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gail&scott

How to travel Costa Rica for my wedding w/ my fiance!?!?!?!

By gail&scott in K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures

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gail&scott Rookie

gail&scott   0

Posted
Filed: K-1 Visa Country: United Kingdom
 Timeline
Posted

HI Guys,

My fiance is waiting for her interview in London to receive her visa in the next few weeks. We have planned to get married in Costa Rica a week after she arrives to the US. I have just learned that she is not able to leave the country once she arrives on her K-1 visa. We have people flying to Costa Rica from all over the world and I am freaking out that she is not going t be able to come to the wedding. Can anyone give me some advice on how we can get permission to travel for a foreign wedding. Can I do this with the form I-131 or will that take too long to process as we will only have a few days after she arrives......thanks for your much needed help.

payxibka Grand Master

payxibka   10,048

Posted
Filed: AOS (apr) Country: Philippines
 Timeline
Posted
HI Guys,

My fiance is waiting for her interview in London to receive her visa in the next few weeks. We have planned to get married in Costa Rica a week after she arrives to the US. I have just learned that she is not able to leave the country once she arrives on her K-1 visa. We have people flying to Costa Rica from all over the world and I am freaking out that she is not going t be able to come to the wedding. Can anyone give me some advice on how we can get permission to travel for a foreign wedding. Can I do this with the form I-131 or will that take too long to process as we will only have a few days after she arrives......thanks for your much needed help.

I am sorry but based on your timeline what you propose for your wedding simply can't be done.... She can leave the country but she will not be allowed back in unless she has AP or greencard... Status adjustment (greencard) or AP cannot be applied for until after the marriage has occured and it takes 60-90 days to receive...

YMMV

KimandRuss Experienced

KimandRuss   0

Posted
Filed: AOS (pnd) Country: New Zealand
 Timeline
Posted

Just reiterating what fwaguy said in case you were looking for a second opinioin.

A K1 visa is a one time only entry to the United States. If your fiance leaves the country after entering on the K1 she will not be able to get back in and you will have to start an entirely new process to get her back in.

She is able to leave the country / and get back in only after she receives AP. Most people marry and file for AP & EAD when filing for AOS as it's included in the 1,010.

That's too bad. Sorry to hear your plans are now ruined.

timeline.jpg

payxibka Grand Master

payxibka   10,048

Posted
Filed: AOS (apr) Country: Philippines
 Timeline
Posted

The only way I can think of to salvage what you have is for her to go directly to CR (DO NOT ENTER THE USA)... Have a FAKE wedding ceremony in CR...(DO NOT SIGN ANY LEGAL DOCUMENTS) .... Have her enter the USA still legally a single person... Perform a legal civil ceremony sometime after her US entry....

YMMV

Chica Yeyé Grand Master

Chica Yeyé   41

Posted
Filed: Timeline
Posted
The only way I can think of to salvage what you have is for her to go directly to CR (DO NOT ENTER THE USA)... Have a FAKE wedding ceremony in CR...(DO NOT SIGN ANY LEGAL DOCUMENTS) .... Have her enter the USA still legally a single person... Perform a legal civil ceremony sometime after her US entry....

Exactly :thumbs:

melusine Proficient

melusine   5

Posted
Filed: Citizen (pnd) Country: Canada
 Timeline
Posted

i think it is possible to activate it when you want but you know..... guyz at the border have all powers sooo....

also a k1 is mode to be married within the US... so i wonder....

what about if you contact your embassy and ask about it ?

