Getting married for greencard, need opinion

A

agonzalez22

Registered Users (C)
Hi, my girlfriend and me have been together for 2 years, were deeply in love.

I finished my Masters and I am currently working on OPT, however I won't be able to work after summer. Finding H1B sponsorship has been hard, and do not expect to get it.

I was hoping to marry her in a couple of years, when she finishes school, but the question if I should get married now in order to keep working rose.

Her family is very old fashioned and would not really accept getting married this way.
Would it be bad if we got married without telling her family in the eyes of immigration?

How much money is the whole process on average, and how long from the time I get married until I have a work permit?

Your opinion is really appreciated, feel free to talk sense into me if this is a retarded idea.
 
1. Are you asking if you should get married so that you can get a GC, so that you can keep working????? ARE YOU SERIOUS???????
2. So basically you are asking if you can marry for GC. What about love? I thought you mentioned that you guys are deeply in love, right??? Have you ever thought about marriage for LOVE?

3.Which planet are your in-laws from??? You have been dating for the last two years yet you think they would not approve you guys getting married??? It sounds like there is more than just the legth of time you have been dating...

3.Getting married without telling her parents would be stupid and VERY suspicious.

4. Think before you act, if you want to marry for a GC, as you indicated, the whole process will back fire right on your face!. You will soon find yourself on a plane ride to wherever it is that you came from. Especially when her parents find out that you married their daughter to get a GC, and neglected to tell them, so that you can keep working.
You just indicated that you finished your masters. Honesty, this is a dumb question to ask, especially coming from a masters level individual.
 
Well to me civil marriage is less important.
Getting married under God is what counts to me.
I love her, but once summer comes I will have to go back to my country and stop seeing her. She will have to stay to finish school for two years and I really don't know what option I could take to keep seeing her.

I have known her for 4 years, been living together for 2.

I guess it came off wrong saying getting married to keep working. I am getting married to keep seeing her. However it would be rushing my plans. I wanted to marry her after she finishes school.
 
Then you should have indicated that you are worried about being separated from your girl friend. The title of your posting indicated otherwise.

If both of you are in love and would like to be married, for LOVE, then you should tell her parents of your plans to get married soon. (I'm assuming your girlfriend is at least 21yrs of age). Whether they like it or not, they will have to deal with it at some point.

After you file for AOS, you will have your EAD in about 1-2months, the whole process will cost you around $1500 without a lawyer.

Being married is not going to prevent her from going to school. Right? Forget your old plans to marry her when she is done with school. (Unless you have completing school as a condition for marriage). Marry her now - for LOVE so that the two of you do not end up seperated for an extended period of time, maybe even forever.
 
Thanks for the information.

My main worry is her parents. I will feel really bad regardless of the situation and I do not want to get on their wrong side by doing this. As you know they are old fashioned and might have very different views on the problem.

That is why I was hoping to not tell them for the civil marriage and later on when we get married in church it will be in front of both families.
 
I don't know how marriage based GC interviews go. I doubt they ask about the parents, or do they? This is between you and the person you marry, and legally, if you are of age, what the parents think matters nought.
 
Ok we have decided to go through with it.

As time is of essence for me to file to hopefully have a work permit before my OPT is over here are the steps I have gathered so far :
Get married/marriage license/certificate.
Fill form 130 petition for alien relative 420$. Wait for priority date.
Fill form I-485 for adjustment of status. 1070$ plus


Here are some questions we have:
1.Documents for proving common residence/pictures. Are these required just for interview?
2.What kind of documents/copies are needed for filing? or are they needed only for the interview.


I am trying to prioritize the critical parts of the whole process to be able to get it asap. Would you recommend a lawyer or see it as a waste of money?

Your help is greatly appreciated.
 
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agonzalez22,
LOL! Getting married for GC only? My man do some self introspection and get to know the Holy Grail of Immigration Interviews. Otherwise you may be buying a water boarding ticket. Without love if your petition miraculously goes through due to some serious omission of the IO, you may still be a miserable man because its clear in your confession that there is no deeper chemistry in you or cultural assimilation from the parents side. No way no how can you marry someone's daughter without parents knowing under commitment. Such callous acts trigger immigration clouds you don't want. The day they will know it, they may be placing a call to the Police then HS on you. God forbid. All the best.
 
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Parents are often against marriages, so they need not be informed, and they are still valid, and I don't know why immigration wouldn't understand that, but I haven't gone through this procedure.
 
cafeconleche said:
Parents are often against marriages, so they need not be informed, and they are still valid, and I don't know why immigration wouldn't understand that, but I haven't gone through this procedure.
Click to expand...

I don't think he's worried about US Immigration's view of the parents' involvement or opposition. He's worried about the parents themselves, particularly that they might be offended if they have a civil marriage without the religious ceremony.
 
There is a lot of people out there that had a civil marriage first followed by a big religious ceremony later on. (I'm one of them).

Your in-laws may not like the fact that you guys are getting married via a private civil ceremony - but they will get over it!!! Tell them.
Needless to say, getting married without telling them before hand will almost gurantee animosity between you and your in-laws, and probably the rest of the family, which is not a good thing.

Whites marry blacks and vice versa. The parents just have to deal with these issues... You are not alone man. Even Isaeris marry Palestinians and vice versa... Again, the in-laws and the families just have to deal with the situation...
 
I will take your advice. YOu are right, it is much better to go with the truth to start with a good relationship with her parents even if they don't approve at the beginning
 
Quick question, what is the best way to compile and send all the papers together?

Just put each form with the required documents for each in a separate folder and send them in one package or just put them all together ?

Thanks
 
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