Catholic ceremony before k-1 interview

[Paul & Mallory 1,398]

Your lawyer gave you some poor advice. People get denied quite frequently for having any sort of marriage related ceremony prior to completing the K1 process. Whether it's considered legal or not, it can be considered a violation of the K1 process. Are there people who have done just what you're talking about and gotten approved? I'm sure there are, but to me it isn't worth the risk. To save you a great amount of time and money... I would suggest either cancelling the ceremony, or researching the alternative CR1 visa as an option if you two prefer getting married first, then completing immigration.

[TexasHeartsIndia 371]

Catholic girl here. First of all, the statement that Catholic weddings are not "legal" in the States is absolutely FALSE. What makes a marriage LEGAL is a marriage license which can be used in a Catholic wedding. According to federal law, marriages performed within the US MUST have a valid marriage license prior to the wedding ceremony, regardless of where it is held or if it is a religious or secular ceremony. A Catholic priest has the legal authority to perform valid marriages according to US laws... as does a judge, a rabbi, a Hindu priest, a pastor, etc. From what you stated, it would seem like a judge would have to perform the legal marriage and a priest would do a religious ceremony. Simply not the case. 

 

And as everyone else stated, a wedding is a wedding is a wedding. Doesn't matter if it is a secular ceremony, a church wedding, or whatever. Fancy, simple, big or small. Simply put, you would be married which could cause a lot of issues down the road. 

 

Get a new lawyer, too. 

P.S. If you would like some advice from someone who did a Catholic wedding on a K1, I'm more than happy to give some suggestions. 

[Little_Vixen 1,869]

9 hours ago, Rociomtz said:

I can’t really cancel the religious wedding  at this point a lot of time and money has been invested already. I just wanted some opinions to see what route we should take. We were planning on doing both religious and legal marriage in Mexico and then go from there but then I got advised to try the k-1 visa instead. 

Alright I wont harp on it anymore but I agree with all the above posters.

 

If the ceremony is so important to you I would advise you to look into the CR1 spousal visa. I am going through the K1 right now and if I could've done it again I would've chosen the CR1.

The CR1 is cheaper, takes a little bit longer but not much, but you will be a resident immediately after arrival granting you the ability to work and travel without hindrance.

[javadown2 308]

13 hours ago, Rociomtz said:

I am planning to fill out the paper work for the k-1 visa next month. We have a religious(catholic) ceremony planned for August of this year in Mexico and we want to have the legal one here in the United States after. I talked to a lawyer and he stated that a religious wedding would not hinder the visa process because it is not legal, he said that it would actually help because we would have pictures.Catholic weddings are not legal weddings in Mexico or in the United States. I was wondering if anyone has had a similar experience and what the outcome was ? 

BAD idea, your asking for trouble having this ceremony which suspiciously sounds like a wedding. 

Edited April 24, 2018 by javadown2

[optlh0 19]

There's a lot of people officially married in the Catholic church in the US that would find your lawyers statement that Catholic weddings aren't legal quite amusing....  I can't speak for Mexico but I haven't heard of people getting married in the Catholic church there and then getting re-married in a civil service to make it legal. As others have stated, I'd definitely get a new lawyer. 

[Lucky2Lucky 2,526]

Those pictures will look like a marriage - like everyone suggested - don’t do that before k1! And get a new lawyer that was awful counsel.

Edited April 24, 2018 by Luckycuds

[Going through 5,671]

Really hope the OP follows the repeated advice given here.

 

Too many do not, and then several months later there's another thread from the same person along the lines of "I had an engagement ceremony/religious wedding and I don't know why my K-1 was denied."

[Boiler 45,520]

Di it the other way around.

[Kim & Zak 195]

15 hours ago, Rociomtz said:

I am planning to fill out the paper work for the k-1 visa next month. We have a religious(catholic) ceremony planned for August of this year in Mexico and we want to have the legal one here in the United States after. I talked to a lawyer and he stated that a religious wedding would not hinder the visa process because it is not legal, he said that it would actually help because we would have pictures.Catholic weddings are not legal weddings in Mexico or in the United States. I was wondering if anyone has had a similar experience and what the outcome was ? 

why not just wait? we're having a catholic ceremony 3-4 months after a courthouse ceremony for legal purposes. it's safer to wait, an immigration officer might consider you "too married", definitely don't show them pictures

[Sunnyland 639]

OP, if the church wedding is so important then just do it right and make it legal. After you get your marriage certificate file for spouse visa. Don't risk it to being denied in the middle of the process and waste all that time and $$$. 

