I kind of interrupted another thread w/my question, so I thought I better start my own. I have been dating a Polish girl for about 2 1/2 years now. Absolutely amazing...I never planned on getting married till I was atleast 30. She was here working for my uncle (a minister), and went home to finish one of her masters. Then she came back last year and worked another 7 months (and we lived together), and went home after I left Colorado (she also finished her 2nd masters). Anyway, on to the point. I visited her in Poland for the month of March in Poland (very cold by the way, but beautiful). We have been apart, and she finally got a tourist visa to come here, and I decided I am done waiting and am going to marry her. The point of all this: Where do I go from here? Once we are married, how do I proceed? When will she be able to work?
This of course is not my preferred way to handle things, b/c the more I read on it, I realized we should have gone a different route, but try telling that to the heart! She is leaving a very good job in Ireland, and the U.S. is not her preferred place to live, but is coming here for me. I truly love this girl and am trying to figure all this out, so she doesn't have to worry herself with it.
every time i fell 4 sum 4eign girl, she always says that she'll return 2 her home country. oh well. maybe u could move 2 ireland with her or find a polish or american girl who wants to live in the us. it would be simple that way if tha latter happened.
No, no, she doesn't mind living in the U.S., b/c she wants to be with me. Her family of course would rather she lives in Europe (so she is closer to home), and she isn't greencard hunting. It not a question of simple, it is going to happen, and it will be with her. I was just wondering the route to proceed in next, b/c I am in uncharted territory (for me).
I would recommend getting in touch with the U.S. State Dept. and find out all the necessary channels you need to go through. I'm sure there's a lot of red tape that needs to be dealt with, and the sooner you get started, the sooner she can come here and work, if she wishes.
Ranj, I tried, but they haven't replied yet. uk, its not a question about telling her anything...she knows everything about me and my feelings. All I was saying is that I would like to figure this out ahead of time, so she doesn't have to bother with it. All I'm looking for is what people have to offer of knowledge of marrying a foreigner on a tourist visa. Also, if they know how long it takes to be able to work once I do marry her. I am not looking for relationship advice; that is the one thing I am sure about in my life (but thanks for the thoughts).
This sounds very romantic and has really touched my heart, I hope some people on here will help you , there seem to be some timewasters and ediots, but there are also some genuine people on here. I wish you luck and would like to say dont give up, if you really want it , will work for you both....keep the faith.
If you marry her in the US, that's good that she's already with you. You will need to change her visa status to immigrant. Once you marry her, about 6-7 months later you will meet with an immigration officer who will first ask you questions if your marriage is "bona fida", meaning real. Then she will get a work permit. Not a green card. She will get that about after a year of marriage.
The website I gave you is done with the help of lawyers. If you want to spend about about$ 1.000 on this, that would be the safest way to go. But you don't have to.
Contact the USCIS. There are four: California, Nebraska, Texas and Vermont.
So, she won't be able to work for 6 months? Also, I was wondering about when she enters the U.S....she had told the official during her tourist visa interview taht she would be here for 2 weeks. He granted her a visa; when she gets to the port here, will the person here know how she had said her trip was going to be, or can she tell him she was thinking longer? We are both unsure of this stage also.
Is there any way to make it so she can work sooner? She is not the type of girl that likes to sit around and not work....she is a go-getter, and really enjoys work. I am trying to make this easy on her, since she has agreed to move to me, and not vice versa. Is there any way to get around this? Please help.
This couple. She a US citizen, he illegally overstayed his visa. They married. After about 6 months, they get appointment with the INS. They ask questions about the marriage, blah, blah, blah. Then he gets approved for a work permit. So now he can work legally. But, he was in the USA for 5 years and worked illegally, without a social security number. So even if she doesn't have a work permit, yes, she can still work. That can and is done all the time. Chicago is full of illegal immigrants. I know some, who have been here for over 20 years and still don't have a work permit. But once she is married to you, she would have to wait about 6 months to get a work permit and after about a year she will get a green card which is the same as an immigration card. And then in 3 years she can become a US citizen.
