K1 visa - can we marry in CNMI?

[Purcari1984 25]

Hi All,

 

Just wanted to resume this thread as we’ve had some updates in the last 3 weeks.  First off, my fiancé was granted her k1 visa a couple days ago, obviously a huge weight off our shoulders.  Meanwhile, I’ve settled in CNMI and have started planning her trip to the U.S.  I was hoping to get some final clarification from the VJ community regarding the validity of our plans.

 

• With the newly issued K1 visa, my fiancé will enter the U.S. next week with LAX being her port of entry (she will have all required negative COVID tests)
• She will stay in California for a few days visiting my family before traveling to CNMI via Hawaii and Guam. 
• Once she arrives in CNMI, she is required to quarantine for 6 days after which she is released assuming she passes her COVID test on Day 6. 
• Once released, we will apply for her SSN immediately.  I’ve discovered there is a SS office here in CNMI that I assume would be able to assist us with this.  My fiancé did temporarily come to the U.S. back around 2013 on some sort of student exchange work program and was issued a SSN.  She stayed and worked about 6 weeks in the U.S. during that time.  I don’t know much about SSNs, but I assume this number is invalid and would need to be re-activated by the SSN office?
• After receiving/updating her SSN we will wed in CNMI and immediately apply for I-485 Adjustment of Status.  As part of our application, I’d like to apply for and EAD and Advance Parole, but don’t have any pressing reason for doing so.
• Our hope is that we would be allowed to attend our Green Card interview in CNMI and the local USCIS office.  Going to an office in Guam would be very difficult for us due to their strict quarantine requirements. 

 

I thought we had this plan all worked out, but during my fiance’s K-1 interview, the interviewer mentioned that we might have “problems” living and filing our applications in CNMI.  She wasn’t very specific and my fiancé was already nervous and did not press her for more information.  The interviewer did admit she was not positive this would be the case, but suggested we do additional research out of caution. 

 

My main concerns are 1) that my fiancé does not experience any visa-related issues traveling between CNMI-Guam-Mainland U.S. and 2) that once she arrives here in a couple weeks, we can both remain in CNMI to get married and complete the Green Card process without having to leave.  Lastly, I’m curious to know if the process is likely to take longer being in CNMI and what would happen if the 90 days from her K-1 passed and she still had not been approved for her Adjustment of Status.  Does she essentially become an undocumented immigrant at this point? 

 

Any other potential problems in our plans that anyone could point out is appreciated.   

[HRQX 4,145]

44 minutes ago, Purcari1984 said:

My fiancé did temporarily come to the U.S. back around 2013 on some sort of student exchange work program and was issued a SSN.  She stayed and worked about 6 weeks in the U.S. during that time.  I don’t know much about SSNs, but I assume this number is invalid and would need to be re-activated by the SSN office?

She should continue using the same SSN. SSNs are essentially issued for life since it's very rare for SSA to issue a different one: https://faq.ssa.gov/en-us/Topic/article/KA-02220

Can I change my Social Security number?

 

We can assign a different number only if:

• Sequential numbers assigned to members of the same family are causing problems;
  
• More than one person is assigned or using the same number;
  
• A victim of identity theft continues to be disadvantaged by using the original number;
  
• There is a situation of harassment, abuse or life endangerment; or
  
• An individual has religious or cultural objections to certain numbers or digits in the original number. (We require written documentation in support of the objection from a religious group with which the number holder has an established relationship.)

[HRQX 4,145]

1 hour ago, Purcari1984 said:

Lastly, I’m curious to know if the process is likely to take longer being in CNMI and what would happen if the 90 days from her K-1 passed and she still had not been approved for her Adjustment of Status.  Does she essentially become an undocumented immigrant at this point?

After the 90 days she won't have K-1 status, but the pending I-485 would mean she'll be in a period of stay authorized by the Secretary of Homeland Security. The I-485 receipt notice would be her proof of that.

[HRQX 4,145]

2 hours ago, Purcari1984 said:

Our hope is that we would be allowed to attend our Green Card interview in CNMI and the local USCIS office.  Going to an office in Guam would be very difficult for us due to their strict quarantine requirements.

The small office in CNMI is not for interviews. It's just an ASC, so it's only for biometric appointment: https://egov.uscis.gov/office-locator/#/ascprofile/MP/Garapan, Saipan/XHS

The interview location is in Guam: https://www.uscis.gov/about-us/find-a-uscis-office/field-offices

[Purcari1984 25]

56 minutes ago, HRQX said:

The small office in CNMI is not for interviews. It's just an ASC, so it's only for biometric appointment: https://egov.uscis.gov/office-locator/#/ascprofile/MP/Garapan, Saipan/XHS

The interview location is in Guam: https://www.uscis.gov/about-us/find-a-uscis-office/field-offices

 

Ouch.....just checked the entry requirements for Guam and it looks like a 14 day quarentine would be required.  I'm hoping we'll both be vaccinated by this time and/or the COVID-entry requirements have been updated.  Appreciate you providing me with this informaiton.