Legal Question in Immigration Law in Florida

I am an American living in France and I want to marry my French boyfriend here. Here are my questions:

1. How do I go about doing that?

2. If we get married in France, will our marriage be legitimate if we move to the United States?

3. Will he have to take a citizenship test of some sort or any test at all in the US, or does he automatically qualify to be a citizen because we are married?

4. If I hire a lawyer to take care of filling all of the necessary paperwork in the US and to take care of whatever else needs to be done to make this thing legitimate, how much will I be looking at spending in total (lawyer fess plus filling/registration fees)

Thank you for your help!


Asked on 8/02/13, 5:49 am

2 Answers from Attorneys
ANUJ SHARMA, ESQ. A SHARMA LAW FIRM, PLLC

You could file the paperwork with the nearest US embassy and wait for your husband to be called for Green Card interview.

Marriage will be considered legitimate if it is considered valid in France.

He shall have to take the citizenship test to become a citizen.

You are looking between $2500-3500.

Read more
Answered on 8/02/13, 6:11 am
Natalie Hall The Law Office of Natalie D. Hall, P.A.

Permanent residency comes before Citizenship

If you get married in France the process starts with you filing a Petition here for him. The process is then completed in a Consulate in France where he will be interviewed. The entire process exceeds a year.

Another option if you are a US Citizen is to apply for a fiance visa where you show proof of the relationship and the intent to marry within 90 days of his entry. The fiance visa if approved, gets him in the US much faster. Once here, he will have to marry within 90 days and then complete the Residency Application.

There is no residency test. However, he will be interviewed either here or in France.

If you remain married, he is eligible to apply for Citizenship in three years.

The Attorney fees depend on several factors including whether the process will be completed in France or here as well as other factors specific to your case.

Consult in person with an attorney.

Read more
Answered on 8/02/13, 7:56 am


Related Questions & Answers

More Immigration Law questions and answers in Florida