Ok I have been reading and reading and reading but no solid answers on any of the govt. websites. it seems you have to do this to do that and to do this.
anyways I see two options so far..
(first off both of us want to get married in england so that is the optimal plan, with that in mind here are some options)
-k1 fiance visa where she comes to the states and we are married within 90 days after she gets the visa approved (the problem is we want to get married in england and it seems you have to remain in the US until the visa is approved after marriage?)
-k3 spouse visa we can get married in england but then she must remain in england until her k3 visa is approved and can not visit?
basically we want to get married in the summer of 2010 but we want to come back to the states right afterwards and start our life together without being seperated. so I am thinking the only way to get around this is if she comes to the states to visit (without the intention of marrying) but we happen to get married this summer and then apply for k3 visa and perminant residency. now if the k3 pending visa allows her to visit the states still this will work but if they say she cannot return to the states this will not work...
who has gone through this?
it is just so damn confusing...
I am also in the US Air Force Air National Guard and I am thinking there has to be a way to expedite this as a member of the military...
PLEASE HELP!
You DO realize that your big fancy wedding does not have to be legal, right? The only thing the US cares about is that you're married. Get her visa and go to a local justice of the peace and get it legally done right there. You're married. Then you can your big fanciness wherever you want.
If you are a US Citizen, i believe you can apply for a green card (based on getting married) but then you get married, she has to wait a few months for that application to complete before she can join you.
Thats what I know people have done. Even the K1 visa takes time from what I hear.
Quote from: makenzie71 on February 08, 2009, 02:14:48 PM
You DO realize that your big fancy wedding does not have to be legal, right? The only thing the US cares about is that you're married. Get her visa and go to a local justice of the peace and get it legally done right there. You're married. Then you can your big fanciness wherever you want.
you think preachers will do that kind of thing? she doesnt want anything fancy but I know she wanted an english wedding. although she told me that the wedding is between me her and God and all the other people supporting are just an plus :). so thats good. if it comes to it the ceremony without papers in england and then the legal marriage in the states because we can apply for the k1 at the beginning of 2010 and that should work :) ...
but no matter what it will still be a pain in the ass lol. I might be able to pick up active orders to the Airforce base in England for a little while too which would rock!
thanks guys!
discuss it with the preacher...explain the situation and I'm sure he'll be understanding.
Weird, I did this exactly 9 years ago, today.
Yes, I'm married, ladies. So sorry.
Its easy dude, I've seen it in several movies as well as CSI and simpsons. She just has to take citizenship test.
Cool.
Buddha.
Quote from: wladziu on February 09, 2009, 10:32:54 AM
Weird, I did this exactly 9 years ago, today.
Yes, I'm married, ladies. So sorry.
Pointers ? help?
I called the visa place today and they gave me all the information I needed on how they work, then I called immigration which was the biggest PITA I ever have delt with, finally I hit the right sequence of numbers to get an agent to talk to. ok so far I got this info..
$455 by check with app. mailed to the USCIS... once its processed there is a 70$ and 200$ fee for the visa also the cost of a physician to give her an exam and the travel to the embassy and blah blah blah... which I dont see why she would have to pay for an exam being that england has free health care but I am sure that the US has tacked some charge for that too even over there.
they have a wonderful window... 6-12 months maybe taking around 9 months but who knows right? ok the visa place said that once the visa is approved she doesnt have to come over right away and then once she enters the US that is when the 3 months starts to get married... the immigration place said that she has 3 months from the point of approval to enter the states and get married.. so which is it? who knows right.
of course in this situation there is no benefits for marrying her and bringing her over as a member of the US Armed forces.... thanks America I sign my life away and get no break on whom I wish to marry lol...
anyways this has just frustrated the hell out of me because it is so damn hard to get straight answers from these people its like your lives have to revolve around when the hell the govt wants to do something and they wont even tell you when.
how long did it take you and which visa did you use so on and so fourth?
thanks a bunch guys
Josh
It just depends how much time you have.
If you don't have at least 6 months, then do a "fiance visa". But, you're just putting off the inevitable misery of going through immigration services.
It seems like you've already gotten a taste of it.
If you've got 6 months, then find your local consulate and tell them you're her sponsor. They'll tell you all the crap you need, which is most of what you're talking about, anyway.
Get a permanent visa; you won't have to go through all the crap once you're back in the states. Plus, your chain of command will give you plenty of time before you PCS. However, when you get stateside, it's harder to get your new CoC to give a crap.
Be sure take lots of days to visit museums or chill out at your house (whichever is your "thing") and blame it on the consulate.
Instead of paying the $80 "biometrics" fee, just get her picture taken in a cheap Instant Photo booth at the airport.
Don't get mad at Immigration, either. It's a losing battle, like getting mad at a woman. They'll tell you all the paperwork you need, and the dates when you need to show up. Just write it down and don't miss anything. Make a folder, so you don't lose the paperwork. Visas aren't that bad. Really, the worst part is waiting for them. If you walk the paperwork from office to office, you can save a lot of time (instead of waiting for them to mail it to an office next door, taking a few months).
