Damian&Kelly

As much as we wanted to be and were suppose to be May filers, money is tight and May has come and gone. Good Luck to everyone. We'll be joining the June filers as our packet is getting sent out tomorrow morning, no matter what!

1. 1-3weeks.

2. Through my uncle (I'm the USC)

3. Started out part time, now he's running the business.

4. High School grad

5. Something completely different.

6. About 2 years.

I'm 24 and my Englishman is 25. Met Summer of 2005 on Pokerstars.com, then in person a year later.

Western PA...How are you liking this weather? Geez, one day it is spring, the next feels like winter again.

I tell my husband that he brought the English weather with him.

We're in Harrisburg.

I completely understand. We live with my father, so neither of us are on the lease, so that's one of the affidavits right there, my father explaining and confirming this.

Just hoping for a smooth process for all of us! Best of luck to everyone!

Anyone else surprised on how quickly two years has come around? It seems like only yesterday I was here gathering information on the beginning stages.

Or has it passed really slowly for people?

It's gone by soooo fast! I really wasn't ready for it. As I told my husband numerous times over the last 2 years that we should start keeping documents for ROC, and now its here and we're pretty short on evidence. Not really ready for immigration yet, and we just keep pushing it back and getting annoyed about the fee. As for the paperwork, quite easy this time around, I'm sending everything that has both our names on it and have 6 affidavits as we don't have that much. I'm not too worried as we're happily married and living together.

Guess it's time for me to join this group, our window opened on April 15th, but money is tight. Planning on filing on May 16th, paperwork is all ready to go.

You need a copy of either the co-sponsors passport or birth certificate to prove they're US citizen. As for the police certificate, I believe it's good for 6 months.

1) MONEY/FEES: It takes 2-3 months from filing for the EAD to be able to work, and you can't file until you are married and have the marriage certificate in hand.

a) The 350 is just for the fiance, fee for the visa itself, but there's also medical, and police certificate(s) to pay for.

b) It cost my husband 180GBP but that was 3 years ago, plus vaccinations, which my husband went to his family doctor and got them for free.

c) It's 1070USD to apply for AOS, EAD and AP. There's no EAD renewal as once AOS is approved there's no need for EAD as the green card allows him to work. The green card that's received through AOS is conditional and good for 2 years. 3 months before the 2 year green card expires, you will need to file to remove conditions/renew the green card (ROC) this costs $590.

2) K-1 VISA ITSELF: He will have 6 months to Enter the US.

a) There are a few threads about shipping in the UK regional form.

3) TRAVEL: You apply for the AP with the AOS and EAD, the processing times are similar to the EAD. And the fee is included in the 1070USD.

4)You should be fine, just tell the truth and follow the instructions. I did all my husband and I's paperwork, K-1 and AOS, on my own without any problems.

Just to help ya out on the next step, make sure you receive your NOA2 hard copy because you need it when applying for AOS.

Also Congrats again!!

I believe you're talking about ESTA, and the answer is no.. There's no pre-clearance you have to get to go to England. Just have to have proof you're going to return home at the end of the trip/ties to the US.

We decided the US because my parents were more willing to support us until we are on our feet. So money again. But not only that, we actually would love to live in Europe in the long run, maybe not England but somewhere in Europe, undecided at the minute, and we didn't want to have to worry about immigration our whole life, so here first for citizenship and then we have free choice to come/go when we please without the worry.

Not only that, but we'd love to be done with immigration, both have US/UK dual citizenship, before we settle down and have kids, as time is on our side since we're both young. We're only 1 year away from my husband applying for US citizenship. Now in the beginning this was our plan, but now that we're settled here, and looking into buying a house at the end of the year and having our own business, I don't believe We'll leave the US as soon as we first thought. My husband is finally adjusted and has his own life and friends here, he finally calls the US his home.

I believe he only needs one for the whole UK. I know on the website it doesn't mention Scotland but on this website: http://travel.state.gov/visa/fees/fees_4881.html?cid=3699 it says for Scotland as well. I remember that it took like 10 days to get this police certificate. But if it comes back "no live trace" then you have to get a different kind of certificate, not sure what it's called someone else can help here, which I believe takes 40 days.

