Grren Card and Marriage

K

kaashi

Registered Users (C)
Hi guys,
Got the Green Card in Jan 05. Heard all the stuff about marriage problems, not being able to bring a girl from India over here quickly, heard about trying to find an H-1 girl in US. No luck over here. I think, we may have found a girl in India. 3 more years to go before Citizenship. How do I play it? I want to do what is right. The girl can come here, if she gets a visitor's visa, even if it has to be for a few months. I could go and visit India for a month or so. It's just 3 years, one can grind it out, time flies. Then take the Citizenship and be here forever. Could anybody help out with any suggestions on how to play it?

When do I start the Citizenship process, after my 4th year of receiving the Green Card or sooner. How long does it take? I just want to be clear so I can tell mine and her parents about the process. Hard to believe but I heard the process is getting a little faster.Thanks.
 
5 years to citizenship, 3 years is if you're married to a USC. By the sounds of it you're not, as you "found a girl".
 
dr_lha said:
5 years to citizenship, 3 years is if you're married to a USC. By the sounds of it you're not, as you "found a girl".
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The OP may correct me if I am wrong, but I think he is referring to an arranged marriage. The language he uses suggests this.
 
pianoplayer said:
The OP may correct me if I am wrong, but I think he is referring to an arranged marriage. The language he uses suggests this.
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What you mean the same sort of language I would use for finding a cheap used car? ;)
 
dr_lha said:
What you mean the same sort of language I would use for finding a cheap used car? ;)
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Lol ---- I should be more open minded about arranged marriages ---- I just have never liked the idea of it. But that is strictly my opinion and is not meant to be judgmental.
 
Guys,
Thanks for the interest in my query. May be my langauge wasn't clear. I got a green card through my employer last year Jan 05. When would I be eligible for filing for a citizenship- after 5 ysr have elapsed or after the 4th year? How soon can I bring the girl here permanently from India?

Now the other question about marriage. The lawyers at Fragomen Del Ray et al, advised last year to find a girl here who was on H-1, green card, or a citizenship to avoid all the visa hassles. Indian girls here in the US exposed to the US culture, and their parents, think they are it, that they are above everybody, too many demands. They think that a decent, honest man is not quite good enough for them. We might just be the worst race in all the world. It's a free world and I respect whatever they decide.

I hate the idea of arranged marriage myself but what if one has stumbled upon a gem. If one of you guys introduced me to a girl, and we hit it off, wouldn't that be called an arranged mariage as well. I wouldn't be here exploring all the options if she wasn't worth all that.

Supposing I married her next year, she could visit for a couple months here (if she gets the visa), I could visit over there once a year, we could play this game for another 2-3 years till I am eligible for my citizenship...Do you guys know any other better ideas? I'd really appreciate it. Thanks.
akash
 
kaashi said:
Guys,
Thanks for the interest in my query. May be my langauge wasn't clear. I got a green card through my employer last year Jan 05. When would I be eligible for filing for a citizenship- after 5 ysr have elapsed or after the 4th year? How soon can I bring the girl here permanently from India?

Now the other question about marriage. The lawyers at Fragomen Del Ray et al, advised last year to find a girl here who was on H-1, green card, or a citizenship to avoid all the visa hassles. Indian girls here in the US exposed to the US culture, and their parents, think they are it, that they are above everybody, too many demands. They think that a decent, honest man is not quite good enough for them. We might just be the worst race in all the world. It's a free world and I respect whatever they decide.

I hate the idea of arranged marriage myself but what if one has stumbled upon a gem. If one of you guys introduced me to a girl, and we hit it off, wouldn't that be called an arranged mariage as well. I wouldn't be here exploring all the options if she wasn't worth all that.

Supposing I married her next year, she could visit for a couple months here (if she gets the visa), I could visit over there once a year, we could play this game for another 2-3 years till I am eligible for my citizenship...Do you guys know any other better ideas? I'd really appreciate it. Thanks.
akash
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Hi:

First off, I just wanted to say that I was not judging you, and I am very happy for you that you found someone you really like. I do have personal reservations about arranged marriages, but they are exactly that ---- personal, and it is not for me to say who people should marry.

After receiving the employment-based GC you are eligible to file for citizenship in 5 years minus 90 days, i.e. in the 90 day window before the 5 year anniversary.

You can get married and file now, but as the spouse of a GC holder she will not be immediately eligible for a visa, and will have to wait a couple of years.
Your plan to wait and visit each other, then file after you receive citizenship is a good one ---- she will be immediately eligible for a visa then.

Also, it will give your more time to get to know each other.

Best wishes.
 
Green Card and Marriage: follow-up question

Talked to a few friends and came up with a couple of options as to how to bring the girl here in the US faster (other than the 2-3 years it's going to take for her to wait in India to get the spousal visa process cleared):

1) Get admission in a Masters program and apply for a Stuent Visa. Apparently that visa is pretty easy to get. All that costs is k$20+ in education costs to keep the girl on the F-1 status. Plus the added headache of applying, timing the application etc etc. Can one get married while being a student? Does one have to rescind the F-1?

