Getting married after entering the US on a B1/B2

[zkt101 38]

The girl knows you barely a month, and she wants to get marriage? Where do you come from that makes marriage so common after just a short time of knowing each other? You will definitely encounter a lot of tough questions when It comes to AOS the interview, so be prepared.

Good luck!

[usmsbow 802]

The girl knows you barely a month, and she wants to get marriage? Where do you come from that makes marriage so common after just a short time of knowing each other? You will definitely encounter a lot of tough questions when It comes to AOS the interview, so be prepared.

Good luck!

It is pretty common in South Asia and parts of the Middle East.

[EM_Vandaveer 2,417]

You can, but it might raise some suspicion. You also don't list your home country which does matter a little bit.

One thing I'm not sure you have considered so I'd throw it out is work. What are your plans for employment? Under your current visa, you won't be able to work (or accept payment from a company doing business in the US) until AOS is completed and any red flags can draw out the process. I know it's not what you asked, but I wanted to make sure you understood the financial implications of adjusting status.

He can have an EAD within 90 days of filing AOS. Country of origin does not matter with in-country AOS.

[HackyMoto 13]

I used to live and work in Mumbai; common all over for people to meet for the first time through family and be married within a month or so. As an Operations Manager, we just had to deal with it when employees would go away to see family over a weekend and then come back on Monday saying they had met their future wife for the first time and were planning to leave within a few days for the marriage. Amazing culture!

[rsilva 18]

I spoke to a lawyer when I was deciding whether to do what you are thinking of vs. a K1 visa. Based upon the advice I received from the lawyer, you have the correct fact pattern. You entered the country with the intention of returning... but spontaneously fell in love and decided to get married. I assume you had a return ticket to evidence your intention to return to Canada. His advice was to wait at least 2 months before actually getting married-- something about the burden of proof shifting from you to the USCIS after two months. Ultimately, we decided against following the lawyer's advice and did the K1 visa. My thinking was that the USCIS are not idiots and people try this all of the time. In my case, (different from yours) it was not a spontaneous decision-- therefore it would have been fraud. If you are genuine in what you say, I'd recommend speaking to an attorney. You and your spouse will need to go in well prepared and not let the case officer trip you up into saying something that would make your case go the wrong way.

[EM_Vandaveer 2,417]

You can consult a lawyer, of course, but this is a very straight-forward AOS case.

[Auds 223]

Just marry - you should be good if this is all true.

If you go the K1 route you never know how long it will take etc.

Many of us including myself are kicking themselves in similar situation for returning before AOS. I miss my husband!

[tms 2]

Thanks everyone for being considerate, and sharing some of your personal experiences. I'll try to address some of concerns raised by posters in this reply.

For people who were wondering about my home country - I have an Indian passport, but I recently received Permanent Residency (similar to green card) in Canada. My fiance(e) was born in the US; however, her parents used to live in India.

@GreatDane thanks for bringing a good point about work (you have to always be aware of your financial situation). Fortunately, I had some excellent opportunities to intern at some of the top tech companies in the US (google crazy silicon valley intern salaries). As a result I have managed to accumulate substantial savings that should last us for almost a year without work. That being said, I was hoping to receive the EAD within 90 days of the initial filing, and start working immediately after that.

Even though I had never seen my fiance(e) (not even a picture) prior to my cousin's wedding, my uncle and aunt knew her since she was a kid. That helped expedite the family approvals. I understand that it's been a short period (34 days to be exact), but I don't think we are rushing into the decision. We have had excellent discussions regarding our plans for the future (short-term and long-term), shared morals and values, gender roles within the marriage, family expectations, and religious convictions among others.

Initially, we were planning a small ceremony with just close family members. If we now decide to wait for 3-4 months before getting married, we are thinking of planning a bigger celebration (the whole nine yards ). Will that raise undue suspicion?

[Chris and ZhiJia 146]

Thanks everyone for being considerate, and sharing some of your personal experiences. I'll try to address some of concerns raised by posters in this reply.

