Originally Posted by
dera
By processing you mean you have filed your I-485 for AOS? You said elsewhere you already have the I-551. Be careful, even if you already have an EAD, you may not be allowed travel outside the US while your AOS is processing.
Btw, if you already filed your I-485, you'll likely get the residency a little faster than 12 months.
Both my parents were immigrants, and they completed naturalization as I grew up. One naturalized after winning the Green Card Lottery, then the other was on a student visa then green card for decades before naturalizing. There are ways to travel abroad and work as a Green Card holder, so don't let adminstrivia daunt you. You need to dot is and cross ts, but there is flexibility in the system.
That said, Dera highlights a relevant concern; You will want to make sure you have researched things thoroughly. It's worth spending a few dollars with an actual expert (an immigration attorney) to figure out your particular pathway.
As for July of 2023, who knows what hiring will look like? A lot of geopolitics can change between now and then. I'd focus on getting married and getting the family situation sorted. The hiring will be what it will be when you have (or nearly have) your status.