Marriage Between U.S. Citizen and French Citizen
My question involves marriage law for the State of: Pennsylvania
Hi!
I am French and I live and work in Philly under an E2 visa-investor visa for a specific company. I have been in the US a couple of time before already, under J1 visas only.
My boyfriend, who is a US citizen, just asked me to marry him. We are not sure about the procedures to follow... we are not in a hurry because my visa ends in 2014, but still... we are preparing ourselves... we plan on getting married in the US.
What to do? What not to do? What are the different steps?
Thanks in advance for your help :)
Re: Marriage Between U.S. Citizen and French Citizen
Just like any other couple, you apply for a marriage license then get married. In many states you must now present proof that you're lawfully in the U.S. before you can get a marriage license; I'm not sure about Pennsylvania.
If you're asking about adjustment of status after marriage, there are hundreds of threads discussing that process in the immigration forums.
Re: Marriage Between U.S. Citizen and French Citizen
If I were to marry my French girlfriend, would that make things easier? How so?
Also, what advantages and disadvantages are there for an American to become a French citizen?
Re: Marriage Between U.S. Citizen and French Citizen
No proof of status (or even residency in PA) is required (only requirement is that the wedding take place in PA). All you need is proof of identity and age, of which your passport will be fine. If you were previously married, you'll need to provide proof of the dissolution of that marriage (divorce, annulment, death certificate). If it is written in a foreign language you will need to provide a written translation into English. There is a three day waiting period in PA from the time you apply and the license is issued.