K1 Visa or other possibility?

[Seena]

We're new here and need some help/advise on how to go about this hole situation....
First let me tell you about us
i am german and my fiance is american citizen. We met back in 2007 at work (Both working on a military base). We have 2 children together who both have dual citizenship (german/american). We've been living together since 2008. We just never worried about getting married or start any kind of paperwork for me to be able to live in the states with him.. We never considered moving to the states until recently. His parents asked us to come live with them (they're not getting any younger) and we really want to do this.
So how do we go about this. We're trying to leave as soon as possible. Preferably in the next 3 months if possible. Do we apply for a fiance visa while we're still here and then get married in the states or should we get married first (maybe Denmark) and then apply for a Visa for me? Which process is faster?
Is there any other way for me to go to the states with him and start any kind of paperwork after arriving there? What if he goes ahead with the kids will i be able to speed up the process over here? Should we talk to an immigration lawyer and use his services or will we be able to do it on our own?
We're totally new to this hole visa world. Please help us if you have any information that could be helpful to us.
Thanks in advance

[rayb]

Go to the U.S. on a visa waiver or visitor visa, see how you like it, then marry and apply for Permanent Resident status.

If denied the visa waiver or visitor visa, then go the fiancee visa route, about 7 months.

--RayB

We're new here and need some help/advise on how to go about this hole situation....
First let me tell you about us
i am german and my fiance is american citizen. We met back in 2007 at work (Both working on a military base). We have 2 children together who both have dual citizenship (german/american). We've been living together since 2008. We just never worried about getting married or start any kind of paperwork for me to be able to live in the states with him.. We never considered moving to the states until recently. His parents asked us to come live with them (they're not getting any younger) and we really want to do this.
So how do we go about this. We're trying to leave as soon as possible. Preferably in the next 3 months if possible. Do we apply for a fiance visa while we're still here and then get married in the states or should we get married first (maybe Denmark) and then apply for a Visa for me? Which process is faster?
Is there any other way for me to go to the states with him and start any kind of paperwork after arriving there? What if he goes ahead with the kids will i be able to speed up the process over here? Should we talk to an immigration lawyer and use his services or will we be able to do it on our own?
We're totally new to this hole visa world. Please help us if you have any information that could be helpful to us.
Thanks in advance

[Seena]

We've been visiting before plus his parents lived in Germany up until 4 years ago. We know that this will be a definite move. If i go there on a visa weaver or visitor visa and then get married there and apply for all the paperwork wont we get in trouble for entering the US on a visitor visa with the intend of getting married and staying there? I just don't want to get in trouble and be send back to Germany after we gave up everything here.

[rayb]

Nobody will "get in trouble" if you marry in the U.S. and then convert status from visitor to Permanent Resident (Green Card). So long as one enters the U.S. legally, and has no advance "expressed intent to remain in the U.S.," marriage and application for Permanent Resident status is considered acceptable to USCIS.

It seems that half the threads on this forum deal with this process, of "adjusting status in the U.S. after arrival on a different (visitor, employment, etc.) visa type." Legal and precedent citations have been referenced or posted here occasionally as reassuring proof that converting status in the U.S., when there are genuine marital relationships, is an acceptable process.

--Ray B

We've been visiting before plus his parents lived in Germany up until 4 years ago. We know that this will be a definite move. If i go there on a visa weaver or visitor visa and then get married there and apply for all the paperwork wont we get in trouble for entering the US on a visitor visa with the intend of getting married and staying there? I just don't want to get in trouble and be send back to Germany after we gave up everything here.

[Seena]

Thanks a lot rayb