carolineclair

I am hoping to study in nYC for my masters in Education. I am English. Having looked into the costs involved my partner and i have wondered whether we should bring marriage plans forward in order for me to gain resident status and reduce my education costs. My query now is how long will it take fo me to be considered a resident? Hunter university has said 1 year but someone else said from 6months to 2 years?! Do you think it is from the date we marry or from the date my adjustment of status comes through...im so confused...maybe its different per school???

Any help appreciated!

Thank you

I am hoping to study in nYC for my masters in Education. I am English. Having looked into the costs involved my partner and i have wondered whether we should bring marriage plans forward in order for me to gain resident status and reduce my education costs. My query now is how long will it take fo me to be considered a resident? Hunter university has said 1 year but someone else said from 6months to 2 years?! Do you think it is from the date we marry or from the date my adjustment of status comes through...im so confused...maybe its different per school???

Any help appreciated!

Thank you

If you leave America while waiting for the greencard, you will be treated as if you have abandoned the process and you'll have to start again.

Ok, now I've shocked you, here's what most people do. You can apply for advanced parole which allows you to travel during the year following you application. Its really just a letter fromthe USCIS that says you're awaiting to become a permanent resident. (Mine took 84 days to get, so apply as soon as you can) The immigration guards didn't batter an eyelid when I showed them my passport and letter. Easy really. Do a search for advanced parole.

Once married you can't work without a greencard or a work authorisation card. The latter of which doesn't take long to get (mine took 68 days). So get that first and when you get your greencard you no longer need work authorisation (which expires after a year anyway)

Once the greencard expires (2 years) you have to file to have conditions removed (ie you're still married) so it's kind of a limbo time. They send a permit to travel which is like the advanced parole, so you can leave and return to America and you can continue to work even though your greencard has expired. But you have to have filed for removal of conditions withni the correct time frame.

It's really not as hard as I thought it was going to be. Just take it step by step.

So my plan of hoping to get married in the USA with just our parents and then come back perhaps to england the next month to have a big wedding blessing for friends and family is not really plausable. Apart from having the wedding blessing for family and friends prior to the actual ceremony in the USA how long do you think i should be thinking between to plan ahead to the English part?

I agree. I wouldn't make many plans for the wedding right now because you never know if your process is going to be fast or slow. If I had to do it again, I would have done it a bit differently. Once I had my documents at the embassy, I set a date for my wedding in the US...It was about 1 month after my arrival.

If I was to do it again, I would still have had the wedding that day but I would have officially married like...the second say after my arrival and submitted documents for AOS ASAP and I would have had my work permit by now. Since I didn't do that, I'm 1 month behind and I need my work permit...like NOW...

So what you are suggesting is to make the wedding date as soon as to my entry date to the USA as possible so that i can start the next step as soon as possible too? I can see that makes sense im just clarifying!

You look like a very happy couple!

So in reality we wouldnt be able to come back to the UK to have wedding party until several months after the marriage in the US? I was hoping to have perhaps just our parents at a ceremony in America and then have a big party/blessing etc back in england for friends and family - do the "traditional" part of it all.

What would your suggestions be about this??

This is a bit of a premature question as we are not yet engaged but i want to be prepared for the hurdles that will face us.

I think i have my head almost around the K1 visa situation, but after we are married in the USA do i (a british citizen) have to stay there for a certain length of time or until some other paperwork is done? I just want to know in case I need to get home for family issues.

Once we are married i see that I apply for the AOS, I just want to confirm- is it possible to work during the period of time while i am waiting for my greencard and if not how long roughly can i expect to have to wait until my greencard come through? I want to be prepared financially!!

If i havent phrased this correctly Im sorry but hopefully you get the idea?!

Thank you very much

My boyfriend and I are looking into the different options available to us and I think considering i plan to move there as and when we get married that we should get married in the USA. I understand that the journey is a lot easier that way?

My question is once he (the american citizen) applies for the K1 fiance visa, should we already have a date in mind? Does the 90 day period start as soon as the visa is receieved or as soon as i enter the USA, how long is it valid for?

To make is even more simple, should we already have everything planned wedding wise before we apply?

Thank you

Carolineclair