[blacknwhitespade]

Hello Everyone,

For those who have dated or married a woman from another country and brought her back to the USA, how did you go about navigating the immigration/residency/citizenship laws to keep your girlfriend/wife in the USA??

I am currently seeing a Mexican woman and it is already seeming complicated to figure out a way to get her to the USA. I've heard mixed things, some have told me if I marry her, she gets automatic US citizenship. I've researched and seen other stuff about first needing a "Spouse Visa", then getting her on the path to citizenship. For now, I know that she can do the Tourist Visa for 6 months, but can't work while on that, and I don't think she can even rent an apt in the US with that Visa either. How hard is it to get a Work Visa? I just want to make sure that I can get a girlfriend or wife into the USA and keep her here without deportation.
So,
1) While she is still just my girlfriend: what are the best Visa/Residence options for her to come to the USA for at least a few months, maybe stay with a friend or rent?

2) If I marry her, what is the fastest, deport-proof way to make her at least a permanent US Resident with me or a US Citizen?

[MidWest]

I got some experience with this, my family does this all the time because everyone is trying to get each other green cards and visas and all types of things. I'm actually thinking of doing this myself down the line as I plan to marry a girl from Latin America in the future.

The best thing to do is to talk to a good immigration lawyer who knows his shit. I've heard lots of stories of shady lawyers who take advantage of Mexican immigrants' ignorance and charge them huge sums of money and promise them false dreams only to be let down later and the crooks vanish without leaving a trace.

I remember maybe 6 years ago or so I actually went to talk to one immigration lawyer about marrying a girl from Mexico. He was charging me around $6,000 to file for a green card, $4,000 for the government fee and $2,000 for him. He told me that the fastest way was for me to go down to Mexico and get married with the girl and bring the marriage document back to him so he could file for her. After that, it usually takes about 9-12 months for the green card to come in the mail, but she would have to wait in Mexico during those 9-12 months. Once those 9-12 months are up, she will have to go to the U.S. embassy in Mexico and get finger-printed and go to the Mexican consulate to get a new Mexican passport. Then you go to Mexico along with her new green card and she can then travel to the U.S. freely.

Also because of tight immigration policies in the past couple of years and the U.S. cracking down on fake marriages (American woman marries Mexican guy in exchange for money so Mexican guy can get an easy green card) its getting considerably harder to prove the legitimacy of marriages nowadays. Immigration wants to see pictures of the wedding, your wife, your family, her family in the wedding, you kissing her, the wedding dress, the cake, proof of a honeymoon and all kinds of shit. Also if you call her from the U.S. to Mexico they want a copy of the calls from your phone company to proof that you're actually calling her and keeping in touch with her. They want to see panties, thongs, presents, everything!!! So be aware of that. Also you would have to show that you have a stable income and that you can take care of her financially.


That's the best way, but at the same time I have a cousin from Mexico who somehow got himself a Mexican-American girlfriend and the girl hooked him up on a spouse visa where he came immediately, but it took him years to get a green card when he was already here. So you got to weight your options.

Talk to an immigration lawyer. If you know any Hispanic people in your area they should be able to tell you who the best lawyer is for those matters.

Good luck.

[Dusty]

Another option..get her a student visa. She has to enrol in a certified school.

Some English language schools qualify. So she can study English in the U.S. On a student visa while living with you.

This is an option if you want to test drive her first on your home turf before marrying her. Try before you buy.

[newgame]

If you live in an area with a lot of immigrants there are probably much cheaper options than a lawyer. I lived in an area with about 60% Mexicans and found a visa service that catered to them; they take your info and fill out all of the necessary paperwork for you. If I remember correctly, I paid a few hundred dollars in total.

[Yeti]

Don't do the paperwork on your own. You might get it right but if you're wrong even a little bit, it'll make everything a lot harder and more expensive, and more time-consuming.

[Yeti]

(06-18-2015 01:16 PM)newgame Wrote:  

If you live in an area with a lot of immigrants there are probably much cheaper options than a lawyer. I lived in an area with about 60% Mexicans and found a visa service that catered to them; they take your info and fill out all of the necessary paperwork for you. If I remember correctly, I paid a few hundred dollars in total.

These are called notarios and usually they are not lawyers

[newgame]

(06-18-2015 02:48 PM)Yeti Wrote:  

(06-18-2015 01:16 PM)newgame Wrote:  

If you live in an area with a lot of immigrants there are probably much cheaper options than a lawyer. I lived in an area with about 60% Mexicans and found a visa service that catered to them; they take your info and fill out all of the necessary paperwork for you. If I remember correctly, I paid a few hundred dollars in total.

These are called notarios and usually they are not lawyers

Where I went was a legit business with an office downtown. I highly doubt it was illegal. Even a competent lawyer can make a mistake on your papers; he's most likely having an assistant fill them out anyway. The service I used filled them out and then I reviewed them and mailed them myself. If you are low on cash and considering doing it on your own, it might be a better option than a lawyer.

