I’m not willing to “fake” a job offer. I would apply for actual positions, including through my friends’ businesses. I don’t mind additional, legitimate employment, even though I make a respectable amount of money working remotely.

However, I would prefer not having to “immediately” relocate.

My concern regarding a student visa application relates to our existing marriage. I could be mistaken, but I believe that consular officials presume that any foreign national in an intimate or marital relationship with a U.S. citizen expect that the foreign national would request an adjustment of status upon arrival to the United States.

Consequently, I fear that our marriage could lead the consulate and/or USCIS to determine that the grant of a student visa would lead to a residency application. Although we would already be entitled to file an immigration petition on the basis of marriage, it is my understanding that the issuance of a visa is contingent on the prospective migrant’s adherence to the purpose of that visa (i.e., an individual applying for a student visa should not have an imminent plan of requesting an adjustment of status post entry to the U.S.).

I hope that makes sense. Effectively, we don’t want to continue postponing our lives for another 1.5+ years. If we apply for a CR-1 visa now, there is a significant likelihood she would not receive her authorisation until after her academic term commenced in August 2023. While many doctoral programs do grant deferrals, a deferral can jeopardise otherwise guaranteed offers of funding.

We’re basically in limbo and are trying to determine how to plan our lives in accordance with visa processing times.

Of course, I want to do everything the right and legal way. I’m just trying to figure out how to do that without being forced out of my own country, career, and education for a further 1.5+ years.