Going ahead with wedding ceremony without K-1 visa

[bobokiki 0]

Me and my fiancee are thinking of having a wedding ceremony before we get our K-1 visa. We have already sent out the invitations and some of the guests have already bought tickets to come in and attend from out of the country. We miscalculated the waiting time. We would not sign any papers whatsoever at the time of the ceremony. It will be symbolic only. We will have another "real" wedding with papers signed and delivered to the powers that be once the K-1 visa is in hand. Would there be any legal repercussions for this or do you think it will be ok just as long as we dont file any paperwork for the symbolic wedding ceremony?

Any help or information will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Bo

[Dan J 277]

Me and my fiancee are thinking of having a wedding ceremony before we get our K-1 visa. We have already sent out the invitations and some of the guests have already bought tickets to come in and attend from out of the country. We miscalculated the waiting time. We would not sign any papers whatsoever at the time of the ceremony. It will be symbolic only. We will have another "real" wedding with papers signed and delivered to the powers that be once the K-1 visa is in hand. Would there be any legal repercussions for this or do you think it will be ok just as long as we dont file any paperwork for the symbolic wedding ceremony?

Any help or information will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Bo

Your fine to do just a wedding as long as its not a legal marriage. What you have to watch out for is calling yourselves husband and wife and wearing wedding rings (if you use them) before you are legally married.

[Lance27 19]

Me and my fiancee are thinking of having a wedding ceremony before we get our K-1 visa. We have already sent out the invitations and some of the guests have already bought tickets to come in and attend from out of the country. We miscalculated the waiting time. We would not sign any papers whatsoever at the time of the ceremony. It will be symbolic only. We will have another "real" wedding with papers signed and delivered to the powers that be once the K-1 visa is in hand. Would there be any legal repercussions for this or do you think it will be ok just as long as we dont file any paperwork for the symbolic wedding ceremony?

Any help or information will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Bo

You would have to have a legal wedding in the US since your K1 visa permits you to enter the country as a fiancee/fiance. I am not sure if you can have a legal marriage in your country after you are issued the K1 and then use it to enter the US. Im sure others will correct me if I am wrong.

[Dan J 277]

Me and my fiancee are thinking of having a wedding ceremony before we get our K-1 visa. We have already sent out the invitations and some of the guests have already bought tickets to come in and attend from out of the country. We miscalculated the waiting time. We would not sign any papers whatsoever at the time of the ceremony. It will be symbolic only. We will have another "real" wedding with papers signed and delivered to the powers that be once the K-1 visa is in hand. Would there be any legal repercussions for this or do you think it will be ok just as long as we dont file any paperwork for the symbolic wedding ceremony?

Any help or information will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Bo

You would have to have a legal wedding in the US since your K1 visa permits you to enter the country as a fiancee/fiance. I am not sure if you can have a legal marriage in your country after you are issued the K1 and then use it to enter the US. Im sure others will correct me if I am wrong.

Im pretty sure he/she means having a legal marriage in the US after the K-1 visa is granted. Although the wording may suggest otherwise.

[bobokiki 0]

Me and my fiancee are thinking of having a wedding ceremony before we get our K-1 visa. We have already sent out the invitations and some of the guests have already bought tickets to come in and attend from out of the country. We miscalculated the waiting time. We would not sign any papers whatsoever at the time of the ceremony. It will be symbolic only. We will have another "real" wedding with papers signed and delivered to the powers that be once the K-1 visa is in hand. Would there be any legal repercussions for this or do you think it will be ok just as long as we dont file any paperwork for the symbolic wedding ceremony?

Any help or information will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Bo

Your fine to do just a wedding as long as its not a legal marriage. What you have to watch out for is calling yourselves husband and wife and wearing wedding rings (if you use them) before you are legally married.

Thanks for the quick reply Dan.

[bobokiki 0]

That is correct Dan. We are having the "symbolic" wedding in the US before we receive the K1 Visa because my fiancee has a visitors visa. My fiancee will then go to Canada and interview and receive the K1 visa. After we receive the K1 visa we will have the "real" wedding in the US after the K1 Visa is in hand. That is when all the proper paperwork concerning the marriage will be filed.

[William33 110]

This issue has come up so many times, with mixed opinions.

