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Filed: Timeline
To simplify, I have abbreviated my actual questions at the top, while putting our story after :)
Abbreviated version of my questions:
1) Would staying in India for 5 months on a tourist visa be sufficient for me to file the I-130 at the New Delhi USCIS field office?
2) Will an initial civil ceremony be sufficient for the I-130 processing?
3) Is it helpful or hindering to the process to post about our love and wedding on facebook? We want to post to share with friends and family.

Hello everyone! I just signed up for this site, and it is very helpful. I met the love of my life in India, through the connective powers of the internet. We communicate every day on skype video chat, and we plan to be married as soon as we can. She wishes to live with me here in the US, and we have both been researching the process. Wedding in India is our best option for us and our families.

I have been extensively researching this process, but would be very grateful for some input. I am currently making preparations to leave for India. I do not have my India visa yet. Because of our current situations, I am planning for an extended say in India with her and her family, and am perfectly fine with saying multiple months.
From my research, it seems that K3 visa is not really viable anymore. I have also seen that consulate filing of the I-130 for Immigrant visa is no longer routinely available. However, I have seen that filling at a USCIS field office is an option for US Citizens "residing" in a country that has one. India does have one in New Delhi India (which appears to be the same as the embassy). I discovered this by checking here and fallowing the link for the New Delhi office to verify: http://www.uscis.gov/about-us/find-uscis-office/international-immigration-offices
Question 1:
What I am trying to understand is if "residing" there would count for a stay of multiple months, and if a tourist visa would be sufficient. After we are married, I will likely be staying with her and her family in their home. I found I require a round trip tickets in order to get an India tourist visa, so I could use the ticket receipts to demonstrate both my intent for extended stay, as well as intent to ultimately return home to the US. Would this all work?
Not staying apart any more then is necessary is part of our goal, and this would allow us time to be together, her to continue her work, and wait for processing times all at once. I am an artist, and while I can not sell my work on a tourist visa, this would be a perfect time to create more pieces. This is part of how I am able to do this.
Question 2:
Also, we had planned to have a civil ceremony to allow the filling of the paperwork to begin. We can then take our time in planning a more meaningful sacred ceremony. And since the ceremony will likely be Sikh, it won't count as "sufficient" for legal usage without further paperwork, so a civil ceremony solves that as well. Will a civil ceremony legally work for this as I feel it will?
Question 3:
Other question I had was if posting about our relationship and marriage on facebook would help or hurt this process. I doubt the government has time to check facebook, but I haven't been sure what to do. My guess is that it could only help, since it shows the sincerity of our relationship.
This seems like a wonderful community on here. I feel that the efforts driven by love has brought a sense of warmth to this community. Any input on this would be very much appreciated.
Love to all from US and India :)
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Filed: K-1 Visa Country: Wales
Timeline

I doubt India is any different that you need to be resident not visiting, I am not familiar with the various resident options in India but a tourist visa would not be one of them.

It has been known for Facebook pages to be checked, I do not see an issue in this case.

Legal aspect is what is important, the culturally important aspect goes towards proving marriage validity and you have plenty of time to accumulate those.

“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.”

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Filed: Citizen (apr) Country: Ecuador
Timeline

Welcome to the forum.

06-04-2007 = TSC stamps postal return-receipt for I-129f.

06-11-2007 = NOA1 date (unknown to me).

07-20-2007 = Phoned Immigration Officer; got WAC#; where's NOA1?

09-25-2007 = Touch (first-ever).

09-28-2007 = NOA1, 23 days after their 45-day promise to send it (grrrr).

10-20 & 11-14-2007 = Phoned ImmOffs; "still pending."

12-11-2007 = 180 days; file is "between workstations, may be early Jan."; touches 12/11 & 12/12.

12-18-2007 = Call; file is with Division 9 ofcr. (bckgrnd check); e-prompt to shake it; touch.

12-19-2007 = NOA2 by e-mail & web, dated 12-18-07 (187 days; 201 per VJ); in mail 12/24/07.

01-09-2008 = File from USCIS to NVC, 1-4-08; NVC creates file, 1/15/08; to consulate 1/16/08.

01-23-2008 = Consulate gets file; outdated Packet 4 mailed to fiancee 1/27/08; rec'd 3/3/08.

04-29-2008 = Fiancee's 4-min. consular interview, 8:30 a.m.; much evidence brought but not allowed to be presented (consul: "More proof! Second interview! Bring your fiance!").

05-05-2008 = Infuriating $12 call to non-English-speaking consulate appointment-setter.

05-06-2008 = Better $12 call to English-speaker; "joint" interview date 6/30/08 (my selection).

06-30-2008 = Stokes Interrogations w/Ecuadorian (not USC); "wait 2 weeks; we'll mail her."

07-2008 = Daily calls to DOS: "currently processing"; 8/05 = Phoned consulate, got Section Chief; wrote him.

08-07-08 = E-mail from consulate, promising to issue visa "as soon as we get her passport" (on 8/12, per DHL).

08-27-08 = Phoned consulate (they "couldn't find" our file); visa DHL'd 8/28; in hand 9/1; through POE on 10/9 with NO hassles(!).

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Filed: Lift. Cond. (apr) Country: China
Timeline

Welcome to the forum.

Completed: K1/K2 (271 days) - AOS/EAD/AP (134 days) - ROC (279 days)

"Si vis amari, ama" - Seneca

 

 

 

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Filed: Timeline

I'm in the same situation. I met my husband in India on a vacation and we married in India months later. I wish I would have become a member of this site sooner as we are already into the visa application DS-260 form step (due to website issues we haven't been able to complete this step for a few months now.) since sending in our petition I-130 to the USCIS it has been 10 months now. My suggestion to you if you know you want to spend the rest of your life with her is to start your process as soon as possible. It will take about a year (give or take a few months) after filing I-130 petition until everything is completed and she receives her visa. I wish you the best of luck and pray your process doesn't take as long as mine has. I know how difficult it is being away from your significant other.

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