Hi!
First off, I'm a Canadian, if that affects anything
I have been in a relationship for five years with my boyfriend. For the first three years, we were long-distance, as he lived in the Mid West USA and I lived in Canada on the Pacific Coast. We spent a lot of time visiting each other however, and knew pretty soon into it that we wanted to get married. He moved out to the coast in April 2011 and I obtained an F-1 student visa September 2011 and we have lived together for 2 years now. Our goal originally was for us to get married and to immigrate to Canada, and so when I entered the US I had no intentions of immigrating--and therefore I was perfectly truthful in my intentions for my F-1 visa.
However, we have come across some hitches in a Canadian immigration for him (he has a DUI on his record from a while back, which Canada has additional rules about) and due to that and our financial situation, we have decided it would probably be easier for us to choose to stay on the American side...meaning I would become a Permanent Resident. I have kept my F-1 visa status completely up to date and have a few years remaining before it expires. My background is spotless and I am a pre-medicine student. From my research, I have seen that I should be eligible to do the 'concurrent filing' process, in which we both petition for me as a spouse and for my visa change at the same time. My questions are....
How long does this generally take? I looked at the nearest center's processing times and the dates were very confusing. I would just like a ballpark idea.
What can I do while I'm waiting to become a PR? I am starting my junior year at university this Fall, and I want to keep going at school--even if it's part time for a while.
Around how much does this process cost? We're very tight in finances right now. I've figured it's about $2000 for filing all the forms...is that about right?
Thank you very much in advance for any tips, advice or suggestions I might receive!![]()


