Wedding celebration on K1 Visa in a foreign country before filing for legal marriage in the US

[Tanish 197]

8 hours ago, Mmorales710 said:

Assuming my fiancee passes the interview and receives her visa. Can we have a wedding celebration in Vietnam before filing for a legal marriage in the US?

 

The reason for this is because I want her friends and family to be able to attend her "wedding celebration" before we file a legal marriage in the US, where she won't have any friends or family. 

Disclaimer: I haven't gone through the answers after the quoted comment.

 

This question has been discussed numerous times on VJ. All of the people here understands the feeling behind your logic, but there are separate Visas for a purpose. If you want your spouse's family to attend the wedding, file for CR-1. IT IS NOT WORTH THE RISK OF BEING DEPORTED. There have been many cases where visas were denied due to being "too married" for K-1. If your visa gets denied due to this reason, consider yourself lucky that you can apply for CR-1. If it is not denied and it comes to light after you enter US and while applying for Citizenship, you can get 10 years (or permanent) ban.

 

Please weigh your options carefully. Good luck

 

EDIT: I read other posts after posting mine. Everything I said was covered. What a waste on my part.

Edited June 29, 2019 by Tanish

[Kerege 3]

Dont do it before the interview. Somome here did this and pics were posted online and they denied them the k1 because they had a marriage ceremony which constitutes marriage in other countries. I wouldn't try it. I would worry about her passing the interview. Make sure she does the interview get approved then "celebrate" as a family. If they even smell that you had any type of ceremony that looks like marriage they will deny y'all. And then you would have to do cr1 and you don't want to to do that I'm on cr1 now been waiting a yr for my noa2. But if you do have to do cr1 I suggest you file I-29f once you get your receipt number for I-130. But juat make sure she can answer any questions about you with comfodence she will be fine. 

[Tanish 197]

14 minutes ago, Kerege said:

Dont do it before the interview. Somome here did this and pics were posted online and they denied them the k1 because they had a marriage ceremony which constitutes marriage in other countries. I wouldn't try it. I would worry about her passing the interview. Make sure she does the interview get approved then "celebrate" as a family. If they even smell that you had any type of ceremony that looks like marriage they will deny y'all. And then you would have to do cr1 and you don't want to to do that I'm on cr1 now been waiting a yr for my noa2. But if you do have to do cr1 I suggest you file I-29f once you get your receipt number for I-130. But juat make sure she can answer any questions about you with comfodence she will be fine. 

What you suggested could land him in an even bigger trouble. No marriage ceremony before entering US. If there is a marriage ceremony after interview and before entering US (assuming the Visa is approved), and this information is unearthed during either ROC or naturalization process, the spouse could face deportation.

[Maria&Wirbir 38]

On 6/29/2019 at 5:51 AM, Unlockable said:

Not a good idea. It can be a risk. 

 

Honestly, this should have been taken into consideration when you were deciding which visa to choose. In this case, the spousal visa would have been better and you could have had the official marriage in her country.

 

Better solution:

You can certainly get married here in the US then once she receives her EAD/AP or Green Card, fly back and have a ceremony with her family.

How long does it takes th EAD/AP? 

I want to have a wedding celebration in my country 😭 idk what to do if plan something before the k1 got approved or after I can return to my country 

[Boiler 45,584]

4 to 6 months? Best not to plan anything until you have it is hand.

[Ameriaussie 49]

same boat, tagging along

[Maria&Wirbir 38]

15 minutes ago, Boiler said:

4 to 6 months? Best not to plan anything until you have it is hand.

My goddess!! I thought it was something like 3 months. ☹️☹️

14 minutes ago, Ameriaussie said:

same boat, tagging along

☹️☹️☹️

 

14 minutes ago, Ameriaussie said:

same boat, tagging along

 

[SalishSea 17,869]

34 minutes ago, Maria&Wirbir said:

My goddess!! I thought it was something like 3 months. ☹️☹️

☹️☹️☹️

 

 

Not currently.

[NikLR 13,227]

Even if the CBP find evidence that a marriage has taken place, even a non-legally binding one, on a K1 visa, they can deny entry.  I remember a couple from Canada had that issue once. 

1 hour ago, Maria&Wirbir said:

My goddess!! I thought it was something like 3 months. ☹️☹️

☹️☹️☹️

 

 

Closer to 6 months most of the time currently, if not more. 

[Unlockable 7,314]

8 hours ago, Maria&Wirbir said:

My goddess!! I thought it was something like 3 months. ☹️☹️

☹️☹️☹️

 

 

I could be 3 months. But it is likely to be longer based on current cases we are seeing. And that is why the K1 sucks. I (and other members here who have been through the K1) realize that the CR1 (spousal) visa is a far superior visa. I always advise those who are deciding to avoid the K1.

 

Someone I personally know who was a beneficiary to a K1 akin it to being a hostage. 

- You are in a different place often with no family or friends but if you get homesick you can't go back home without abandoning the process.

