Honest opinions please :)

[sachinky 464]

From your post, I'd say a CR-1 would be your best bet.

[MissyPatrick 0]

This is all so helpful and i am beginning to understand it all alot better now. Thankyou to everyone who has commented and given their advice.

When i read the guides alot i find is hard to understand so i like to talk to others who have been through or understand how these visa's work.

I think maybe the cr-1 visa is the way to go now since reading all of your comments. I have a few questions reguarding this visa just to be sure i understand better.

If we decided to apply for the cr-1 visa would this mean first and foremost we would need to get married and this can be done when i just visit him at any time?

We visit eachother every few months and i just wondered if we would just need to arrange a time we would like to be married and then we could do just that when i would visit him next? We usually only get to spend a week together because of our work situation. I was wondering if i needed to apply for anything to be allowed to get married in the U.S?

After that week when i return home my then husband could apply for cr-1?

This i hear takes about 7months or so,is this correct? I also heard it takes a year or so but i don't know which is more realistic.

Within that 7months i can continue working back in the U.K while we wait to see if the petition has been successful?

Shortly after,if all goes well and the visa has been approved then i can return to the U.S and will be able to work straight away? Would i need to pick up the green card (if successful) from the U.S Embassy?

I'm curious about this 1-129 form some of you are talking about as i don't know of this either?

The 1-94 is the 90 day stamped visa you get when you go through immigration shortly after getting of the plane right? This is what you fill out on the airplane which the air attendants give you?

I must seem stupid for asking these questions but i really do find it so much easier to ask others who have been through this instead of reading pages of writing which is alot of jargon to me. You all explain it so much better and i feel alot better about all this since joining yesterday. Thankyou so much to everyone!

[canadian_wife 1,808]

Yes - the CR-1 is for married couples. You can marry him at any time, as long as you abide by the terms of your visa and return home. After you have your marriage certificate, you can apply (you NEED the marriage cert to apply).

The wait time varies but yes, 6 - 10 months seems to be the average.

Once you are issued the cr-1 visa and enter the US, the green card will be mailed to you. Remember, there are no US consulates inside the US.

The I-129F is the petition you fill out for the K-3 visa. The K-3 visa was faster about 3 years ago but is an obselete visa. Stick to the Cr-1

Since I'm not from a VWP country I am not too sure about I-94s

Good luck.

[MissyPatrick 0]

Yes - the CR-1 is for married couples. You can marry him at any time, as long as you abide by the terms of your visa and return home. After you have your marriage certificate, you can apply (you NEED the marriage cert to apply).

The wait time varies but yes, 6 - 10 months seems to be the average.

Once you are issued the cr-1 visa and enter the US, the green card will be mailed to you. Remember, there are no US consulates inside the US.

The I-129F is the petition you fill out for the K-3 visa. The K-3 visa was faster about 3 years ago but is an obselete visa. Stick to the Cr-1

Since I'm not from a VWP country I am not too sure about I-94s

Good luck.

Oh okay,this makes more sense now.

Is there a time limit to have entered back into the U.S once being issued the cr-1 then?

Oh i see so the I-129F isn't needed if i am applying for the Cr-1?

[sachinky 464]

The I129F is if you're also filing for a K-3.

Once the visa is issued, you have 6 months to use it before it expires. The visa is endorsed at the border.

Edited January 21, 2010 by sachinky

[MissyPatrick 0]

I have just read about the cr-1 visa on another page, is it true if i went to the U.S on a visitors visa to get married it would be seen as "intent" to marry so be a violation of the law? or is this only if i married and stayed in the U.S and didn't return within the time allowed?

I don't want to do anything that might ban me from the U.S.

They usually ask you upon arrival to the U.S why you are visiting and if i was visiting to see my man but also intending on marrying him then they wouldnt let me into the U.S? Although if i didn't mention marrying him and just told them i was visiting for the week (even if i was intending to marry him) then it would be seen as lying and a violation of the law right?

I don't know what is best as some are mentioning that i could marry whenever i visit the U.S aslong as i am back within the 90 days allowed.

[mox 298]

I have just read about the cr-1 visa on another page, is it true if i went to the U.S on a visitors visa to get married it would be seen as "intent" to marry so be a violation of the law? or is this only if i married and stayed in the U.S and didn't return within the time allowed?

I don't want to do anything that might ban me from the U.S.

They usually ask you upon arrival to the U.S why you are visiting and if i was visiting to see my man but also intending on marrying him then they wouldnt let me into the U.S? Although if i didn't mention marrying him and just told them i was visiting for the week (even if i was intending to marry him) then it would be seen as lying and a violation of the law right?

