Jump to content
Lars & Sasha

How did you deal with foreign family for a US wedding

 Share

58 posts in this topic

Recommended Posts

Filed: K-1 Visa Country: Russia
Timeline

Not sure if this is the right forum, but...my fiancee is Russian and I was originally thinking we would get married outside the US since we have met up in Greece, Denmark, and Cyprus. I now understand that on the K1 Visa that is not possible. We will have to get married in the US. That being said, I am thinking that would make it near impossible for her family to come for the wedding since it takes forever to get a Visa from Russia. Curious how others have handled this (doesn't have to be with Russian fiancee). Is there a quick process to get tourists visas for family for the purpose of the wedding? Did you have a courthouse ceremony and then get married abroad (if so, how much time in between ceremonies)? Other ideas?

 

Cheers!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Married in Toronto before applying for my green card at the then US Consulate in Toronto (Montreal is only consulate that now handles most US immigration situations).  We were going to have me come to the US on K1 Visa, but that would have complicated things.  Besides, Buffalo NY and Toronto are only a short distance (1.5 to 2.5 hrs depending on Toronto traffic) and the majority of the wedding party was in Toronto.  Guess our situation was quite simple-only issues was wedding preparation and collaborating on wedding plans with her family.  Since I had a stable job and home in Toronto, crossing the border before all paperwork was submitted to the consulate for Visa Processing was no problem.  Took a year + for green card but we had it coordinated so that after we came back from our overseas honeymoon, all I had to do was wait for my letter for my medical and interview.  My mom graciously went down to submit our government issued wedding license (not the ceremonial you get after getting married).  I started paperwork for K1 but later switched to CR1 Marriage Immigrant Visa.  BTW:  This was all done in 1989.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

@Kali4nia58

 

This issue comes up more than you think. Many people make the sacrifice of not having (some) family attend their wedding. But there are options.

 

1. Hope all family members that want to attend will get visitor visas and attend the wedding in the US.

2. Get married here first then have a wedding ceremony back in home country.

3. Not do the K1, get married in home country and have American family attend. Then file for spousal visa. The spousal visa is a superior visa to the K1 anyway.

 

If you do option #2 then it will be a while before you can go back your home country to do a wedding there. It is currently taking 4-6 months for people to get AP after they get married and file AOS. Note: AP is the authorization to travel abroad and return to the US until you get a green card. Also, it is taking almost a year for people to receive green cards.

 

Unfortunately, there are no visas for attending weddings and there is nothing you can do to ensure the family members can will get the visitor visa. 

 

I think so many people are so focused on going through the process of immigrating to the US that they overlook things like not having family at their weddings.

 

Sacrifices may have to be made.

“When starting an immigration journey, the best advice is to understand that sacrifices have to be made... whether it is time, money, or separation; or a combination of all.” - Unlockable

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Filed: K-1 Visa Country: Spain
Timeline
42 minutes ago, Kali4nia58 said:

Not sure if this is the right forum, but...my fiancee is Russian and I was originally thinking we would get married outside the US since we have met up in Greece, Denmark, and Cyprus. I now understand that on the K1 Visa that is not possible. We will have to get married in the US. That being said, I am thinking that would make it near impossible for her family to come for the wedding since it takes forever to get a Visa from Russia. Curious how others have handled this (doesn't have to be with Russian fiancee). Is there a quick process to get tourists visas for family for the purpose of the wedding? Did you have a courthouse ceremony and then get married abroad (if so, how much time in between ceremonies)? Other ideas?

 

Cheers!

It is sad but true..to my wedding was all the family and friends of my husband and my mother, her husband and my sister. It was weird and a little bit sad to know none of my friends would be there, plus a lot of my family wasn't able to make it. But think positive and as long as the closest people in her family are there (like dad, brothers/sisters, mom) that's all what counts. 

