Zoom Marriage?

[ilikepotatoes 57]

Hello all,

 

I was browsing through this site and saw another user speaking about her success with marrying via a zoom marriage ceremony through utahcounty.gov. I’m wondering if this might be a good idea in my situation.

I’ve known my fiancé for three years and we have corresponded long distance for the duration of our relationship. I will be leaving next week to go spend two months with him, which we are both very excited about. Prior to this, we both struggled to find time to visit, as my mother was a cancer patient, and I was her main caretaker, and he has been unable to get a visa to come see me; he was supposed to apply last March, but then covid hit and everything fell apart.

I know we haven’t had any prior meetings, but now we are grateful to finally have a couple months together to start establishing evidence that we really are genuine with how we feel about one another. We then began discussing marriage, and started researching the marriage process in his home country, which is very very difficult and complicated, especially with the ongoing pandemic shutting down all the government offices. 
After seeing the positive outcome another user had with a ceremony via zoom, we decided to consider that route. What we were thinking of doing, was marrying about a month into my visit (using zoom ceremony); my father would then fly in to attend and celebrate with us in person. After my two month visit with him, we would then go to his home country to have a reception with his family members, and spend a few weeks there getting to know everyone. 
Would USCIS have any issue with this? All of our relatives and friends know about our plans and that we have been together. We really are genuine and are hoping to make this work somehow. Covid has made this nearly impossible, and we feel like we finally have a way to be together now, but I’m worried that USCIS might take issue with it. Will the time we spend in person and traveling together be enough to prove that we have a legitimate relationship? Thanks in advance everyone. 

 

Edited March 20, 2021 by ilikepotatoes

[payxibka 10,047]

12 minutes ago, ilikepotatoes said:

Hello all,

 

I was browsing through this site and saw another user speaking about her success with marrying via a zoom marriage ceremony through utahcounty.gov. I’m wondering if this might be a good idea in my situation.

I’ve known my fiancé for three years and we have corresponded long distance for the duration of our relationship. I will be leaving next week to go spend two months with him, which we are both very excited about. Prior to this, we both struggled to find time to visit, as my mother was a cancer patient, and I was her main caretaker, and he has been unable to get a visa to come see me; he was supposed to apply last March, but then covid hit and everything fell apart.

I know we haven’t had any prior meetings, but now we are grateful to finally have a couple months together to start establishing evidence that we really are genuine with how we feel about one another. We then began discussing marriage, and started researching the marriage process in his home country, which is very very difficult and complicated, especially with the ongoing pandemic shutting down all the government offices. 
After seeing the positive outcome another user had with a ceremony via zoom, we decided to consider that route. What we were thinking of doing, was marrying about a month into my visit (using zoom ceremony); my father would then fly in to attend and celebrate with us in person. After my two month visit with him, we would then go to his home country to have a reception with his family members, and spend a few weeks there getting to know everyone. 
Would USCIS have any issue with this? All of our relatives and friends know about our plans and that we have been together. We really are genuine and are hoping to make this work somehow. Covid has made this nearly impossible, and we feel like we finally have a way to be together now, but I’m worried that USCIS might take issue with it. Will the time we spend in person and traveling together be enough to prove that we have a legitimate relationship? Thanks in advance everyone. 

 

You still must "consumate" the marriage by visiting each other after the ceremony. If that is done,  then it should pass USCIS muster.

Edited March 20, 2021 by payxibka

[ilikepotatoes 57]

Just now, payxibka said:

You still must "consumate" the marriage by visiting each other after the ceremony. 

We will be together in the same country during the ceremony. I called the office in Utah, and asked if we could have a zoom Ceremony when we are together during my visit, and he said yes and that they do it all the time that way.

[payxibka 10,047]

Just now, ilikepotatoes said:

We will be together in the same country during the ceremony. I called the office in Utah, and asked if we could have a zoom Ceremony when we are together during my visit, and he said yes and that they do it all the time that way.

Its not just the uscis but the consulate needs to be convinced that the relationship is bonafide. 

 

What country?

[ilikepotatoes 57]

Just now, payxibka said:

Its not just the uscis but the consulate needs to be convinced that the relationship is bonafide. 

 

What country?

Zimbabwe 

[carmel34 3,657]

9 hours ago, ilikepotatoes said:

Zimbabwe 

The more time you spend together, the greater your chances of success.  Marrying on the first visit via Zoom is a red flag, especially when Zimbabwe is involved, so plan on making multiple trips to be together prior to filing the I-130.  Save all original boarding passes, hotel receipts, passport stamps, and a few photos.  Also look into financial co-mingling, as much as you can do while living in separate countries, and submit that evidence too.  Side-load as well with more evidence at the NVC stage.  I hope it works out for you.  Good luck!

