Green card paperwork question

[rgoff1981]

I am a US citizen and just got engaged to my Brazilian girlfriend. We are planning to get married at the end of December and submit the green card paperwork in February (I-485, I-130, etc). First of all, is it okay to wait 2 months after getting married to submit the green card paperwork? Secondly, we are currently living in different US cities and will be living apart until the end of February because of obligations she has with her host family. I am concerned that living apart for 2 months after our marriage would raise red flags for immigration. Is this true? Lastly, what kind of proof do you need to show immigration about the legitimacy of the marriage? I know there is an interview a few months after you begin the process. Is this the time you need to show proof or do you need to send proof with the initial green card paperwork? I'm just concerned about the fact that we will be living apart for a couple months after marriage. However, by a potential interview would occur, we would have lived together for at least of few months. Thanks for any and all help.

 

[ImmigAttyLana]

Is your fiancee in the US or in Brazil? If in the US, when did she enter and in what status? It is ok to wait to file all the paperwork, but why? Also, as far as having two different addresses, it is all right as it happens frequently enough with people who are studying or working in different cities or states but then you will have to document even more so that the marriage is bona fide.

Please let me know if you have any additional questions or how I can be of further assistance to you in this matter.

 

[rgoff1981]

Is your fiancee in the US or in Brazil? If in the US, when did she enter and in what status? It is ok to wait to file all the paperwork, but why? Also, as far as having two different addresses, it is all right as it happens frequently enough with people who are studying or working in different cities or states but then you will have to document even more so that the marriage is bona fide.

Please let me know if you have any additional questions or how I can be of further assistance to you in this matter.

Thank you very much for your response. My fiancee is currently living in the US. She is here as an Au Pair exchange student on a J1 visa. Her current VISA started in May 2009 and will end in Feb 2010. However, this is her second stint in the US with this same VISA, the last one from April 2008-April 2009 which is when we met. We want to wait to file the green card paperwork because she is committed to taking care of her host families kids until the end of Feb and I heard that if you start the green card paperwork, your current VISA essentially expires and she would be working for her host family illegally and would also be kicked out of the Au Pair Program. She would like to finish her program obligations before she moves in with me. So are you saying that it is okay not to have proof of living together for the first two months as long as we provide plenty of proof after she has moved down with me? We obviously have tons of proof as to the legitimacy of our relationship up to this point with pictures, letters, flight tickets, etc. Lastly, does proof of the legitimacy of the marriage/relationship have to be mailed in with the inital green card paperwork or is it only done during the interview a few months after filing? Thanks again. Your help is much appreciated.