Marriage question

[blueshirt]

Hi, trying to get a head start on what seems like a very confusing road and would like some general directions.

I am a US citizen. I am currently seriously dating a French Citizen. She is here on a 3 month visitor's visa and is due to leave the country early July with the intention of returning again under another 3 month visitor visa.

We understand that at some point she will be refused entry to the US under the visitor visa. She is currently looking for schools but not being able to work in the US combined with no financial aid makes the cost of school very difficult.

Although we are very serious I don’t think either one of us wants to be forced into marriage. We both feel like marriage is in our future but just not immediate future, so we are trying to explore our options and be prepared for what lies ahead. If the only option to stay together is to get married, we are both would commit to that but would prefer to live our life on our time table, not a governments.

Any suggestions as to what our best course should be?

IF/when we do get married it will most likely be in France. So I'm not sure a Fiancé visa would work since it says we have to get married in USA. What types of problems will we be faced with trying to come back?


Thank you

 

[Helper2]

My friend did that

My friend was married outside the country to his British fiancee. It took the US government 15 months to allow her back into this country as his wife and she wasn't allowed to visit while her status was in limbo.(I think)

My wife is from Poland so it was even hard for her to get here on a visitor visa...She speaks english, has a college degree, was young with nothing that would insure she go home so the USA didn't even want to let her come here to be the maid of honor at her friend's wedding. I would think they would want people like this. Anyway we met in Poland, and clicked immediatly and I went over there 3 times in about 2 years. Talked every weekend on the phone and emailed pretty much every day. We wanted to be together and since she had been denied for a visa twice already just to visit, she applied as an au pair because we werent ready to get married yet. She worked for a family which wasnt very far from my home for about 9 months. When we couldn't handle it anymore, we saught out the help of a immigration lawyer in the area who was nice enough to guide us for free. Two weeks later, we eloped in front of a Justice of the Peace in his living room for $100, and then filed the paperwork at immigration. We also filed a special form that allowed her to travel home and come back into the country with no problem while we were waiting for her status to change.
We then had a huge wedding in Poland the following year! So the way we did it is we eloped here just for legality, and then planned our real wedding when we felt it was right. We actually eloped in June 2003 and had our wedding in Poland in June 2004..by that time, my wife had her green card and we had already went for our first meeting with Immigration. Anyway, I think if you plan things out and get help everything can go very smoothly.
Then you don't have to wait for that Fiancee visa.
Immigration wanted her to go home first and apply for a fiancee visa..I am so happy we had the help of a lawyer,because I think we were not supposed to do what we did, but it worked. Immigration will never tell you that you can get married and stay together while status is changing. They were so rude to us when we first called and asked about it.

If you do this, make sure you have lots of photos you can bring to your first immigration meeting showing your relationship. The woman we had looked for seasons to show time had passed and we weren't just faking it. By the time you have your first meeting, try to also have statements with you that show you have car insurance together, health insurance, bank stuff etc.. so they see you r are legitimate. Be prepared to tell the story of how you met also...
Good luck!

I am not a lawyer, this is just my experience. Take it for what it is worth.