I think MANY people are on here with same question ? ?

This is an almost identical question I am here for an answer to. It's very difficult to get an answer to something I think would be a somewhat common question in todays "internet age" of people meeting from other countries ?
I am an american and have a french woman here with the 90day tourist visa visiting; but she wants to stay, work, and live here permanently.
Marriage is not out of the question in our case but what do we do ? ? Where do we start ? ?
I wish you luck and hope you post a reply even to yourself if you find answers to help others. Thank You & good luck~!

 

Hey,

Be carefull:

- You are on a tourist visa which means you are an Alien non immigrant.
When you came in USA with such Visa, it means you didn't plan to become an immigrant. Even if you get married with your girlfriend, you have to know that your case will be hard. The INS (immigration service for wedding) won't like this situation.

First you should be aware about the process which can be hard. The legal fees are around 1500$ to change your status, and moreover even if you do a perfect application (all documents... a lawyer can be helpful) you can be refused.

Be married on a tourist visa is anyway a tough situation

Good luck

 

@Will
Please try not to give misleading information to others. Feel free to share your personal experiences, but do not discourage others from pursuing what they wish. If there is a way, then we will inform them. If there is no way, legal or otherwise, then we shall inform them as well, and have them ultimately decide which is best for them. Also, there is no INS anymore, they are now known as USCIS (United States Citizenship & Immigration Service). They do not deal with weddings, this is the job of the local county office (where the citizen / legal residence is officially residing) if one wishes a ceremony in civil rites, or if religious in nature, the respective church of faith.

@Jevtar & dad4life
On a personal note, I was in the same situation as you both are. I was in the US before when my girlfriend from Poland came on a tourist visa at that. After arriving, we planned our civil wedding by going to the local county office where I lived, submitted some docs, registered, and picked a date and an officiant to perform the ceremony. After getting married, I then proceeded to file for a change of status for her from her B2 visa to a dependent of mine, and, as long as you give whatever documentation that's needed with the application, then it will be processed. Note I have done all paperwork without the assistance of immigration lawyers, just taking time to read the paperwork, supporting docs required, and making sure the application is filled out correctly.

While the change of status is being processed, I believe the party applying for the change will not be able to work for around 6 months. This may have changed so do read on this. Hope this helps.