Wife-to-be coming to US to get married

[rboston 1]

Then I'm afraid that is highly unlikely to be good enough. Has she travelled to the US or different countries before without overstaying? It can help to have a "good tourist" record.

As I said in the OP, she's been to the US before, often enough to know the typical questions she gets asked by CBP. She's been here twice already just this year, and I think four times total (maybe five). So she definitely has a "good tourist" record.

[zuluweta 250]

What's wrong with doing the fiance K-1 visa?

[rboston 1]

What's wrong with doing the fiance K-1 visa?

It's more money and takes longer, but we're also getting married in November. There isn't time to get the K-1 approved. She also needs to return immediately after the civil ceremony, because she's still in school - on a K-1, she'll have to stay in the US until the AOS is cleared.

A lot of people here have advised us - CR-1 is definitely the best visa for our situation.

[Cheezees 1,514]

Looks like she just might be out of luck.

[afortunada 182]

Just be honest and say she is going to get married but then must return back for school; bring evidence of that, too. Evidence of returning home from previous visits is good, too. That's the best you can do. If you lie and then file for CR-1 later, that could have negative consequences during your application process as well since they look at all your previous entries into the US. There is absolutely nothing illegal about getting married in the US on a visitor's visa as long as you don't have immigration intent and plan to adjust status, so just try!

May I ask what you found to be difficult about the marriage process in Costa Rica? From what I can tell it seems pretty straightforward but I'm curious to know if you've found something different.

Wait wait wait... Also, why do you need to get married in November? It sounds like you don't have a definite wedding plan yet, so why doesn't she just continue to visit you and then you can start the K-1 process for her while she's still in school down there and she can enter the country when she finishes?

Edit again: I'm assuming that's because the K-1 is more expensive, but correct me if I'm wrong.

Edited September 17, 2016 by jacklynriquelme

[EM_Vandaveer 2,408]

You could go to Costa Rica and get married there. Problem solved.

[rboston 1]

Just be honest and say she is going to get married but then must return back for school; bring evidence of that, too. Evidence of returning home from previous visits is good, too. That's the best you can do. If you lie and then file for CR-1 later, that could have negative consequences during your application process as well since they look at all your previous entries into the US. There is absolutely nothing illegal about getting married in the US on a visitor's visa as long as you don't have immigration intent and plan to adjust status, so just try!

I know it's not illegal. But we have limited ability to prove we're not just going to file AOS the moment after she signs. We'd rather avoid mentioning the civil ceremony, if at all possible. We have no interest in lying to officers, and plan to answer all questions honestly. We're asking how to best answer the questions without being fraudulent.

May I ask what you found to be difficult about the marriage process in Costa Rica? From what I can tell it seems pretty straightforward but I'm curious to know if you've found something different.

It takes at least another month, maybe six months, after signing there for the marriage certificate to be available, and then we have to translate it. We also have to pay several hundred in lawyer fees. We've explored it.

Wait wait wait... Also, why do you need to get married in November?

It's a long story that I exclude here for the purpose of keeping replies topical. If you'd like to know all the details, you can PM me.

[afortunada 182]

Ahhh, that's too bad about the timing of the marriage certificate! Well, at least you have that option to fall back on if she is not allowed into the country.

As far as what to say, I'm not sure about that. I know many of the members here have gotten married in the US while on their visitor's visa, but I believe they've all been under the VWP which is a different situation. They all stated to the CO that their purpose of the trip was to get married and return home.

[Cheezees 1,514]

We're asking how to best answer the questions without being fraudulent.

Truthfully, as many have stated. Good luck!

[rboston 1]

As far as what to say, I'm not sure about that. I know many of the members here have gotten married in the US while on their visitor's visa, but I believe they've all been under the VWP which is a different situation. They all stated to the CO that their purpose of the trip was to get married and return home.

Thanks. Yeah, I've heard from some people from VWP countries about entering the US in some other threads, but as you probably know, for Central America it is lamentably a different issue :/

She will be here for almost a whole month. There's a lot we can do in that month. She's going to visit me, she's going to visit my family, she could look at schools, or go sight-seeing. Is there any reason listing any of those as her reason for travel would cause an issue?

Obviously if specifically asked if she's going to get married, she'll have to say yes; hopefully she won't be asked that.

A similar thing happened in the visa interview for B1. Initially she told them she was coming to the US to visit her boyfriend, and five minutes later she left the embassy denied. We practiced how to honestly answer questions without mentioning me at all, and she was approved the second time.

