Here's my background:
I (US citizen) met my now fiance (UK citizen) on the internet several months ago, and decided to come in March (4 March is what is stamped on my passport to be exact) for a 2 week stay to see if our relationship developed. I took this semester off from school and had recently quit my job to move back home with my parents, so March was an ideal time for me to come.
My brother and my mom came with me but they stayed in London while I went down west to where my now fiance lives and they left in a week.
Things worked out between us better than planned and we spontaneously decided for me to stay past the two weeks, indefinitely, to see how well we got on together and lived together. Of course I would return within the 6 months time limit my passport stamp allows. I am still in the UK presently.
On April 26, he proposed, and we started making plans for our US marriage this September, and then I will apply for the required marriage visa to return here. I will be flying back to the US on 1 September, which cuts it very close, and I would like someone to verify for me that that date is within the 6 months allowed.
I just want to make double sure I have not done anything illegally. The staying past the 2 weeks was spontaneous, although we had in the back of our minds that I might stay longer as he had the money to support me here without having a job, and having the semester off from school made it the first time in my life that I would be able to go abroad for any length of time.
I repeat: I WILL NOT or have no wish to STAY PAST 6 MONTHS.
Now then, what kind of questions will I get when I return to the US? I'm sure they are going to wonder what I was doing for so long, and is there any proof I can show them that it was all innocent, I didn't work illegally, I am coming back to plan my marriage, etc. I'm really nervous to be facing US immigrations on my own even though I haven't done anything illegally.
Also, when he comes to the US 2-3 weeks later for our marriage, what should he tell US immigrations? Honesty is the best policy in my opinion but I don't want him to have trouble when he says he is coming to get married?
And, even though I have stayed for 6 months as a visitor, I will be able to come right back into the UK after I get the marriage visa, correct, even though it will be within the same 12 month period?
Thanks so much for any answers/clarification, etc. We are getting so stressed with this whole thing and I find myself needing so much reassurance that I am doing everything the right and legal way. (It's not helping that we are having to delay the wedding date over and over again due to fiance's divorce being held up!)