2) Find her a job here, try to get her an H-1. How am I going to find a job in the US for someone whom even I haven't met yet? Fortunately, I happen to know a few people who are at the top in their industries, who care about me, and who could possibly find a job for the girl and sponsor her for an H-1. Does she have to maintain H-1 for all 3 years? Can the employers let her go after 3-6 months? Do the employers have to report to the USCIS about this? Does someone from USCIS check on all this? (We are probably going to get caught at some time if we try and mess with the system. I wnat to play it straight.) Just trying to explore different possibilities.

3) I just met someone last weekend who came on a H-3 Trainee Visa for 2 years. (One top guy sponsored her because she was dating one of my friends.) That instilled hope. May be all is not doomed. Imagine losing a gem of a person due to silly INS laws. May be we can bring the girl here sooner than 3 years. 2 years is all I need. Then I can be a citizen and file for her green card.

How does this whole thing work? Do I get the sponsor and the girl get in touch over phone/email etc, have him file the necessary papers? Do I have to get a lawyer for all this? What about the time period for this process? I guess, after she comes over here on an H-3, I could get married to her. (That would be hard. What parent is going to let her daughter go to the US without being married? These things should be done properly, I am all for the proper way, but the circumstances are so screwed up.) Does marriage affect her H-3 status?

Guys, any ideas, suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks a lot. akash
 
kaashi said:
Guys,
Thanks for the interest in my query. May be my langauge wasn't clear. I got a green card through my employer last year Jan 05. When would I be eligible for filing for a citizenship- after 5 ysr have elapsed or after the 4th year? How soon can I bring the girl here permanently from India?

Now the other question about marriage. The lawyers at Fragomen Del Ray et al, advised last year to find a girl here who was on H-1, green card, or a citizenship to avoid all the visa hassles. Indian girls here in the US exposed to the US culture, and their parents, think they are it, that they are above everybody, too many demands. They think that a decent, honest man is not quite good enough for them. We might just be the worst race in all the world. It's a free world and I respect whatever they decide.

I hate the idea of arranged marriage myself but what if one has stumbled upon a gem. If one of you guys introduced me to a girl, and we hit it off, wouldn't that be called an arranged mariage as well. I wouldn't be here exploring all the options if she wasn't worth all that.

Supposing I married her next year, she could visit for a couple months here (if she gets the visa), I could visit over there once a year, we could play this game for another 2-3 years till I am eligible for my citizenship...Do you guys know any other better ideas? I'd really appreciate it. Thanks.
akash
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What is the problem of an Indian girl being exposed to the US culture? Are you saying that there is something wrong with US culture? For your information (and you may know this anyway), Indian girls that are born here, are not very willing to marry a guy from India because he may be doing that just to get his citizenship through her - not because they are "above all". And a "decent guy" will not be badmouthing Indian-American women on the forum just because he could not find someone who would marry him after knowing him for a day. Also, stop this "American culture" insinuations. If your country's culture is better, why do you even try so hard to stay here and " expose" yourself, your future spouse and your future children to this culture?
 
doctorn said:
What is the problem of an Indian girl being exposed to the US culture? Are you saying that there is something wrong with US culture? For your information (and you may know this anyway), Indian girls that are born here, are not very willing to marry a guy from India because he may be doing that just to get his citizenship through her - not because they are "above all". And a "decent guy" will not be badmouthing Indian-American women on the forum just because he could not find someone who would marry him after knowing him for a day. Also, stop this "American culture" insinuations. If your country's culture is better, why do you even try so hard to stay here and " expose" yourself, your future spouse and your future children to this culture?
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Thank you!! From reading his posts, I came to the conclusion that he wants a pure Indian girl. Word on the street is that Indian American girls are not pure enough :rolleyes:
 
If one of you guys introduced me to a girl, and we hit it off, wouldn't that be called an arranged mariage as well. .
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no, over here people date each other for a while before deciding on marriage. Of course there are those like Britney Spears who marry and divorce overnight, but that's rare.
 
