Marriage without full-blow wedding

[Garrett 0]

You need documentation that your marriage is recognized as valid in whatever country/locale you had it in. If your Georgian church wedding didn't provide the official paperwork, then that would make sense why you were told to go to the Ministry. But what you're saying doesn't apply to 99% of people.

[Brusik 11]

You need documentation that your marriage is recognized as valid in whatever country/locale you had it in. If your Georgian church wedding didn't provide the official paperwork, then that would make sense why you were told to go to the Ministry. But what you're saying doesn't apply to 99% of people.

I wouldnt say 99%... because people I work with are from Ukraine, Belarus, etc. They all had to provide documentation that wasn't from a church. There were several couple from other parts of Europe who also said they needed this certificate from the Ministry Justice.

Perhaps it has to do with the Caucasus region or former Soviet States.

[S and R 8]

When it comes to Visa processing, different countries have different "standards" and some countries are high fraud and others low. Australia is a very easy consulate so some of the standards that others go by don't apply to Australia. For that reason most of the visa stuff is country specific. There's Australian threads listed in my signature. Come on over and say hi

In regards to your question, when I had my K1 interview I took emails, and chat logs and more photos... NONE of that was even looked at. They had basically already decided based on our file and just asked a couple of questions. I'm not sure if it helped that I was having flight issues and offered my (then) fiances phone number as a contact number to find out what was going on while I was in transit.. but most people report that they ask a few questions but rarely look at the evidence we take (but don't take it and they're gunna wanna see it, you just know it ).

In regards to ongoing relationship evidence, some people don't type well (my husband is one of them), text msgs were too expensive for us so I got an iPhone (I had a blackberry but it's data plan sucked) so we could email each other instead of texting. Some couples only skype, some use other forms of Voip.. what I'm getting at is in today's electronic age no evidence is the same so just get together proof as YOU do it So based on your post that would be some phone bills of hers showing the texts to you. Depending on how you call (I used a Say G'day phone card for a while) try and get phone records to prove that. You said you support the family so evidence of sending money overseas will help in your case (there are some situations where sending money isn't good, yours is one where it IS good). Anything else you can think of showing proof of your ongoing relationship. Like your continual visits overseas (ticket stubs, itineraries etc), proof of sending parcels (if you have it).. anything else you can think of.

Seeing you've decided CR-1 (which given your situation is definitely the best option), I recommend seeing getting the stuff together for the CR1 now and taking whatever you need with you to your next visit in the US and filing it while you are there. When doing the K1 I had to send documents at least 3 times to Tony so he could send off the petition. It will be a lot simpler if you have it all ready to go while you're there. It will also mean spending less time apart while waiting. Also while you're in the US you might want to start looking at job prospects (where, how much for pay etc), that way you have an idea of what you're looking at and it's less of a shock.

Good luck and I hope to see you over at the Aussie chat page

Thanks very much for that! I will certainly visit your OZ rooms after this - closer to home. The April trip is on, I booked my flights today. Delta has made lots of money out of us with the SYD-ATL daily. We'll go though the civil wedding and then file the I-130 for CR-1 after I return. A new thread - is it better to use the services of a US-based lawyer or use one in Sydney? Also, how much reasonable for this service? I have a quote of $4000.! Again, thanks in advance.....

[Mrs O. 29]

Thanks very much for that! I will certainly visit your OZ rooms after this - closer to home. The April trip is on, I booked my flights today. Delta has made lots of money out of us with the SYD-ATL daily. We'll go though the civil wedding and then file the I-130 for CR-1 after I return. A new thread - is it better to use the services of a US-based lawyer or use one in Sydney? Also, how much reasonable for this service? I have a quote of $4000.! Again, thanks in advance.....

Why do you want to hire a lawyer at all? I personally think its a waste of money if the intended immigrant has not had any trouble with the law before, immigration-related or otherwise. As long as you have the patience of reading and following instructions thoroughly you should have no problem processing this yourself. Keep the $4000 for visiting each other while the CR1 is being processed...

[S and R 8]

Now that is really good advice. I do not have any legal constraints whatsover - immigration or otherwise. I had a B1 multi-entry to the US before the VWP, to Silicon Valley in San Jose with a former employer. That saving would come in handy. The issue is that I'd like my wife to file the I-130 petition in the US after my departure. She may not be able to take over if anything unexpected came up ( believe me, I know her...). She would be crying for help. I will go through the I-130 and its requirements closely, we will file without a lawyer is we can DIY it.

