K1 denied now looking into CR1 (split)

[Jeanne Adil 1,651]

i think the embassy does know very well

looking up Ghanian engagement ceremony I find this 

 

Traditional Ghanaian Engagement Ceremony. ... Last Saturday was another great opportunity to learn and understand Rueben and Golda better, when I got to attend their traditional Ghanaian engagementceremony. The thing about this “engagement ceremony” is that, in Ghanian culture, that really means “wedding ceremony”.

 

That is posted on several internet sites

[O&GForever 387]

On 7/1/2019 at 3:32 PM, Quansah said:

We got refused Last week for our K1 because our Ghanaian engagement ceremony pictures were misinterpreted as traditional marriage. My fiancée will come down for us to go have a court marriage and file for CR1. Anyone with similar experience who will guide me through what exactly we need gather before filing. 

I am so sorry you are going through this. I know your pain, because I was in your position a couple of years ago. We didn't do the traditional engagement ceremony. But we did have a party where we wore matching clothing. My husband...then fiance took pictures from this to the interview and we were denied for the same reason. It has happened to many people on this site. The reason they don't allow people to go through the K1 with an engagement party is because they accept that as a marriage for the CR1 visa. Therefore they can't allow one couple to say they aren't married, but another to say they are after having those ceremonies. I hope that makes sense. 

 

The good news is you can start over and get approved. I traveled to Ghana, got married after our K1 was denied and started all over. My husband arrived in 2017 and we just welcomed our first child. 

 

The best thing you can do is get married and apply again. You'll want to include plenty of solid evidence with your initial petition, including trip evidence, chats/call logs, letters of support from your fiance's family and friends, bills if they can add you to them, etc. Keep in mind you'll need much more quality evidence to be successful getting through the Ghana embassy than people need at other embassies. You can look at my review of my husband's interview in my timeline. I listed out everything we submitted at all three phases. I am not saying you need all of it, but it will give you some ideas of things to submit.  

[O&GForever 387]

8 hours ago, Quansah said:

@Mrs Odurothanks so much, will it be still okay to include the some of the engagement pictures that the Officer interpreted as traditional marriage and add up the new pictures from our upcoming court marriage. Would it be necessary to involve a visa coach or lawyer in our next filing after our court marriage. 

For what it's worth, I spoke with an immigration attorney after our K1 visa was denied. She recommended we not include any photos from the engagement party because it would draw attention to the reason our K1 was denied. We followed her advice and the CO never brought it up during the CR1 interview. 

[vinish 11]

@O&GForever, I am more than grateful. I I went through your timeline and I am more than grateful to say it will help a lot. 

[Just Paul 4,595]

49 minutes ago, O&GForever said:

She recommended we not include any photos from the engagement party because it would draw attention to the reason our K1 was denied.

So the attorney thought that the CO wouldn't know that you had applied for a K1 and was refused?  the know about every visa and petition filed.

 

The pictures didn't need to be included because they were taken prior to the wedding.  One should submit bona fide proof of the marriage.

 

[O&GForever 387]

1 hour ago, Paul & Mary said:

So the attorney thought that the CO wouldn't know that you had applied for a K1 and was refused?  the know about every visa and petition filed.

 

The pictures didn't need to be included because they were taken prior to the wedding.  One should submit bona fide proof of the marriage.

 

Of course CO knows that the K1 was denied. I am very aware of that. The CO knows more about us than anyone would care to admit. 

 

As I stated it’s best not to draw attention to something that could be an issue in your case. It is a known reason for denials in Ghana. So it’s best not to flat out state this was an issue in my previous case and prompt them to look deeper into your relationship. 

[vinish 11]

So in our case will it be okay to still include some of our traditional engagement ceremony pictures while will update it with our upcoming court wedding photos since the CO openly said our engagement ceremony in Ghana is what they consider as traditional marriage. 

[Just Paul 4,595]

6 minutes ago, Quansah said:

So in our case will it be okay to still include some of our traditional engagement ceremony pictures while will update it with our upcoming court wedding photos since the CO openly said our engagement ceremony in Ghana is what they consider as traditional marriage. 

Sure but you really want pictures that can be proof of your marriage.   You are now going to file for a spousal visa so you need things from your marriage date forward.