I don't know what is best as some are mentioning that i could marry whenever i visit the U.S aslong as i am back within the 90 days allowed.

There's no problem with entering the US to get married. The "intent" part is intent to stay. There's nothing illegal about marrying and then returning within the time alloted on your visa.

It's always best to be honest with the border agents. Having said that, "I am here to visit my fiancee" and omitting the fact that you're also going to marry him is still being honest. Assuming you've never had any immigration problems before, I think the likelihood that they'd keep you from entering even if you said you were marrying is low, but then again why chance coming across the one jagoff having a bad day? (having said that, spill your guts if they take you into the little white room.) Pro-tip: ship the wedding dress instead of carrying it in your luggage, as this could be a tip-off.

[sachinky 464]

As long as you marry and return by the terms of your visa, it is fine. The problem occurs when people enter with the intent to marry and immigrate and file for AOS.

[MissyPatrick 0]

There's no problem with entering the US to get married. The "intent" part is intent to stay. There's nothing illegal about marrying and then returning within the time alloted on your visa.

It's always best to be honest with the border agents. Having said that, "I am here to visit my fiancee" and omitting the fact that you're also going to marry him is still being honest. Assuming you've never had any immigration problems before, I think the likelihood that they'd keep you from entering even if you said you were marrying is low, but then again why chance coming across the one jagoff having a bad day? (having said that, spill your guts if they take you into the little white room.) Pro-tip: ship the wedding dress instead of carrying it in your luggage, as this could be a tip-off.

haha,i like your ideas! I'm just worried to say the wrong thing as if i said i am just visiting my fiance for the week and then i come back married then that would seem like i had lied and if i tell them i am visiting to marry my fiance it would be seen as an intention to marry so may not be allowed also! haha. I see what you mean about the "intent to stay" though. That makes sense.

Also would it mean my passport wouldnt be valid since i would have a different last name? when would i need to update passport info or is that not really an issue? I'm not sure about passports you see.

[canadian_wife 1,808]

You name does not change automatically when you marry, you must take the steps necessary to change all your identification to your married name.

Your passport is not invalidated when you marry, your name is not officially changed. You can do that at any time back in the UK. You'd want to do that before the interview as they issue the visa in the name in the passport and the green card with the name on the visa.

Good luck.

[mox 298]

haha,i like your ideas! I'm just worried to say the wrong thing as if i said i am just visiting my fiance for the week and then i come back married then that would seem like i had lied and if i tell them i am visiting to marry my fiance it would be seen as an intention to marry so may not be allowed also! haha. I see what you mean about the "intent to stay" though. That makes sense.

Also would it mean my passport wouldnt be valid since i would have a different last name? when would i need to update passport info or is that not really an issue? I'm not sure about passports you see.

Unless you get dragged into the little white room, they don't record the conversation they had with you at POE. So you're not going to run into any problems like this.

In most places in the US, the way that you change your last name is you start using your new last name. There's really not an official "name change" process. So your documents won't be invalid, and when you enter the US you can just start using your last name. You'll need the marriage certificate for some things, like applying for SSN using your married name.

[MissyPatrick 0]

You name does not change automatically when you marry, you must take the steps necessary to change all your identification to your married name.

Your passport is not invalidated when you marry, your name is not officially changed. You can do that at any time back in the UK. You'd want to do that before the interview as they issue the visa in the name in the passport and the green card with the name on the visa.

Good luck.

Oh yes i knew i would have to change it to my married name. I was just confused as to what happens about the passport name as it would then be different so it would just mean once back in the U.K i would have to have it changed and like you say before the interview for the visa then.

Thankyou for your help

[Kathryn41 3,205]

When you get married, get an official copy of the marriage certificate that can be given to you or mailed to you when you return home. You can then use the marriage certificate as the documentary evidence to change your name in your passport. I don't know for certain how passports are applied for in England but I would assume they require proof of a name change - the marriage certificate is your proof of a name change. You would then apply for your new passport in your new married name. You will want to do that before you have your CR-1 interview because they will issue your visa in the same name that is in your passport. One word of advice - always purchase your plane tickets in the same name that is in your passport - even if you are married but your passport still shows your maiden name.

[elmcitymaven 9,712]

Missy -- my husband and I got married on holiday in the US (I'm the US citizen). We were living together in London and decided to get married in the US so my family could be there. When he went through immigration, he was asked the purpose of his trip. He said he was on holiday with his American girlfriend, and that we were getting married and then returning to London together 3 weeks later. He showed them his return ticket and they were satisfied. He was clear and truthful about the purpose of his visit and had no problems.

You are getting some great advice here. Best of luck and congratulations!