Where do we even start?

[Mjennin2]

New to the forum - I have no idea even where to start.

I'm a born and raised Californian and my fiance is Swedish. We were originally planning on me immigrating to Sweden and getting my MBA, but application wait times are averaging 14-18 months due to the syrian refugee situation in Sweden. I cannot wait 1.5 years to live with my soon-to-be husband, that's absurd. We want to have a family and I'm already 31. Tick-tock, tick-tock.

He wants to pursue higher education as well, so now we are considering him coming to the states to study instead. We wanted to have our wedding once I was able to move to Sweden, but now it's looking like we'll do it in the states. I just don't want it to appear that the only reason we are getting married is so that he can move here.

In any event; is it better for us to get married on one of his trips here and then apply for the spouse visa or..shoot, I don't even know how to navigate this. Or should we get married and then he can apply for a student visa and then we can change status once he gets here?

Also... I'm reading that he is not allowed to work on a student visa; is he allowed to work on a spouse/fiance visa? We're trying to save for a house and such, but that's difficult if I'm the only one pulling an income. Is he allowed to pursue entrepreneurial endeavors? I am supposing not...

You guys... I'm so lost. There is an information overload online and I keep coming up onto horror stories. Just... does anyone know what the right way is to go about doing this?

We live in the free world. I've paid taxes for the past 16 years of my life... it can't be this difficult to just live and make a family with the person I love. Can it?

 

[lvnp]

If he can get student visa that's the fastest of the options you wrote. If he comes as a tourist and you guys get married after it's the absolute shortest path but he might not get in the country with the intention of marriage. Same goes for you guys marrying and him getting student visa in Sweden. The wait time is close to a year if you guys get married abroad and wait him to immigrate not much different than you waiting to get there. Student visa there's no work permit until graduation. Or until he changes his status to permanent resident after the change of status process.

Also if he gets student visa he needs to study a while to prove his point was studying not immigrating before applying change of status.

Spousal immigration (or any kind) is not fast and simple but by no means it's impossible. Just pick the best course of action according to your and your fiancees situation.