K-1 Visa - Overseas Wedding???

[T_Mayhew 0]

I understand that the reason for the K-1 Visa is to bring your foreign fiance TO the US to marry you here. However, is it possible to have the marriage there (Portugal) first, and then just sign the paperwork here? I know its against the law to be married twice, but is it still if its the same person in 2 different countries? We decided to start the K-1 Visa process so we could get a head start rather than waiting the extra time until we were married, then filing for a K-3 visa. Anyone have any thoughts on the options we may have? We would like to have a ceremony in Portugal, then come to the US to file the paperwork within the 90 day limit. Anyone with help or advice would be a savior!!

Thanks!

Tim & Katia

[payxibka 10,045]

if you are legally married in Portugal then you are legally married for US purposes..................

[JD63 4]

I understand that the reason for the K-1 Visa is to bring your foreign fiance TO the US to marry you here. However, is it possible to have the marriage there (Portugal) first, and then just sign the paperwork here? I know its against the law to be married twice, but is it still if its the same person in 2 different countries? We decided to start the K-1 Visa process so we could get a head start rather than waiting the extra time until we were married, then filing for a K-3 visa. Anyone have any thoughts on the options we may have? We would like to have a ceremony in Portugal, then come to the US to file the paperwork within the 90 day limit. Anyone with help or advice would be a savior!!

Thanks!

Tim & Katia

Depends on if the ceremony is a legal one or not, i'd ask the regional thread.

[T_Mayhew 0]

if you are legally married in Portugal then you are legally married for US purposes..................

Is it ok to come to the US already being married in Portugal? And just use the marriage certificate from their as our proof that we are married. That wouldn't require the K-3?

thanks for the quick response

Tim

[JD63 4]

if you are legally married in Portugal then you are legally married for US purposes..................

Is it ok to come to the US already being married in Portugal? And just use the marriage certificate from their as our proof that we are married. That wouldn't require the K-3?

thanks for the quick response

Tim

Oh that won't work at all, you have to be legally able to be married, which is not possible if you are already married. I'd just wait, there can be severe consequences if you do that.

[christeen 966]

No you cannot bring a WIFE over on a FIANCE visa... Either she is your wife or your fiance, not both.... Once you are married in Portugal you have to file the CR! or K-3 (which I would strongly recomment the CR! at that point since the K3 processes in the same amount of time, costs 3x the $$ and requires you file AOS and the CR1 is an automatic GC upon entry)

But no matter what way you look at it... YOU CANNOT MARRY IN PORTUGAL AND BRING HER OVER ON A K1!!! Period....

[T_Mayhew 0]

No you cannot bring a WIFE over on a FIANCE visa... Either she is your wife or your fiance, not both.... Once you are married in Portugal you have to file the CR! or K-3 (which I would strongly recomment the CR! at that point since the K3 processes in the same amount of time, costs 3x the $$ and requires you file AOS and the CR1 is an automatic GC upon entry)

But no matter what way you look at it... YOU CANNOT MARRY IN PORTUGAL AND BRING HER OVER ON A K1!!! Period....

Thanks everyone. That's what I figured would be the case. What's the CR1? And GC you spoke about? Thx

Tim

[Anh map 2,098]

No you cannot bring a WIFE over on a FIANCE visa... Either she is your wife or your fiance, not both.... Once you are married in Portugal you have to file the CR! or K-3 (which I would strongly recomment the CR! at that point since the K3 processes in the same amount of time, costs 3x the $$ and requires you file AOS and the CR1 is an automatic GC upon entry)

But no matter what way you look at it... YOU CANNOT MARRY IN PORTUGAL AND BRING HER OVER ON A K1!!! Period....

Thanks everyone. That's what I figured would be the case. What's the CR1? And GC you spoke about? Thx

Tim

CR1 is a spouse visa that gets the immigrant a GC (Green Card) after US entry, rahter than going through the Adjustment of Status step.

[sachinky 464]

If you don't want to wait, then get married and file for a CR1.