Here's the UK certificate website for ya: http://www.acpo.police.uk/certificates.asp

I don't think it matters where this person is from. No need to argue. I got what I needed, and there's nothing more I can do to help, gave them their options now it's in their court, not sure which way they will go, but most likely which ever way they do, it will involve an attorney since I'm not much help.

Thanks again everyone!

Thanks everyone. I don't personally know this person, just my mother sends anyone with immigration issues to me. I don't know why as K-1 was so straight forward! I answered in the same way everyone here did but I wanted to double check myself before giving explanations.

I didn't think so. Yes, he came under the radar, or jumped the fence, this isn't a case of over staying a visa, as I know most the options for that.

Thanks for all your help!

I'm trying to help a friend out, and I think it's going to come down to them hiring an attorney as I didn't know what to do though will an attorney do anything in this case?

I have a friend who's boyfriend came here to the US, 4 years ago illegally. Is there anything he can do to become legal? Can he marry and apply for a green card?

I couldn't have said it better myself, Brit. I completely agree.

I'm not the immigrant in this situation, but my husband will agree with a lot of your points about Americans. He complains to me daily about Americans and I am one! lol but I don't really know what to say, as I see it myself. It's not Americans in general but some just aren't very educated when it comes to life outside of the US. I've learned more in the last 5+ years with my husband, traveling than I did in school. I learned that life doesn't revolve around the US and that honestly, the standard of living may be higher here in the US, the happiness is that much lower.

My husband want through this point and we have overcome it. I think it's something not talked about around here because most think things will be great once you don't have to say goodbye or have miles between you. I thought things would be amazing once he moved here and we had nothing to worry about but I was wrong.

Things got rocky for us as well. Almost like he resented me for making him leave everything he knew back home. He got very homesick and missed his life. It took a good 2 years for him to settle down and start calling this his home. We also live with my father, and are saving up to buy a house. I think that was the hardest part, not having our own place. But we've gotten over that.

It took time but now he has his own life. He's not just a part of mine. Once he got a job and his license things changed. Have you thought about moving within the US to somewhere with more jobs in your/your husband's fields? We live in the capital city of PA so the economy has been on the up around here.

I wouldn't go as far as to say we wouldn't do it again as my husband and I are stronger than ever. And he has a life here and we're both very happy. And not only that but we have plans to move back to England in the future as we'd love to be completely done with immigration before having kids. Luckily we have time on our side as we're both very young, and we're only 1 year away from my husband apply for his US citizenship.

But it is nice to hear from an immigrant as I haven't been in those shoes.

And as for recommending it. I wouldn't recommend looking for love in other countries, but it's not like people choose as I met my husband and fell for him without even thinking about immigration and how we'd be together. I know my relationship is worth it and will last because We made it through some very rough times. I believe my relationship wouldn't be what it is today without all the tears, goodbyes, arguments and hard times and not to mention the distance, which made our communication that much better.

That was a shocker for me as we were both very excited to end the distance and the goodbyes. I just thought everything would be amazing as our relationship just kept getting stronger and had with stood the distance.

Please keep me updated on this.

I love this and the length you went. My husband and I have taken this journey, not quite over with as we still have ROC and citizenship and not to mention if we want to move back what we'd have to do.

One thing I'd say is the journey after the visa hasn't been an easy one for us, as my husband got homesick and had to start building a life here. I think many think it's going to be amazing once you can be together as that's what I thought but it was rocky! I thought all he'd need when he got here was me and when I wasn't making him happy like I did in the past and the past visits I took it personally. Once I gave him space and let him adventure out on his own and make his own friends things got better. He actually calls the US his home now and it's been 3 years.

Just a thought, I'm sure there are more who've had a hard time adjusting and honestly it's not the adjustment of the culture as the US and England are so similar, but the adjusting of having his own life to being apart of mine.

I'd def be interested in watching as well.

pokerstars.com summer of 2005. Met in person a year later.