With much excitement going to happen in the next two months, its necessary for Neeraj and I to think ahead. We need some advice and I hope someone out there will read this post and give us a suggestion.
There are many types of visa that Neeraj can apply for to come to the USA prior to marrying me or after. The two main ones are: fiancee and spouse. Just recently I have heard about a third visa which would get Neeraj here in the USA with work authorization in two months. That requires us to show our marriage certificates to the US embassy during the time of applying for the visa. That’a all the information I have on that visa.
Fiancee visa requires first for me to apply at the US embassy here in the USA, then Neeraj will have an interview at the embassy in India where he will require him to show all of his legal documents (birth certificate, police certificates, etc..), photos of us together, any phone bills, and maybe even invitation to our engagement function (which we haven’t decided on even having as of yet). Then after this interview, there will be another interview that happens two or three months later. Overall this visa processing can take up to six months.
Spouse visa requires you to show your marriage certificate, and I think due to the queue it has been said that it takes up to one year or year and half for processing.
That’s the information in a nutshell. Now if you have a friend-of a friend-of a friend who might have already gone through this process and have some idea on which route to take, please leave a comment. We really need some feedback on this and don’t have too many resources, humanly resources, to rely upon so your help would be greatly appreciated. 
[UPDATE - 21st October - 3.58 PM]
Good link with lots of nice information about all the different kinds of visas. Nebraska Service Center is the center that processes fiancee visa (K1) applications (I-129F forms) and they are still processing applications from July 2004. Spousal visa (K3/CR 1) applications are being processed for those who applied in October 2003.
So it seems that fiancee is the way to go, they are only two months behind schedule.
99% that I am going towards fiancee visa after doing all this research. I am going to start filling out the I-129F form ASAP.
Alvida. Jai Mata Di.
[...] [...]
One person that I know applied for spouse VISA, got it processed in 4 years
Poonam, i think i know someone who has got this thinggie done, will mail you as soon as i hear from the other person :D
Was he a US citizen? Do keep in mind that I am a US citizen and it should not take that long for me. At tops a spouse visa should take year and half. But thanks anyway, Ankur.
Hey Monty, yes do email me when you get the info, i am very behchaan for the info.
Hi Poonam,
my friends sister got married to a guy from USA n went with to US in like a months time… they got married in india though.
yeah v imp to show the marriage certificate n the wedding invitation.
Most of my friends on H1B visas were also able to get their wives there in like 3 weeks time…
Where do u plan to get married ? i dont think what neeraj can do is goto the US counsulate n get the info and u can do the same over there…
Hi Kunal
Thanks for your comment! That’s really interesting — do you happen to know what was the name of the visa of the first situation (regarding ur friend’s sister)?
Neeraj and I will be eventually getting married in India next year, but I want him to be able to come with me immediately after marriage.
That’s the reason that I would like a surefire plan to achieve this goal.
Going to the US consulate is an interesting thought, even I have found information on the net, but sometimes they are just too vague. They just have the general standards, we would really like to know what is the actual process from people who have gone thru it.
If you have any more information, especially the name of that visa that they had used, please do leave a comment again.
I think (not sure) she went on dependent visa… 99% thats the one. but once she went there after a while she was able to start work… dont know what formalities she had to go thru…
hey y do u want him to be there asap when u can take him along ! hehe
have already written to my frnd abt the same… they did travel together n in one frnds case his wife was able to travel next day !
Have a nice day !!! n
Hmm..interesting Kunal. There are really only two main visas: fiancee or spouse. She might have gone on the spouse. Not sure.
Maybe I wasn’t clear previously but Neeraj and I would get married in India and then leave for USA soon after. So I was saying is that I don’t want the situation where I leave and he has to stay back in India for a month or so for his visa processing. I want everything done ahead of time so that after marriage we can go to USA together.
Does that make sense?
Sorry for being unclear earlier.
Thanks and I appreciate your help. If you have any info about the visa, do let me know.
Have a good day!
Hey poonam,
he can go with u on H4 visas… my frnd got those done in 2 days… one day inthe court to get the marriage certificate n one day his wife had to go for the interview to the counsulate… with all the paperwork ofcourse… so at most u will hv to be in india for like 2 weeks max n then leave together…
2 weeks coz now u hv to apply first n wait for an interview call… dont know if u can apply before ur marriage…
best thing ask neeraj to pay a visit to the counsulate… its in town… breach candy… he will get all the info there… although u hv tons of time…
tc
dont worry :)
yeah i guess poonam, getting an H4 visa is not a hassle, it gets done usually in like a months time max. Will try to get more info on that.
Kunal & Jai, I am not looking for H4 visa information because in that visa the spouse does not get a social security number hence is not able to work.
That’s why I need information on fiancee or spouse visa that will make Neeraj eligible to work in the USA immediately.
If you have any information about that thru ur friends, then please let me know.
Thanks!
Hi poonam,
once neeraj reaches US he can get a SSN n also start working after some formalities… its no big deal…
Ooops
_itsme_ says:
and Dipti came as spouse of Citizen
kuNal says:
ok
kuNal says:
how much time did dipti take to get the visas
1 year
kuNal says:
o
kuNal says:
so when did she apply
_itsme_ says:
after marriage
kuNal says:
o so she was here for an year ?
