Visas for family members/friends?

[aba anoma 0]

hi everyone!

my husband and i were married in ghana over three years ago, but we are planning our american 'wedding.' we just had a legal ceremony in ghana, with no celebration (and none of my family). we set the date for our wedding over a year and a half ago, when we thought my husband would be returning to the US in the fall of '08. long story short. he is still in ghana, waiting for an interview date. our wedding is scheduled for june 6th. stressful? A BIT. i am hoping/praying/counting on an april interview, given that serenity's case was completed about a month before ours and their interview is in march. also, i think i will have a complete breakdown if he doesn't get an april interview, so i try to think positively.

so my question is- does anyone have any experience getting visas for friends/family members to attend a wedding here in the US? we have several people who are interested in coming. does anyone know if there is a special process? do they just need to sign up for a NIV appointment? my husband called into some talk show with a consulate worker. he says that she said i should send a list of invited guests to the embassy. is this true? theoretically i could just put anyone's name on the list...it seems strange. i am planning to send them the wedding invitation, but i don't know what else they would need. it also seems problematic for them to be applying for visas to attend our wedding when my husband hasn't been granted his immigrant visa yet (though i am not worried about its approval- when he received his NIV, they actually told him he should work on his IV). really, i would appreciate any advice! i can't imagine getting 'married' without any of our ghanaian friends and family.

YE DA WO ASE PIIIIII! thanks a lot!!

[Zee Bee 61]

In order to come to the US they would need to apply for a visitor's visa. They will need to show some kind of proof of ties to return to Ghana after their visit to the US (bank balance, owning land/business, etc).

Each person you invite is going to be interviewed. The approval of each person is going to depend on his/her circumstances and what proof they can bring to the interview. I have never heard of sending the embassy a list of guests. Them getting a visa is independent of you/your husband's status in the US.

The visa fee is $131. I'm not sure how appointments are set up, but I am sure they are on the Ghana embassy website.

I don't know who you plan to invite, but if they are young, single with no property/business, chances of them getting a visitor's visa are slim to none.

[reeses16 8]

I know you are on a timeline, but I would suggest waiting until your hubby has his visa in hand before trying to contact the consulate about invited guests. What if the CO is suspects that you are not really married (why else would you be inviting people to a wedding in the US)? I'm only playing devils advocate. I wouldn't give them any room to delay approval or flag for administrative review.