Your spouse can’t live with you on a visitor’s visa
Q. I am a United States citizen who recently married my fiancé here in Jamaica. I’m arranging for my husband’s immigrant visa and getting together all the documents. In the meantime, I hope my husband can be with me in the US. Can he come on his tourist visa to live with me while we sort out his immigrant visa?
A. That’s great news! Congratulations on your recent wedding! Now, the not-so-great news: Your spouse cannot come and live with you on B1/B2 visitor’s visa while you prepare to file his petition.
Your spouse’s B1/B2 visitor’s visa is intended for just that — temporary visits. He should not use it to live with you while you are completing the paperwork for his immigrant visa.
You may have heard that some types of immigrant visa can take years. This is not the case for spouses of US citizens. The process is much shorter, but in order for the two of you to live together legally in the United States, you should file the petition as soon as possible. Once his immigrant visa case is processed to its conclusion, he would be entering the United States as a legal, permanent resident, and your lives together will be fully compliant with US immigration law. Best wishes to you both, and please consult our website if you need further guidance as to how to complete his immigrant visa.
Reminder
We would just like to remind everyone, especially during the busy holiday period, to arrive no more than 15 minutes before your scheduled appointment time. If you come early, you’ll just be waiting.
You can find more information about how to travel to the US on our website, www.kingston.usembassy.gov and the website of our authorised service provider at
www.usvisa-info.com. Keep on top of embassy news on ourFacebook page,www.facebook.com/pages/US-Embassy-Jamaica, and by following@USEmbassyJA onTwitter. We also answer general visa questions on ourFacebook andTwitter pages.
The embassy staff in Kingston will answer questions you may have regarding the US Mission, including consular law, regulations and/or practice. In order to respect privacy, staff will not answer questions about specific visa applications. The embassy employs a visa appointment system, so it is only necessary for visa applicants to arrive 15 minutes before their scheduled appointment. Send your questions to:
