Living abroad but wanting a stateside marriage

[SP_and_TH 2]

My soon to be (Canadian) fiance' and I are currently living abroad in Thailand. We have June and July off in the summer and are hoping to get a K1 fiance' visa so we can get married in the states with our friends and family. We have the intent of moving back to the US sometime in the next 5 years but after the wedding we plan to continue to live abroad for the next few years.

 

The question is what is the best way to apply for a visa so we can get married in the states but then continue to live abroad for the time being? Also given that we only have 6 months until heading back to the states (7 until the hopeful wedding) is that even enough time?

 

We can't do a DCF here in Bangkok but will we have to have a family co-sponsor as what we make abroad is in no way enough to meet the financial requirements. Do they need to be met if we are not planning on living in the United States after we get married? These are all questions we are looking for answers too.

 

Any help, insight or stories of experience are greatly appreciated. Much thanks! :)

[Bee91 78]

43 minutes ago, SP_and_TH said:

My soon to be (Canadian) fiance' and I are currently living abroad in Thailand. We have June and July off in the summer and are hoping to get a K1 fiance' visa so we can get married in the states with our friends and family. We have the intent of moving back to the US sometime in the next 5 years but after the wedding we plan to continue to live abroad for the next few years.

 

The question is what is the best way to apply for a visa so we can get married in the states but then continue to live abroad for the time being? Also given that we only have 6 months until heading back to the states (7 until the hopeful wedding) is that even enough time?

 

We can't do a DCF here in Bangkok but will we have to have a family co-sponsor as what we make abroad is in no way enough to meet the financial requirements. Do they need to be met if we are not planning on living in the United States after we get married? These are all questions we are looking for answers too.

 

Any help, insight or stories of experience are greatly appreciated. Much thanks!

If I'm not misunderstanding, you just want to get married in the U.S. and live overseas for several more years?

 

If so, you can simply come to the U.S. together and get married whenever you want. You don't need a visa for that. You won't need a visa until you decide to move to the states together. That said, if you do plan on doing that you can then apply for the IR-1/CR-1 once you're married. For IR-1 you have to be married for 2 years, so if you plan on spending 5 more years overseas, that'd be the way to go. I heard it's easier because with CR-1 there are conditions on their visa for the first two years of marriage. 

[Bee91 78]

Also, I'm an English teacher overseas (Korea) and you might want to check poverty line against your salaries. I know we don't make much because we also get free housing (or at least here), but my salary is still over the poverty line for 2 people (it's only a bit above 21,000 a year there is a chart on their website if you want to double check the numbers). 

[Greenbaum 12,259]

6 hours ago, Bee91 said:

If I'm not misunderstanding, you just want to get married in the U.S. and live overseas for several more years?

 

If so, you can simply come to the U.S. together and get married whenever you want. You don't need a visa for that. You won't need a visa until you decide to move to the states together. That said, if you do plan on doing that you can then apply for the IR-1/CR-1 once you're married. For IR-1 you have to be married for 2 years, so if you plan on spending 5 more years overseas, that'd be the way to go. I heard it's easier because with CR-1 there are conditions on their visa for the first two years of marriage. 

Does the "beneficiary" need a visitor's visa to travel to the US? That's the critical step. Without it there is no wedding in USA. Just my thoughts.

[payxibka 10,045]

1 hour ago, Greenbaum said:

Does the "beneficiary" need a visitor's visa to travel to the US? That's the critical step. Without it there is no wedding in USA. Just my thoughts.

Canadian,  I think she is ok 

[Andy & Val 494]

1 hour ago, payxibka said:

Canadian,  I think she is ok 

 

This intro got me thinking... "My soon to be (Canadian) fiance'..."

Is she on the way to becoming a Canadian citizen or they are looking forward to being engaged?

[payxibka 10,045]

43 minutes ago, Andy & Val said:

 

This intro got me thinking... "My soon to be (Canadian) fiance'..."

Is she on the way to becoming a Canadian citizen or they are looking forward to being engaged?

Kinda hard to qualify for Canadian citizenship when you don't live there 

[SP_and_TH 2]

For clarification (I see how I didn’t word things clearly) she is Canadian and I am a US citizen. 
 

