Got the K-1. Now what are our options for getting married?

[GhaleonEME 1]

Hello Everyone,

My fiance will be arriving in America on her K1 visa in early December, and we are trying to make sure that we have all of our ducks in line to get the ball rolling on the I-30 application as soon as she arrives.

One question that I have regards our options for getting married. The idea of planning a full-on wedding inside of 3 months of her arrival is unfortunately out of the question. We were hoping to get a civil union and plan a proper wedding after she gets her permanent residency, but I have read here that a civil union will not suffice for the I-30.

I'm sure that we are not the first couple who has been unable to plan a full-on wedding within the 3 month window. How do people usually handle this? Do they just "sign the papers" and then have a real wedding sometime in the future even though they are already married?

As always, thank you for your help!

[Avery Cates 1,141]

We're planning on doing something small coinciding with the actual legal marriage, and then next year we'll have an actual ceremony to celebrate.

[TKBRAVO 4]

Hello Everyone,

My fiance will be arriving in America on her K1 visa in early December, and we are trying to make sure that we have all of our ducks in line to get the ball rolling on the I-30 application as soon as she arrives.

One question that I have regards our options for getting married. The idea of planning a full-on wedding inside of 3 months of her arrival is unfortunately out of the question. We were hoping to get a civil union and plan a proper wedding after she gets her permanent residency, but I have read here that a civil union will not suffice for the I-30.

I'm sure that we are not the first couple who has been unable to plan a full-on wedding within the 3 month window. How do people usually handle this? Do they just "sign the papers" and then have a real wedding sometime in the future even though they are already married?

As always, thank you for your help!

Yeah, and I am planning on Sign the papers just like you and the celebrate whenever We are financialy ready.

[Dave&Roza 748]

Hello Everyone,

My fiance will be arriving in America on her K1 visa in early December, and we are trying to make sure that we have all of our ducks in line to get the ball rolling on the I-30 application as soon as she arrives.

One question that I have regards our options for getting married. The idea of planning a full-on wedding inside of 3 months of her arrival is unfortunately out of the question. We were hoping to get a civil union and plan a proper wedding after she gets her permanent residency, but I have read here that a civil union will not suffice for the I-30.

I'm sure that we are not the first couple who has been unable to plan a full-on wedding within the 3 month window. How do people usually handle this? Do they just "sign the papers" and then have a real wedding sometime in the future even though they are already married?

As always, thank you for your help!

Please check the K-1 visa in her passport to see when it expires. That is the date she must enter the US by. It is tpically 6 months after the visa is issued. Option #1: she remains in her home country for a while longer while you plan the big wedding. Once the date is set and all the arrangements have been made, she can enter the US and then the 90 day clock begins. You get married and then file the I-485 AOS (Adjustment of Status) along with the I-765 EAD (Employment Authorization) and the I-131 AP (Advance Parole) so she can work and travel before the GC arrives. So this methods gives you almost 9 months to plan a wedding.

Option #2: she arrives in the US and you get married with either a small simple affair or at the courthouse and then file the AOS, EAD, and AP. Just remember that the AOS filing fee is $1070. A friend of mine had a courthouse wedding and then invited all their freinds over to celebrate. Neither he nor his wife could justify spending all that money on one day.

No matter which option you choose, just amke certain you get married before the I-94 expires (the I-94 is now electronic so you will need to go to the CBP website to print out a copy or two as you will need this for AOS).

Good luck,

Dave

[Avery Cates 1,141]

What is the I-94 and when does it get filled out?

[GhaleonEME 1]

Yikes, $1070. Thanks for the heads up.

Thanks for the feedback, everyone. We will probably do a small courthouse wedding shortly after she lands and emotionally commit ourselves to a "real" wedding sometime down the road.

Another question: about how much work do I have in store for me with the AOS petition? Will the time commitment be comparable to that of the K-1 petition or have we already done the lion's share of the work in terms of document collection, medical exams, interviews, etc... ?

[mstewart 6]

We're planning the same thing...signing the papers then having a nice, big, glorious ceremony a year later

[Kev-N-Ann 45]

Even if it's a simple wedding, be sure and take some wedding pictures for the AOS interview. Group pictures with some family members might also be helpful, if possible.

[dmck 80]

Important trick BEFORE you get married!!!! First, go get her SSN from your local social security office. It takes about 30mins, super easy and less complicated than getting it through the included forms you file. You have to get it before you marry because she will get it as a K1 and legally as soon as you marry, your K1 is invalid. My wife and I discovered this after we got married and went to the SSN office. The officer told us that she needed to get her SSN before we married otherwise they would not be able to issue it. So we changed our story and told him we had not married yet and he gave her the card

[Boiler 45,525]

but I have read here that a civil union will not suffice for the I-130.

Where did you read that?

[TBoneTX 45,308]

1. [...] get her SSN [...] before you marry because she will get it as a K1 and legally as soon as you marry, your K1 is invalid.

2. [...] The officer told us that she needed to get her SSN before we married otherwise they would not be able to issue it.

1. The K-1 visa is "dead upon arrival" into POE, not after the beneficiary marries.

2. The SSN officer was misinformed. See the guides and the "Social Security Numbers" subforum here.

[KayDeeCee 4,893]

One question that I have regards our options for getting married. The idea of planning a full-on wedding inside of 3 months of her arrival is unfortunately out of the question. We were hoping to get a civil union and plan a proper wedding after she gets her permanent residency, but I have read here that a civil union will not suffice for the I-30.

Lots have a simple civil/court wedding just to be able to file for AOS, then have a larger ceremony later.

I assume you meant the I-130. There is no I-130 for adjusting status from a K-1 visa. Check out the guide here on VJ. http://www.visajourney.com/content/k1k3aos

[Rich and Wen 101]

It seems that everyone here was planning the same as the two of us - a small, simple ceremony now.

But with as much of the traditional wedding as possible on such short notice.

Then we'll "renew our vows" at a larger, more traditional ceremony later.

[cjbaker16 3]

It's too hard to plan a proper wedding when you're apart and of course, how could you plan properly when you don't even know if you're fully approved.

$1070 for AOS! OMG... I thought it was about half that.

You're definitely not alone in this thought process to hold something small and something big later. It's a little unfortunate though it has to be this way for so many but I suppose being grateful it's even an option is good enough!

[MaeLey 1]

we are also planning a very intimate one, just the two of us... others present will be the wedding officiant and the photographer...

hopefully, this will not hurt us on AOS processing...