Should I seek the services of a lawyer when marrying my girlfriend who is on a J1 student visa?
<p>We are planning on getting married. I am a US citizen and she is a student here on a J1 visa from Germany. She does not have a residency requirement. We have been together nearly 2.5 years and have pictures together and with our families to back up any claims. </p>

<p>Lawyers will cost around 400 dollars just for a consultation. I am wondering if this is a super tricky area of the law or we should be able to handle it by ourselves?</p>

<p>Congrats. This is a better question for expats. </p>

<p>But basically you’d get married, file an I-130 marriage petition, and once that is given, file for a green card. </p>

<p>It’ll cost you at least a thousand in filing fees, so you could hire a lawyer to help you make sure your paperwork is correct.  </p>

immigration visa