[caliliving 606]

she has a visa to visit right? so answer the questions! they may not even ask many about it. dont lie bc then she will be screwed for later! EVERYTHING is documented. you stated she is going back to school after right? so have proof to show that. have proof to show why she needs to leave. if she gets in you get married and if not you go the K1 route or get married outside the USA and then file the CR1! if she LIED in second visit about you, then it will be documented and its kept in a record so when you try to get a K1 or CR1 everything comes up!

you are right, hopefully she wont be asked to get married. if she does say the truth. Yeah, central america is much more tough and most just go the K1 route and instead of trying for multiple tourist visas, you should have just done the k1!

[Cathi 5,755]

How can my fiancee respond to a CBP officer asking her questions for her visit where we plan to have a civil wedding in the US in a such as way as to answer them honestly, but also be allowed in?

We don't want the officers to suspect her of having immigration intent, and saying she's going to get married will definitely make them suspect she has immigration intent.

With the TRUTH!!! Seriously, do you want her to lie to immigration?

[rboston 1]

How can my fiancee respond to a CBP officer asking her questions for her visit where we plan to have a civil wedding in the US in a such as way as to answer them honestly, but also be allowed in?

With the TRUTH!!! Seriously, do you want her to lie to immigration?

Right. So, just to clarify, "truthfully" and "honestly" mean the same thing. When I say we intend to answer "honest", that means the same thing as "we intend to answering truthfully."

That is, we intend to answer with the truth, and intend to not lie. Nor will we fib, nor dissemble, nor misinform, nor perjure, nor foreswear ourselves, nor be fraudulent. We will not be mendacious.

We will instead be honest and tell the truth. We will be forthright and frank and earnest. We will be sincere and candid and ingenuous and upfront and aboveboard.

We will speak with a verity. It will be legit. We will keep it kosher.

We will not lie to the CPB officer. We will answer the officer truthfully.

[caliliving 606]

Right. So, just to clarify, "truthfully" and "honestly" mean the same thing. When I say we intend to answer "honest", that means the same thing as "we intend to answering truthfully."

That is, we intend to answer with the truth, and intend to not lie. Nor will we fib, nor dissemble, nor misinform, nor perjure, nor foreswear ourselves, nor be fraudulent. We will not be mendacious.

We will instead be honest and tell the truth. We will be forthright and frank and earnest. We will be sincere and candid and ingenuous and upfront and aboveboard.

We will speak with a verity. It will be legit. We will keep it kosher.

We will not lie to the CPB officer. We will answer the officer truthfully.

If they ASK if she is coming to get married then she says "Yes, i am coming to get married but then leaving to complete school and file for CR1" if they dont ask, then no, she doesnt need to bring it up! it isnt that hard. ask the questions she is asked and offer no more information then needed.. i am not sure how she got the tourist visa, but hopefully she didnt lie on that. it just seems fishy she got denied and then approved for a visa when nothing substantial in her life changed. i dont know much, i dont know her, but that isnt normal. i wonder if she gave 'misleading' information on her B2 applicaiton to get it. if that is the case,y hen you will have problems in the future and you put yourself in a bigger mess.

You really should have done the K1 vias.

[rboston 1]

If they ASK if she is coming to get married then she says "Yes, i am coming to get married but then leaving to complete school and file for CR1" if they dont ask, then no, she doesnt need to bring it up! it isnt that hard. ask the questions she is asked and offer no more information then needed..

Okay, great! We'll probably do more coaching on that when she's not as busy with school.

i am not sure how she got the tourist visa, but hopefully she didnt lie on that. it just seems fishy she got denied and then approved for a visa when nothing substantial in her life changed. i dont know much, i dont know her, but that isnt normal. i wonder if she gave 'misleading' information on her B2 applicaiton to get it. if that is the case,y hen you will have problems in the future and you put yourself in a bigger mess.

It's all a matter of how you handle the interview. In part it was the consulate officer - people familiar with the US Embassy in Costa Rica probably know exactly which consular officer she got her first time. It was also that we expected the officer to be neutral, and not completely hostile. The second time she also kept the interview focused on her ties to the country; when asked a question, no matter what it was, she would find an excuse to mention needing to go back to Costa Rica to finish school. She also kept her reasons for visiting to things that had nothing to do with me - for instance it was my sister's wedding when she visited, so she said she was attending a wedding of friends she knows and staying with them.

Never lied once, and she's never lied to any immigration officer. She has been honest, frank, earnest, upright, etc. etc. with all immigration or CBP officers she's ever dealt with.

You really should have done the K1 vias.

Maybe, but that isn't an option for us anymore. It wasn't going to work for us for a variety of reasons, and we can't change things now.