And, for Christ's sake, don't let your wife get into the paperwork. Just drive her to the appointments, and you do the rest. Once they get into it, they start misplacing things and try to tell you how to do it better.
Keep the consulate's number on speed-dial.
Seriously, it's not that bad. Having a foreign national spouse is a responsibility, this is just the first step.
At least yours wasn't a past Communist and Roman Catholic.
The "fiance" visa is basically the same thing, except you only do part of the paperwork before she goes overseas.
Brits can travel to the states for business and recreation without a visa, by the way...
Visas are only necessary for jobs and things that require you to present a Social Security number.
There should be a number of other guys that are doing the same thing in your unit. Just hook up with some of the more responsible ones and glean all the information off of them. But, don't tell them about the way to get cheap photographs. (I'm only telling you because you have a GS.) :icon_mrgreen:
And, when you get stateside, don't let her carry the stupid thing around with her everywhere she goes. :icon_rolleyes:
They like to do that.
There's a bi-law that says they'll get deported if they don't have it on them at all times, like during traffic tickets and so on. But, LEO's don't give a flying turd. They just like to carry the things around. Makes them feel special or something.
It's over $500 to replace, not to mention the red tape.
But that check that you mentioned... Take it to them personally. If you wait for the mail, it'll take forever to get processed. Do everything that you can in person, and just watch the other people complain when their stuff is taking forever. Call and get an appointment so you don't have to wait in lines.
OH! Try to see if they'll pay attention to your PCS orders or whatever you have. I showed them mine, and they rushed everything through.
It's been a while, or I'd tell you the whole process. Oh well.
If I remember correctly, the military will pay her travel if she has a permanent visa and you're already married. If you just have a fiance visa, then they won't.
No, churches don't care if you've been legally married by a local magistrate just for the paperwork issue. It's what I did. They only care whether you're Roman Catholic/baptised/etc. :icon_rolleyes:
If you're married before you go stateside, I believe you get a larger weight allowance for furniture and belongings.
And, you can just go straight into the whole "wait for available housing" circus once stateside. Good luck with that, too. :-X
She wouldn't happen to be a skinny blonde that traveled through Hesse, maybe? Geissen, Bad Nauheim, Darmstadt? Is she from around Reading or Bracknell?
God, I love that accent.
You're welcome?
thanks a bunch man! the only downside is I am with the national guard so I called some people to see if I can pick up active orders in england maybe and then would I get the active duty benefits.
haha she is a brunette with a gorgeous accent and the most beautiful eyes. her home town is plymouth.
I did some calling and checking with the visa and immigration departments. we havent decided 100% yet but we will either apply for the k1 in june or get married in june and get a k3 and then she can go back to school for the next year and after she finishes she will come back to the states, which we were going to get married after she finished school anyway but this way I will get more money from the military for us both and some tax breaks to plus I will be married to the love of my life :).
but we decided to do whatever our hearts desire this june. so shall it be!
How old are you, anyway?
age is no relevence when one is in love..... :icon_mrgreen:
Quote from: Susuki_Jah on February 10, 2009, 03:24:30 PM
thanks a bunch man! the only downside is I am with the national guard so I called some people to see if I can pick up active orders in england maybe and then would I get the active duty benefits.
There should be no permanent Guard units in England, that violates the tenets under which the Guard was established :cookoo: You could try going active with a guaranteed station, but good luck getting a 368.......... I ETS'd before I could get mine signed :icon_rolleyes:
How many times have you met this girl face-to-face?
(P.S. Brunette goes much better with the accent IMO)
to old to bother and to young to care ... lol from and old bouncing souls album... not really a true statment but thought it was funny .
3 years from 30 ;)
Quote from: spc on February 10, 2009, 05:14:44 PM
Quote from: Susuki_Jah on February 10, 2009, 03:24:30 PM
thanks a bunch man! the only downside is I am with the national guard so I called some people to see if I can pick up active orders in england maybe and then would I get the active duty benefits.
There should be no permanent Guard units in England, that violates the tenets under which the Guard was established :cookoo: You could try going active with a guaranteed station, but good luck getting a 368.......... I ETS'd before I could get mine signed :icon_rolleyes:
How many times have you met this girl face-to-face?
(P.S. Brunette goes much better with the accent IMO)
there is an active duty base. I work on a active duty base with the guard when I drill. they integrated us. my ID is an active duty ID no different than any others and I can pick up active duty orders the same as any fulltime active duty airforce personel. I dont know the information you have heard about the guard lately but it is all together with the active duty now, we deploy with them, serve with them, have the same test and standards as them. this is why I am going to texas for 2 months and then back to hampton on langley AFB on active orders. and we are getting deployed left and right to other AFB's it really is not hard to pick up active orders , they always need help somewhere.
its changed a lot :). they even quit the jokes haha !
I would rather not go into the whole story of my life , kinda want to keep it to the answers that I was asking questions to. thanks