Marriage to Us Citizen Under J1 Visa - Where and When
I am an EU citizen that entered the US in January 2009 on a J1 visa (not-subject to 2-year rule) expiring in mid-May. I am engaged to a US citizen and want to stay and work in the US after my J visa expires.
Will getting married 3 months after entry and then applying for a family visa raise suspicions of fraud? We have been a couple for around 2 years, but have never officially resided together. Also, is it better to have the wedding (and the application for my family visa) in the US or abroad? What if we get married in the US after my visa expires during the grace period?
Thanks for the help!
Re: Marriage to Us Citizen Under J1 Visa - Where and When
If you want to know the risks, we can tell you those. But you already seem to know the risks.
If you want to know your best course of action, consult an immigration lawyer who can advise you based upon the full facts and circumstances of your case. We have to go with the conservative approach here - following the law to the letter. It would be foolish of us to tell you that it's okay to try to circumvent or ignore the law, and even more foolish of you to listen.