Where to begin - Need advice please

[Missie 0]

Hi all,

This is my first post. Someone recommended this website and I really need some information because I don't even know where to begin.

I am engaged to a US Citizen who resides in the US. We have been together for 4 years by that time and we want to get married in September in my Caribbean country. Then I would like to be able to move to the US, where we will like to honeymoon and then reside.

Getting married in the US is not an 'option' for me as none of my family members would be able to attend. Because of this I am told that a Fiancee Visa would not be the right one for me, as it requires marriage in the USA. Is this correct? Are there any provisions to start this process while engaged, even though not marrying in the USA?

My other concern is that if our wedding in September (outside the US) goes as planned, what can be done so that I can come back to the US with him for our honeymoon as well as reside here with him? I just don't know where to start. Any help would be appreciated greatly!

Missie

[NigeriaorBust 4,087]

There is little you can do to make things go to your plan unless you wait a long time for your honeymoon. To marry outside the country you will have to wait until after the wedding to start the paperwork and currently you are looking at waiting over 6 months after that for a visa. The only thing I can think of is a quiet civil wedding now to let you start the paperwork and then a big wedding later.

[Kathryn41 3,205]

Moved from K-1 forum as OP indicates they will not be getting married in the US and is seeking to immigrate to the US after marriage

[christeen 966]

If you file for a spouse visa, they have to FIRST be your spouse... only then can you start the paperwork... and from there it is about 6 - 9 months... If you file for a fiance visa now(k1), you might be able to have them come here, as someone suggested, have a quiet civil "official" ceremony here, then go have a big formal wedding in your spouse's country as generally, it is about 4-6 months... but you would be cutting it very close...

Read up on the guide here as there is LOTS of info... you can type in keywords at the top and see some situations similar to yours...

I might add that if you get married over there, he would not be able to come over and live with you immedialty... the process is between 5 - 9 months generally before he could join you here...

Edited March 3, 2010 by christeen

[Emmamama 2]

If you file for a spouse visa, they have to FIRST be your spouse... only then can you start the paperwork... and from there it is about 6 - 9 months... If you file for a fiance visa now(k1), you might be able to have them come here, as someone suggested, have a quiet civil "official" ceremony here, then go have a big formal wedding in your spouse's country as generally, it is about 4-6 months... but you would be cutting it very close...

Read up on the guide here as there is LOTS of info... you can type in keywords at the top and see some situations similar to yours...

I might add that if you get married over there, he would not be able to come over and live with you immedialty... the process is between 5 - 9 months generally before he could join you here...

This is what we did...

Small civil wedding here in Argentina and then we began paperwork for the IR-1/CR-1 visa (immediate relative visa--spouse). All of my spouse's family came--very small, but with a nice little luncheon and cocktail party afterward.

When we get to the US we will have our traditional Navajo wedding where my family will be (and a few of his family members will go, too).

Even though it'd be nice to go through with your plans, you'd have to wait a while like already said.

AND then you have to worry about another process of adjusting status, paying more money, blah blah blah.

And once you're married you know you're legally together with the person you love.

[TheBears 9]

Ditto. We registered our marriage but haven't had our big wedding yet. If start now, you might be able to squeeze into getting an interview in September and coming to the US after your wedding. Might.

Good luck!

[Missie 0]

Ditto. We registered our marriage but haven't had our big wedding yet. If start now, you might be able to squeeze into getting an interview in September and coming to the US after your wedding. Might.

Good luck!

I want to thank everyone for the quick responses! It's helping to demystify the whole process.

I need to clarify something though:

What I think you are all saying is that I could have a civil wedding in the US and go the route of the Marriage Visa. Is that correct?

What might be the odds if we apply for a Fiancee Visa in the US, and while that's being processed have a nice ceremony in the Caribbean as planned, and when the K1 Visa is approved and I have 90 days to come to the US for the marriage required, have a civil wedding so that it is registered under US Law and meet the US' K1 Visa requirements? Could this be done?

I don't know if this matters, but I already hold a valid Tourist Visa for travel to the US. I am in fact in the US for a few days right now under a B1/B2 Visa.

[TheBears 9]

My understanding is that you can get married anywhere in the world so long as you return home before starting the CR1.

If you're in the US already, adjusting your status may or may not be possible.

K1, my understanding is that it's better to NOT do anything that resembles a wedding/marriage before you get your visa. Once you have your visa IN HAND, then you can have the big ceremony at home and register the marriage in the US.

Confirm the accuracy of this with the opinions of others and your own research before acting on any of it.

[NigeriaorBust 4,087]

You can have a small legal wedding anywhere. Then file for a CR 1 visa and once that is granted have your big wedding party and move to the US.

[Missie 0]

You can have a small legal wedding anywhere. Then file for a CR 1 visa and once that is granted have your big wedding party and move to the US.

Thanks guys...What we really are trying to avoid is being apart after the wedding. I am not a US Citizen and have just spent 6 months in the US on a tourist visa. If we went the route of the CR1 Visa, would I be able to travel to the US and spend time, back and forth until residency is gained?

[Terca 6]

Option one:

-Get married in the caribbean

-start paperwork for immigrant visa (wife of us citizen) with an I-130 petition right away (read the rest on guides if this is ur choice)

-you are looking at 8-12 months average (could be more/less) before being able to set foot in the USA.

Option two:

-Start paperwork for a non-immigrant visa (Fiancee of us citizen) with an I-129f petition right away (read rest on guides if this is ur choice)

-you are looking at 4-8 months average (could be more/less) before being able to set foot in the USA.

-once you do, you get married here withing 90 days of coming.

Are these your only options? no. But i wanted to keep it clear for you. You need to study the guides on the forum to see what is best for you.

there are some things that are important when choosing for example

1) How important is money? Option number one is a bit less expensive

2) How important is it for you to be able to work right away in the US? option one is the best if you want to work as soon as you set foot here

3) how important is it that your trinidad family attends the wedding? option number one is the best if your trinidad family cannot travel to us, and the husband family can travel to trinidad.

4)how important is it for you to be with your husband right away? option number 2 is a bit faster

To give you an idea I chose option one, it will give me time to settle in here before my husband comes from the caribbean, he will be able to work right away and we have been living apart so waiting one more year was a sacrifice we were willing to make, and its a bit cheaper too. It was very important for me to have my caribbean family attend the wedding so we got married there and the rest of my family and his that lived in the US traveled for our wedding .... hope this helps when you choose we can be more specific as to what steps you need to take to get started on your journey, and point you in the right direction for reading material.

[Terca 6]

Thanks guys...What we really are trying to avoid is being apart after the wedding. I am not a US Citizen and have just spent 6 months in the US on a tourist visa. If we went the route of the CR1 Visa, would I be able to travel to the US and spend time, back and forth until residency is gained?

Technically you can, but you need to prove strong ties to trinidad in the US airport to show that you will go back to the caribbean to wait for the rest of the journey. You take the chance of being turned around from airport

[Missie 0]

Thanks Terca, the outline made it very visual what my options are.

I suppose right now we are just torn over what to do.

~ My main concern is that I want my family there (which requires it to be in the US as they don't have US Visas yet)

~ His main concern is that we are not apart after the wedding (this is important to me, but I'd be more willing to do it, if I could visit from time to time - which does comprise the risk of being denied entry at US Customs, esp if it becomes too frequent)