In my country first you ard and courthouse and then later on you marry at church (if you are catholic of course).  If that ceremony makes you married in the yes of God and your family, then it will be in the eyes of immigration. 

Do the spouse visa instead after you marry in August. 

[Eric & Idalia 56]

17 hours ago, Rociomtz said:

I am planning to fill out the paper work for the k-1 visa next month. We have a religious(catholic) ceremony planned for August of this year in Mexico and we want to have the legal one here in the United States after. I talked to a lawyer and he stated that a religious wedding would not hinder the visa process because it is not legal, he said that it would actually help because we would have pictures.Catholic weddings are not legal weddings in Mexico or in the United States. I was wondering if anyone has had a similar experience and what the outcome was ? 

 

"he said that it would actually help because we would have pictures." Your lawyer is giving you bad advise. Having pictures of a wedding will not help the K1 visa process. Some people have been denied because the consul believes they are already married. I'd suggest postpone the Catholic wedding until after you are done with the legal wedding in US.

[Eric & Idalia 56]

3 hours ago, optlh0 said:

There's a lot of people officially married in the Catholic church in the US that would find your lawyers statement that Catholic weddings aren't legal quite amusing....  I can't speak for Mexico but I haven't heard of people getting married in the Catholic church there and then getting re-married in a civil service to make it legal. As others have stated, I'd definitely get a new lawyer. 

 

Mexican girl here, in Mexico church and government are separated. Being married by Catholic church means you are married for the Catholic church but not for the government. You need to have a civil ceremony and get marriage certificate for the government and legal entities to recognize your marriage. For example, if you want to include your spouse in your medical insurance, you need to be civil/legally married being Catholic married doesn't count. It's very important to point out that in some states in Mexico if you have lived with your special one for more than 5 years, your special one has been granted "married people" rights. So if you separate later, it would be like a divorce. That person has benefits over your assets.  

Edited April 24, 2018 by Eric & Idalia

[SusieQQQ 11,586]

13 hours ago, Rociomtz said:

I can’t really cancel the religious wedding  at this point a lot of time and money has been invested already. I just wanted some opinions to see what route we should take. We were planning on doing both religious and legal marriage in Mexico and then go from there but then I got advised to try the k-1 visa instead. 

Yet one more adding that if you can’t cancel the wedding then follow your original plan and cancel the K1 in favor of a CR1 instead.

 

By the way I know it’s a different continent and religion/customs, but FYI there are many instances in Africa where uscis have accepted the date of a customary/traditional marriage ceremony as the marriage date even if the legal date happened much later (sometimes only legalized for visa purposes), so just again examples of where “marriage” is interpreted quite broadly by the immigration authorities.

[vazpayne19 24]

I was about to do the same thing back then but we realized it will just jeopardize the whole K1 process. We waited for 6months before we did our catholic church wedding back in the Philippines. 

[Ontarkie 14,225]

1 hour ago, Eric & Idalia said:

 

Mexican girl here, in Mexico church and government are separated. Being married by Catholic church means you are married for the Catholic church but not for the government. You need to have a civil ceremony and get marriage certificate for the government and legal entities to recognize your marriage. For example, if you want to include your spouse in your medical insurance, you need to be civil/legally married being Catholic married doesn't count. It's very important to point out that in some states in Mexico if you have lived with your special one for more than 5 years, your special one has been granted "married people" rights. So if you separate later, it would be like a divorce. That person has benefits over your assets.  

 In many countries you need to get the marriage licence in order to be considered married for the government. But if married in a Catholic church you are married whether the government recognizes it or not.  That is what will kill his K1. 

 

I don't think the OP has filed for anything yet? I sure hope he hasn't. @Rociomtz if you are still in the planning stage just go straight for the CR1. If you did file for the K1 withdraw it, at this point you aren't really out any major amount of time.