Another question - how long do you have to know your partner before getting engaged/married to qualify for a CR-1?. Does the duration matter? Are a few months OK?

[Mrs O. 29]

Now that is really good advice. I do not have any legal constraints whatsover - immigration or otherwise. I had a B1 multi-entry to the US before the VWP, to Silicon Valley in San Jose with a former employer. That saving would come in handy. The issue is that I'd like my wife to file the I-130 petition in the US after my departure. She may not be able to take over if anything unexpected came up ( believe me, I know her...). She would be crying for help. I will go through the I-130 and its requirements closely, we will file without a lawyer is we can DIY it.

Another question - how long do you have to know your partner before getting engaged/married to qualify for a CR-1?. Does the duration matter? Are a few months OK?

Hopefully nothinig out of the ordinary will come up if you are well prepared. You can be of help by collating the documents. I kind of know what you mean that your wife will be crying for help. because my husband hates filling forms and stuff like that. . When we wanted to file, I visited him in the US and we went through all the requirements together carefully and filled all the forms together. Took us days as we wanted to be really thorough. Went as far as sealing the envelopes my myself all he did was pop it in the post after my departure.We had no problems at USCIS, we got approval without an RFE.

For the NVC stage the bulk of the work will be done by you not your wife, her main responsibility will be the Affidavit of Support. You will send the DS3032 and the DS230. As mentioned before, if you read and follow the instructions thoroughly there should be no problem. And if you have questions the VJ global family is there to help.

A few months is ok, the duration is not what matters, its what you can show for the duration that matters. Good luck!

[yohino 22]

American Consulate in Republic of Georgia said I had to do Ministry Justice.They said a church wedding would not do it alone.

I got the idea from no one............ It's what was told to me

I was reffering to the part of marriages outside the US would not be valid for immigration purposes. Not true.

I'm thinking the meaning was that a church wedding still needs to be registerd, which is true.

[Brusik 11]

I was reffering to the part of marriages outside the US would not be valid for immigration purposes. Not true.

I'm thinking the meaning was that a church wedding still needs to be registerd, which is true.

Yes!!!!!!!! It was bad wording on my part

[VanessaTony 3,567]

Now that is really good advice. I do not have any legal constraints whatsover - immigration or otherwise. I had a B1 multi-entry to the US before the VWP, to Silicon Valley in San Jose with a former employer. That saving would come in handy. The issue is that I'd like my wife to file the I-130 petition in the US after my departure. She may not be able to take over if anything unexpected came up ( believe me, I know her...). She would be crying for help. I will go through the I-130 and its requirements closely, we will file without a lawyer is we can DIY it.

Another question - how long do you have to know your partner before getting engaged/married to qualify for a CR-1?. Does the duration matter? Are a few months OK?

Doesn't matter how long you've been married

Once she's sent the I-130 she MIGHT get an RFE but you can avoid that by making sure you've got the packet together from the start.

As someone else said, the only other part she will need to do is the Affidavit of Support stuff so it might not hurt while you're there with her to go through ALL the paperwork for the entire process so when the time comes she just needs to print it, or sign it and send.

I honestly don't think an attorney is required and that it's a big waste of money. Because you're not getting married till april you can spend time on here asking questions and getting the paperwork together so that when you get there you don't need to worry too much and can just focus on getting married and spending time with your new wife Also make sure you look at how long the waiting period is for your area. We had a 3 day wait but you don't want an unexpected wait to ruin your plans. Also you shouldn't need a SSN but make sure she checks on that. Some areas still require it but usually just your passport is enough but again, check because sometimes they might even need your birth certificate and you'll wanna make sure you have one with you.

Good luck and congrats in advance

[lynJer 7]

I sit here unable to work, unable to return to my country and my house that sits on the market in flooded Brisbane under a k1....oh I can return but cant get back into this country where my biological children would be attending school.

My husband and I fell in love with each other in 1988 but didnt marry then due to all this red tape. We both wish that we had done a Vegas wedding xmas 09...

I think marrying in a courthouse is a wonderful idea because I think it would be a lot cheaper than the k1 expense. But maybe a cheap Vegas wedding wld be good too....look online..

At the end of the day the piece of paper that comes with a marriage is all that determines which way to file your request to stay in the USA. Having to marry under the k1 you get 3 mths from the time you enter and so you CANNOT have enough time to plan anything big and when you have families living in opposite sides of the world...they need at least 3 months to plan work leave and/or airfaires etc...the only person from my family that was able to attend my small church/reception wedding was my brother and his wife...oh and my 3 kids of course...