Edited March 20, 2021 by carmel34

[ilikepotatoes 57]

7 hours ago, carmel34 said:

The more time you spend together, the greater your chances of success.  Marrying on the first visit via Zoom is a red flag, especially when Zimbabwe is involved, so plan on making multiple trips to be together prior to filing the I-130.  Save all original boarding passes, hotel receipts, passport stamps, and a few photos.  Also look into financial co-mingling, as much as you can do while living in separate countries, and submit that evidence too.  Side-load as well with more evidence at the NVC stage.  I hope it works out for you.  Good luck!

I’ve seen several cases on here where couples married on the first meeting and had success with their visas, which confuses me. He’s currently studying in a country other than Zimbabwe; so first I will spend two months with him there, hopefully get married, and then we will (my father included) travel to Zimbabwe to have a big wedding reception with his family. Wont all the time and money we are investing count towards our case in a positive way? Nothing about our relationship has been secretive. My mother passed away a few months ago, and I even had his name listed with mine as my fiancé in the obituary, when listing her surviving relatives and their spouses. We really are genuine and are just so frustrated and feel helpless...COVID has made this an absolute nightmare with no end in sight. 
 

Also, we do know someone who did the K1 visa. He met her online, they communicated for six months, then they had three two week visits, with the engagement taking place on the third. They were approved in less than six months.  They new each other for a shorter time then my fiancé and I. So it’s all these positive stories that are making my fiancé and I more confident that this will work for us, as long as we can spend as much time as we can together, and gather evidence of it. And with covid, one of our fears is that we don’t know when the next time we can be together will be, which just makes us more eager to marry. Anyway, sorry for the rant lol. I’m tired. 

[pushbrk 13,166]

Your plan seems fine.  You are not marrying on the first visit, but even if you were, two months together and your father traveling there as well, will trump any concerns.  It's not clear to me why you need Zoom involved.

[ilikepotatoes 57]

25 minutes ago, pushbrk said:

Your plan seems fine.  You are not marrying on the first visit, but even if you were, two months together and your father traveling there as well, will trump any concerns.  It's not clear to me why you need Zoom involved.

Thank you so much, this really eased my anxieties. The reason we wanted to do the Zoom ceremony, is because of covid restrictions in his home country, and the difficulty of the marriage process in the country in which he’s currently residing. We considered going to the Bahamas, but all the flights transit through the United States and require a transit visa. We also read that you are not permitted to use a transit visa if your goal is to marry at your destination. We’ve researched so many different options, and haven’t found anything that is feasible for us yet. Once we heard about the zoom ceremony, we thought it would would eliminate some of the difficulties of how to marry in the first place. And then we would proceed with the wedding reception as planned, in his home country with my dad and his relatives. We will be marrying after the first visit, after about a month into my stay. Thank you again so much for answering. I feel a bit more comforted. 

[Ryan H 3,834]

1 hour ago, ilikepotatoes said:

We also read that you are not permitted to use a transit visa if your goal is to marry at your destination.

 

Where did you read that?  Whoever wrote that seems to be peddling baloney, the US couldn't care less what a transit visa holder does in the country they ultimately arrive in.

[ilikepotatoes 57]

18 minutes ago, Ryan H said:

 

Where did you read that?  Whoever wrote that seems to be peddling baloney, the US couldn't care less what a transit visa holder does in the country they ultimately arrive in.

Really?? Thank you for letting us know! Just goes to show you that you can’t believe everything you read on the internet lol. Do you know if the embassies are still processing transit visas? 

[pushbrk 13,166]

13 minutes ago, ilikepotatoes said:

Really?? Thank you for letting us know! Just goes to show you that you can’t believe everything you read on the internet lol. Do you know if the embassies are still processing transit visas? 

That's your real question.  Try getting info directly from the source, where possible.  Lots of old wives tales out there.

 

[HRQX 4,145]

1 hour ago, ilikepotatoes said:

We considered going to the Bahamas,

If he somehow gets a B-2 tourist visa he can instead marry in the US and then leave the US: https://uk.usembassy.gov/visas/immigrant-visa-faqs/

We are traveling to the United States to marry and will return to the United Kingdom after marriage. Do I still need a fiancé(e) visa?

If you will return to your permanent residence you may apply for a tourist B-2 visa, or if eligible, travel visa free under the Visa Waiver Program.  At the time you apply for the visa and/or travel to the United States you will be required to show that you have a residence outside the United States that you do not intend to abandon. There is no set form that this evidence takes as it varies with each person’s circumstances.

Edited March 21, 2021 by HRQX

[ilikepotatoes 57]

20 hours ago, pushbrk said:

That's your real question.  Try getting info directly from the source, where possible.  Lots of old wives tales out there.

 

Very true, I will definitely keep that in mind!

So you think that even a zoom ceremony should be okay, as long as we stick to our plan of two months together, plus taking a second trip to visit with our relatives?

[pushbrk 13,166]

Just now, ilikepotatoes said:

Very true, I will definitely keep that in mind!

So you think that even a zoom ceremony should be okay, as long as we stick to our plan of two months together, plus taking a second trip to visit with our relatives?

yes