Hi everyone, thank you for the help. I would very appreciate if you can share your thoughts/ideas for my situation.
Situation
My gf (US & Korean dual citizenship) and I (Korean citizenship) are planning to get married.
I'm currently F-1 undergraduate student, graduating in late May 2024. Will apply for OPT in March, and extend with STEM later on.
We are planning for a wedding in Korea in late June 2024, and return to the US for my gf's work and my OPT.
In short, the timeline is graduate (US, May) → wedding (Korea, June) → start OPT (US, July) → leave US (when OPT expires).
Problem
It seems returning to the US in July using my F-1 visa could be a problem. I learned it's illegal to enter with F-1 visa with the intention to immigrate, and it could seem I am trying to immigrate via marriage -- which I am not! We are planning to go back home to Korea after my OPT is over, as both of our families/friends are there.
Questions
Would there be a possibility that my re-entry getting denied because of my wedding?
If so, would it be better to not get the marriage certificate in Korea (i.e. not leave any legal record of our marriage until entering US)?
I know it's a very nuanced situation, but I would love to hear your thoughts or similar situations you've seen. Thank you all!