Can we have a wedding (but not get 'married') whilst still waiting for our visa???

[Illiria 980]

8 minutes ago, peanutismint said:

Would we be intending to adjust status, though? Seems to me like our only 'intent' would be to have a bit of a party, an activity (I should hope) fully permitted under the ESTA....

 

Or are we basically likely to be punished by the USCIS gods who, for some reason, hate fun?! 

Eh? That part you referred to was specifically in response to @ThomasNC1988 statement about entering on the esta and adjusting.

 

They don’t hate fun they just are enforcing the rule that a fiancé visa is for those who haven’t had a wedding/marriage.

Edited August 13, 2018 by Illiria

[peanutismint 37]

Great, thanks for all the info guys. Unfollowing. 

 

👍

[peanutismint 37]

Just now, Illiria said:

Eh? That part you referred to was specifically in response to @ThomasNC1988 statement about entering on the esta and adjusting.

 

They don’t hate fun they just are enforcing the rule that a fiancé visa is for those who haven’t had a wedding/marriage.

No, I'm saying I wouldn't be 'adjusting' anything whilst on the ESTA, just having a party whilst in the US and then entering on my K1 when it arrives, then adjusting. 

 

Thanks. 👍

[Crazy Cat 42,562]

Just now, peanutismint said:

No, I'm saying I wouldn't be 'adjusting' anything whilst on the ESTA, just having a party whilst in the US and then entering on my K1 when it arrives, then adjusting. 

 

Thanks. 👍

Proceed at your own peril.  You have been warned......good luck...

[ThomasNC1988 762]

17 minutes ago, Illiria said:

Entering with the esta with the intent to adjust status is fraud.

Duh, that's the point. They don't suspect fraud from UK applicants for K-1 because that's what they would do if they were interested in committing fraud. The reason I made this point is because if he doesn't bring it to the attention of the officer then they will most likely not find out because they will likely not be investigated at all.

[usmsbow 802]

29 minutes ago, peanutismint said:

I'm just thinking out loud here....

 

My fiancee (US) and I (UK) are currently awaiting my K1 visa (filed back in April 2018) and are hoping to have a US wedding sometime around Easter (that's late April) 2019. 

 

If the worst comes to the worst and we don't have the visa by Easter, could I theoretically travel out there on an ESTA visitor visa (as per usual) and have a wedding ceremony (but not get legally married) and then return to the UK to continue waiting for the visa to be processed?

 

I know it's unlikely that it won't be received by Easter, but we're quite keen to have it at that specific holiday time (so that teacher friends can come/friends attending from the UK can bring their children etc) and we're also conscious that we need to start planning/booking things early so as to give international guests enough time to save/plan their visit themselves. But if we plan all this stuff and then the visa isn't ready by then, we don't want to have to postpone....so could we theoretically go through with the wedding whenever we want but just not get officially married by US law until the visa is ready?? 

 

Yes, theoretically you could. As you can see, many on VJ don't recommend it. If you do decide to go through with it, please have some sense though. There was a particular poster on VJ from a certain Commonwealth country who seemed to lack any common sense and got into trouble* for doing what you are thinking of doing. 

 

*Trouble=getting denied K-1, so then had to get legally married and apply for the CR-1. 

 

[Ontarkie 14,549]

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