Spousal Visa To Usa

[Edmund Pickett]

I'm a US citizen and have been married to an Argentine woman for a year. We were married here (in Bariloche) and we're going to apply for a spousal visa to the US for her. My wife was born in BA to English parents and is bilingual and also has British citizenship.
We've read the embassy pages about this and also checked out the website of a lawyer who specializes in this field. Of course he thinks we need his services. Do we? I'd like to hear from someone who's gone through this process recently.
Thanks.

 

[RichardP]

I don't see why you would need a lawyer. You should be able to make an appointment with a consular official who should be able to clarify the details.
If your wife holds a British passport, you might consider doing a quickie marriage at your local courthouse back home and avoid all the paperwork from here if you plan to stay in the US.

 

[Farenheit]

RichardP, if they're married already why would they need to get married again? Besides, if you enter US on tourist visa waiver and get married there, it's illegal to stay on and try to change your status. You could get deported.

 

[RichardP]

if you enter US on tourist visa waiver and get married there, it's illegal to stay on and try to change your status. You could get deported.

Fair enough. I'm not up to date on recent changes. This is what I did with my Argentine wife several years ago.

 

[sesamosinsal]

You don't need a lawyer. If you both will be going to the U.S. to live permanently, the process for obtaining an immigrant visa is described in detail here: http://travel.state.gov/visa/immigrants/types/types_2991.html

 

[Tucumana]

You don't need a lawyer, but there is help out there, and you will need it.

Go to:

www.visajourney.com

This website will give you all the info you need to apply for a visa and then all of the other immigration hurdles that come after it (and there are lots of them!).

Don't bother with the consulate. In my experience they are not there to help you apply for a visa. No government official is. That is not their job. In fact, more often their job seems to be to make sure you are applying for a visa based on a bona-fide marriage.

My husband and I applied for a fiance visa for him before we married (he's from Argentina, I'm from USA). At first we used an attorney and then found this site and realized we wasted $3000. We have since used their guides and forums to apply for permanent residency (green card) and then US citizenship.

Good luck!