hoping to move to america

[markydoyle]

hi, i was hoping someone could help me out here. im from and living in Ireland.my girlfriend is American. i understand how i could move to America through work, but at the moment that is not possible.i want to go over and propose.and if she says yes,can i stay there and find a job.im a business graduate who has been working in management for awhile now.we have been going out together for a number of years, with me traveling over every few months for a week or two.
my question is, if she does say yes. do we just fill out a visa marriage form,therefore letting me find a job straight away?or do i have to leave the country and return on a marriage visa?how long does that process take? do i have to buy a return ticket before i go over just for customs and legal reasons....
please can someone help..
thanks
oh and another question. i have a 2:2 ba(hons)degree in business...how does that translate to American major?

[Bevdeforges]

Hi and welcome to the forum!

The short answer is that, if your girlfriend accepts your proposal, yes you will have to return back home to apply for a fiancé visa. The gory details are here:
How Do I Bring My Fiancé(e) to the United States? (She will have to start the process in motion by "petitioning" for your visa application.)

But - the good news is that there is no reason you can't start looking for a job in the US before you go over to propose. Explain your situation in your cover letter and see if you can at least schedule an interview or two while you're on your "proposal trip." Permission to work comes pretty quickly after you have returned to the US on the fiancé visa and if you already have a potential employer waiting to hire you, so much the better.

The US immigration people steadfastly refuse to even estimate how long the visa process will take - in part because there's quite a bit of collection of documents on your side (and for your fiancée) that can take weeks or months, depending on your situation. You also have to have a visa interview at the US Consulate and these can take a while to schedule. (The interview itself lasts about 10 minutes.) Count on at least 3 to 6 months - although if all goes smoothly, you could be pleasantly surprised.
Cheers,
Bev

[markydoyle]

cheers for your help.lets hope she says yes.....

[RICHNTRISH]

Save the airfare and email or text her your proposal .

[markydoyle]

not the most romantic idea is it??
don't think she'd me too pleased...

[synthia]

Use the proposal trip to sound out job opportunities. At least that way you'll have an idea of what you are up against. The economy isn't terribly strong right now.