90 days to marry? How long do we actually have?

[banjoruth 8]

We finally have our Visa in Hand. It has been a long, lonely year.

My fiancé will arrive in California March 7th. We want to start all the paperwork we can ASAP, but we also want to spend 2-3 months living together before we marry. We want to make sure the culture shock and the major life changes are best for both of us.

So as the procedure reads, we have 90 days to marry or she must return to Saigon. How long do we actually have? Some tell me you have to marry soon so that all the paper work is received before the 90 days. What does this mean. How long can we wait before marriage if she enters US on March 7th.

I will get the marriage license ASAP, and we will start the SS paperwork.

Thank you all, I couldn't have done this alone.

Edited January 29, 2015 by banjoruth

[Darnell 8,479]

marry - within 90 days.

AOS paperwork - no limit, if'n married within those 90 days.

[NikLR 13,232]

90 days to get married. You do not have to file the AOS in 90 days, but your wife would not have a legal status in the USA after the 90 days are up. If you do not get married within 90 days, you will jave to also send an i-130 with the AOS (another $420.)

[aaron2020 11,651]

She gets 90 days of legal stay on the K1.

If you do not get marry, then she has to leave before the 90 days are up. If she stays beyond the 90 days, then she will be a visa overstay who is not authorized to be in the US (ie illegal).

If you get marry within the 90 days, then you file the I-485 to get her a green card. During the process, she is authorized to be here. If there are days between the end of the 90 days and you filing the I-485, then she is a visa overstay and ICE could pick her up. File before the 90 days and avoid this gap.

If you marry after the 90 days, then you need to file the I-130 and I-485. The I-130 fee will be an additional expense.

Do yourself a favor and get marry before the 90 days are up. File for her AOS before those 90 days are up. This protects her.

[banjoruth 8]

I am confused. Can we wait 89 days and get married? Or do we have to allow time for papers to be received. Where do we send the proof of Marriage? Does this go with the AOS?

Thank you for your help.

[Darnell 8,479]

I am confused. Can we wait 89 days and get married? Or do we have to allow time for papers to be received. Where do we send the proof of Marriage? Does this go with the AOS?

Thank you for your help.

hey - we gots a Guide in the GUIDE Section - please grab a PC, click the word 'Guides' in the Blue Menu,

and have a read, aye?

Logic Test - is 89 less than 90?

[Girl from Celebes 588]

We finally have our Visa in Hand. It has been a long, lonely year.

My fiancé will arrive in California March 7th. We want to start all the paperwork we can ASAP, but we also want to spend 2-3 months living together before we marry. We want to make sure the culture shock and the major life changes are best for both of us.

So as the procedure reads, we have 90 days to marry or she must return to Saigon. How long do we actually have? Some tell me you have to marry soon so that all the paper work is received before the 90 days. What does this mean. How long can we wait before marriage if she enters US on March 7th.

I will get the marriage license ASAP, and we will start the SS paperwork.

Thank you all, I couldn't have done this alone.

My husband and I got married 6 days before my I-94 was expired. Pay attention on the date of her arrival date. She can apply SSN card as soon as you want.

Some people got confusing about when the beneficiary actually file for AoS. For K-1 visa holders, they have to get married within 90 days but if some of them have financial problem and they can file later. As my suggest, the earlier file for AOS, the better. She can at least will have EAD while waiting her green card if she wanted to work.

[aaron2020 11,651]

I am confused. Can we wait 89 days and get married? Or do we have to allow time for papers to be received. Where do we send the proof of Marriage? Does this go with the AOS?

Thank you for your help.

What is the confusion? Is 89 days less than 90?

Stop overthinking things.

[Girl from Celebes 588]

I am confused. Can we wait 89 days and get married? Or do we have to allow time for papers to be received. Where do we send the proof of Marriage? Does this go with the AOS?

Thank you for your help.

Pay attention to her I-94's date. Not all people have 90 days on their I-94. Some of them less than 90 days.

[PeruvyandGringa 25]

Marry within the 90 days (day 89 is fine) but double check the I-94. yes, you can wait until the very last minute and then file AOS after. The only issue in waiting is that it is that much longer that she will have to wait to work and such. She will have been here 90+ days doing nothing before you even start the AOS process, and that will take ~3 months? give or take (so that would be 6 months total she would be stuck here with nothing much to do). But yes, the culture shock is also a huge adjustment, so it is possible that she decides to go back. I never would have expected it from my former fiance, but he freaked out once he was here (he had been denied a visitors visa). It was all too different for him, and he had never lived somewhere without friends or family. We loved each other very much but we decided he would go back. I will say, since he went back, we both regretted it terribly, but I couldn't bring myself to another year of communicating mostly via internet while waiting for another petition to be approved (and the expense!). I think by the time he flew back (on day 87) he was almost comfortable enough of life here, I just wasn't wanting to change our minds on such a permanent decision based on the last couple of weeks finally being better. It is a difficult adjustment, prepare her as best you can.

[NikLR 13,232]

You must be married within the 90 days, not have the paperwork from the marriage back within 90 days.

The marriage certificate will say the date of marriage.

[ConGau1981 56]

just get a quickie courthouse wedding and save the ceremony for a later date. My wife and I got married at the courthouse in May and we had our ceremony in August. You don't have to try to plan the whole ceremony to fit into the 90 day window

[Pheebs1201 269]

Agree with the above in terms of planning, having a "real" wedding.

You can get married on the very last day if you wish but it's a bit risky in case something unexpected occurs (e.g someone breaks their leg and you can't get to the courthouse or whatever...)

[Tebessa1111 16]

90 days is all you have to marry!

[baron555 934]

How long can we wait before marriage if she enters US on March 7th.

Your marriage ceremony (can be in front of the county judge) must be on or before June 6