For people who were wondering about my home country - I have an Indian passport, but I recently received Permanent Residency (similar to green card) in Canada. My fiance(e) was born in the US; however, her parents used to live in India.

@GreatDane thanks for bringing a good point about work (you have to always be aware of your financial situation). Fortunately, I had some excellent opportunities to intern at some of the top tech companies in the US (google crazy silicon valley intern salaries). As a result I have managed to accumulate substantial savings that should last us for almost a year without work. That being said, I was hoping to receive the EAD within 90 days of the initial filing, and start working immediately after that.

Even though I had never seen my fiance(e) (not even a picture) prior to my cousin's wedding, my uncle and aunt knew her since she was a kid. That helped expedite the family approvals. I understand that it's been a short period (34 days to be exact), but I don't think we are rushing into the decision. We have had excellent discussions regarding our plans for the future (short-term and long-term), shared morals and values, gender roles within the marriage, family expectations, and religious convictions among others.

Initially, we were planning a small ceremony with just close family members. If we now decide to wait for 3-4 months before getting married, we are thinking of planning a bigger celebration (the whole nine yards ). Will that raise undue suspicion?

You do not need to worry about any suspicions. You are already in the US, the only time for concern about intention to have been raised was when you were first going through USCIS when you arrived in the country. Once you have cleared through there you have no issues to worry about marrying and adjusting on your B visa. Even if you wait 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 months, ect... as long as you are still in the country and your wife is a US Citizen you can adjust with no consequences. However if you stay beyond your B Visa allows, and you do not marry/adjust status, you will risk a ban should the overstay exceed 180 days.

Use the duration of your permitted time to get to know this girl better, make sure this is what you want to do. If at the end of your approved stay you have any reservations, I suggest you return back to Canada and continue to develop the relationship.

[tms 2]

Use the duration of your permitted time to get to know this girl better, make sure this is what you want to do. If at the end of your approved stay you have any reservations, I suggest you return back to Canada and continue to develop the relationship.

I like this (even though my parents might not). I think the best thing for me would be to take my time, and postpone my decision until it's closer to my I-94 expiry date. I just need to have a persuasive conversation with my previous manager.

[Ryan H 3,834]

**​One post contributing nothing to the discussion removed along with post quoting.**

Edited July 20, 2016 by Ryan H

[Pennycat 880]

Also know that once you marry, you can't leave the US or you'd need a spouse visa to move back. You may be able to visit on the B2 after you're married but it's not guaranteed. You won't be able to travel out of the US until you've applied to adjust status and gotten the temporary work and travel authorization. Which takes about 3 months.

So really, I assume that if you were planning to visit for 3 weeks, you probably still have a life up in Canada that you can't just walk out on. So marrying and AOSing will really complicate that unless you've got someone who can handle your affairs for you.

[tms 2]

Also know that once you marry, you can't leave the US or you'd need a spouse visa to move back. You may be able to visit on the B2 after you're married but it's not guaranteed. You won't be able to travel out of the US until you've applied to adjust status and gotten the temporary work and travel authorization. Which takes about 3 months.

So really, I assume that if you were planning to visit for 3 weeks, you probably still have a life up in Canada that you can't just walk out on. So marrying and AOSing will really complicate that unless you've got someone who can handle your affairs for you.

Actually, I'm quite close to doing just that. The lease on my current apartment ends in December so I can store my stuff there till then (I hope I'll get the green card or AP by that time). I spoke to my roommate, and he is okay forwarding any important letters that I get in the mail. I just cancelled my wireless plan with Rogers, and switched the region for my Netflix/Spotify subscriptions. I didn't own a car in Vancouver, so that helped. As I interned in the US multiple times previously, I kept my old US bank account and US credit cards so I can afford to keep all my Canadian funds untouched. It's still a huge shock to my close friends and family in Canada; but they are pretty chill. And, they all plan on visiting soon (to meet the mysterious girl who took me away ). Once the dust settles, I plan on going back and move back with all my stuff.