[Ryan H 3,812]

Moved from Progress Reports to Process & Procedures.

[vinish 11]

I don't know whether this is the right place to ask this question or be moved to the right forum. 

After K1 denial, my fiancée (USC) will come down for us to have our wedding and file for CR1. I want to know whether having her name maiden name changed to her married name right after getting our marriage certificate before she goes back to the US to file the CR1 will be a good thing to do. We would have included affidavit of name change and a gazetted marriage name in the CR1 petition. I need your take on this. 

[mniceguy16 186]

Just now, Quansah said:

I don't know whether this is the right place to ask this question or be moved to the right forum. 

After K1 denial, my fiancée (USC) will come down for us to have our wedding and file for CR1. I want to know whether having her name maiden name changed to her married name right after getting our marriage certificate before she goes back to the US to file the CR1 will be a good thing to do. We would have included affidavit of name change and a gazetted marriage name in the CR1 petition. I need your take on this. 

Highjacked post, against TOS of this site.  Will just help you answer your question. She can change her name without any problem after marriage, just make sure you have all paperwork to prove that.

[O&GForever 387]

1 hour ago, Quansah said:

I don't know whether this is the right place to ask this question or be moved to the right forum. 

After K1 denial, my fiancée (USC) will come down for us to have our wedding and file for CR1. I want to know whether having her name maiden name changed to her married name right after getting our marriage certificate before she goes back to the US to file the CR1 will be a good thing to do. We would have included affidavit of name change and a gazetted marriage name in the CR1 petition. I need your take on this. 

I didn’t change my last name until my husband arrived in the US. I didn’t want to pay for another passport and visa to Ghana, or delay submitting our paperwork. They didn’t even question it. Others have changed their name for added proof. It’s really personal choice. 

[vinish 11]

Thanks for the response. What was the procedure for you changing to your marriage name after your husband joined you and the cost. We are looking at changing it here in Ghana since the marriage is happening here and add all the supporting documents for married name change to I-130 or leaving it till I join her, which either ways there will still be a name change. What is the cost involved doing it in the state.

[O&GForever 387]

2 hours ago, mniceguy16 said:

Highjacked post, against TOS of this site.  Will just help you answer your question. She can change her name without any problem after marriage, just make sure you have all paperwork to prove that.

The person asking the question actually created this feed so they aren't hijacking it. 

 

2 hours ago, Quansah said:

Thanks for the response. What was the procedure for you changing to your marriage name after your husband joined you and the cost. We are looking at changing it here in Ghana since the marriage is happening here and add all the supporting documents for married name change to I-130 or leaving it till I join her, which either ways there will still be a name change. What is the cost involved doing it in the state.

She can't change her name in Ghana. Changing her maiden name has nothing to do with where she got married. She has to go through the Social Security Office to get it legally changed, which will require her showing them a copy of the marriage license. Once that's done and she has her new social security card, she'll need to change things like her drivers license at the DMV, her passport, credit cards, bank account, bills, etc. Most of the changes are free...passport and drivers license are not. It took me about 6-8 weeks to get everything changed and several required me going to the offices in person. 

[mniceguy16 186]

On 7/9/2019 at 2:38 PM, O&GForever said:

The person asking the question actually created this feed so they aren't hijacking it. 

 

She can't change her name in Ghana. Changing her maiden name has nothing to do with where she got married. She has to go through the Social Security Office to get it legally changed, which will require her showing them a copy of the marriage license. Once that's done and she has her new social security card, she'll need to change things like her drivers license at the DMV, her passport, credit cards, bank account, bills, etc. Most of the changes are free...passport and drivers license are not. It took me about 6-8 weeks to get everything changed and several required me going to the offices in person. 

Well every country has its own policies and ways. My wife and I got married in Ukraine and on our marriage certificate there is a line provided for her new name which is my last name. She simply went back to the states with an original copy of our wedding certificate and a notarized translated copy in english and all the name change on passport was done. Her ssn has not changed but they were notified about name change,including banks,insurance,licence etc. And like my message said earlier, she can change her name, meaning that in Ghana which I believe,there must be some sort of document to prove that she has accepted to take her husband's name and while in the states,such a document will prove that she now has her new name under marriage and she will be able to use that inorder to transition her status documentarily here in the states.

Edited July 12, 2019 by mniceguy16