From what I have been finding now is if we have enough documentation that we are indeed not going to come in on a tourist visa and then stay (apply for an adjustment of status and commit visa fraud) then we can enter the us and get married if she only has her tourist visa. 
 

it seems like the most important thing is making known our intent to get married but NOT stay in the US. We can apply for an immigrant visa when we later decide we want to move to the US. Hopefully this is not going to make things more complicated for us in the future. ☺️

[Lucky2Lucky 2,526]

Like others have stated you can just come to the US to get married and when you are ready to move to the US you can file the spousal visa (you will have to return a bit earlier to establish domicile however)

[Duke & Marie 1,389]

20 hours ago, SP_and_TH said:

My soon to be (Canadian) fiance' and I are currently living abroad in Thailand. We have June and July off in the summer and are hoping to get a K1 fiance' visa so we can get married in the states with our friends and family. We have the intent of moving back to the US sometime in the next 5 years but after the wedding we plan to continue to live abroad for the next few years.

 

The question is what is the best way to apply for a visa so we can get married in the states but then continue to live abroad for the time being? Also given that we only have 6 months until heading back to the states (7 until the hopeful wedding) is that even enough time?

 

We can't do a DCF here in Bangkok but will we have to have a family co-sponsor as what we make abroad is in no way enough to meet the financial requirements. Do they need to be met if we are not planning on living in the United States after we get married? These are all questions we are looking for answers too.

 

Any help, insight or stories of experience are greatly appreciated. Much thanks!

In addition to what others have said about getting married while on vacation there... 

 

in the mean time, I’d recommend you get married a couple of years before your expected return for ir1 non-condition.. ensure all USA taxes etc made and uptoday.. file ir1 at least 18 months before expected return to USA... and start building your evidence now, in advance... will make it go way smoother when the time comes to process everything.. 

 

congrats, good luck 

[Cyberfx1024 7,980]

21 hours ago, SP_and_TH said:

My soon to be (Canadian) fiance' and I are currently living abroad in Thailand. We have June and July off in the summer and are hoping to get a K1 fiance' visa so we can get married in the states with our friends and family. We have the intent of moving back to the US sometime in the next 5 years but after the wedding we plan to continue to live abroad for the next few years.

 

The question is what is the best way to apply for a visa so we can get married in the states but then continue to live abroad for the time being? Also given that we only have 6 months until heading back to the states (7 until the hopeful wedding) is that even enough time?

 

We can't do a DCF here in Bangkok but will we have to have a family co-sponsor as what we make abroad is in no way enough to meet the financial requirements. Do they need to be met if we are not planning on living in the United States after we get married? These are all questions we are looking for answers too.

 

Any help, insight or stories of experience are greatly appreciated. Much thanks!

Your fiance can always come to the USA to get married and then you both go back to Thailand. There is no restrictions in doing that at all. 

[SP_and_TH 2]

Another thing to consider... if we get married on a tourist visa would she be allowed to visit the states again after we are married or would she not be allowed in until she gets her status adjusted. Say she wanted to come and visit family in the states but we are still living in Thailand. Would that be impossible. There are so many things to consider...

[Cyberfx1024 7,980]

21 hours ago, SP_and_TH said:

My soon to be (Canadian) fiance' and I are currently living abroad in Thailand. We have June and July off in the summer and are hoping to get a K1 fiance' visa so we can get married in the states with our friends and family. We have the intent of moving back to the US sometime in the next 5 years but after the wedding we plan to continue to live abroad for the next few years.

 

The question is what is the best way to apply for a visa so we can get married in the states but then continue to live abroad for the time being? Also given that we only have 6 months until heading back to the states (7 until the hopeful wedding) is that even enough time?

 

We can't do a DCF here in Bangkok but will we have to have a family co-sponsor as what we make abroad is in no way enough to meet the financial requirements. Do they need to be met if we are not planning on living in the United States after we get married? These are all questions we are looking for answers too.

 

Any help, insight or stories of experience are greatly appreciated. Much thanks!

You can get married in USA with no issues since your fiance is Canadian. Then go back overseas to live

[Cyberfx1024 7,980]

7 minutes ago, SP_and_TH said:

Another thing to consider... if we get married on a tourist visa would she be allowed to visit the states again after we are married or would she not be allowed in until she gets her status adjusted. Say she wanted to come and visit family in the states but we are still living in Thailand. Would that be impossible. There are so many things to consider...

No, she can still come and visit on the VWP. You just have to show sufficient ties that she won't AOS.

[SP_and_TH 2]

Thank you for all the helpful info. Getting married on a tourist visa definitely seems like the right thing since we are not immigrating yet. 

 

The last thing I have not been able to find still is once we are married and she does not have here green card (or when we are in the process of applying for a CR-1 or IR-1) will she be able to visit the US anymore? Her family lives in the US and if she wants to visit them in the next two years will she be allowed to?