Where to marry - UK OR US?

[Englishman 0]

Hi there, 

 

New to the forum and overwhelmed with the amount of information available on here which is fantastic! Please - if this question has already been asked then please direct me to it!

 

My question is this - I am english my partner is from the US - we are just wondering in which country is the best to get married in? 

 

We are planning on moving to the US so will go through that process  - we just need to know which is the fastest, cheapest and best place to get married in before starting the visa process - in the UK or in the US? Or does it not matter? 

 

She is currently back in the US and myself in the UK. 

 

Any information would be greatly appreciated! 

 

Thanks! 

Edited January 15, 2018 by Englishman

[TNJ17 1,329]

The first thing you need to do is decide which visa route you wanna take. Then you decide where to get married. If you want to file for K1 fiancé visa, you need to get married in the US. CR1 is a spousal visa you apply after getting married, any country in the world. 

 

K1 is faster to receive visa in hand and be living together, around 9 months currently, but more expensive and more time until you can travel abroad and work. 

 

CR1 is cheaper but takes longer, around 12-14 months currently, but you arrive with a greencard and permission to travel abroad and work almost immediately. 

[Hoguyo 0]

came from Indonesia in general, to America, I met my love here
has registered marriage in a year
did everything according to the law, there are no problems)
really like the country and the approach to people, so get married here, and in general, what is closer to you, where would you like to be every day and raise your own de
here by the way, our photos, not advertising, who can be looked at by whom)take

[Ontarkie 14,234]

~~Moved to What Visas do I need, from IR1/CR1 P&P - As the OP is just exploring their options.~~

[yuna628 9,677]

7 hours ago, Englishman said:

Hi there, 

 

New to the forum and overwhelmed with the amount of information available on here which is fantastic! Please - if this question has already been asked then please direct me to it!

 

My question is this - I am english my partner is from the US - we are just wondering in which country is the best to get married in? 

 

We are planning on moving to the US so will go through that process  - we just need to know which is the fastest, cheapest and best place to get married in before starting the visa process - in the UK or in the US? Or does it not matter? 

 

She is currently back in the US and myself in the UK. 

 

Any information would be greatly appreciated! 

 

Thanks! 

Hi OP:

 

There is no best country per say. It's all really in what you want to do and what you can qualify for.

 

There are a couple of options I'll describe for you here:

 

1) You stay engaged and file for a K1. You can still visit during this time as well. This is faster than a spousal visa, however, take that with a grain of salt. You're looking at 6-8 months just to get past the processing phase. And then an additional few months on top of that to get out of the visa phase and obtain the visa. Once you arrive stateside with the visa, you can marry. However if you're expecting to work right away, this visa is actually not for you. K1s, after marriage must file for adjustment of status (AOS + EAD + AP), with a working permit/travel permit. The wait for obtaining the earliest document to authorize you to work or travel (EAD + AP) may take up to 90-120 days. The green card may take up to 1 year. Some couples don't mind this wait, if they have a good amount of savings/stability, and they get to wait it out together.

 

2) Visit her, marry, and go back home. Marriage is within the domain of the state, so you are legally able to marry each other, even if visiting provided you intend to go back home. Once home, file for a spousal visa. This process may take up to or over a year to complete. The plus side of this wait is, that once completed you will have your green card once you go stateside.

 

3) Marry in the UK. As non-EEA citizens, USC's don't have freedom of movement within the UK. You will be unable to legally marry in the UK without applying for fiancé immigration documents to be eligible to marry her there. This can be tricky, as a large portion of the UK populace are unable to fulfill the financial requirements to do so. However, if finances are not an issue for you, this can be a viable option. There will certainly be hefty fees and processing time associated with this. If successfully married, you may then file the US spousal visa as described above. She will have to return home to the US, and cannot wait it out with you. A word of caution - even if she is married to you (either in the US or the UK), still does not give her any freedom of movement or additional rights in the UK. If you decide to move to the US and reside with your new wife, do so for the long haul. I'd encourage remaining there until eligible for citizenship, before ever considering returning for the long term to live in the UK. Bringing your wife to the UK to live requires a very lengthy, complicated immigration process. Get your process finished first, before ever thinking about tackling hers at a later time.