Immigration Site

Hi, my girlfriend and me have been together for 2 years, were deeply in love.

I finished my Masters and I am currently working on OPT, however I wont be able to work after summer. Finding H1B sponsorship has been hard, and do not expect to get it.

I was hoping to marry her in a couple of years, when she finishes school, but the question if I should get married now in order to keep working rose.

Her family is very old fashioned and would not really accept getting married this way.
Would it be bad if we got married without telling her family in the eyes of immigration?

How much money is the whole process on average, and how long from the time I get married until I have a work permit?

Your opinion is really appreciated, feel free to talk sense into me if this is a retarded idea.

1. Are you asking if you should get married so that you can get a GC, so that you can keep working????? ARE YOU SERIOUS???????
2. So basically you are asking if you can marry for GC. What about love? I thought you mentioned that you guys are deeply in love, right??? Have you ever thought about marriage for LOVE?

3.Which planet are your in-laws from??? You have been dating for the last two years yet you think they would not approve you guys getting married??? It sounds like there is more than just the legth of time you have been dating...

3.Getting married without telling her parents would be stupid and VERY suspicious.

4. Think before you act, if you want to marry for a GC, as you indicated, the whole process will back fire right on your face!. You will soon find yourself on a plane ride to wherever it is that you came from. Especially when her parents find out that you married their daughter to get a GC, and neglected to tell them, so that you can keep working.
You just indicated that you finished your masters. Honesty, this is a dumb question to ask, especially coming from a masters level individual.

Well to me civil marriage is less important.
Getting married under God is what counts to me.
I love her, but once summer comes I will have to go back to my country and stop seeing her. She will have to stay to finish school for two years and I really dont know what option I could take to keep seeing her.

I have known her for 4 years, been living together for 2.

I guess it came off wrong saying getting married to keep working. I am getting married to keep seeing her. However it would be rushing my plans. I wanted to marry her after she finishes school.

Then you should have indicated that you are worried about being separated from your girl friend. The title of your posting indicated otherwise.

If both of you are in love and would like to be married, for LOVE, then you should tell her parents of your plans to get married soon. (Im assuming your girlfriend is at least 21yrs of age). Whether they like it or not, they will have to deal with it at some point.

After you file for AOS, you will have your EAD in about 1-2months, the whole process will cost you around $1500 without a lawyer.

Being married is not going to prevent her from going to school. Right? Forget your old plans to marry her when she is done with school. (Unless you have completing school as a condition for marriage). Marry her now - for LOVE so that the two of you do not end up seperated for an extended period of time, maybe even forever.