Setting the date!

[Krystina and Andy 0]

Hi everyone, we're Krystina and Andy and we're lost in the abyss of immigration websites and forum topics. Forgive us for not trawling through the forum archives, but we just had a few questions we were sure that you guys wouldn't mind helping us out with.

We've been together for one year and have recently become engaged. I'm (Krystina) an American student in the UK, and Andrew is a Brit that I met here in my town around 18 months ago. Andrew and I travelled back to the US in November to do the whole meet the parents thing, and we decided to start our lives in America. Both sets of parents are thrilled, and it's set to be a traditional wedding.

We live together already, and aren't overly concerned about the visa process because we have the resources to hire an immigration attorney. However, this is what we need to know. Should we get married in the UK, or in the US?

My family is a big Catholic family in my town, so needless to say, it would be a Catholic wedding with a lot of people attending. Therefore, it makes sense to do it in the US. Andrew has a lot of family as well, so we could do it in the UK, but for financial purposes would prefer the US.

I can't plan a wedding in 90 days so is the fiance visa a no-go? I know I could chance it and set a date, but people's flights and hotel reservations would rely on this date. Not to mention the church, the caterers and all that jazz.

What's your advice? We can't compromise the quality of our wedding because of our nationalities. It just seems unfair. This is the first marriage for both of us.

Any advice would be brilliant. Thanks very much and good luck to everyone!

Krystina (leave it to the woman to sort it all out eh?)

PS: Trying to get a grip on the time frame as well because we have a dog to take with us, who has to be tested and immunized six months before his flights. Would ideally like to have the wedding in September and be in the US by late summer early autumn. My student visa ends this October.

meandandy1.bmp

[patiently_waiting 0]

Hmmmm, well with the K 1 you will have the 90 days requirement. You can look at the immigration timelines wto get an idea of how long it would take. Also, once he is igven the visa, he has a few months before it expires. Therefor, he could come a little later and you would still have 90 days from then. You could always do a civil ceremony and then a big wedding. However, if the wedding is that important, then I wpuld want to think about a K3.

[TracyTN 237]

K1/fiance visa route: you have 6 months after he receives the fiance visa before he must use it. Once he arrives, you have 90 days in which to get married. Surely you can plan something in 9 months.

Spousal visa: get married whenever and where ever you wish. Then begin the visa process with him in the UK and you here.

[ariana623 0]

My fiance want the same thing and we decided to do it on a Thursday. The reception cite and ceremony cite arent' booked most weekdays (2-3 months notice is fine) and most florists, caterers etc give discounts then too! Something to think about. Or do justice of the peace and plan the wedding after that.

[Krystina and Andy 0]

Nine months is definitely enough time to plan it. We both live in the UK and want to move back to Texas at the same time, so should we start paperwork now for a (tenative) September wedding?

Thanks for the speedy replies! That was great hehe.

[knowledge 0]

Hi everyone, we're Krystina and Andy and we're lost in the abyss of immigration websites and forum topics. Forgive us for not trawling through the forum archives, but we just had a few questions we were sure that you guys wouldn't mind helping us out with.

We've been together for one year and have recently become engaged. I'm (Krystina) an American student in the UK, and Andrew is a Brit that I met here in my town around 18 months ago. Andrew and I travelled back to the US in November to do the whole meet the parents thing, and we decided to start our lives in America. Both sets of parents are thrilled, and it's set to be a traditional wedding.

We live together already, and aren't overly concerned about the visa process because we have the resources to hire an immigration attorney. However, this is what we need to know. Should we get married in the UK, or in the US?

My family is a big Catholic family in my town, so needless to say, it would be a Catholic wedding with a lot of people attending. Therefore, it makes sense to do it in the US. Andrew has a lot of family as well, so we could do it in the UK, but for financial purposes would prefer the US.

I can't plan a wedding in 90 days so is the fiance visa a no-go? I know I could chance it and set a date, but people's flights and hotel reservations would rely on this date. Not to mention the church, the caterers and all that jazz.