[Yeti]

It probably depends on the state as to whether it's illegal.

[Merenguero]

I think MidWest' s post above is pretty accurate, but one thing that I don't think has been mentioned here is the fiancee visa. This would allow you to bring her into the country and if you ultimately decide that she isn't marriage material, you can probably get rid of her pretty easily. If you go to Mexico and marry her and things don't work out you will be stuck in divorce proceedings and possibly be investigated for marriage fraud. It's a much smarter move to bring a Mexican to the United States than a Colombian or Venezuelan. The guys who bring Colombians or Venezuelans are often setting themselves for failure, although I think those types of marriages are more successful than the American/American marriages. Also, I disagree with the comment about asking Hispanic people in your area for a referral for an immigration lawyer. The cheapest lawyers are the busiest and they are very often the least competent. If you start asking around, take a guess where you will most likely end up. You kind of need to find a lawyer through your own research by seeing who answers the phone/returns phone calls, who gives you his cell number, who is always available and accommodating, and most important, who seems the most knowledgeable.

[blacknwhitespade]

(06-18-2015 10:56 AM)MidWest Wrote:  

After that, it usually takes about 9-12 months for the green card to come in the mail, but she would have to wait in Mexico during those 9-12 months. Once those 9-12 months are up, she will have to go to the U.S. embassy in Mexico and get finger-printed and go to the Mexican consulate to get a new Mexican passport. Then you go to Mexico along with her new green card and she can then travel to the U.S. freely.

...but at the same time I have a cousin from Mexico who somehow got himself a Mexican-American girlfriend and the girl hooked him up on a spouse visa where he came immediately, but it took him years to get a green card when he was already here. So you got to weight your options.

The 9-12 months sounds ridiculous. Really? Yeah, I need to hear more about the Spouse Visa. She could probably come here temporarily on the Tourist Visa and stay with a friend while we are dating. Then if we marry I would want her to have that Visa to at least guarantee that I can keep her here in the USA while she awaits green card. Would marrying her in the United States makes things any easier? Are there Work Visas that one could apply for?

[germanico]

(06-18-2015 02:48 PM)Yeti Wrote:  

(06-18-2015 01:16 PM)newgame Wrote:  

If you live in an area with a lot of immigrants there are probably much cheaper options than a lawyer. I lived in an area with about 60% Mexicans and found a visa service that catered to them; they take your info and fill out all of the necessary paperwork for you. If I remember correctly, I paid a few hundred dollars in total.

These are called notarios and usually they are not lawyers

Visa Services in Mexico only help you fill out paperwork, counsel on what documents/papers youll need, and/or prep you for your visa interview so you wont be answering "oh, my cousin Juan says there are good jobs in Los Angeles" when they ask you whats your reason to visit the US. They usually cater to a less educated market, though in either case, their services come handy as they help speed up the process. They usually charge around $100-200 dollars.

Yeti, if you are referring to Notarios in Mexico, they all have to be lawyers by law, and since their positions are granted, for life, by each states governor, they are usually the best connected, most wealthy lawyers in each area.

[Cattle Rustler]

Merenguero, why do you say "The guys who bring Colombians or Venezuelans are often setting themselves for failure". I'm curious about you point of view.

[Merenguero]

(06-18-2015 06:35 PM)Cattle Rustler Wrote:  

Merenguero, why do you say "The guys who bring Colombians or Venezuelans are often setting themselves for failure". I'm curious about you point of view.

Before I say anything else, I think that marriages in which American guys marry foreign women are much less likely to end in divorce than the marriages in which American guys marry American women. Mexico has a really low divorce rate and although all women are trying to get whatever they can out of a guy, Mexican women are at or near the top of the list of Latin American women as far as being marriage material. If you take a look at Cuba's divorce statistics and the divorce statistics of Cuban Americans, it's very clear that Cuban women are probably dead last as far as being marriage material. There are, of course, always exceptions. From decades of experience with people from all Latin American countries, I just think in general, that a marriage to a Mexican would have a much higher chance of success than a marriage to a Colombian or Venezuelan woman and that a Mexican would be less likely to be merely seeking a visa and/or a handout. If there were some kind of statistic somewhere about which Latin American women take beta guys for a ride more often, I would be willing to bet that Colombian and Venezuelan women were far ahead of Mexican women. Again, if the knowledge and principles contained in the forum are applied to real life, the bad experiences, although they still happen, happen less and less often.

[MidWest]

(06-18-2015 06:35 PM)Cattle Rustler Wrote:  

Merenguero, why do you say "The guys who bring Colombians or Venezuelans are often setting themselves for failure". I'm curious about you point of view.

Adding to Merenguero, the consensus is that they make bad wives, and women are more interested in leaving their country than anything else. Sure its generalizing, but stats are stats.

I also heard that once they get their green card in the U.S. they become call girls and escorts and leave their husbands. Its basically their reputation that perceives them.

I even remember my dad one time told me "Those girls in Colombia are hot, but very untrustworthy in terms of marriage."

