I129F Filer, Wedding Reception & Pictures Taken Before Interview

[Phuong 0]

Hi All-

Been asking around and searching on this forum, but no dice. I am an I129F filer, and currently my fiance (or wife) is waiting for the interview date as wel as instructions for medical exam. I have been stressing about this for a while now. Here's a quick timeline of what has occurred:

April '07 - went back to visit her; went Thailand for vacation, and went to Vung Tau for wedding pictures (we hired a shop call Casta to take wedding pictures, basically for our own album safekeep).

June '07 - Filed the I129F, and subsequent NOA followed (the normal stuff)

December '07 and January '08 - Went back again to be in the wedding reception, which was planned out months prior. We did not obtain marriage certificate or license as we knew we have to do that here in the US, and that's what we wanted to do.

Here's my question - will this wedding picture taking, in April, and wedding reception in January have a negative affect at her interview. Will it possibly be a case for them to deny her? We hired an agent in VN to help her with the paperwork, and we have asked him and he said as long as you did not obtain a marriaged certificate you should be OK. Of course you would think it would be OK, but from all of my research it sounds like they do whatever they feel like to. So, if there are any members out there that have done something similar to what I have done, please please please reply back to this post. Your feedback is greatly appreciated, and best of luck to everyone and his/her journey.

Thanks,

Phuong

[LuckyDucky 0]

I can't imagine it would affect you, but I actually do not know one way or the other.

You would think it would actually lead credibility to your case. Obviously your fiancee's family isn't going to all fly out to the United States for a wedding celebration, so it makes sense to do something in Vietnam for their family.

We did the same thing for my fiancee's family, too. It gave her family a party to remember and a proper send off for their daughter. It just seems to make sense.

Edit: I should caution, however, that this IS the government, so the "common sense" policy may not always be in effect. So I'd wait for someone with more experience to weigh in.

Edited March 19, 2008 by LuckyDucky

[YuAndDan 153]

I would recommend to avoid giving them anything the would make them suspect a marriage has taken place, this can cause them to hold on issuing a K-1 visa until they or you can prove that a marriage has not taken place.

The number of trips to the foreign country is good evidence of relationship.

[Phuong 0]

I would recommend to avoid giving them anything the would make them suspect a marriage has taken place, this can cause them to hold on issuing a K-1 visa until they or you can prove that a marriage has not taken place.

The number of trips to the foreign country is good evidence of relationship.

Well, one of the requirements going into the interview is to obtain a marital status that she is single, which has been obtained...

[*JG* 2]

I would recommend to avoid giving them anything the would make them suspect a marriage has taken place, this can cause them to hold on issuing a K-1 visa until they or you can prove that a marriage has not taken place.

The number of trips to the foreign country is good evidence of relationship.

I agree. If someone sees those pictures, they will halt the processing of the visa right then and there and make you jump through all sorts of hoops to prove you are not married. I don't even think the paperwork proving you are not married will be enough proof. I am betting they will tell you that day to go back and get another one of those forms to prove you didn't do it in the mean time cause the pictures make it look like you did.

Put those pictures in a safe place to bring with you. Show other forms of proof.

[PeterFB 0]

I would second what YuandDan wrote. I would add that I would prepare notatoized statements from everyone (photo studio, family, fiancee, etc) a about the pictures and reception just in case the Consulate finds out by asking neighbors or family members. If they suspect you got married, then they will need you to prove otherwise.

Peter and Thi

I-129F Sent : 2007-05-26

I-129F NOA1 : 2007-06-11

I-129F RFE(s) :

RFE Reply(s) :

I-129F NOA2 : 2007-10-26

Touched: 2007-11-02

NVC Recieved: 2007-11-16

Consulate recieved ??????

Packet 3 sent 2007-12-11

Packet 3 received 2007-12-24

Packet 3 returned 2007-12-28

Packet 4 sent 2008-1-14

Email Reply with Interview Date 2008-1-23

Interview Date 2008-2-27

Passed Interview 2008-02-27

Visa Pick Up Date 2008-3-05

Received Visa 2008-2-29 (called to pick up earlier)

POE 2008-3-05 Los Angeles

[YuAndDan 153]

I would recommend to avoid giving them anything the would make them suspect a marriage has taken place, this can cause them to hold on issuing a K-1 visa until they or you can prove that a marriage has not taken place.

The number of trips to the foreign country is good evidence of relationship.

Well, one of the requirements going into the interview is to obtain a marital status that she is single, which has been obtained...

Yes about the single cert, however what's to stop you from marrying after getting the single cert? "Wedding pics" can cause the Counselor officer to question the validity of the single cert.

[Zee Bee 61]

I would not include any pictures that could give the CO an inkling that there was a wedding or anything resembling a wedding. All it takes is the measure of doubt and you could be done.

[Phuong 0]

There's got to be a person, or two, or three, out there that has done something similar to me. I find it hard to believe that I am the first person to have done this. If this is indeed a problem (I still would love to have a person who has done the same thing as I did to reply back to this topic), then which one do your think is a better step to take:

1. Hiding the photos of the wedding reception and wedding picture trip

or

2. Obtaining legal documents proving that you are single - both for my fiancee and myself.

Thanks again for all your feedback.

