Marriage timing

[Mcbride260808 1]

Hi everyone,

I was wondering if anybody had advice on marriage timings once I have arrived at the poe. We would like to get married quickly at a courthouse and then plan a family celebration with a bit more time to plan together.

I thought I had read somewhere there was a paperwork reason to wait a few weeks. Can we get married as soon as I arrive or is there a reason we may need to wait?

Thank you for your help

[Pitaya 2,577]

Check with your local governing authority, state, county, local, and inquire about specific marriage requirements.

For example, here in Washington state, you can purchase the marriage license, but there is a three-day waiting period before you can get married. Check out our signature line for specific details.

Good luck.

[Sukie 1,459]

Yep - it depends upon the rules of the state in which you marry. Your K-1 visa has a built-in expectation of marrying - it doesn't matter when as long as it is within the 90 days.

I think what you might have read might be for those entering with visitors visas, marrying quickly, and then applying for an Adjustment of Status. That can look a little fishy.

You should be fine!

Sukie

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

I think you may be thinking of SSN timing (where people advise to wait 2 weeks to make sure the name is populated in the database the SSA uses).

A SSN is not required for marriage, so you can get married when you like. Best of luck.

[Mcbride260808 1]

Thank you so much! I will ask my fiancé to check out the requirements for Maryland - thank you again for all your help!

[K1fun 0]

MD Marriage law has a 2-day wait.

http://www.courts.state.md.us/clerks/queenannes/marriage.html

Marriage Licenses How to Apply

Application may be made Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the office of the Clerk of the Circuit Court. You must apply for a marriage license in the county in which you will have your wedding ceremony.

It is recommended that you contact the Circuit Court Clerk's Office in the county you plan to have your wedding as each county has different fees. The requirements for Queen Anne's County are as follows:

• Only one of the parties needs to appear (if not using a non-resident affidavit).
• The fee is $35.00, payable by cash, check, or Visa/Mastercard.

The following information is to be provided for the Parties:

• Full names (First, Middle, Last)
• Place of residence
• Age
• State of Birth (Country if born outside United States)
• Social Security Numbers (mandatory per Family Law article §2-402 ©(1))
• Martial Status (Single, Divorced, Widow or Widower)
• If previously married:
  • the day, month and year of the divorce, and the county and state in which EACH divorce was granted or death of spouse.
  • Whether or not the parties are related by blood or marriage, and if so, to what degree of the relationship

The license is issued at the same time the application is taken; however, the license is not effective until 6:00 a.m. on the second calendar day after the license is issued. (Example: a license issued on Thursday, cannot be used until after 6:00 a.m. on Saturday.) The marriage must take place within six months of the effective date.

You will be given three copies of the marriage license, which the official performing the ceremony will complete. Instructions for completion and distribution are on the copies of the license.

Civil Ceremonies

If you would like a civil ceremony, please note that there are no justices of the peace in Maryland. Only a judge, the Clerk of the Circuit Court or an appointed, designated Deputy Clerk of the Circuit Court may perform civil ceremonies. In Queen Anne's County, the Clerk and his designated deputies perform civil ceremonies only at the courthouse and only between the hours of 2:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. Monday-Friday, except for State holidays. Appointments are required. The cost for a civil ceremony is $25, payable by cash, check or MasterCard/Visa.

Certified Copies of Your Marriage License

Certified copies of the marriage can be obtained once the return has been received by the Clerk's Office from the official for a fee of $5.50 each, payable by cash or check. You may use the Request for Certified Copy form to request certified copies of your marriage license.

If it is not convenient to visit the Clerk's Office in the county where the marriage is to take place, you may apply for a license using a Non-Resident affidavit form. The Non-Resident Affidavit for Queen Anne's County is available in PDF (portable document format). In order to view PDF files, you may need to download the free Adobe Acrobat Reader software. You can also obtain the form from your county or from the county in which you plan to have your wedding. This form must be taken to the Clerk of the Circuit Court or comparable official where you reside. A "comparable official" would be a public official in the State, County, or Province where you reside who issues marriage licenses or performs the same duties as the Clerk of the Circuit Court in Maryland. A notary public's affidavit is not sufficient, since that official, although a public officer, does not perform the same duties and is not comparable to the Clerk of Court in Maryland. Please call the Clerk's Office for more information.

Applicants Under the Age of 18

An individual 16 or 17 years old may not marry unless:

1. The individual has the consent of a parent or guardian and the parent makes oath that the individual is at least 16 years old or:
2. If the individual does not have the consent of a parent or guardian, either party to be married gives the clerk a certificate from a licensed physician stating that the physician has examined the woman to be married and has found that she is pregnant or has given birth to a child.

An individual 15 years old may not marry unless:

1. The individual has the consent of a parent or guardian and
2. Either party to be married gives the clerk a certificate from a licensed physician stating that the physician has examined the woman to be married and has found that she is pregnant or has given birth to a child.

An individual under the age of 15 may not marry.

Correction to a Marriage Record

Correction to Marriage Records may be requested in writing (along with supporting documentation, for example: birth certificate to prove your name is spelled differently than what is shown on your marriage record.) You may, for your convenience, use our Correction Request form and mail to our office.

More Information

For further information on obtaining a marriage license or questions about civil ceremonies, please call 410-758-1773.

[Eowyn_1 0]

I've also wondered about timing for a wedding. So some brief intro on me. I'm engaged to a Australian man (I'm a girl- I don't know why my profile thing won't display my gender), and we want to get married in May 2015. We're waiting that long because my fiance wants to finish his bachelor's degree. I plan on filing the peition to the US government in Janurary 2014. I've heard processing takes anywhere from 4-6 months, and then they send the information to Australia, so they can look at it- which can take another 4-6 months, then my fiance will do his medical exam and interview. I know once approved offically he has 6 months to get to America, and then just 3 months to marry me. I'm having a really hard time planning when we don't have a date set. Any advice or help?

[Mcbride260808 1]

it seems to take a bit longer on the Australian side than the uk side. we applied in February and was received our noa2 in mid july but did not get notification from the embassy until early September (about six weeks). its taken me sometime to get the police checks and immunisations done - but I think realistically the earliest we could have received an interview was mid October - and we are looking at late November. so in total here its been 9 - 10 months from application to interview.

also worth remembering is the six months date on the visa starts from the date of the medical - not the date of the visa interview.

wishing you lots of luck!