marry in japan instead of US?

[pesos 1]

My fiancée and I are planning our wedding in the US for the end of September.

However we got the incredible news that we are expecting twins !!

So we are now considering moving up our timeline to move to the states to be with her mom when the time comes for delivery (her mom is on a work visa already).

We are encouraged that the auto-expedite for petitioning from abroad appears to be back in swing, but still concerned about the timeline.

What are the downsides (if any) to getting legally married here in Japan right away so we can go ahead and file the 130 now instead of waiting an extra 7 weeks?

[CowBoE 429]

You should add timeline so that we can understand clear context of your current processing.

[pesos 1]

Hello, as I mentioned we haven't applied yet, so there is no current processing or timeline to speak of. Trying to determine which approach is the better way to get the process started - thanks!

[Boiler 45,486]

OK that is not relevant, really down to personal choice, CR1's take longer.

Getting married in the US in September through a K1 would not happen anyway.

Edited August 8, 2014 by Boiler

[pesos 1]

Sorry for any confusion - we do not have a K1

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

You can marry anywhere you like and pursue a CR-1 spousal visa. It's no problem. Keep in mind that if you go for the K-1, you can file today, so it will be faster, whereas for the CR-1 you will have to wait until you are married. But, being married with babies on the way might be more important to you than waiting. Good luck.

Edit: You are living abroad and hoping to get in the autoexpedite queue for petitioners living abroad?

Edited August 8, 2014 by Harpa Timsah

[CowBoE 429]

It's still little bit confusing. You talk about wedding in US and then in Japan.

Oh by the way...congratulations on your twins...it's double the fun. Should've mentioned this first...sorry.

Back to the question, if getting married ASAP is your first priority,

then sounds like wedding in Japan is the best route.

And your babies can get US citizenship even if they are born in Japan.

Especially, if you are going to be with her in Japan during the processing,

then either fiancee or spouse visa should matter that much.

I think they are only 1 to 3 months apart.

[*Snowdrop* 604]

Were you planning a wedding in the US for the end of September 2014 or the end of September 2015?

[pesos 1]

Thanks all! We are excited about the twins

wedding is end of sept 2014.

basically trying to decide if it's worth getting legally married now so we can get an extra 7 weeks of I-130 processing time instead of waiting. I thought I had read somewhere that it was better to marry in the US if we ultimately plan to live there but can't remember why

Edited August 8, 2014 by pesos

[Boiler 45,486]

Forget the K1 then, nothing like the time needed.

[*Snowdrop* 604]

So the plan was for her to come to the US as a tourist, get married, file the I-130 and then go back to Japan while the visa is processing?

Being married in the US is no better than being married in Japan for the sake of the immigration process, so if that was your only motivation for getting married in the US then you might as well get married in Japan and get on with the visa processing.

But.... you might want to check out processing times because if you are hoping to have the visa in hand for her to be able to be in the US in time to give birth you might be cutting things a little tight. Bear in mind she will not be able to fly towards the end of her pregnancy so you will have to aim to have the visa in hand in at least 7 months from now. (Depending on how many weeks pregnant she is now of course)

[CowBoE 429]

Thanks all! We are excited about the twins

wedding is end of sept 2014.

basically trying to decide if it's worth getting legally married now so we can get an extra 7 weeks of I-130 processing time instead of waiting. I thought I had read somewhere that it was better to marry in the US if we ultimately plan to live there but can't remember why

I don't know what's better about getting married in US...Hmmm...perhaps your kids will be US Citizens without going through any processing.

However on the financial side...depends on what type of wedding you are planning,

I know in Korea and China, often the most of the wedding cost can be covered by donations from

families, relatives, and friends, and I'm thinking Japan might be similar, since the 3 countries

are similar in cultures. In US, this is hardly the case...as you might know.

My daughter just got married last summer at a nice hotel with 230 guests...and my wallet is a lot lighter now.

[pesos 1]

Yes, k1 was never under consideration.

Given the accelerated timeline many have seen when applying abroad we were hopeful the timing might work out. If not we have a couple of contingency options

Yes the wedding gifts are much more attractive here in japan

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

Why do you have K-1 in your profile then? That is what is confusing people.

[Boiler 45,486]

Confused me.