K1 Visa Process

Nov. 2016 - Applied for K1 Visa
Nov. 2016 - NOA1 

April 2017 - NOA2 (6 months!)

April 2017 - Arrived to NVC

April 2017 - Got the # from NVC

May 2017 - Case left NVC

May 2017 - Arrived to Embassy

May 2017 - Got Package 3 

May 2017- Got Package 4

May 2017 - Interview [APPROVED!]

June 2017 - Visa arrived home

June 2017 - Made it to the US. Finally with my future hubby!!

July 2017 - Married!

AOS Process

August 2017 - Started AOS

August 2017 - NOA1

Sept. 2017 - Biometrics

19th Dec. 2018 - Interview date  [16 months]

Dec. 2018 - GC processing

29th Dec. 2018 - GC arrived home! [10 days!]
Remove Conditions - Soon...


 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Filed: Citizen (apr) Country: Argentina
Timeline

My mom or my closest friend could not make it to the wedding and I had to suck it up. They understood. It's not fun not to have your family in your wedding but you need to see what is more important. If your fiancee thinks that having her family in her wedding is non-negotiable then they will have to get a tourist visa or you guys have to marry in Russia or wherever and then file for spouse visa. Sometimes you can not have it both ways.

Unfortunately when it comes to immigration there will be many times when you can not have the cake and eat it too. I missed many important events in my friends or family's lives during all these years. A plane ticket to Argentina costs an arm and a leg . I just can not travel anytime I want.

We married in Fort Lauderdale in the courthouse and only my husbands family and his friend's family attended. And we could not make a wedding party/celebration/religious ceremony abroad. It would takes us too much money or time to do it. So we kept it simple. 

Edited by Sunnyland
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Filed: Citizen (apr) Country: Russia
Timeline

We chose a wedding time here that was convenient for the family back in Russia and opened up a WebEx broadcasting the ceremony for them.  Then on our next visit to Russia we had a party for them.

 

Good Luck!

Visa Received : 2014-04-04 (K1 - see timeline for details)

US Entry : 2014-09-12

POE: Detroit

Marriage : 2014-09-27

I-765 Approved: 2015-01-09

I-485 Interview: 2015-03-11

I-485 Approved: 2015-03-13

Green Card Received: 2015-03-24 Yeah!!!

I-751 ROC Submitted: 2016-12-20

I-751 NOA Received:  2016-12-29

I-751 Biometrics Appt.:  2017-01-26

I-751 Interview:  2018-04-10

I-751 Approved:  2018-05-04

N400 Filed:  2018-01-13

N400 Biometrics:  2018-02-22

N400 Interview:  2018-04-10

N400 Approved:  2018-04-10

Oath Ceremony:  2018-06-11 - DONE!!!!!!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Filed: K-1 Visa Country: Russia
Timeline

Thanks everybody for the responses! Very helpful. Will have to chat with Aleksandra and see what she would like to do. I was hoping we could get married in Italy but it looks like Las Vegas is more like it...with webcast for her family ;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You can get married in Italy.

 

You'd have to start the CR1 spouse visa process instead of K1 though.

K1

29.11.2013 - NoA1

06.02.2014 - NoA2

01.04.2014 - Interview. 

AoS

03.2015 - AoS started.

09.2015 - Green Card received.  

RoC

24.07.2017 - NoA1.

01.08.2018 - RoC approved. 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Filed: K-1 Visa Country: Russia
Timeline
1 minute ago, Roel said:

You can get married in Italy.

 

You'd have to start the CR1 spouse visa process instead of K1 though.

I hear that takes even longer. Plus, I can't imagine living for a year or more away from my wife. It's enough to say goodbye to my fiancee. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Kali4nia58 said:

Thanks everybody for the responses! Very helpful. Will have to chat with Aleksandra and see what she would like to do. I was hoping we could get married in Italy but it looks like Las Vegas is more like it...with webcast for her family ;)

Get an Elvis Wedding, He will sing about 3 Elvis love songs, during the event.  Usually have a minister do the actual wedding.

