I am asking this on behalve of a friend. She is from south africa and currently employed in Minnesota, she wants to get married to a permanent legal resident of MN and have no idea where to start. I know this is a lengthy process, but they don't have much time. Will she be aloud to leave the US during this time? Can you please advise. Regards.

Permanent legal resident of MN- are they American? State residency is not operative here so much as citizenship and not knowing that, cannot really answer. There is a different process for marrying an American citizen, versus a resident alien. Immigration section may be best section to post this in.

He is an American, she from South Africa. She is currently in the US on a J1 visa that expires end September. They want to get married as soon as possable and as far as I know she will apply for permenant residency. She has to go back to South Africa to finish up some legal matters though, and was planing on doing this before September. What will be the best way for her to handle this?

Try posting this on the immigration board. There is one on this site. I don't think that there will be very many of us that can give you a good answer. Geez, I don't even know what a J1 visa IS. :rolleyes: