Marriage after winning DV lottery
Dear Rajiv:
First of all, thank you so much for this great community service.
I realize my situation has been discussed several times before in this forum, however there are several points I do not understand clearly and would like your opinion.
My situation:
I am currently in the U.S. on H1B visa and my girlfriend of 8 years on F1 visa. I was selected for DV-2008 (Asia region) and expect that my number will become current in July or August. I am deciding whether I should get married before my number becomes current.
My Questions:
Question 1: If I get married before my number becomes current,
1.1) According to the discussions in this forum, there is a risk that my girlfriend and I will be denied of green cards if the consulate officer thinks the marriage is entered into for the purpose of getting green cards and not genuine. We genuinely want to marry each other and stay together after our marriage. Based on your experience, what is the possibility of getting denied of green cards in this kind of situation and is there anything we can do to reduce the risk?
1.2) If the green cards are denied, does it mean that my current H1B and my girlfriend’s F1 visas will be automatically revoked?
1.3) If the green cards are denied, will we be able to obtain non-immigrant visas in the future?
Question 2: If I get married after I get a green card and apply for a green card for my girlfriend,
2.1) Is the wait time around 5+ years for my girlfriend to get a green card?
2.2) During the wait period, will my girlfriend be able to maintain her F1 visa or come to U.S. via, for example, a travel visa? Or she will not be eligible for any non-immigrant visas during that time?
Question 3: If I get married after I get a green card but do not apply for a green card for my girlfriend,
3.1) Will my girlfriend have any problems applying for non-immigrant visas because her husband is a green card holder?
3.2) Do you have any other suggestions for us?
Dear Rajiv:
First of all, thank you so much for this great community service.
I realize my situation has been discussed several times before in this forum, however there are several points I do not understand clearly and would like your opinion.
My situation:
I am currently in the U.S. on H1B visa and my girlfriend of 8 years on F1 visa. I was selected for DV-2008 (Asia region) and expect that my number will become current in July or August. I am deciding whether I should get married before my number becomes current.
My Questions:
Question 1: If I get married before my number becomes current,
1.1) According to the discussions in this forum, there is a risk that my girlfriend and I will be denied of green cards if the consulate officer thinks the marriage is entered into for the purpose of getting green cards and not genuine. We genuinely want to marry each other and stay together after our marriage. Based on your experience, what is the possibility of getting denied of green cards in this kind of situation and is there anything we can do to reduce the risk?
1.2) If the green cards are denied, does it mean that my current H1B and my girlfriend’s F1 visas will be automatically revoked?
1.3) If the green cards are denied, will we be able to obtain non-immigrant visas in the future?
Question 2: If I get married after I get a green card and apply for a green card for my girlfriend,
2.1) Is the wait time around 5+ years for my girlfriend to get a green card?
2.2) During the wait period, will my girlfriend be able to maintain her F1 visa or come to U.S. via, for example, a travel visa? Or she will not be eligible for any non-immigrant visas during that time?
Question 3: If I get married after I get a green card but do not apply for a green card for my girlfriend,
3.1) Will my girlfriend have any problems applying for non-immigrant visas because her husband is a green card holder?
3.2) Do you have any other suggestions for us?