 

When your done take a helicopter ride down the Strip after dark

Just when you think you have TDS eradicate,  a new case shows up.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Filed: K-1 Visa Country: Russia
Timeline
22 minutes ago, Chris Duffy said:

Get an Elvis Wedding, He will sing about 3 Elvis love songs, during the event.  Usually have a minister do the actual wedding.

 

When your done take a helicopter ride down the Strip after dark

Haha! I could only imagine what her parents would think of an Elvis wedding. I feel like I already disappointed them when I took Aleksandra to McDonalds for New Years Eve Dinner in Copenhagen. Haha! I had failed to book dinner well in advance and New Years Eve is a big deal for her family. We had a good laugh though.

 

The helicopter ride sounds great though! Thanks!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Filed: K-1 Visa Country: United Kingdom
Timeline

We are still waiting to be approved but we have decided to just do a hush-hush court "wedding" with just my mom and step dad as witnesses and we're planning a large wedding in the UK for both of our families. No one has asked about the nature of his visa so we're just playing engaged until our wedding in 2020. :lol: I guess it's not that big of a deal but I figured if my family found out we were already married they probably wouldn't come to our wedding abroad, plus I've always wanted the big wedding but that's just not possible (at least how we want it) to do around the K1.  

💕 Our Love Story 💕

Met Online: December 18th, 2014

Met in Person: August 31st, 2016

Began Dating: October 28th, 2016

Moved in Together in the UK: August 21st, 2017

Filed I-129F: February 7th, 2018

NOA1 Received: February 14th, 2018 💗

He Officially Proposed: August 8th, 2018

NOA2 Received: August 14th, 2018 

NVC Received: August 31st, 2018

Consulate Received: September 21, 2018

Medical Exam (Knightsbridge): October 3rd, 2018

Interview Date (London): October 24th, 2018

K1 Visa Issued: November 21st, 2018

Passport Received: November 27th, 2018

POE (Detroit): December 2nd, 2018 💚

Applied for SSN: December 22nd, 2018

Married: January 17th, 2019 💕

SSN Received: January 25th, 2019

AOS Filed: February 8th 2019

AOS Received: February 14th 2019

Biometrics Appointment Received: April 12th, 2019

Biometrics Rescheduled: July 15th, 2019

Green Card Appointment: August 1st 2019

Green Card Approved: August 29th, 2019

Green Card Issued: September 30th, 2019

Filed I-751: July 8th, 2021

I-751 Received: July 12th, 2021

Biometrics Waived: September 9th, 2021

Updated Green Card Printed: January 31st, 2023

Petition for Removal of Conditions Approved: February 1st, 2023

10 Year Green Card Received: February 6th, 2023

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 
Didn't find the answer you were looking for? Ask our VJ Immigration Lawyers.

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
- Back to Top -

Important Disclaimer: Please read carefully the Visajourney.com Terms of Service. If you do not agree to the Terms of Service you should not access or view any page (including this page) on VisaJourney.com. Answers and comments provided on Visajourney.com Forums are general information, and are not intended to substitute for informed professional medical, psychiatric, psychological, tax, legal, investment, accounting, or other professional advice. Visajourney.com does not endorse, and expressly disclaims liability for any product, manufacturer, distributor, service or service provider mentioned or any opinion expressed in answers or comments. VisaJourney.com does not condone immigration fraud in any way, shape or manner. VisaJourney.com recommends that if any member or user knows directly of someone involved in fraudulent or illegal activity, that they report such activity directly to the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement. You can contact ICE via email at Immigration.Reply@dhs.gov or you can telephone ICE at 1-866-347-2423. All reported threads/posts containing reference to immigration fraud or illegal activities will be removed from this board. If you feel that you have found inappropriate content, please let us know by contacting us here with a url link to that content. Thank you.
×
×
  • Create New...