- You can't work to get your mind off things, get accustomed to working in the US, and help with the household for months.

- Sometimes you can't even obtain a driver's license for months so you can get around and explore your new home.

- You are still at the mercy of immigration because there are extra processes and costs to do for the K1.

 

Yet the K1 is still the most popular marriage based visa I have seen. People claim that it is so they can be together sooner but the spousal visa is only 2 - 3 months more and I would rather wait it out than be stuck in a place with all those limitations for months.

 

If you look at all the cons of the K1, I just don't see the appeal to it.

[TastyCake 232]

35 minutes ago, Unlockable said:

I could be 3 months. But it is likely to be longer based on current cases we are seeing. And that is why the K1 sucks. I (and other members here who have been through the K1) realize that the CR1 (spousal) visa is a far superior visa. I always advise those who are deciding to avoid the K1.

 

Someone I personally know who was a beneficiary to a K1 akin it to being a hostage. 

- You are in a different place often with no family or friends but if you get homesick you can't go back home without abandoning the process.

- You can't work to get your mind off things, get accustomed to working in the US, and help with the household for months.

- Sometimes you can't even obtain a driver's license for months so you can get around and explore your new home.

- You are still at the mercy of immigration because there are extra processes and costs to do for the K1.

 

Yet the K1 is still the most popular marriage based visa I have seen. People claim that it is so they can be together sooner but the spousal visa is only 2 - 3 months more and I would rather wait it out than be stuck in a place with all those limitations for months.

 

If you look at all the cons of the K1, I just don't see the appeal to it.

Just throwing this out there.  And I am not saying this would be acceptable to the individual who started this thread.  Just a general question, looking for opinions.  The answer may be obvious but better to ask.

 

K-1 is granted to two people who are not married.  They follow the rules and get married in the U.S. within 90 days.  After receiving the green card with documented proof there was a wedding in the U.S., you return to her native country for a visit and get married again, exchanging nups in front of the family just so they can have a ceremony, too.  Granted it is a second ceremony, hopefully doesn't cheapen things in front of the fam back home (it certainly could but what the heck?).  But, at least it is an opportunity to have a ceremony and celebration after the fact.  Event could be as much as a year later and documents would be dated as such.

 

Fair game or could the authorities here come down on you for this?

 

 

[NikLR 13,227]

7 minutes ago, TastyCake said:

Just throwing this out there.  And I am not saying this would be acceptable to the individual who started this thread.  Just a general question, looking for opinions.  The answer may be obvious but better to ask.

 

K-1 is granted to two people who are not married.  They follow the rules and get married in the U.S. within 90 days.  After receiving the green card with documented proof there was a wedding in the U.S., you return to her native country for a visit and get married again, exchanging nups in front of the family just so they can have a ceremony, too.  Granted it is a second ceremony, hopefully doesn't cheapen things in front of the fam back home (it certainly could but what the heck?).  But, at least it is an opportunity to have a ceremony and celebration after the fact.  Event could be as much as a year later and documents would be dated as such.

 

Fair game or could the authorities here come down on you for this?

 

 

You just need AP to travel to do the 2nd wedding ceremony in a home country.  People just are impatient and don't want to wait 6 months to do that or have the added expense of having to travel. 

[Maria&Wirbir 38]

50 minutes ago, Unlockable said:

I could be 3 months. But it is likely to be longer based on current cases we are seeing. And that is why the K1 sucks. I (and other members here who have been through the K1) realize that the CR1 (spousal) visa is a far superior visa. I always advise those who are deciding to avoid the K1.

 

Someone I personally know who was a beneficiary to a K1 akin it to being a hostage. 

- You are in a different place often with no family or friends but if you get homesick you can't go back home without abandoning the process.

- You can't work to get your mind off things, get accustomed to working in the US, and help with the household for months.

- Sometimes you can't even obtain a driver's license for months so you can get around and explore your new home.

- You are still at the mercy of immigration because there are extra processes and costs to do for the K1.

 

Yet the K1 is still the most popular marriage based visa I have seen. People claim that it is so they can be together sooner but the spousal visa is only 2 - 3 months more and I would rather wait it out than be stuck in a place with all those limitations for months.

 

If you look at all the cons of the K1, I just don't see the appeal to it.

Omg!!! 

If I could turn back in time I would get the CR1 instead 

[TastyCake 232]

5 minutes ago, NikLR said:

You just need AP to travel to do the 2nd wedding ceremony in a home country.  People just are impatient and don't want to wait 6 months to do that or have the added expense of having to travel. 

Do you still need AP after you get a green card?  Sorry if I misunderstood.

Edited July 1, 2019 by TastyCake

[NikLR 13,227]

3 minutes ago, TastyCake said:

Do you still need AP after you get a green card?  Sorry if I misunderstood.

No but you don't need to wait for the green card to travel, you just need AP.  You're suggesting a potentially longer wait than necessary.