I came here seeking legal advice, not to pick fights with people. I am sorry if you guys were offended, that was never the intention. One's experience cannot be communicated very easily. We all have our experiences and opinions, one can argue all one wants, it's a never ending game, so let's just drop it. If you would like to contribute something positive, give me any help regarding the situation, I will appreciate that. Peace.
akash
 
kaashi said:
I came here seeking legal advice, not to pick fights with people. I am sorry if you guys were offended, that was never the intention. One's experience cannot be communicated very easily. We all have our experiences and opinions, one can argue all one wants, it's a never ending game, so let's just drop it. If you would like to contribute something positive, give me any help regarding the situation, I will appreciate that. Peace.
akash
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She should get a visitor's visa and come here. She should apply for visa to visit someone else - not you. Then get married here - and apply for her 130 here, at least she will be with you waiting for her immigartion visa to come through. If you marry her in India and, particularly, if in the US embassy they find out that she is a wife of LPR she will not be given any other visa except the immigrant visa - which is years away.I know people who followed this route and it worked.
 
doctorn said:
She should get a visitor's visa and come here. She should apply for visa to visit someone else - not you. Then get married here - and apply for her 130 here, at least she will be with you waiting for her immigartion visa to come through. If you marry her in India and, particularly, if in the US embassy they find out that she is a wife of LPR she will not be given any other visa except the immigrant visa - which is years away.I know people who followed this route and it worked.
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Hi:

I also know people who have done that and I also know that what you are proposing is illegal. I also know people who have done that who have been denied.
 
pianoplayer said:
Hi:

I also know people who have done that and I also know that what you are proposing is illegal. I also know people who have done that who have been denied.
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OOOPs, sorry, I did not realize that this is illegal - just spoke from the other people's experience. Then please disregard my previous suggestion.
 
Guys,
Thanks so much for the input. I know it's a tough situation. I was reading another post by pianoplayer on a different thread (involving a Pakistani guy in the same situation) and he had mentioned learning patience and being flexible, abiding with the laws etc. You are right about all that. I think patience is key in this case.

Spoke to a lawyer from Fragomen 15 months ago about the similar deal and she said that coming here on a tourist visa and abusing the privilege is not a good idea. It's been done too many times and now they may even send the girl back for a few years. Plus, one can't get a driver's license, medical insurance problems etc, and sooner or later when we do go in to the authorities to get legal, I hurt my chances of getting citizenship and she could possibly be sent back for violating rules.

Could you talk to me about the H-1 or the H-3 Trainee Visa idea? If I could find one of those visas for her, she comes here, I marry her, and she maintains her H-1/H-3 status till she can adjust her status based on my green card...

I live in CT. If I marry an H-1 girl anywhere in the country, do they still have to stay with their employer, maintain H-1, or can they just quit and live with me? Thanks for all the help.
akash
 
kaashi said:
Guys,
Thanks so much for the input. I know it's a tough situation. I was reading another post by pianoplayer on a different thread (involving a Pakistani guy in the same situation) and he had mentioned learning patience and being flexible, abiding with the laws etc. You are right about all that. I think patience is key in this case.

Spoke to a lawyer from Fragomen 15 months ago about the similar deal and she said that coming here on a tourist visa and abusing the privilege is not a good idea. It's been done too many times and now they may even send the girl back for a few years. Plus, one can't get a driver's license, medical insurance problems etc, and sooner or later when we do go in to the authorities to get legal, I hurt my chances of getting citizenship and she could possibly be sent back for violating rules.

Could you talk to me about the H-1 or the H-3 Trainee Visa idea? If I could find one of those visas for her, she comes here, I marry her, and she maintains her H-1/H-3 status till she can adjust her status based on my green card...

I live in CT. If I marry an H-1 girl anywhere in the country, do they still have to stay with their employer, maintain H-1, or can they just quit and live with me? Thanks for all the help.
akash
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Hi:

Your conclusion is correct ---- it would be very wise not to abuse a tourist visa.

Start doing some research about the H1B visa to see if she might qualify. Note, that she needs an employer to start this process, and several other conditions need to be met. Start by looking at the gov. websites and even search for info via google, using discretion as to the sources. I suspect there may be an H1B forum on here too that might have a sticky with information.
It is too much information for me to describe here, so please do some research on your own first. If you have specific questions, feel free to ask.

Do not that she will have to maintain H1B status (or some legal status) in the US if she does not want to accrue unlawful stay and be subject to removal. Therefore, if you want to be together and live together, the employer should probably be in the area near you.
 
This guy sounds scandalous to me. He is trying to get someone who he doesn't know into the country. It just seemed like the girl is a commodity. I heard quite a few stories about Indian women being arranged into marriage and the groom skips out after receiving the dowry from the bride's family. I am not finger pointing or falsely accusing, but something smells foul about this guy's intent to get his "bride" into this country. The last thing we need is another 9/11, except this time, the bad people have greencards.
 
jimmyc said:
This guy sounds scandalous to me. He is trying to get someone who he doesn't know into the country. It just seemed like the girl is a commodity. I heard quite a few stories about Indian women being arranged into marriage and the groom skips out after receiving the dowry from the bride's family. I am not finger pointing or falsely accusing, but something smells foul about this guy's intent to get his "bride" into this country. The last thing we need is another 9/11, except this time, the bad people have greencards.
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Hi:

Quite frankly, I don't understand what the situation is either --- I cannot imagine making all this plans before I even know someone, and I agree that the language suggests her being a "commodity."

However, I shall refrain from a personal judgment. I told him what his options are, and hopefully he will follow a legal route.
 
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