anonHippo

I don't really want to stay in the US long-term, I'm perfectly happy to be on O1 for a few years and then move to a different country with my fiance. It is just the fact that marrying a US citizen creates a presumption of immigrant intent which I find surprising. But I understand everyone's comments and will act accordingly. Thank you for your help!

I am an Indian citizen born in India. I am currently on Stem OPT valid until July 2026. I want to get married to my US citizen fiance in January 2026 in the US and then have a religious ceremony in India in May 2026. I also have a couple of international travel plans for work until September 2025. I want to figure out the best way for me to do all this without falling afoul of the 'immigrant intent' test when returning to the US after getting married. I believe I have a strong case for O1A - would switching to this visa when I go to India in May 2026 help? Would it be difficult to get the O1 visa since I will be married to an US citizen at the time? To be honest, I don't even know if I eventually want a green card or settle in the US permanently, but USCIS will presume immigrant intent.