Читать книгу U.S. Citizenship For Dummies - Jennifer Gagliardi - Страница 58

In order for a U.S. citizen to bring their foreign-born fiancé(e) to the United States, the citizen must file a Form I-129F with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). See Visas for Fiancé(e)s of U.S. Citizens at www.uscis.gov/family/family-of-us-citizens/visas-for-fiancees-of-us-citizens. After the form is approved, USCIS forwards the petition to the relevant U.S. embassy or consulate abroad. The embassy or consulate then contacts the fiancé(e) to schedule a visa interview. The U.S. citizen and their foreign-born fiancé(e) must marry within 90 days from the day the fiancé(e) enters the country.

If you have already married, plan to marry outside the United States, or your fiancé(e) is already residing legally in the United States, your spouse or fiancé(e) is not eligible for a fiancé(e) visa. Go to the Bringing Spouses to Live in the United States as Permanent Residents web page for more information about how to help your foreign spouse apply for a green card (www.uscis.gov/family/bring-spouse-to-live-in-US).

You and your fiancé(e) may be romantics, but the USCIS is not. They don’t automatically assume you will actually marry. After the wedding, the U.S. citizen must again contact the USCIS to change their spouse’s immigration status from nonimmigrant to lawful permanent resident.

The U.S. government believes that the countries accepted in the VWP are not likely to compromise U.S. law-enforcement or national-security interests — including the enforcement of immigration laws. Countries can be added or deleted from the program at any time, so be sure to consult the U.S. Department of State for the latest information (go to https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/tourism-visit/visa-waiver-program.html for information). There are over 40 countries on the Visa Waiver Program list, including most European countries, Australia, Brunei, Chile, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan. Although not specifically listed as a Visa Waiver country, Canada’s citizens and landed immigrants also can enter the Untied States for business or pleasure without visas.

In order to travel without a visa on the VWP, you must have authorization through the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) prior to boarding a U.S.-bound air or sea carrier. ESTA is a web-based system operated by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to determine eligibility to travel under the VWP to the United States for tourism or business. Visit the ESTA web page on the CBP website for more information (https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/esta).