_itsme_ says:
yes
kuNal says:
o o
_itsme_ says:
something cooking for ya
_itsme_ says:
kuNal says:
nopes
kuNal says:
a frnd
kuNal says:
she is a citizen of US n her fiance here
_itsme_ says:
nice
kuNal says:
cant he go on some other visa
_itsme_ says:
He can go on fiance’ visa
kuNal says:
ok
To your first comment Kunal, on H4, the process of receiving SSN and work authorization is a much longer process comparatively to fiancee visa or spouse. With the latter visas, Neeraj is able to come with the ability to work the minute he steps foot into the USA.
For your second comment, thanks for the info… it seems that it took Dipti longer than what we would like.
Thanks for all of your help. I guess I will keep searching.
Thanks for giving me comment and we enjoying lot at Durga puja
:roll::grin:
see, he can always come in on an H4, get a job which sponsors his H1 and then he can start working!
I mean if he already has a job which he wants to join in immediately, they can always do his H1 – so that u guys dont have to go thru the hassle of the spouse visa.
You are welcome Sreetama
! Jai Mata Di!
Jai, there are more hassles in H4, believe me, then in fiancee/spouse. Going thru the hassle of finding a company that will sponsor your H1 visa — will take months!
With a fiancee/spouse visa, we will fill out the I-194 work authorization form — voila, he is able to work immediately.
My problem is this: fiancee, spouse, or two-month visa?? Which one to choose. I don’t have a lot of information on this two-month visa (I have just heard about it). So that’s why I need some information on that or how long it really takes for either fiancee or spouse.
Thanks for your help.
no input on this one from me, but choose an option where u both can be together at all times after tying the knot.
No problem Chetan. Doing exactly what you have said — s visa that will make sure that we will be together immediately after getting married.
If you do find any info, by chance, let us know!
ok people lets get this clear. he cant come on H4 visa at all.. he can only come on h4 visa IF and IF Poonam is on H1 which she is not. So, the scenario here is totally different. Well what he could do is come on H1 visa if he thinks that possible. cause that is what my cousin did. But inorder to get an H1 visa from there he needs somoene whose going to sponser his job and stuff here….the positive part of getting an H1 from India is that he can travel from US to India whenever he wants. if he comes here and then gets an H1 it might not be that easy. so if he thinks he can get a sponsor (for his job) he shuld go for the H1 visa, and then later on when he comes here u can file for his greencard while he is in US on H1. i think thts the best option cause tht is what my cousin is “kinda” doing.
Yes Rachna you got it, H4 is out of the question. H1 takes FOREVER for processing.
Fiancee = six months (if even that)
Spouse = not really sure.. ppl say one year. But still need more info.
Then there is a two month visa that gets your spouse here in two months. I don’t have much information about it.
Doing H1 is not a good idea because companies are not eagerly sponsoring H1 and I don’t want to get in that jhanjat.
It will be either fiancee, spouse, or the two month visa. Now its time to decide which one to do.
oooo….lot of info. just wanted to know that if the above mentioned time estimates (comment # 20) are for citijens only or for permanent residents too?
its only for US citizens Gaurav. For permanent residents its different. I think its easier for them (dependent on where you are located).
me @ CA if its easier then its even better :) thnx for the info!!
Sure no problem Gaurav.
I know that in CA its easier to get spouse visa (for those who are married in US citizens 
). Let me know if I can be assistance of any further.
Shaadi ho gayi, yaa phir hone wali hai?
Where in CA? My family used to live in Encino.
I wasn’t very found of CA. Good place to visit, not to settle. 
Am a Permanent Resident n abhi shaadi nahi hui….looking fwd in…few mnths, yrs? dunno
I am at Bay Area. Its a good place to live, but too xpensive :|
Y dunn u like CA? v got governator here.
Aacha Gaurav few months yaa phir few years?
bole toh abhi tak kuch fix hi nahi hua hai lag raha hai. 
best of luck to you!
Encino itself was a nice place but CA is too crowded for me. Midwest is great. I live in a gaon here…:rotfl: we only have 15,000 people in our city and i love it. My family, in general, didn’t like CA.
Soch soch ki baat hai.
I have applied for my I129f (spouse K3) wife on March 2004. Although, the INS web saying they are processing Aug 2004, we are still did not get the approval until now (14 months later). We have been working with our congressman on this, but, we always get that it is still processing.
If I new better, I would have applied it as fiance visa and would have got it in 6 months.
I would suggest going through this route rather than H, F , K3 (spouse) or vistor visass.
Good luck!!
-Emad
Thanks for coming to our site Emad. It seems that we have made the right decision. I had applied for Neeraj’s fiancee visa in February and we have now gotten the approval letter in April. We are now waiting for his interview call.
Best of luck to you!
Hello friends,
I require more information on H4 visa, as I’ll be getting married next month & the xcompany is sponsoring H1B visa for my would-by & H4 visa for me. What are the formalities for H4 visa, from the above & the researches made so far, I came to know that the spouse can’t work.
Also let me know what has to be done for H4 type of visa, what paperwork is required for the spouse, do I have to write any test or something? What kind of interview will be held, can this kind of visa be later converted to H1, if we migrate somewhere in US, if my would-be wuits his current job after going to US? Advice me on this friends. All the Best Poonam!
Thanks for coming to our website Preeti.
Unfortunately I don’t know anything about H-4 visa. Sorry.