We had to wait over 5 mths just for a k1 approval...then I had to make a very expensive trip to sydney for an interview...and here I am over 13 mths since the filling of a k1 and still no real residential status....Australia has decided Im certainly not a resident there anymore...even though Im still a ratepayer....

I understand that some people will have much nicer K1 experiences....and Im sure there are others that have propably had worse...

I really do think the cr1 wld have to be a better experience than what my husband, myself and my kids have since gone through....

good luck with it all....

ps...we looked into the migrate to australia option and after speaking to my work collegue who had been through the process it sounded a bigger nightmare...took her 2 years and 10k....

[utopia2004 2]

K3 doesn't exist now. Any reason why you wanna do a CR-1 (which you would do instead of K3) instead of the K1? CR-1 is better in that it works out cheaper in the end and that you get a GC on entry, but K1 is quicker because it can be started now (and not wait for your next visit). In Aus you're looking at 5-6 months and you'll have the K1 visa, assuming 3 months from NOA1 to NOA2. But then you can't work until you get your GC which is around 3 months from sending off the paperwork.. so if you're the bread-winner then it's definitely not the option for you.

Also out of interest, a small intimate wedding in the US need not be as expensive as you think. Ours was less than $5K and we had a "full-blown" wedding (though I exclude my dress from that, that was my Aussie splurge ).

Also, has she considered moving to Australia? I don't know if you've looked into income in the US but it sucks... especially at first, depending on your field. If you're the bread-winner she might be better off moving to you (or at least considering it). Has she visited Australia? Maybe the next ticket can be a trip for her to Aus to see what she thinks (kids can stay with family). Just an idea.

To answer your question directly, no problem with just a small wedding. Try and take a few, have someone take a photo of the first kiss and exchange of rings and all that.

Side note - I do understand her ultimatum for "marriage or nothing" as Tony and I had a similar discussion. It wasn't that I doubted his commitment or he mine, we just were over the long distance stuff and I had no ties at that time so it was the best time to start it all. Something about reading "ultimatum" and that she doubts your commitment doesn't sound good but then only you know if you're ready for "marriage and the whole she-bang".. but like I said, the income in the US sucks so maybe have a look at jobs online before you decide US over Australia though, or at least yet. I was surprised at the huge drop in income (I'm used to at least $20 an hour, now I've gotta set my sights at $10.. perhaps even at BEST.. ugh.. painful.. even Safeway's pay rates would make you more than middle-income in the US!)

I agree with your post. We had a full blown wedding (see my avatar), spending under 5k, including dress. We had everything-photographer etc, we only had 60 people, but the venue was gorgeous (lebanon where he lives is fairley cheep!). TBH we could of done it cheaper if we had family with a nice house and the ceremony with an ordained minister. It very possible to do a cheap nice wedding!! I sourced alot of cheap services on the internet. Dress was second hand but looked brand new.

[utopia2004 2]

Thanks for your comments.

After your comments, the CR1 certainly is a better option. I will be travelling again in April/May, and from our call today, she has plans for the court marriage. The long CR1 processing time will be a blessing in disguise as I will continue to work for a few more months here to boost our savings. Also, the equity in my Sydney property will suffice to purchase a home outright on arrival.

Interesting comment about the job prospects and pay in the US. We are spoilt here with the job vacancies. I am a Technology Project Manager and I am (somewhat....) optmistic about job prospects but I was advised my lack of US experience will be a big negative. We are planning for 3-6 months of unemployment. My initial plan was for the family to move to Australia but her parents are against the idea as no one in there family has ever been out of the USA. Besides, 4 people relocating is a major event even though Australia immigration is not as 'rigid'.

How important are emails for evident of ongoing relationship? We never email each other! Lots of phone calls though, daily actually, and even more text messages. Would this be a negative? Thanks in advance......

We dont email either. We call, we have a calling card online that logs all the calls. And we text- its free from my email to his cell phone. Also facebook history is good to use- where other people commented etc.

As long as you have primary evidence, joint lease, names on bank account, other bills, boarding passes, hotel reciepts, money transfers etc, insurance policy. The secondary evidence is- photos, call logs etc- these help (esp photos), but they prefer the primary evidence. Can you set any of that up on your next trip?

I managed to get joint bank and lease.

Edited March 1, 2011 by utopia2004