clueless_in_usa

Sounds like a good option for the OPs fiance(e). Is the process the same for someone from Venuzuela as it is for someone from the USA? Commonwealth countries? EU?

I can answer this question easily: In the EU country I personally have experience the process does not differentiate people by nationalities. Immigration benefits are the same and take the same time (as long as you do it in the same state) for everybody. If you go to the capital, it will take longer, because there are more people. But if live in a smaller state, it will be faster. Every legal registry is able to apply the same law and has the same timeline for everybody, regardless of race, national origin, sex, or religious beliefs.

One thing I do not know, because it does not concern to me, is what they do with people with criminal pasts. However, that is not my point either. My point is that the process in the USA is broken. Even if there are 30 people adjudicating cases in the USA, every case should be picked from the same pile and processed in the order received. I don't care if it takes 4, 6, 8, 12 months, but I care if it takes 3 months for the "lucky" ones (the ones who hit the lottery) and it takes a year for the unlucky.

That is my complaint! It is completely unfair!

But it was nice to read that my complaint prompted others to give "informed" comparisons with other countries.

Ok, seriously what is with the hostility??? Wow, you have to wait a few extra months. Not as bad as a lot of people in this situation. The USCIS sucks but it's life and you chose this path so deal. Until last year, there were lots of people stuck in FBI name checks for their green card waiting for years. In many countries people are stuck in AP for months to years.

Try looking on the bright side. You found someone you love and wants to marry you. Lots of people the world over don't ever find that. Ya, you guys have more hoops to jump through but at the end a few months WON'T matter (trust me, I've been where you have been). When your fiance gets here and you are married you will be a part of a whole other culture. Your kids will have dual citizenship and a hole new world perspective. You have all these plusses, no need to focus on all the negatives.

I agree with you. I have no problem whatsoever following a process or waiting my turn in line, but I have no patience when the process is broken or does not treat everybody equally (like when people cut in line at the ballpark).

For example, if my name is stuck at the FBI (which I doubt) I want to know about it and I would not mind that others get approved faster. But keeping everybody in limbo land just for the fun of it, is messed up.

In a country in Europe (which I will not mention, but belongs to the original 15 of the Union) when you are doing immigration stuff they tell you (your SO) come back in two weeks and when you go back everything is ready. There is no this "lottery" game as in the USA. In fact, in that country you can bring your SO, live with him/her as long as you want without marrying, and s/he will never be deported as long as s/he lives with you. A common partner is as important as a legal partner.

Many times, applying for immigration benefits in the USA is like playing the lottery, and this is very frustrating, because there are real people involved. The lottery analogy comes to mind because very often we go to this or that website or call a call center to verify if "our number" is on the list of "winners."

This line is so true. It may take awhile but unlike most countries you dont have to marry the person before you can get them here. At least there is a way to get your fiancee to the US. Some applications take longer due to common names or more extensive checks due to country, previous arrest and such, while some are just a quick stamp and sent to NVC, so obviously none of us can tell you why yours is taking longer, but it would also help us if we knew when you filed. Please update your timeline, it helps others as well by making their timelines more accurate.

How do you know what I said is not true? I clearly stated "countries I know" and there is experience backing my statement. Do you know the process in every country around the world to state so "matter of factly" that my statement is not true?

You entered into a relationship with a foreign national and there is a process to that, you knew that, yes? Your option is to break it off and marry an American. No waiting.

Comments like this one are better ignored.

Jeez!!!

I checked Igor's list and I saw that many people who submitted the petition after I did have already been approved. Meanwhile I keep waiting and not even an RFE. Nothing, Nada, Nichivo.

When is USCIS going to learn to process applications in the order they were received? This is very unfair!!!

Worse yet is not being able to plan anything because approval may come tomorrow or one year from today. Of the countries I know, this is the one that makes it most difficult for a citizen to be with his/her SO. Meanwhile, illegals come and go as they please.

It makes me wonder about the fairness of following the letter of the, so called, law

I read most of this thread and I was encouraged to say something in reply to two comments I read. However, let me clarify that I have the belief that no place in the world is perfect and everybody is free to pick his/her poison. Taste is different for everybody and it will depend on people's values and beliefs. Therefore, nothing said by anybody (not even myself) can be taken as gospel and believed blindly. There is good and bad everywhere.

