Utah online marriage validity for USCIS in this case? Time sensitive!

[Elavod 21]

Hello everyone, this is my first post, and I could really use some advice.

 

I’m a U.S. citizen who’s been living and working in Germany for the past six years. My fiancé is a Mongolian citizen who has been studying in Germany for the last five years. We’ve been together for 2.5 years and have been living together for the past two.

 

I’ve recently been offered a job in Arizona and need to relocate in January 2025. Here’s my plan:

 

• Get married as soon as possible.

• Apply for direct consular processing through the U.S. Consulate in Frankfurt (under exceptional circumstances for filing the I-130 petition).

 

My question is whether Utah’s online marriage is a valid option in our situation. Getting married in Germany isn’t an option for us, as it would almost certainly mean being separated for several months.

 

I’ve looked through the forums and found mixed feedback. If anyone has personal experience or concrete advice, I would greatly appreciate your help.

[Timona 4,207]

Valid

[MarkFL 6]

Go get married in Dänemark - its faster, easier and valid in Germany AND US.
Process your CR1 thru US Consulate in Frankfurt - its the fastest consulate. My CR1 took only about 3 month and everyone in Frankfurt consulate was very professional und friendly.  

[powerpuff 6,712]

Yes, it’s valid and many have done it here.

[pushbrk 12,903]

Legal and lawful marriages are almost always valid everywhere.  In this case, the Utah marriage is immediately valid for immigration purposes because you will already be together on the date of the marriage.

[Ginie & Christian 9]

I was married online in Utah. The only thing for it to be valid for us was me visiting after the marriage. Since you are already together, you’ve met that requirement. We are currently at the NVC. 

[Dashinka 24,517]

I agree with the others, do the Utah Zoom marriage, and since you are already together physically, as soon as you get the marriage certificate, which I understand is very quick, pursue the DCF.  Here is a recent thread of someone doing DCF through Frankfurt that may be of help.  You may find others by searching "DCF Frankfurt" in the VJ search engine.

 

Good Luck!

 

 

[Elavod 21]

Thank you all for your responses!

 

We've begun the application process for an online marriage in Utah 🙂

 

I'll keep you updated on how our journey unfolds.

 

@MarkFL, we actually started the application process for a marriage in Denmark about a month ago. Unfortunately, we made a small mistake by uploading the wrong document, and now our case is in a limbo that could take several months to resolve. We've tried asking them to expedite the process, but no luck. They mentioned that we could cancel our application and start a new one (which would cost us an additional $250), but even the cancellation process could take several weeks. Based on our experience, I wouldn’t recommend this route, although I’ve heard others have had success.

[OldUser 6,721]

4 hours ago, elavod said:

Thank you all for your responses!

 

We've begun the application process for an online marriage in Utah 🙂

 

I'll keep you updated on how our journey unfolds.

 

@MarkFL, we actually started the application process for a marriage in Denmark about a month ago. Unfortunately, we made a small mistake by uploading the wrong document, and now our case is in a limbo that could take several months to resolve. We've tried asking them to expedite the process, but no luck. They mentioned that we could cancel our application and start a new one (which would cost us an additional $250), but even the cancellation process could take several weeks. Based on our experience, I wouldn’t recommend this route, although I’ve heard others have had success.

$250 and few weeks is cheaper and faster than mistakes when dealing with USCIS. Those can take months and thousands to fix. I don't think you can blame the agency for your mistakes.

[Elavod 21]

7 hours ago, OldUser said:

$250 and few weeks is cheaper and faster than mistakes when dealing with USCIS. Those can take months and thousands to fix. I don't think you can blame the agency for your mistakes.

 

@OldUser  thank you for your perspective; I completely agree that avoiding mistakes with USCIS is critical, given how costly and time-consuming they can be to fix. That’s exactly why we’re considering all possible options carefully, and why I’m here asking for advice 🙂

 

While the Danish agency isn’t to blame for the mistake in our application, and some delay is understandable, I do feel frustrated by how they’ve handled the situation afterward. The lack of transparency and the indefinite timeline for resolving our case have been particularly frustrating.

 

Given the potential delays with restarting the Danish process, we’ve started looking into Utah’s online marriage as a quicker alternative. Do you see any potential issues or concerns with that approach, especially in terms of how USCIS might view it during the visa process? Your advice would be really helpful as we try to make the best decision.

 

I’ve heard that consular officers might scrutinize online marriages more closely due to concerns about fraud, so I’ve prepared a detailed document demonstrating our relationship over the years. This includes proof of us meeting at our workplace 2.5 years ago, moving into the same apartment 2 years ago, meeting each other’s families and friends, even adopting two cats, and going on trips together around the world. Do you think this would be convincing to immigration officers? Are there any other potential concerns I should be aware of?

 

Thanks again for your input!

 

[Dashinka 24,517]

1 hour ago, elavod said:

 

@OldUser  thank you for your perspective; I completely agree that avoiding mistakes with USCIS is critical, given how costly and time-consuming they can be to fix. That’s exactly why we’re considering all possible options carefully, and why I’m here asking for advice 🙂

 

While the Danish agency isn’t to blame for the mistake in our application, and some delay is understandable, I do feel frustrated by how they’ve handled the situation afterward. The lack of transparency and the indefinite timeline for resolving our case have been particularly frustrating.

 

Given the potential delays with restarting the Danish process, we’ve started looking into Utah’s online marriage as a quicker alternative. Do you see any potential issues or concerns with that approach, especially in terms of how USCIS might view it during the visa process? Your advice would be really helpful as we try to make the best decision.

 

I’ve heard that consular officers might scrutinize online marriages more closely due to concerns about fraud, so I’ve prepared a detailed document demonstrating our relationship over the years. This includes proof of us meeting at our workplace 2.5 years ago, moving into the same apartment 2 years ago, meeting each other’s families and friends, even adopting two cats, and going on trips together around the world. Do you think this would be convincing to immigration officers? Are there any other potential concerns I should be aware of?

 

Thanks again for your input!

 

I vote do the Utah Zoom marriage given your situation.  You should have no issues with USCIS as long as you document you are together during the ceremony.

 

Good Luck!

[Elavod 21]

Hi! Please take a look at my new post if you are interested in following our journey 🙂

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[Elavod 21]

Please check out my new post: New Post