I've been thinking about asking my girlfriend (who is Japanese of course...) to tie the knot and move back to the states with me.

I know that after marriage she has the ability to become an American citizen. So how does all of this work? How long does it take? What should we do in the mean time? Can she stay with me in the US or will the government not allow it?

Thanks in advance.

Dude, instead of trusting any knucklehead who might post what-the-fuck-ever on this site why don't you just call the US embassy and ask them?

03 3224 5000

P.S. Good Luck.

All calling the embassy does is get you a taped response that you can just as easily get off the net. We all know that what the rule book says and what actually happens can be very different

Maybe he wants to hear some real world experiences. Can't hurt to ask.

PS I think there are some very smart knuckleheads on this site.

I went to the state [Hawaii] Department of Health's web site for the paperwork and the rules. Read them VERY carefully, there are quite a few deadlines and regulations to follow. As long as you fill out the forms correctly and understand the timeline for the government to process your forms, you will be okay.

Although, my wife doesn't want to change citizenship, so there may be a few more steps to follow after your "interview".

Yes, I would like to know about the experiences of the "knuckleheads" here. Thats why I asked.

GridReaper - Would you mind giving me a bit more detail about your experiences? A timeline? You say your wife doesnt want to change citizenship. I assume there is another option?

Oh, she can remain a Japanese citizen and gain a "Lawful Permanent Resident" status in the U.S., it is just a bitch to do (but not bitchworthy enough to need to hire a lawyer to do the paperwork).

First of all, as early as possible, fill out the forms for a Fiance Visa. This will allow your soon to be wife to come to the U.S.A. to marry and stay indefinitely.

A synopsis of what to do are here:
http://usembassy.state.gov/posts/ja1/wwwh7137b.html

This process can take up to 6 months, so plan ahead.

The easy part is to go to your state's department of health and obtain a wedding license. the trick is to coordinate this with your Fiance Visa, since the US gov't will recognize the marriage if done within three months after her arriving using the fiance visa.

For more info, I suggest going to the US Immigration site. Here is the section for the common questions on the procedure:
http://www.immigration.gov/graphics/faqsgen.htm#marriage

Good luck!

GridReaper's advice is good.

If you can afford a quick trip to Japan there is another, less-well-known way to do this, which will net her a green card (permanent resident visa). If you follow all the directions very carefully, you can do this in fewer steps, and pretty quickly (last time I checked, 2-3 months).

1) Get married in Japan. Hop into the appropriate local government office. Quite easy, cheap, and you will walk out with a kon'in todoke (marriage certificate) in a few minutes. Don't forget to celebrate the momentous occasion with a can of your favorite drink from the vending machine in the corner.

2) Go to the US embassy in Tokyo the next morning. This is one of the embassies that lets you apply for permanent residence directly there. There is a lot of paperwork you need to prepare and bring with you. And cash. On the basis of her being a family member (namely, your wife), she is entitled to permanent resident status, assuming you follow all the steps.

3) You can go home now. Make sure she does not enter the U.S. until she has her temporary green card. It really can screw things up.

4) Later, she will have to have a quick medical examination (at one of a few authorized hospitals).

5) Then, she'll have a short interview in person at the embassy. You don't need to be there. Assuming everything goes OK, she will probably get a temporary green-card equivalent stamp in her passport, on the spot.

6) Now she can come to the U.S. (I think she needs to arrive within 3 months).

I think that getting a green card for a spouse is easier and faster than getting a fiance visa, getting married in the US, and then applying for the green card. Plus, applying in Tokyo lets you skip several months of your application bouncing around the State Department in the U.S. before it just gets sent to Tokyo anyway.

I think the net cost of all the applications is around $300.


Make sure you have studied the directions PLENTY of times and reconfirmed; rules change, and sometimes the government doesn't remember to update all the sets of instructions. DO read the Tokyo embassy's web site. DO read the INS's website. DO call the Tokyo embassy and listen to the taped messages, and talk to a human if you have any other questions, or if any info seems to conflict. DO NOT rely on this message or any other information on this web site! Bring tons of copies of all the paperwork. Make sure you know which hours the right window is open at the embassy.

Also, be aware that there are some pretty serious financial responsibilities.. If I am not mistaken, by sponsoring her for a green card, you are committing (for 10 years) to reimburse the US government for some expenses if your marriage ends. Say she dumps you, stays in the U.S. can't get a job, and starts collecting welfare. The feds are going to come after you and ask you to pay them back.

I am not sure there are a lot of good reasons to change citizenship, whereas there are lots of good reasons to stay Japanese.

Don't pay an immigration attorney to help unless you feel completely overwhelmed by the paperwork or you run into problems. Now that it is so easy to get info about the proceess (via the internet, etc.), they add very little value for the money IMHO.

To GridReaper:

From VISAS website... wrote:Among the documents the foreign fiance(e) must gather and retain are police clearances from countries where he or she lived for more than six months after reaching the age of sixteen, an affidavit and evidence of financial support from the U.S. sponsor

What exactly do they mean by "and evidence of finacial support from the U.S. sponsor"? I would have to provide proof that I could support her financially? If so, does that mean bank accounts, proof that I have a job, or do I need to show I'm making a certain amount of money?

P.S. Would you mind if we talked by e-mail? It would be greatly helpful if I could talk to someone else who is going through/has gone through what I may attempt. Shoot me an e-mail at scenik_sc@yahoo.com

To: omae mona

Thanks for providing an alternative. Are you speaking from experience or do you work for the embassy or something?
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40 Fl. oz. wrote: Are you speaking from experience or do you work for the embassy or something?

I am the guy that frisks you at the front door.

(just kidding.. I went through this a few years back)

You know, there used to be a great web site that explained all the ways to do this, and fortunately, it was available when I was starting this procecss. Then a bunch of asshole lawyers (actually, the bar association for the state where the web site was operating) wrote a letter to the web site owners. They informed the owners that by explaining the law in terms normal people could understand, they were actually "practicing law", which was illegal without being a licensed attorney. Personally, I doubt that would hold up in court, and obviously what was really going on is that immigration attorneys complained, since they (correctly) thought this would cut into business. But who wants to get into a lawsuit against the bar association itself? The web site owners just gave up and took down the site.