What's your advice? We can't compromise the quality of our wedding because of our nationalities. It just seems unfair. This is the first marriage for both of us.

Any advice would be brilliant. Thanks very much and good luck to everyone!

Krystina (leave it to the woman to sort it all out eh?)

PS: Trying to get a grip on the time frame as well because we have a dog to take with us, who has to be tested and immunized six months before his flights. Would ideally like to have the wedding in September and be in the US by late summer early autumn. My student visa ends this October.

First, you didn't say when you have to return to UK for your studies...if you say you are both in US to meet family since november, that's an addition to your student situation and obligations. So, that's not clear to me. If i understood well and you are both in the US, (then you forget your studies in UK because you can not do both, be with family in us and study in uk right?, one or the other), it's more simple you marry in US and fill AOS for him (see the AOS forum and guides on there). Or, if you have to go back to UK for your studies with your partner, the possibility you have is do DCF from/in UK which takes much less time (see the DCF forum and guides).

But in any occasion, you both have a decision to make as from where is better for you to apply for a petition, before informing the family; it seems to me there are too many people in your couple. It has to start from you both first! with the right information you might need to make the decision. Good luck!

[TracyTN 237]

Nine months is definitely enough time to plan it. We both live in the UK and want to move back to Texas at the same time, so should we start paperwork now for a (tenative) September wedding?

Thanks for the speedy replies! That was great hehe.

Better make that a very tenative September wedding! You *might* get through the entire process in 8 months, but you'll more than likely be cutting it close.

See the 'processing times' link at the top of the page for an estimation on the service center phase. Add another few months to that for processing in London.

Edited January 17, 2007 by TracyTN

[Krystina and Andy 0]

Thanks for the tips guys! Like I said before our date isn't set in stone so we'll file soon and see how it goes.

Sorry for not being clear, we are both in the UK right now. I have been living and studying here for my entire bachelor's degree and graduate this June. We went to visit in November, and only stayed for 10 days. I just mentioned it to clear up any questions about whether Andrew has been to the US yet.

As for there being too many people in our couple, we have to consider the financial burden we will be placing on our immediate family members because of flight costs and hotels. This is the first wedding for both our families (first one of the kids to get married), so it's needless to say it's an exciting time for all. Not to mention the terrible Dollar/Pound exchange rate that will reek havoc when paying for the wedding if it is in the UK. In the US, we'd get more bang for our buck, so to speak, so that's why we are keen on having it there. The flights would be cheaper for our parents and siblings as well. I appreciate your advice though!

[sophyie 0]

I think I'd rather give myself a little extra time- just in case.

With immigration, there's so many things that can happen- you just never know.

Why don't you start the process now and shoot for a date in about a years time? Or a year and a bit?

I don't know about the K1 timelines for London, but that shouldn't be too hard to find out here

btw: in your original post you mentioned planning on using an immigration attorney- if your case is pretty straight forward I don't think (based on my own visa experience) it's necessary and might save you some money for the wedding

[rebeccajo 14]

You make me nervous by twice stating this being the 'first' wedding for both of you.

Marriage is a commitment made even heavier by immigration. After all, one person has given up EVERYTHING they know, including life and family, to marry.

Concentrate more on what you are about to do and less on your big wedding.

[knowledge 0]

Thanks for the tips guys! Like I said before our date isn't set in stone so we'll file soon and see how it goes.

Sorry for not being clear, we are both in the UK right now. I have been living and studying here for my entire bachelor's degree and graduate this June. We went to visit in November, and only stayed for 10 days. I just mentioned it to clear up any questions about whether Andrew has been to the US yet.

As for there being too many people in our couple, we have to consider the financial burden we will be placing on our immediate family members because of flight costs and hotels. This is the first wedding for both our families (first one of the kids to get married), so it's needless to say it's an exciting time for all. Not to mention the terrible Dollar/Pound exchange rate that will reek havoc when paying for the wedding if it is in the UK. In the US, we'd get more bang for our buck, so to speak, so that's why we are keen on having it there. The flights would be cheaper for our parents and siblings as well. I appreciate your advice though!

