I just want to be with my fiance! Please help

[Leah M. 0]

Hi all,

So my fiance and I have been dating for over 5 years and got engaged this summer. I am from Canada and he is from the U.S. We are trying to look into the best possible option for getting married and me moving down there.

We were looking into a fiance visa, but after reading the pros and cons of different visas, the IR-1/CR-1 spousal visa looks significantly more reasonable in both price and effort. The only issue is that we have to be married to file for that. I want to do everything the right way and not get in any trouble, but I am planning to go visit for about a week in December and I was wondering if we could just get married then. After that I would return home and we would apply for the visa, have an actually wedding in August when it goes through, and then when we get back from a honeymoon I would be free to live and work in the country and come and go as I please. Will I have any issues getting through the border if I tell them I plan to get married. I know I have to be honest, and I think I can provide sufficient proof that I intend to come home and not just stay there. I can get letters from my work, my return plane ticket, and records showing I am registered for school next semester. Is that enough? Is there a better way to do this?? Why is it so difficult to just be with someone you love??

Thanks in advance for the help!

[payxibka 10,045]

Of course you can come and get married in the USA and then have your husband petition for your immigration

[CanadaLove 16]

Leah,

It sounds like you have enough proof, but sadly no, there is no easier way. (I so wish, though!)

[Jen and Geert 4]

Hi all,

So my fiance and I have been dating for over 5 years and got engaged this summer. I am from Canada and he is from the U.S. We are trying to look into the best possible option for getting married and me moving down there.

We were looking into a fiance visa, but after reading the pros and cons of different visas, the IR-1/CR-1 spousal visa looks significantly more reasonable in both price and effort. The only issue is that we have to be married to file for that. I want to do everything the right way and not get in any trouble, but I am planning to go visit for about a week in December and I was wondering if we could just get married then. After that I would return home and we would apply for the visa, have an actually wedding in August when it goes through, and then when we get back from a honeymoon I would be free to live and work in the country and come and go as I please. Will I have any issues getting through the border if I tell them I plan to get married. I know I have to be honest, and I think I can provide sufficient proof that I intend to come home and not just stay there. I can get letters from my work, my return plane ticket, and records showing I am registered for school next semester. Is that enough? Is there a better way to do this?? Why is it so difficult to just be with someone you love??

Thanks in advance for the help!

We got engaged July of 2008 when my husband visited me for the first time in U.S. and ended up deciding at the last min. to have a civil ceremony at the time thinking I was going to immigrate to europe, but after reading about the process it was much more expensive and time consuming so ended up deciding for my husband to immigrate to the U.S. as we never really did much research in the first place it was really confusing for us on what steps to take.

As far as if they'll let you in on a tourist visa with you telling them your intent to marry I'm not sure, maybe it depends on the officer you speak to and what proof you show them that you don't intend to stay. we didn't expect to get married at first, but did it anyway, but it wasn't against the rules because he returned to europe when he was suppose to and did try to stay in the U.S., which is what border officers are more concerned about is people trying to stay in the U.S. illegally. In the end I'm glad we ended up doing the civil ceremony because we couldn't afford a wedding at the time anyways. Which ever you decide to do just make sure you show enough documents of your intent to return back home if your just visiting on a tourist visa, I wish you the best of luck and there's honestly no "quick" way to immigrate, but knowing about the process will save you delays or problems =)

Best wishes,

Jen and Geert

[JoannaV 174]

Take as much evidence as possible, just in case. But only answer the questions that you are asked. You are going to America to visit your fiance for Christmas. If there is no need to mention the marriage then don't. Hopefully you will get a friendly border agent who will quite happily ask to be invited to your eventual wedding but won't ask when it is. :-) Maybe you don't even need to know yourself when you will get married, (ie if any planning does need to be done in advance your fiance can take care of it) so could quite honestly say, "I don't know, but I need to finish school in Canada.)

[Leah M. 0]

Thanks guys,

I'm just worried that if I don't say that I'm intending to get married, something will end up happening and I'll be accused of something. If they say I can't come in can I just say ok, I won't get married then, I still just want to go for a visit? I really don't want to not even get to visit either way!

[JoannaV 174]

Thanks guys,

I'm just worried that if I don't say that I'm intending to get married, something will end up happening and I'll be accused of something. If they say I can't come in can I just say ok, I won't get married then, I still just want to go for a visit? I really don't want to not even get to visit either way!

Always tell the truth and answer any questions asked shortly and succinctly. If you are unlucky enough to meet an evil border agent then he won't let you in whatever you say. If they decide not to let you in and you say "ok I won't get married, can I come in now?" the answer will be no. Maybe they'll just ask you why you are going to America, you answer to visit fiance and that is that. If they then ask "What are your future plans, when will you marry, etcetc." then you will have to answer. You can say that you are thinking of marrying on this trip and then returning to Canada to apply for CR1, and then having a big wedding celebration once that is approved. This shouldn't be a problem unless the border agent is evil. You must tell the truth, but you don't have to broadcast all your plans and life story. You are visiting your fiance anyway, so it would be a lie to say that the reason you are coming to America is to get married

When I visited America to marry my fiance my POE was actually Ottawa, and no questions were asked. Good luck!

[TSC Blackhole 11]

Hi Leah!

My situation is almost identical to yours. I am american, and my now husband is Canadian. We were together for 10 years when we started looking into filing, even met with a lawyer once, and for the same reasons as you, we chose to go with the CR1 option.

We knew we wanted to get married but wanted a big wedding and it would take a while to save for it, and it would also be easier to have a big wedding if we were actually living together again. We got married at the courthouse the next time he came in from Canada, he may have mentioned it to the border guard, I'm not sure. We only told our mothers, and had them both present at the ceremony. We filed our CR1 paperwork the next week once our marriage license was finalized. We haven't told any of our friends or anything, we'll plan a wedding for next summer after he has his visa and no one will be the wiser.

My husband comes back and forth and hasn't had any issues telling the border guards he's going to visit his wife, they're usually pretty empathetic. Obviously if you're coming over the border to visit your husband with a moving truck, there might be some issues. But if you're honest about everything you have nothing to worry about.

I filed the first week of July and my case was routed to CSC and I am still waiting for my NOA2, and it's almost been 4 months. Most people on here that filed in August that were routed to VSC have already had their NOA2. The waiting is very painful, but at least it gives me lots of time to gather more and more evidence. It's also really annoying knowing that my husband is only a 6 hour drive away but it's so much work to be able to live and work in the same city. Oh well...

Good luck with your journey!