Bottom line, if it is a celebratory ceremony and not official, do it and forget about it when going through US Immigration.

Simple as that.

Best of luck.

.

[bobokiki 0]

This issue has come up so many times, with mixed opinions.

Bottom line, if it is a celebratory ceremony and not official, do it and forget about it when going through US Immigration.

Simple as that.

Best of luck.

.

William, I am talking to my fiancee on skype and she told me to thank you because she likes your attitude.

[Lance27 19]

Me and my fiancee are thinking of having a wedding ceremony before we get our K-1 visa. We have already sent out the invitations and some of the guests have already bought tickets to come in and attend from out of the country. We miscalculated the waiting time. We would not sign any papers whatsoever at the time of the ceremony. It will be symbolic only. We will have another "real" wedding with papers signed and delivered to the powers that be once the K-1 visa is in hand. Would there be any legal repercussions for this or do you think it will be ok just as long as we dont file any paperwork for the symbolic wedding ceremony?

Any help or information will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Bo

You would have to have a legal wedding in the US since your K1 visa permits you to enter the country as a fiancee/fiance. I am not sure if you can have a legal marriage in your country after you are issued the K1 and then use it to enter the US. Im sure others will correct me if I am wrong.

Im pretty sure he/she means having a legal marriage in the US after the K-1 visa is granted. Although the wording may suggest otherwise.

Just making sure that he/she doesn't get stuck for another 9-12 months

To the OP... Canadians do not require a tourist visa to enter the US good luck and congratulations on the wedding

[Yodrak 7]

Bo,

Be sure that you understand the difference between a 'wedding' and a 'marriage', and what is required to create a marriage in the jurisdiction where you plan to have this wedding. Your plans may be fine or you may be inadvertantly creating a problem for yourself.

Recognize also that once you correctly understand the situation, the various immigration officials that you will encounter may not correctly understand the situation. Be prepared to deal with the possibility.

Yodrak

Me and my fiancee are thinking of having a wedding ceremony before we get our K-1 visa. We have already sent out the invitations and some of the guests have already bought tickets to come in and attend from out of the country. We miscalculated the waiting time. We would not sign any papers whatsoever at the time of the ceremony. It will be symbolic only. We will have another "real" wedding with papers signed and delivered to the powers that be once the K-1 visa is in hand. Would there be any legal repercussions for this or do you think it will be ok just as long as we dont file any paperwork for the symbolic wedding ceremony?

Any help or information will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Bo

[TimsDaisy 0]

If you don't get legally married - and it's up to you to make sure you aren't - then you'll be fine. A wedding doesn't necessarily make a marriage. Be smart and you'll be fine. Lots of people have done this and faced no problems. People have even done it not knowing they should've been worried about something going wrong.

[payxibka 10,047]

If you don't get legally married - and it's up to you to make sure you aren't - then you'll be fine. A wedding doesn't necessarily make a marriage. Be smart and you'll be fine. Lots of people have done this and faced no problems. People have even done it not knowing they should've been worried about something going wrong.

Some people have done it and it caused problems.... As TimsDaisy said... BE SMART....

[raymaga 25]

As long as the "ceremony" in Canada is NOT a legal one, you are not legally married, and have not broken the rules for the K-1 Visa.

Just make sure that the ceremony you have in Canada is just a "party" of sorts, and not conducted by a person who is submitting any legal paperwork afterwards.

[Jeremy + Kristy 0]

Just wanting to let you know, I'm in the same boat, and we are doing the same thing. Although, both the "wedding" and the "marriage" are going to be in the US, since my Best Man, and possibly others, are not allowed into Canada (DUI convictions).

Edited June 25, 2007 by Jeremy + Kristy

[TimsDaisy 0]

My best friend's brother and his Meixcan fiance held a wedding in her hometown in Mexico two weekends ago because there was no way her whole family could afford to come to a US ceremony and for her, the "real" spiritual unification needed to be in the church with her family, the priest, etc.

They had a lovely wedding and honeymoon and arrived in the US last week. Not so much as a hiccup at the border.

Results may vary, but I have a feeling that order of business is FAR more common than our teeny-tiny slice of VJ data would make it appear.

As said - Be smart about it - make sure you aren't legally married. If you can't figure out how TO get legally married and how NOT to get legally married, you're going to need help with lots of stuff in life.