There are immigration lawyers who can help, but since you speak English, you don't need a lawyer and you can do it yourself. You need to contact the USCIS. If you live in Colorado, then you need to contact the one that's in Nebraska. You can also call the Polish Consulate in Chicago at: 312-337-8166. Thay will give detailed information.
Your fiancee would have to file an adjustment of status at your local USCIS office, saying it was a "spur of the moment " basis, which means she didn't enter with intent to marry but decided after.
first off, thank you, you are a lot of help, when there is little to find. i live in florida, and she has a double masters and is fluent in english. i have never had to deal with this, so i do not know what type of jobs there are that pay under the talbe. she has been here a couple times on work permits for about 7 months each time.
ok, also....at the airport here, when she talks to port official. she told the person that interviewed her that she wants to come here for a couple weeks. he gave her a visa that's good for a couple years (i believe)....does she have to tell the man at the airport here, that she plans on leaving in 2 weeks, or does he not know that information from the interview.
They usually ask how long you'll be staying in the US, then she should say 2 weeks. They do not know how long she will be, they only know when her visa expires. There is a stamp in there that says that.
When my aunt visited me from Poland, she came for a month, but then decided to stay longer. It was no problem. She had a visa for 10 years and she could stay up to 6 months at a time.
I would suggest you marry her soon. Contact the this main USCIS office in Florida
Most over-stay their tourist visa. America doesn't like that. It's illegal to do. Then if they are found out, they can get deported, or they marry a US citizen to become legal and pay lots of money for it. Once a person over-stays his visa, he cannot come back to the US. They cannot work on their tourist visas either. They were given to them in good faith so they return back to Poland.
There are also many illegal Mexicans crossing the border in underground tunnels.
Yeah, there's an underground tunnel all the way from Mexico to Wisconsin. One day a kid sees a Mexican crawling from the earth and runs and tells all the other kids they better behave, because he just saw a devil.
Where do think chihuahuas came from? I have one of them little dogs. And if it wasn't for Mexico, there wouldn't be no Zorro!!!!( He's my hero by the way...)
so, her visa is for a long time. how does she stay past the 2 weeks she will be telling the official at the airport without getting in trouble. we don't want her to be here illegally.
If her visa is for example, for 6 months, she can be here that long. She will still be here legally, but if she stayed longer than that, then it would be illegal.
If she tells the border patrol she's coming for two weeks, but stays longer, that's OK. It's still legal. She just changed her mind to stay longer.
But what you have to do is legalize her status. You have to get married while she's with you, then apply for residence through marriage.
Thank you, so does she have to fill anything out to stay longer, or does she just do it? Also, is this probably the easiest, fastest way for our situation? (Sorry to ask so many questions, but I have found that with things regarding the gov't, you can't ask too many questions)
Also, is the best route to proceed in to allow her to work sooner? I hate asking that, b/c it seems like that's what I'm really after. I just want to make her transition easier, sitting around the house and not being able to hunt for a job that will utilize her skills will drive her nuts (this is my speculation).
just trying to get it towards the top so i still get help
i heard that once we get married, she can apply for a temp. work permit and in about three weeks she will get one (usually for a couple years), that is good until our case is settled. does anyone know if this works? my friend from dominican repub. did that with his wife.
Yes, she can get one of those temp. work permits. When you file her papers for adj. of status, you should also file the application for her work permit. Those permits are issued for 1 yr and normally she should get one within 3 months of filing the application .. possibly sooner ... all depends on which INS district you fall under. Anyway, for those of us on the East Cost its about 3 months ..... it has been about 6 weeks since one of my friends file her application and just last week she was called in for fingerprints and is still waiting for the work permit. After that you'll have an interview at INS office, she'll get her temp. green card (one good for 2 years) and when 2 yrs are up, you will have to go for another interview and that is when she will get her permanent geen card. Also, she can always file for US citizenship after having her geen card for 3 yrs. (2 yrs the temp green card plus 1 yr the permanent one)
very good to hear....she is stressed over trying to figure this stuff out, and i would like to take care of this for her...dealing with the gov't and regulations, etc, really stresses the brain.