Ok, now it's more clear by adding you went back in UK; i understand that families have to help especially with expenses and that's awsome you have such families both of you. But i still sens it's their idea to do it big and right and maybe not necesseraly yours lol..you'll understand also a bit here in what follows...

So, let's re-cap briefly: 1st sight, if you want to marry in sept somewhere, you have to send the petition after, sept or oct for example; but, before he has to get his visa to enter US as a fiancé (k-1) i think, someone correct me if i'm wrong.

And/or Second, I think you also right away can DCF from the UK which will be faster, or from the right timing to count the 90 days time frame in which you have to marry in the US: doing DCF in june.

Third, the basic rules in the USCIS guides say that not to make plans till the visa (any visa) is issued, because there can be unknown delays; thus that's why here we are not hot for those who make big plans for after the visa...because this site is for the time before those big plans, the process of the visa....which is sometimes agonizing for people...What also happens often, if you read some threads or posts, is that people who are not implied directly with the process, pretty much do not understand them and put pressure or questions in that sens...If you want to include your precious family, i would tell them that there are steps to follow, they will be informed one by one (because there will be fees) and can only make approximate projects for the wedding, the big one. Also, in the same time you have to concentrate seriously on your school till june, so till then all has to go smoothly.

In regards to your family and their own expenses for the wedding, there is time, you can inform them when the NOA2 (which is the approval of the petition K-1 (fiancé) or K-3 if you marry before you go to the US) comes, so they can by tickets, etc, in advance...There is a chronology of the steps to make, in interraction with the respect of your family, your school, your decision to be fiancés or marry...see there are many things to do and to please everybody...That's why i stated that 1step is your boths decision to clarify, then you'll know exactly what to inform your families...

It's of course only my opinion and some are more experienced than me; i recommend you read an expert in DCF, member Meauxna, check her posts in that forum. And i wish you the best of luck in everything!

[Caladan 19]

You make me nervous by twice stating this being the 'first' wedding for both of you.

Marriage is a commitment made even heavier by immigration. After all, one person has given up EVERYTHING they know, including life and family, to marry.

Concentrate more on what you are about to do and less on your big wedding.

I don't think she's saying that she isn't serious, just that it's the first wedding for both families, i.e., first kids to get married, i.e., lots of family expectations for a big party. Not first wedding as in 'whee, I'm going to get divorced, I just want a party.'

It's not easy for everyone just to toss off the wedding traditions (especially if your family is religious, and especially if that religion is Catholicism, because dioceses are pretty much crazy about requirements. Mine wants us to book churches a year in advance), and just because someone isn't thrilled with going to the courthouse doesn't mean they're not serious about their marriage.

To the OP: I don't have a whole lot of advice except to say that we're trying to plan a Catholic wedding, too, and we've decided not to do any serious planning until the visa is in hand (hopefully soon.) Once you receive the visa, you have six months to use it to enter the U.S., and 90 days after that to get married.

I would file now if you want to get married this year, and plan the wedding based on when you get the visa, not the other way around.

[RosaMystica7 0]

Does anyone know if DCF is an option for them because she's residing in the UK? I don't know anything about the whole DCF thing so that's why I'm just throwing it out there for someone who knows more about it to chime in.

[Kinsey 0]

Good call Angilla, that hadn't occured to me. She should look into, because supposedly they are muchhhh faster!

Here is a link that might help!

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.ph...om&page=dcf

Edited January 18, 2007 by Kinsey

[rebeccajo 14]

Does anyone know if DCF is an option for them because she's residing in the UK? I don't know anything about the whole DCF thing so that's why I'm just throwing it out there for someone who knows more about it to chime in.

DCF is for already married couples. OP clearly wants to marry in the US.

Plus I don't believe that the UK residency status 'limited leave to remain' is granted to those on student visas.

Edited January 18, 2007 by rebeccajo