steps for marrying an american?

hello!

i have some questions regarding marrying an american. i am canadian and my bf is american. we have the eventual goal of marrying. i am not sure what papers need to be filled out to marry and go to the US. we would like to do everything the legal way and ready before we get married and i move to the states. I am an RN, so i know that i working in the US will not be a problem and wont be hard to get a working visa due to my education and credidentials. Our plan is to get married in canada then i would move to the US. or is there a better way? (i am open to suggestions).

so, when is the best time (or how long in advance)to get the "paperwork" started before we get married? how long does it take? where would i find the proper paperwork to fill out? should i have my working visa before getting married and move to the US? not sure of the best way to do it.

i would hate to be "stranded" in the US for any amount of time. or to be married and not be able to be with my husband in the US due to some glitch in the paperwork steps.

any other suggestions?

thanks for the help!

If your plan is to immigrate to the US and live here permanently, DO NOT get a work visa. Get a spouse or fiance visa.

If you really want to be married in Canada, then After you get married, your then husband will petition for a K3 and/or CR1 spouse visa for you.

If you want to get married in the US, then he can petition for a K1 fiancee visa for you.

For more information on marriage based immigration, go to www.visajourney.com and read the FAQs and Guides there, and the message boards. Tonnes of info there, and thousands of couples going thru the same thing.

I married an American and am now in the US with him. First I got a K3 visa, then after I arrived, applied for Adjustment of Status, and got a Green Card.

There are a few options, but none of them are a work visa. Work visas are not really made for permanent immigration, spousal visas are.

What should I do? I am ready to move to the US in 6 weeks with my 18yr old daughter. Should I get married first ( in the US) and have him petition me as a K1 or wait until we get there....how difficult will it be for us to enter the US?

Ready to move to the USA really has nothing to do with it!! Check out visajourney.com has ALL the steps there. One can NOT just decide to goto the USA and KNOWINGLY stay, thats illegal! k1 (fiance visa) takes 6-8 months to complete. You get married in the USA, after you get the visa. If yoour already married, you can go the k3 or Cr-1 route--usually best to go the cr-1, as its the better visa over the k3)

And the question that gets asked pretty much on a daily basis on VisaJourney (VJ) is can I visit while the process is ongoing??? And the answer is YES, BUT it is up to the Port of Entry (POE) officer! One needs tobring evidence that you WILL be returning to canada, that ur only going to VISIT, and not STAY inthe USA! Letter from employer, mortgage/lease, etc. You can stay --again up to POE officer) for 6 months.

There is a CANADA forum on VJ

http://www.visajourney.com/faq/k1faq.htm

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index ... ge=compare

CR-1 Guide (I-130): http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index ... i130guide1

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index ... owforum=93