A K-1 is to bring your fiance over to the U.S. and marry her there. If you've already married her then why would you bring her over as your fiancee? Makes no sense to me.

Also, if you wish to have a ceremony check out the regional legal/religious implications of it.

And don't file for a K-1 if you are going to get married anyway. You can't CONVERT a visa to anything else. So you will not be saving time by filing for a K-1 and then changing to a K3. Instead you will be wasting time and will have to file anew for the K3/CR1. I'd reccomend the CR-1.

And no, it's not that easy to marry in Portugal and show your marriage certificate to bring your wife over. You have to pass through the immigration/visa channels. If the former case were true, all of us would've done that.

Good luck on your visa journey!

Edited December 8, 2009 by sachinky

[NigeriaorBust 4,087]

If you want a big marriage their ( for her family ) another route would be to bring her here , get married even at the courthouse. Adjust status or get AP and then go back there for a big wedding.

[T_Mayhew 0]

If you want a big marriage their ( for her family ) another route would be to bring her here , get married even at the courthouse. Adjust status or get AP and then go back there for a big wedding.

What about doing a ceremony first without paperwork being signed. The look of a wedding, without the legal nuptuals? Then she is technically not my wife, and we can sign the marriage license/papers here to make it official? Any idea if the church would go for that? (Roman Catholic)

Thanks, Tim

[JD63 4]

I understand that the reason for the K-1 Visa is to bring your foreign fiance TO the US to marry you here. However, is it possible to have the marriage there (Portugal) first, and then just sign the paperwork here? I know its against the law to be married twice, but is it still if its the same person in 2 different countries? We decided to start the K-1 Visa process so we could get a head start rather than waiting the extra time until we were married, then filing for a K-3 visa. Anyone have any thoughts on the options we may have? We would like to have a ceremony in Portugal, then come to the US to file the paperwork within the 90 day limit. Anyone with help or advice would be a savior!!

Thanks!

Tim & Katia

Depends on if the ceremony is a legal one or not, i'd ask the regional thread.

[*JG* 2]

If you want a big marriage their ( for her family ) another route would be to bring her here , get married even at the courthouse. Adjust status or get AP and then go back there for a big wedding.

What about doing a ceremony first without paperwork being signed. The look of a wedding, without the legal nuptuals? Then she is technically not my wife, and we can sign the marriage license/papers here to make it official? Any idea if the church would go for that? (Roman Catholic)

Thanks, Tim

No Roman Catholic Church would do that. You need to be very careful about any "fake" ceremony anyhow. Not sure about your embassy; but there have been numerous cases of pictures of those ceremonies surfacing and the embassy and or immigration at POE questioning, denying, etc. because they believe the applicants truly are married already.

At best, if you go K-1, you could get married in the US and go back for a reaffirmation of vows or something like that in the Roman Catholic Church.

If you want that wedding in home country, marry and go for CR1.

Good luck to you.

[T_Mayhew 0]

If you want a big marriage their ( for her family ) another route would be to bring her here , get married even at the courthouse. Adjust status or get AP and then go back there for a big wedding.

What about doing a ceremony first without paperwork being signed. The look of a wedding, without the legal nuptuals? Then she is technically not my wife, and we can sign the marriage license/papers here to make it official? Any idea if the church would go for that? (Roman Catholic)

Thanks, Tim

No Roman Catholic Church would do that. You need to be very careful about any "fake" ceremony anyhow. Not sure about your embassy; but there have been numerous cases of pictures of those ceremonies surfacing and the embassy and or immigration at POE questioning, denying, etc. because they believe the applicants truly are married already.

At best, if you go K-1, you could get married in the US and go back for a reaffirmation of vows or something like that in the Roman Catholic Church.

If you want that wedding in home country, marry and go for CR1.

Good luck to you.

Do we still need to go thru th K-1 process if we want to go with a CR1? I am not familiar with the CR1 forms and process.

[TracyTN 237]

Read the CR1 guide.

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.ph...page=i130guide1

No you wouldn't get a K1 and a CR1 - why would one person need two visas?