6 month travel after receiving K1 visa in home country

[finrazor 0]

We are deciding on whether or not to travel immediately to the US after hopefully receiving my fiancée's K1 visa after interview in Colombia OR travel to our second home in Honduras for a few months then go to the US from there. Are there any foreseen issues regarding this 2nd option? Can the beneficiary after receiving their K1 visa travel to another country then on to the petitioner's home country for marriage? Basically Colombia>Honduras>United States on K1 visa. 

 

Thank you!

[Crazy Cat 41,837]

A few months?

1.  K-1 visa holder must enter US prior to visa expiration date.  The expiration date will be tied directly to the date of medical exam.

2.  Marriage MUST take place inside the US. 

Edited August 23, 2023 by Crazy Cat

[finrazor 0]

2 minutes ago, Crazy Cat said:

K-1 visa holder must enter US prior to visa expiration.  Marriage MUST take place inside the US. 

Thank you my friend but I wasn't questioning where we get married. I already know we have to get married in the US and within 90 days of arrival. I'm asking about travel to another country PRIOR to arriving in the US to get married. Hope that clarifies better what we're thinking about doing. 

[Crazy Cat 41,837]

4 minutes ago, finrazor said:

another country PRIOR to arriving in the US to get married.

That will not be a problem providing the visa holder enters the US prior to the visa expiration date.  I specified that the marriage must take place in the US since a Naturalized citizen might not refer to the US as " petitioner's home country".  Good luck on your journey. 

Edited August 23, 2023 by Crazy Cat

[Mike E 11,739]

5 minutes ago, Crazy Cat said:

Marriage MUST take place inside the US. 

 

14 minutes ago, finrazor said:

on to the petitioner's home country for marriage?

Interesting phrase. What country is that?

 

The title suggests 6 months in another country. I believe that would invalidate the visa because of the requirement to get police certificates from any country where you have lived 6 months. Fortunately, DoS has a neat trick to keep people from shooting themselves in the foot:

 

10 minutes ago, Crazy Cat said:

K-1 visa holder must enter US prior to visa expiration date.  The expiration date will be tied directly to the date of medical exam

 

 And the exam is 6 months or less before the visa expires. So 6 months in a third country is not possible.

 

I have seen on visajourney, visas get canceled weeks after they were issued. I advise  the beneficiary to book the next flight to the U.S. as soon as the visa is in hand.

[Crazy Cat 41,837]

Just now, Mike E said:

I have seen on visajourney, visas get canceled weeks after they were issued. I advise  the beneficiary to book the next flight to the U.S. as soon as the visa is in hand.

Excellent point, @Mike E

[finrazor 0]

Yeah... I was trying to word this question properly so excuse me for any confusion. I think you two get the idea though. She gets her K1 visa stamp in Colombia, we then immediately travel to Honduras for let's say 2-3 months (all within the 6 months required to travel to US after receiving K1 visa) then we go to the US to start the 90-day countdown to get married. 

 

We're trying to avoid not being able to visit our second home together for months and months waiting on green card or travel permitting. 

Edited August 23, 2023 by finrazor

[Redro 4,611]

40 minutes ago, finrazor said:

Yeah... I was trying to word this question properly so excuse me for any confusion. I think you two get the idea though. She gets her K1 visa stamp in Colombia, we then immediately travel to Honduras for let's say 2-3 months (all within the 6 months required to travel to US after receiving K1 visa) then we go to the US to start the 90-day countdown to get married. 

 

We're trying to avoid not being able to visit our second home together for months and months waiting on green card or travel permitting. 

Some people delay the move to the US after visa issuance as they have to wrap up business in their home country.

Traveling to a third country could complicate matters. 
Examples: Passport stolen, falling sick and not being able to travel, inability to leave Honduras before visa expires, insert random unforeseen event here.

Life is all about choices and consequences.

Is it wise to travel to a third country before entering the US? Probably not. Will it impact your fiances ability to enter the US? Maybe- no one can predict the future.

Are there any rules telling you, you can’t travel to Honduras before entering the US? No. You just need to make sure your partner enters the US before the visa expires. 

[Sarah&Facundo 595]

Yes you can. I did this with my now-husband. He got his K1 and was given 5-6 months to enter. I went to his home country of Argentina and stayed for a month, then we backpacked Europe for a few months, and then we entered the US two days before his K1 was set to expire and got married 2 weeks later. No issue.

 

You just need to enter before the K1 expires. No one cares what you do before that.

Edited August 24, 2023 by Sarah&Facundo

[finrazor 0]

14 hours ago, Sarah&Facundo said:

Yes you can. I did this with my now-husband. He got his K1 and was given 5-6 months to enter. I went to his home country of Argentina and stayed for a month, then we backpacked Europe for a few months, and then we entered the US two days before his K1 was set to expire and got married 2 weeks later. No issue.

 

You just need to enter before the K1 expires. No one cares what you do before that.

Thank you for answering!

[chrissandra 59]

Just make sure you are taking the right expiration date when calculating the stay in Honduras. 
what I believe others tried to explain. K1 visa will have an expiration date but  the right date to start the countdown is the date on the medical. 
sometimes medical is done months before and that date trumps the visa date and shaves time of the K1 visa expiration.

 

 

 

[Loren Y 2,755]

You can travel before you enter the US. My wife now, after she got her K1, we traveled around to  at least 3 countries before entering the US. We only traveled around for a few weeks, not 2-3 months, but shouldn't be an issue. Just don't cut it too close, I would make sure you have a month a validity left when you enter to account for flight delays or unforeseen things.

[TBoneTX 45,267]

And, as stated, do NOT lose the passport with the visa in it!