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  • Getting married in August 2017 to a dual (British/US) citizen. I am British.
  • Flying London to New York September 6th.
  • Flying San Fran to Sydney December 18th (103 days later).
  • This will include a couple of weeks in Canada though from our research this couldn't be deducted from the 90 days.

So far we know -

  • ESTA allows for only 90 days
  • Visa is costly and requires going to the Embassy
  • Green Card is potentially a very complex process

What would your advice be?

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  • Getting married where? Where do you plan to live? I'm asking to make sure you don't get accused of immigration fraud pre-conceived immigration intent when you travel on visa or ESTA.
    – Augustine of Hippo
    Commented Feb 15, 2017 at 12:05
  • Married in the UK. Live in the UK. But extended honeymoon around the world.
    – Natasha Sprague
    Commented Feb 15, 2017 at 12:08
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    Ok then. Visa it is then. Congratulations!
    – Augustine of Hippo
    Commented Feb 15, 2017 at 12:10
  • My advice is to fly to Australia from Canada, and stay in the US less than 90 days.
    – Michael Hampton
    Commented Feb 15, 2017 at 19:07

1 Answer 1

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A green card costs roughly ten times as much as a visa, but more importantly it is not appropriate in this case because you do not intend to reside in the US.

As you note, your trip does not qualify for the visa waiver program because you will remain in the US for longer than 90 days.

The only applicable option, therefore, is a visa.

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  • Thank you Phoog. Very useful answer. Exceeding these 90 days would also be a very bad idea I assume. What are the repercussions?
    – Natasha Sprague
    Commented Feb 15, 2017 at 11:54
  • @NatashaSprague if you overstay then you are ineligible to use the VWP in the future, so you'll need a visa for any future visits anyway. The visa costs $160, and for a British citizen is valid for ten years, so it isn't that expensive after all.
    – phoog
    Commented Feb 15, 2017 at 12:02
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    @NatashaSprague another factor to consider: if the border officer notices that you're planning to stay for longer than 90 days with the VWP, then he or she is supposed to deny entry and send you back to London.
    – phoog
    Commented Feb 15, 2017 at 12:13

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