Having written that disclaimer, let me add some wood to the fire:

Those who have lived in other countries will recognize these points, those who have not will refuse to believe any of them.

My friend, I have lived in seven different countries (1st and 3rd world, including Russia) and there are many reasons why I currently choose to live in the US of A. Would I consider moving to Russia? Not really, not now. However, I would certainly consider moving to the Caribbean, even without a high paying job.

Once again an example about values and beliefs affecting personal preferences. Your points are only that: YOUR points.

When S/Os come here, they don't make grossly inflated wages because of their nationality. Far from it.

If I understood this quote correctly, I may be living in the wrong country, because my professional field is full of foreign nationals (especially from Russia and the Ukraine) who make way upwards of $100K. Even the women make that. And with such income, if you are smart managing your finances, you can have a very good life until death, even if you live to be 100.

Most Russian women are highly educated and they can make a lot of money in USA if they wanted to. However, most of them value family more than money, reason why they usually do not become career women who make "grossly inflated wages." It has nothing to do with their nationalities.

Like I said before, every place has good and bad things. Money is not the only thing to consider. There is much more. And everybody will make such a decision based on what is important to him/her. However, one thing is true: you cannot intend to make everybody else agree to your biased or misinformed opinions.

They have a choice: either to find a way to get married or not be together during five or more years. I only wanted to make sure that they made an Informed decision.

If I were in their situation and had the money, I would buy two tours to Puerto Rico, for example, and get married at the beach there. Nothing illegal. Both are foreigners and can marry wherever they want as long as they satisfy the laws of such country. And in a US dependency she won't have to leave the USA.

Hello all! I need help with this: My fiancee is in the US currently, she's not a green card holder yet. she just got employement and her employer are going to be filling for her to get a green card, which could take like 7 months from now.The thing is, she cant come to me with the paper work she currently has, pending when she gets the green card, and we need to get married this year. I wouldnt want her to come home to me, and not be able to go back to the US. Again, i need to know if it's possible that her employer includes me in the filling, so that as she gets hers i'll get mine. or is it that i must wait till she gets her green card before i can start processing an immigrant visa? and even when she gets the green card will i be qualified for an immigration visa or fiance, as we wont be married then, or should we get married before/after she gets the green card? i need help pls...thank you all

Mr. Bedoskie,

I decided to join VJ because I noticed that the answers already provided to your question are very much misinformed and I want to give you the RIGHT answer (if my assumptions are correct).

My assumptions are that both you and your girlfriend/fiancee are both foreign citizens (probably both from Nigeria). Also, I assume that your woman will be given or already has an H-1 visa (or any other multi-purpose visa that allows her to work here like L-1) to be able to work in the USA while her Green Card gets processed.

If both those assumptions are right, here is the RIGHT answer to your question:

1) You should marry your fiancee/girlfriend soon. The sooner the better. That way, when she applies for an H-1 visa in her local consulate, she can apply for you as a dependent and you will be granted an H-4 visa. The H-4 visa ONLY allows you to legally accompany her into the USA while she works. If she already has the visa, then you should marry and then YOU (alone) should go back to your country to get the corresponding dependent visa.

2) Once she comes (hopefully with you) to USA and starts working, she should start her application for a Green Card sponsored by her employer, as you explained in your question. But if she is already working here legally, continue reading. First she needs to be approved for a labor certification. Then, she needs to get a visa number and be approved for the I-140. It is at this moment when she must be married to you to take advantage of the third step.

3) After the I-140 is approved, she needs to submit an application called I-485, which is the final step of the Green Card process. At this point, if you are still married, you can apply for a Green Card jointly and you both will get PERMANENT Green Cards (WITHOUT CONDITIONS).

So, if my assumptions above were correct, this is the process you should follow to be together in the USA from the time she is allowed to start working here. No matter what you both decide to do, if you are really serious about getting married, make sure you GET MARRIED any time BEFORE she submits the I-485 (may take a couple of years for this to happen) because that will allow both of you to apply for Green Cards together, without waiting for priority numbers, like other people said. Priority processing is only a requirement if you wait to get married until AFTER she gets the Green Card.

I hope this helps. You should take advantage of this process, which allows both of you to be together all the time, instead of the separation requirement that the US government imposes on USCs who want to marry foreign nationals.

Good luck!