Should I bring this up at the interview?

[Emancipation 2]

The line is pretty clear....we didn't issue a marriage license or sign any paperwork so we weren't married. Bottom line. It was a religious ceremony with no reference to being married, and then a party afterward! Our family was pretty upset when they found out that after we got the K1 we couldn't come back to Canada to get married, so everyone was really excited to show their support and love for us with the celebration. Most people do the civil wedding then the celebration afterward...for us, it was better to do the celebration first then the civil wedding.

Oh don't get me wrong I totally understand what you are saying!! Believe me, it's exactly what happened to us! But I guess I figure an officer looking at this stuff is not going to get our take on it at all and it's not worth the risk for us! That's what we are focused on.. Everything that happened after February 9th!

[Jashley820 0]

The line is pretty clear....we didn't issue a marriage license or sign any paperwork so we weren't married. Bottom line. It was a religious ceremony with no reference to being married, and then a party afterward! Our family was pretty upset when they found out that after we got the K1 we couldn't come back to Canada to get married, so everyone was really excited to show their support and love for us with the celebration. Most people do the civil wedding then the celebration afterward...for us, it was better to do the celebration first then the civil wedding.

Oh don't get me wrong I totally understand what you are saying!! Believe me, it's exactly what happened to us! But I guess I figure an officer looking at this stuff is not going to get our take on it at all and it's not worth the risk for us! That's what we are focused on.. Everything that happened after February 9th!

I totally agree! I think it's excellent advice- I will be sure to stick to it! Thanks again

Isn't it amazing how much we have to amend our plans and the road to "happily ever after" to make these guys happy? It's unreal! I'm just glad that my friend and family were able to participate.

Edited April 26, 2007 by Jashley820

[Emancipation 2]

For Sure.. this process is NOT for the faint at heart.. I guess you develop hawk eyes as a result as well.. that's one good thing.. along with a healthy sense (somedays unhealthy) of skepticism

My family & Friends would not have let me leave the country had we not done things this way.. They would have been horribly horribly hurt.

[Jashley820 0]

For Sure.. this process is NOT for the faint at heart.. I guess you develop hawk eyes as a result as well.. that's one good thing.. along with a healthy sense (somedays unhealthy) of skepticism

My family & Friends would not have let me leave the country had we not done things this way.. They would have been horribly horribly hurt.

Oh, the paranoia and cynicism that we develop is definitely bordering on mentally unhealthy! I am glad that my husband is pretty laid back. He has an incredible ability to calm me down and make me feel better. Hence why I married him, lol.

Both my husband's and my family felt the same way as yours. We are both the 'first borns' so it was a really big deal that we were getting married. They are all so touched and happy that we included them in our journey!

Good luck on the rest of your process Emancipation!

[Dr_LHA 3]

Thread title: Should I bring this up at the interview?

Answer: No. Don't "bring anything up" at the interview. Only supply direct answers to the questions that the officer asks. Don't volunteer anything!

[Emancipation 2]

Good luck on the rest of your process Emancipation!

THanks! And for you guys too!! We'll all get there....eventually

[no name 1]

True enough.. I guess my question would be if all the pics of you in Canada celebrating with your family and friends are in a white wedding dress and you were on a FIANCEE visa upon entry.. how do you explain that one?

The line is pretty clear....we didn't issue a marriage license or sign any paperwork so we weren't married. Bottom line. It was a religious ceremony with no reference to being married, and then a party afterward!

Some COs may see that as a wedding (white dress, etc, etc). In some countries even that 'ceremony' could be considered legally binding. Definitely DO NOT mention it.

[StormnRolly 0]

I know exactly how you feel. I wanted people in Canada family and friends to join in celebration of us knowing that pretty much all of them wouldn't be able to make it to our actual wedding. So, I held an engagement party back home. Good luck with your interview and at this point who knows... you might not even have an interview and all this fretting with be for nothing...

Kristina

[athena_ny 1]

why wou.d you bring this up? I am sure they have heard this before, but ANY iota of confusion could wind up really badly. you didnt get married in Canada - you had a party. Also I was not asked for wedding photographs. Your marriage certificate is proof of marriage - not photos.

Our AO didn't ask for one picture...I made that whole photo album for nothing! HEH

[Dr_LHA 3]

Our IO didn't need to see pictures of us, after all we were sitting right there in front of her!

[athena_ny 1]

Our IO didn't need to see pictures of us, after all we were sitting right there in front of her!

I was hoping to be able to show off my awesome red wedding dress but oh well haha kidding.

As an aside, I totally agree with the advice about not bringing anything up at the interview, just answering the questions. I didn't even correct our IO on his name (she kept saying it Marco, it's not). I think that makes it as painless as possible.

[Dr_LHA 3]

As an aside, I totally agree with the advice about not bringing anything up at the interview, just answering the questions.

I actually ran into trouble due to my intense honesty to answering questions posed by the IO, because it made me have to say "yes" to one of the "no" questions. However the only reason I had to answer yes was because the IO asked the question wrong!

[athena_ny 1]

As an aside, I totally agree with the advice about not bringing anything up at the interview, just answering the questions.

I actually ran into trouble due to my intense honesty to answering questions posed by the IO, because it made me have to say "yes" to one of the "no" questions. However the only reason I had to answer yes was because the IO asked the question wrong!

My husband is the same way ... when she asked if he'd had trouble with the law he's like, "Well I got into a car accident and they made me go to court," and she goes, "Then you weren't arrested" and moved on. We'd been over that question before too, haha.

[Dr_LHA 3]

In my case she asked the J-1 question wrong.

She should have asked:

"Have you ever been a J nonimmigrant exchange visitor who was subject to the two-year foreign residence requirement and

have not yet complied with that requirement or obtained a waiver?"

She instead asked:

"Where you ever here on a J-visa and didn't return to your home country for 2 years."

To which I had to answer "Yes. But I'm not subject to 212(E), so was not required to return for 2 years." Which caused our pissy interviewer to get even more mad.

Edited April 26, 2007 by Dr_LHA

[Jashley820 0]

In my case she asked the J-1 question wrong.

She should have asked:

"Have you ever been a J nonimmigrant exchange visitor who was subject to the two-year foreign residence requirement and

have not yet complied with that requirement or obtained a waiver?"

She instead asked:

"Where you ever here on a J-visa and didn't return to your home country for 2 years."

To which I had to answer "Yes. But I'm not subject to 212(E), so was not required to return for 2 years." Which caused our pissy interviewer to get even more mad.

Well I am glad everything ended up ok....pissing iff a pissy IO isn't good! I bet you she didn't even think she said anything wrong...

Edited April 26, 2007 by Jashley820