Am I allowed to marry a U.S citizen on a tourist visa and then go home?

[Liza E P 0]

All I want to do, in good faith, is to marry my long term boyfriend of 3 years. I intend to stay on my tourist visa for my allotted 3 months with him, and then return to my home country to continue on to apply for my Spousal visa K-3.

Will I have any problems doing this? I will obviously have a return air ticket, and it is NOT my intention at all to stay on in America and change my status to applying for a green card as I have a business back home and many things to take care of before i wish to fully immigrate to America.

Apart from being the love of my life and the man I wish to marry, my boyfriend is a devout Catholic, so we need to get married if I am to physically stay with him, as I cannot afford to stay in a motel for the entire time.

Any help on this matter would be greatly appreciated, as I know my intentions are correct, I am just worried there may be issues with what I want to do!

thanks!

[Ruffie 22]

Of course you can get married while you're in the U.S.

The appropriate visa afterwards will be CR-1 as the K-3 doesn't exist anymore.

[Liza E P 0]

Thanks Ruffie - I did not know that the K-3 no longer exists!

~ All I am worried about is that the customs officials may give me a hard time on entering the U.S if they see I am staying for 3 months, and am going to be with my boyfriend. Will they get suspicious and deny me entry...?!

[canadian_wife 1,820]

No entrance is a guarentee, you can always travel with ties to your country to show if questioned.

Good luck, congrats on your upcoming marriage. File for a Cr-1 visa, while the K-3 technically still exists, it is more expensive and takes longer than the Cr-1

[Liza E P 0]

Thanks for your help Canadian Wife!

I now understand that the CR-1 visa is more appropriate, faster and more efficient but my concern is that I will not be allowed to visit my husband after we are married whilst this particular visa is pending?

I would be using an ESTA visa-waiver on my Irish passport...

thanks again!

Edited January 8, 2012 by LizaP

[canadian_wife 1,820]

Many beneficiaries travel to the US while their petitions are pending. However, entrance and duration of stay is never a guarentee.

Good luck

[Liza E P 0]

I understand...thanks again!