Hello,
I hope I chose the right subforum and do everything right as this is my first post
I am a self-employed wedding photographer currently based in Germany (German citizen), working in Germany, the rest of Europe and next year in the US. I've been self-employed since March 2010 and achieved a certificate in photo design at a German distance learning university (no bachelor or something, just an officially recognized certificate).
My fiance is a employed web developer finishing his education at a German typo3 web agency. He would prefer to finish the last year of his education and maybe work their for a few month to add some more money to our savings.
We would like to move to California as soon as possible (I am planning to do this for 7 years now, since I was 15). He will be finished in July next year and I can go whenever needed and would fly back for booked weddings if necessary.
Of course we participate in the Green Card lottery but that didn't work until now. So I am looking for other options.
I want to be self-employed as a couple and wedding photographer as I am now and as a befriended photographer is leaving the US next year, she already booked me some weddings referring me to her customer base. So I won't be without any customers to start with.
My fiance will be looking for an employed job as a web developer. He is highly motivated in learning and this way learned a lot more than he would've in his education, not only by working on all my web pages client management and gallery tools and whatever else I asked him for
So, for him the H1-B seems to be the right choice even if it will be hard to find an employer who is willing to sponsor a H1-B. Am I right about this or are there other possibilities?
And for me it might be a business visa but I am not sure about that. What would I need to get a visa to work as a self-employed photographer? What would be my chances?
And if one of us gets a visa, what would be about the other one? Could he/I come (we'll be getting married before moving)? Would he/I be allowed to work or just to stay?
I would appreciate your help as the Green Card/Visa problem is one of the last unsolved problems.
Thank you!
Kate
I hope I chose the right subforum and do everything right as this is my first post
I am a self-employed wedding photographer currently based in Germany (German citizen), working in Germany, the rest of Europe and next year in the US. I've been self-employed since March 2010 and achieved a certificate in photo design at a German distance learning university (no bachelor or something, just an officially recognized certificate).
My fiance is a employed web developer finishing his education at a German typo3 web agency. He would prefer to finish the last year of his education and maybe work their for a few month to add some more money to our savings.
We would like to move to California as soon as possible (I am planning to do this for 7 years now, since I was 15). He will be finished in July next year and I can go whenever needed and would fly back for booked weddings if necessary.
Of course we participate in the Green Card lottery but that didn't work until now. So I am looking for other options.
I want to be self-employed as a couple and wedding photographer as I am now and as a befriended photographer is leaving the US next year, she already booked me some weddings referring me to her customer base. So I won't be without any customers to start with.
My fiance will be looking for an employed job as a web developer. He is highly motivated in learning and this way learned a lot more than he would've in his education, not only by working on all my web pages client management and gallery tools and whatever else I asked him for
So, for him the H1-B seems to be the right choice even if it will be hard to find an employer who is willing to sponsor a H1-B. Am I right about this or are there other possibilities?
And for me it might be a business visa but I am not sure about that. What would I need to get a visa to work as a self-employed photographer? What would be my chances?
And if one of us gets a visa, what would be about the other one? Could he/I come (we'll be getting married before moving)? Would he/I be allowed to work or just to stay?
I would appreciate your help as the Green Card/Visa problem is one of the last unsolved problems.
Thank you!
Kate