QUESTION

How do I go about marrying a foreign national?

Asked on Nov 09th, 2013 on Immigration - Washington
More details to this question:
I'm a naturalized American citizen intending to marry a Canadian citizen and live together here in the U.S. What is best/fastest option and how do we go about this?
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9 ANSWERS

It depends on where your fiance currently resides, in the US or in Canada? I would be happy to answer any additional questions or assist you with this process once I have an idea of what the specifics of your situation are.
Answered on Nov 14th, 2013 at 5:39 AM

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Sexual Harassment Attorney serving Brooklyn, NY
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Just marry the person. If you have an Immigration issue then, you should consult with an attorney as to possible ways of bringing your Canadian citizen into the U.S.
Answered on Nov 13th, 2013 at 1:33 PM

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Immigration and Naturalization Attorney serving San Diego, CA
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Three options to marry overseas and bring him in as an immigrant, file for him as a fiance with plans to marry within 90 days after he gets here, or when he is in the U.S. as visitor get married and file to adjust his status to permanent residency. There are advantages and disadvantages to each depending on need to travel, need to work, etc. Suggest you call an attorney to review your case and help sort out the options and then get information on fees, procedure, timing etc.
Answered on Nov 13th, 2013 at 1:32 PM

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Immigration Attorney serving Downey, CA at Herrera & Juelle LLP
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If your fiance is in the U.S. visiting you, did not have immigrant intent when they entered, and has been here for 60-90 days, it would be possible to marry them here and process the green card in the U.S., which would be quicker.
Answered on Nov 13th, 2013 at 1:30 PM

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Your fiance will be eligible for a green card once you got married. The length of the application process depends on whether your fiance will be eligible to apply from within the U.S. I recommend discussing your plans in detail with an immigration attorney.
Answered on Nov 13th, 2013 at 1:29 PM

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If your boyfriend was inspected at the border and is currently in the U.S., the quickest way for him to get a green card is to file an I-130 and I-485 concurrently with USCIS after you have been married. If he is not in the U.S., you can just file an I-130 petition for him instead and go through consular processing but the process is normally longer.
Answered on Nov 13th, 2013 at 1:25 PM

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Immigration Attorney serving Van Nuys, CA at Law Offices of Hussain & Gutierrez
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If he is here then you can file a petition and green card application. If he is in Canada you have to file a petition and once petition is approved the case will be sent to National Visa Center for further processing.
Answered on Nov 13th, 2013 at 1:25 PM

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Immigration Law Attorney serving San Francisco, CA at Richard S. Kolomejec
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The better option and quickest is to have the Canadian come to visit. Then during the visit, you propose marriage. Then wait a month or two before getting married. Once married, you can get a green card in about 3 months from start to finish. This is quicker than doing it outside the country where it takes about a year to bring a spouse.
Answered on Nov 13th, 2013 at 1:24 PM

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Business/ Commercial Attorney serving Bellevue, WA at Lana Kurilova Rich PLLC
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Well, if you plan to marry here in the US, you need to apply for a K-1 visa for your fiance, USCIS form I-129F. If you plan on going to Canada and marrying there, you would file form I-130 for your spouse. The timing is about the same; K-1 could be a little faster. But the K-1 process from start to finish (and by finish I mean your spouse getting a green card) is actually more costly because you must apply for K-1 first, and after you two marry, you must file I-130 and I-485 (with all the supporting documents) for your new spouse.
Answered on Nov 13th, 2013 at 7:00 AM

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