doubt we wanted to be together. 

Sounds like a great plan, right?

Well.. I am sure some people can agree with me, we did not see COVID-19 affecting most countries borders for so long. Especially because we went through lockdown in NZ and things have pretty much gone back to normal here, minus the border still being closed. Our perfect little two/three year plan is just not going to work out the way we expected. I do not see Australia letting us get a Holiday Work Visa any time soon, neither of us want to go to the UK, so that brings us to the Virgin Islands where my brother still lives, all my friends are, and my old job I can go back too.

We didn't plan to get married so fast, we do not have the money to have any type of wedding right now, we can not stay in NZ after our visa expires in October because they do not do second year visas for Americans, realistically we only want to go back to the islands until Australia starts accepting Holiday Work Visas which I am praying is sooner rather than later, we are 100% in love but do not want to rush things. It just so happens we are from different countries and met during a (removed) pandemic...

I guess my question for you guys is;

what should we do?

Does anyone have any suggestions for other countries to get work visas in? Should we go to Florida where my parents live on an ESTA and just hang out for 90 days to give us some more time and free rent? Should we go to the islands on an ESTA and I will work while he gets to put his feet up for 90 days? Should we try and get him another visa like a B1?

or..... should we just bite the bullet and go to the dang court house here in NZ and get married so we can actually stay together?

and if we did that, would he be able to enter the country while the CR1 is processing? As in.. let's say we go to the court house next weekend, and then immediately apply for the CR1, would he be able to enter the country at the end of October when we have to leave NZ? My fear is, he is still not able to enter the US until the processing goes through which theres no telling how long that could take. Is there a bridging visa or something that allows him in while we wait? 

I am sorry to write so much, I have been doing a lot of research and can not seem to find enough info to answer our questions for our specific situation.

Thank you!

We are currently in New Zealand and want to potentially move to Australia for a year. But the borders are closed so we’re hoping to spend some time at my parents house while we wait. I will work to keep the money flow in, while he will just relax like I did during lockdown and he was working. We will have free rent at my parents. This seems to be our only option right now. If there’s suggestion for a better option please let me know  

Hey everyone!

I recently asked about getting my partner into the states for a short period of time, and that discussion lead me to getting him a ESTA. I have been reading on this for a bit and saw that an ESTA approval usually lasts for two years. Does this mean he can visit for 90 days at a time for as many times as he wants in those two years? or that he has two years to enter the country for a one time 90 day visit? 

Thank you!

Hehe 🥴 I guess I didn’t mean an Immigration officer, but more of an adviser or lawyer. I told you I am new to all of this 🤪

Hello Everyone! I have gotten myself into a situation and I am not sure where to go from here! 

I am a US citizen, originally from Florida, and a year ago I moved to New Zealand on a Holiday Work Visa. On the very first day here I met a man, that is now my serious boyfriend. He is from the UK and our visas expire at the end of October. We planned to go to Australia for a year,  then move back to the US Virgin Islands, where I have been living for the last five years. However, thanks to COVID, we can not get into Australia at the moment. I am not sure when their borders will open back up for us to apply for a work visa, and unfortunately I do not think we will have much luck getting our second year here in NZ because they are denying applications left and right. We do not want to go to the UK either, so we are thinking we could move to Florida for a couple months and live with my parents until the Australian borders open back up, hopefully the beginning of next year! 

My questions are, how should we go about getting my boyfriend into the states right now? are they still offering visitor visas right now? how long are they valid for? what is the best website to get a visitor visa from? does anyone suggest hiring an immigration officer?

Any and all information would help us right now!

Thank you