I’ve kept telling my fiance abroad to wait till I get settle down with visa stuffs. Now I’ve almost got green card (I’ve initiated the process before I met him) and now it will take him at least a few years to get the green card for ‘legally working’ in the US if we get married. Many people said the fastest way to bring your significant others to the US “and” make him/her to legally work is to go to the school, be on F1 visa first, get OPT, and get H1B to avoid the waste of time doing nothing at home in queuing for green card. But there are lots of couple in the world who both needs to continue the career due to monetary reason. For those who, going to the school sounds too luxurious. How are other couples from outside of the US handling this problem? Are many people actually breaking up due to visa and long distance relationships? Or sacrificing one’s career to be together and stay home for a few years till getting a legal immigrant status? I was once L1B and now regret that I should have just maintained that visa so that my significant other could work as soon as we get married. Now we are in our 30s and need to wait a few years or I give up everything here and go back to my fiance’s country.
What’s your and his country of origin? What stage of green card process are you at? Which category of immigrate visa are you adjusting your status to?
Just left the comment and instantly deleted it as it contained too much personal info. But really appreciate your intension to help out here!
If your I-485 isn’t approved yet, you may still have time to add him to your application depending on the above questions. You would need to get married immediately, bring him over under a proper spouse visa (H4, L2, etc) and apply for adjustment of status all prior to your I-485 approval. While it’s all pending, you could also apply for an AoS-based employment authorization document, allowing him to start working in a matter of a couple months. It would save you about 3-4 years to skip the consular route and take advantage of the AoS route. At the end of the day, you really have to make a decision in your relationship: shit or get off the pot. If you’re not ready for it, 3-4 years away won’t help. Happy to chat over private message.
Has she ever been to us? I would recommend her to go through student route and then cpt/opt.. This will be stepping stone for her to assimilate in the culture.. The college can be a community college not a fancy private college since your intent is to ensure she doesn’t get bored at home plus she is also engaged.. It’s a game of patience.. My sisters came to us in 2001/2002 and they also sat home for 3-4 years before they got their green cards.. they followed a similar approach and with an American degree it wa much easier to be selected for jobs..
Your partner can quickly repay education loans by doing internships. You should find out if he is willing to come here as a student and go through the process. 1.5 years would end quickly. Couples do not break up over this. Good luck!
This is where my partner and I have a different view. He feels extremely uncomfortable in making me as a sole breadwinner for 2 years while he is in school. I keep telling him it’s going to be okay and I’m going to be okay + all the things you commented above but my partner is worrying if any uncertain situation happens to me (unfair treatment at work, lay off, sick, pregnancy, etc) and he can’t help as a student. Long story short, we still need to talk more if this is the best option given to us. Thanks for your kind words!
You would not be the sole breadwinner since within a year he can get into an internship. Internship salaries are higher than full time salaries and come with great perks in some Bay area companies. You both need careful planning and timing this plus save every penny from your salary. There is always a risk in everything - everyone who comes here for studies have the same risk. You can plan to not get pregnant until he finishes studies. He can also try to find scholarships to pay tuition. Even if all of those risks happen you both can always get another job.
Not sure if this is still actual, but not very long ago, if you would get married before you get the green card, he would be able to get a dependent green card in the same time you are getting one. He can work with the dependent green card, but he would have a condition on the green card that you would need to stay married a couple of years, or else, in case you get a divorce before enought time has passed, he will lose the green card. If you get married before you get the green card and apply for him as well, you will probably get more scrutiny (e.g. an interview) but as long you can prove this is a real relationship and you have been together for a while, you should be fine. I don't remember exactly the terms, but I think that the main rule was that you can apply for a green card for him as well, as long as you got married before yours was approved and that person is already in the US on another visa at that time, so he can apply for AOS. If you get married after you get the green card it will probably take years for them to get a visa to join you. Look more into it as I don't remember it exactly and maybe talk with an immigration lawyer.
This
H4 EAD, then green card. Piece of cake
Talk to the lawyers and see if you can still add him to your GC application if you were to get married
The best way is H1B. Alternatively, bring him after the wedding as your dependent on H4, file for H4 EAD
H4 EAD is on the chopping block. Uncle sessions doesn’t like it.
You have a better solution?