Phuong

[*JG* 2]

There's got to be a person, or two, or three, out there that has done something similar to me. I find it hard to believe that I am the first person to have done this. If this is indeed a problem (I still would love to have a person who has done the same thing as I did to reply back to this topic), then which one do your think is a better step to take:

1. Hiding the photos of the wedding reception and wedding picture trip

or

2. Obtaining legal documents proving that you are single - both for my fiancee and myself.

Thanks again for all your feedback.

Phuong

Lots of people have hidden pictures of ceremonies and parties that elude to the fact that they might look like they got married.

The legal document part is not in question whatsoever......We have all had to do that. It's a question of if the embassy sees those pictures and doubts your are telling the truth about being single. It does not matter if you have the legal documents proving you are single at that point. If I were the interviewer and I saw the pictures looking like a wedding, and that legal document was not dated yesterday (as in the day before the interview), I would think you married in between getting that legal document and coming to the interview.

Why would you risk that no matter what? Is it that important to you that you must show those pictures at the embassy?

[Phuong 0]

I would recommend to avoid giving them anything the would make them suspect a marriage has taken place, this can cause them to hold on issuing a K-1 visa until they or you can prove that a marriage has not taken place.

The number of trips to the foreign country is good evidence of relationship.

Well, one of the requirements going into the interview is to obtain a marital status that she is single, which has been obtained...

Yes about the single cert, however what's to stop you from marrying after getting the single cert? "Wedding pics" can cause the Counselor officer to question the validity of the single cert.

You are absolutely right, but if I ask my fiancee to re-obtain the single status cert now, I think it woulddn't be a problem considering I am currently in the states and there are also plane tickets indicating that I have gone back to the States since January. It would be, of course, impossible to get marry in Vietnam if I am physically in the States.

Actually, my fiancee obtained the single status paperwork after I left Vietnam in January, so she doesn't even need to re-obtain that.

Phuong

Edited March 19, 2008 by Phuong

[*JG* 2]

How will you prove exactly when the pictures were taken?

[Phuong 0]

How will you prove exactly when the pictures were taken?

Well, of course the pictures were taken in the past, and since I am not in Vietnam between January 8, 2008 to present and my fiancee requested and obtained the single status a week after January 8, 2008 when I already left (and physically obtained it about a month later) ... this should be good enough proof, right?

I do understand your thoughts on not showing them the pictures, but like PeterFB said, if for whatever reason they find out, then I think it's a "No go" for sure. So, that's my thought on being upfront and honest...

Phuong

[Melrose Plant 1]

Everyone, and I mean everyone I have talked with privately has had a wedding ceremony in Vietnam. All people I have talked to refer to their fiancee as their "wife." We had a wedding ceremony ourselves, four days after our engagement ceremony. I have been advised by my lawyer not to mention the word "wedding" or show any pictures of the wedding.

To me, this seems stupid, but I can believe that the consulate would make trouble over this. It's a very simple question with a very simple resolution: If I died today, would my "wife" be entitled to anything? The answer is not no, but hell no. End of inquiry. We may consider ourselves married in our minds, but it is thrust in my face more strongly every day that we are NOT married, and we don't have any legal rights or standing that married couples enjoy. So give us a visa already, HCM consulate, so we can GET married, OK?

[CraigCam 0]

I am in a similar situation. My fiancée and I are filing for a K1 but because her family is Catholic, it is very important to them to have a wedding ceremony/reception party in a Catholic church in Viet Nam since they obviously can't come to the US. I emailed the US Consulate in HCMC and explained my situation and asked for their advice. This was their reply:

Visa categories that applicants apply are based on the nature of the relationship. If you marry your fiancée and sign a marriage certificate in Vietnam or elsewhere, you have to file an immigrant visa petition on behalf of your spouse so that she can apply for a visa to immigrate to the US . If you just have a wedding ceremony in Vietnam without legally documents - marriage certificate - signed, you can file a fiancée visa petition for her. For more information on filing an immigrant or fiancée visa petition, you should contact the regional Citizenship and Immigrant Services office that has jurisdiction over your place of residence. You can also find this information on the USCIS website at www.uscis.gov

If you have further inquiries, please do not delete your original email in all correspondence.

Sincerely,

Info Unit Staff

Consular Section

U.S. Consulate General HCMC

The Consulate is fully aware of how important this is to many couples. I would think that any dated receipts, such as for the photographer, would establish when the ceremony took and place. Therefore, any Single Cert dated after that time(as close to the interview as possible) should be acceptable.

I want to state that I'm not recommending you volunteer the information. That is up to you. I'm just sharing some info with you so you can make your own decision. I haven't even decided how I will handle the situation when the time comes. I'm only considering it because of the short amount time I have been in this relationship and because it might lend some credibility. I also don't like the idea of keeping secrets.

Good luck to you. Keep me posted. I'd like to know what you decide.