Japan Filers Preferred! Religious ceremony prior to U.S. Entry

[nakuke 13]

Hi everyone. I'm referring specifically to Japan in this post. I already know the basic information about this topic and rather than that I am looking for personal anecdotes or first-person experiences with something like this especially in Japan. I have also emailed the embassy to see what their stance is. A lot of people have repeated that a religious ceremony is always an issue but it seems every example given of where it was a problem was in highly religious nations such as Muslim nations or India and the petitioners were dumb enough to either

 

1. Send photos of their ceremony in their packet/to embassy

2. Write or say they had a "wedding"

3. Tell the CO or show them photos of the ceremony

 

My fiance's family is very adamant about having a simple shinto marriage ceremony done before leaving to the U.S.; inn which immediate family and very close friends will participate. Its something that may mean the difference between estrangement and inheritance with her family. We are thinking of planning for the ceremony and having it after receipt of K-1 and a couple days prior to flying to the U.S. Then we will become legally married in the U.S. a couple days after arrival. After which the family registration will be updated in Japan (legal marriage). 

Has there been a couple on here that has done something similar in Japan? Or anywhere else? Of course we are not going to show the embassy photos of anything nor mention anything, and nothing will be on social media. No photos in baggage, no wedding ring. If asked if we are married we will say no, as we are not legally married. Any experiences?

[Roel 7,192]

Don't do it. 

Even if you manage to enter the US without issues on your k1 (which in theory will be invalid after your religious weddding) then this thing will come up during AOS or ROC and you will be facing serious problems, deportation included. If you wanted the wedding in Japan you should do cr1 visa. 

 

Don't think the immigration won't find out. It will. 

[nakuke 13]

Just now, Roel said:

Don't do it. 

Even if you manage to enter the US without issues on your k1 (which in theory will be invalid after your religious weddding) then this thing will come up during AOS or ROC and you will be facing serious problems, deportation included. If you wanted the wedding in Japan you should do cr1 visa. 

 

Don't think the immigration won't find out. It will. 

Why would it be invalid after the religious wedding? The requirement for a k-1 visa is to not be legally married, which we are not. In order to be legally married in Japan you need to add an entry into the family registry of the Japanese citizen which can only be done at the registration office. If religious marriage= legal marriage one should be able to apply and qualify for CR-1 after only a religious ceremony. 

 

Also, how would they "find out"? And why would it come up during AOS; our legal wedding would be in the U.S. whee we will have an actual wedding in the county court and will be issued a certificate of marriage by the state. No reason to mention a shinto ceremony.

[Roel 7,192]

Everyone here will tell you it's a bad idea and not worth a risk. Religious wedding is a wedding, no matter how you look at it. 

 

Search through the forum. K1 applicants  can be denied visa or entry for being "too married ". They won't listen to your explanation that the wedding was or wasn't registered. 

Edited May 1, 2018 by Roel

[nakuke 13]

1 minute ago, Roel said:

Everyone here will tell you it's a bad idea and not worth a risk. Religious wedding is a wedding, no matter how you look at it. 

 

Search through the forum. K1 applicants  can be denied visa or entry for being "too married ". They won't listen to your explanation that the wedding was or wasn't registered. 

There's no such legal status as "too married". You either are or you aren't. In both U.S. and Japanese law. Neither nation recognizes religious wedding as valid (federally in the US, immigration is a federal entity). Why would anyone even mention that at an interview or in paperwork? An explanation is only needed when you muddle facts with a possibility in the COs mind that you may be secretly married under the law. 

Anyways thanks for your reponse but I'm still hoping to hear actual experiences whether good or bad rather than hearsay. Also waiting back from embassy.

[Roel 7,192]

4 minutes ago, nakuke said:

There's no such legal status as "too married". You either are or you aren't. 

And yet a lot of k1 applicants were denied based on being too married to qualify for k1 visa. And those are people who did religious weddings or ceremonies in their countries. 

 

Things are not that simple will immigration. But you'll do what you want to Do! 

[Roel 7,192]

Also if for whatever reason you'll be asked in the embassy if you had any religious ceremonies, you cannot lie. And they might ask you that just out of the blue. 

[nakuke 13]

4 minutes ago, Roel said:

Also if for whatever reason you'll be asked in the embassy if you had any religious ceremonies, you cannot lie. And they might ask you that just out of the blue. 

That's true, and would be something to consider. Which is why I emailed the embassy. In either case the ceremony would take place months after the interview.

[bowens44 214]

So basically you emailed the  the embassy and insinuated that you intend to marry before your fiance enters the US on K-1 visa.....good luck.   Why ask for advice if you have already made up your mind? 

[Unlockable 7,314]

3 hours ago, nakuke said:

Why would it be invalid after the religious wedding? The requirement for a k-1 visa is to not be legally married, which we are not. In order to be legally married in Japan you need to add an entry into the family registry of the Japanese citizen which can only be done at the registration office. If religious marriage= legal marriage one should be able to apply and qualify for CR-1 after only a religious ceremony. 

 

Also, how would they "find out"? And why would it come up during AOS; our legal wedding would be in the U.S. whee we will have an actual wedding in the county court and will be issued a certificate of marriage by the state. No reason to mention a shinto ceremony.

This topic comes up frequently on VJ. And it is always advised not to do it. Why take the risk? Why not just wait until after the marriage is done in the US then go back.

 

The issue that people seem to be confused about is not whether or not the wedding or ceremony is legit, it is that the CO or POE officer can use that event to deny her case or deny your fiance entrance to the US. Even if it was a costume party, if the CO has evidence that it looks and sounds like a wedding, then it must be a wedding.

 

Read the thread below from last week. It has links to threads where people were denied for doing the very thing you are planning.

 

 

 

[cyclone27 710]

Hopefully you didn’t ID who you were to the embassy. If you did I can guaranteed they will ask you about it at the interview.

[Boiler 45,524]

Marry and go go CR1 problem solved.

[Akiko & Brad 46]

If you plan on the K1 route, promise the family you will return to Japan after marrying in the States and getting AP for a ceremony.  Otherwise go the CR1 route.

[nakuke 13]

4 hours ago, cyclone27 said:

Hopefully you didn’t ID who you were to the embassy. If you did I can guaranteed they will ask you about it at the interview.

It was asked with a completely different name and email. Not as dumb as the people who send weddings of even legal weddings as part of their package.

15 minutes ago, Akiko & Brad said:

If you plan on the K1 route, promise the family you will return to Japan after marrying in the States and getting AP for a ceremony.  Otherwise go the CR1 route.

K1 is already in process and there's a lot riding on this. If I could do it another way I would but I can't.

[Unlockable 7,314]

44 minutes ago, nakuke said:

K1 is already in process and there's a lot riding on this. If I could do it another way I would but I can't.

You can do it another way. You can cancel the K1, marry, then file the spousal visa.