I guess he was right.

[MidWest]

(06-18-2015 06:02 PM)blacknwhitespade Wrote:  

(06-18-2015 10:56 AM)MidWest Wrote:  

After that, it usually takes about 9-12 months for the green card to come in the mail, but she would have to wait in Mexico during those 9-12 months. Once those 9-12 months are up, she will have to go to the U.S. embassy in Mexico and get finger-printed and go to the Mexican consulate to get a new Mexican passport. Then you go to Mexico along with her new green card and she can then travel to the U.S. freely.

...but at the same time I have a cousin from Mexico who somehow got himself a Mexican-American girlfriend and the girl hooked him up on a spouse visa where he came immediately, but it took him years to get a green card when he was already here. So you got to weight your options.

The 9-12 months sounds ridiculous. Really? Yeah, I need to hear more about the Spouse Visa. She could probably come here temporarily on the Tourist Visa and stay with a friend while we are dating. Then if we marry I would want her to have that Visa to at least guarantee that I can keep her here in the USA while she awaits green card. Would marrying her in the United States makes things any easier? Are there Work Visas that one could apply for?

Yeah that's about as long as it takes. Because she will need to take a physical to see if she's healthy or doesn't have any health history or diseases or anything like that. The waiting time for that is about two months or so. Then she will need to get fingerprinted which takes another 2 months wait, then her brand new social security comes though the mail, her work permit. The whole process takes about 9-12 months.

It was a long time ago, but I recall the lawyer I was talking with telling me that she could come through with a spouse visa, but that it would take a lot longer to obtain her green card once in the U.S. Something like 3 years. But don't quote me on that. I'm not entirely sure.

Another option is to do it like all the illegal immigrants do it and hire a coyote and cross her illegally , I think they charge like $5,000 or so and without all the rif raf hahaha Jk..Jk..

In the end, I thought the whole process was too much, then thoughts in my head started circling like "Is she really worth all of that?" I ended up not marrying her and here I am.

If you want i'll ask my cousin how he did it and i'll keep in touch with you through pm about it. I know he came on a visa through his wife but I'm not sure which one and now has his green card. I'll ask him next time I see him.

[Merenguero]

(06-18-2015 07:24 PM)MidWest Wrote:  

Another option is to do it like all the illegal immigrants do it and hire a coyote and cross her illegally , I think they charge like $5,000 or so and without all the rif raf hahaha Jk..Jk..

That was the going rate last time I checked. Pretty much everyone I know in the D.C. area got here that way.

[blacknwhitespade]

Does anyone have any more info on that Spouse Visa? 9-12 months waiting in Mexico even after getting married would be complicated, I'd want her to be with me in the USA asap if we get married.

[WashedUPVet]

I would do your research on a K-1 Visa. Google it and read the state department website. She will come to the USA with the intent to marry you within 90 days. Marry her before the 90th day and she will have permanent residency. All the work is done on the front end before she crosses the border with the K-1 visa.

[Merenguero]

(06-19-2015 12:58 AM)WashedUPVet Wrote:  

I would do your research on a K-1 Visa. Google it and read the state department website. She will come to the USA with the intent to marry you within 90 days. Marry her before the 90th day and she will have permanent residency. All the work is done on the front end before she crosses the border with the K-1 visa.

One of the requirements of a K-1 is that the parties met in person at least two years before applying for the visa and you are required to provide some kind of proof of that meeting.

[Yeti]

Move to Mexico.

[achromaticmike]

(06-19-2015 01:08 AM)Merenguero Wrote:  

(06-19-2015 12:58 AM)WashedUPVet Wrote:  

I would do your research on a K-1 Visa. Google it and read the state department website. She will come to the USA with the intent to marry you within 90 days. Marry her before the 90th day and she will have permanent residency. All the work is done on the front end before she crosses the border with the K-1 visa.

One of the requirements of a K-1 is that the parties met in person at least two years before applying for the visa and you are required to provide some kind of proof of that meeting.

False. It isn't at least two years before; it's there's been an in-person meeting within the past two years.

"In general, the foreign-citizen fiancé(e) and U.S. citizen sponsor must have met in person within the past two years. USCIS may grant an exception to this requirement, based on extreme hardship for the U.S. citizen sponsor to personally meet the foreign-citizen fiancé(e), or, for example, if it is contrary in the U.S. citizen sponsor’s or foreign-citizen fiancé(e)’s culture for a man and woman to meet before marriage."

http://travel.state.gov/content/visas/en...k-1.html#4

[blacknwhitespade]

(06-19-2015 12:58 AM)WashedUPVet Wrote:  

I would do your research on a K-1 Visa. Google it and read the state department website. She will come to the USA with the intent to marry you within 90 days. Marry her before the 90th day and she will have permanent residency. All the work is done on the front end before she crosses the border with the K-1 visa.

yeah, she mentioned that to me. She actually watched a documentary about it or something. I will research that Visa.