Removal of conditions

01.11.2011 Remove conditions GC I-751 ($590)

01.18.2011 NOA1

02.24.2011 Biometric

03.25.2011 Approved

03.28.2011 Notice sent

03.31.2011 Received new green card (and it's green !)
 

AOS/EAD/AP from K1

07.23.2008 Send AOS/EAD/AP

07.29.2008 Check cashed

08.01.2008 NOA1

08.08.2008 Biometric Notice received

08.21.2008 Biometric Appointment

09.22.2008 Approval notice sent for AP (CRIS email)

09.22.2008 Card production ordered for EAD (CRIS email)

09.25.2008 Card production ordered for EAD (CRIS email) and a couple of touch since (last one 09.30.2008)

09.27.2008 Reception AP

10.02.2008 EAD Received

02.23.2009 Notice for interview (1.5 month late compared to LA statistics)

03.16.2009 AOS Touch

04.01.2009 Interview in LA  // Approved 

04.06.2009 Welcome to the USA Letter

04.13.2009 Reception GC

Naturalization
06/2016 Request
03/2017 Interview

Almost at the end !

 

pushbrk Grand Master

pushbrk   14,052

Posted
Filed: Other Country: China
 Timeline
Posted
The only way I can think of to salvage what you have is for her to go directly to CR (DO NOT ENTER THE USA)... Have a FAKE wedding ceremony in CR...(DO NOT SIGN ANY LEGAL DOCUMENTS) .... Have her enter the USA still legally a single person... Perform a legal civil ceremony sometime after her US entry....

Exactly :thumbs:

One requirement of the K1 visa is that the legal marriage be in the USA, so you have two problems with the Costa Rica plans. Entering the US after isn't the big problem. Invalidating the entire fiance(e) visa process by marrying outside the US is the real killer.

I don't know what possessed you to make such plans but the only way to satisfy your wedding guests is to have the US entry occur after the ceremony and the ceremony can't actually be a "marriage".

Facts are cheap...knowing how to use them is precious...
Understanding the big picture is priceless. Anonymous

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eric_and_teresa Proficient

eric_and_teresa   10

Posted
Filed: Citizen (apr) Country: Guatemala
 Timeline
Posted (edited)

Just curious.. why did you choose the K-1 option if you had planned to get married abroad?

If you decide to have a non-legal ceremony in Costa Rica, make sure that you do not present yourself as married couple at the POE when using the K-1 to enter the U.S. and avoid by all means saying "we are coming back from our wedding in Costa Rica".

Edited by eric_and_teresa

APPLIED FOR NATURALIZATION 07/2021

08.01.2011 - I-751 SENT

08.05.2011 - Check cashed

08.08.2011- NOA Received

08.19.2011 - Biometrics Letter Received

09.12.2011 - Biometrics Appointment

01.27.2012 - Card production ordered

02.01.2012 - 10 year GC Received

07.25.2021 - N400 filed online

08.09.2021- Biometrics re-use notice

04.18.2022- Interview done at Minneapolis USCIS Local Office   ✔️ Received N-652 "Congratulations your application has been recommended for approval" during the interview.

05.19.2022- Oath Ceremony in MN

bora bora Experienced

bora bora   1

Posted
Filed: Citizen (apr) Country: Brazil
 Timeline
Posted

Yes - do not get legally married in Costa Rica and DO NOT let your fiancee arrive in the U.S. and then leave without her AP or GC.

I don't get why people make such concrete plans either... :wacko:

11/2004 - Met in Brazil

09/2006 - Apply for K1

03/2007 - K1 approved

04/2007 - Apply for AOS & EAD

07/2007 - EAD approved

01/2008 - Conditional Residency approved

11/2009 - Apply to remove conditions

02/2010 - Permanent Residency approved

11/2010 - Apply for Citizenship

03/2011 - Citizenship approved

07/2011 - Moved back to Brazil

MarkNAshley Enthusiast

MarkNAshley   0

Posted
Filed: K-1 Visa Country: Canada
 Timeline
Posted
The only way I can think of to salvage what you have is for her to go directly to CR (DO NOT ENTER THE USA)... Have a FAKE wedding ceremony in CR...(DO NOT SIGN ANY LEGAL DOCUMENTS) .... Have her enter the USA still legally a single person... Perform a legal civil ceremony sometime after her US entry....

Exactly :thumbs:

This is pretty much your only option. and the best plan is to have her meet you in Costa Rica and not enter the US until AFTER the trip to costa rica. Having her enter the US between her interview and the trip to Costa Rica could be risky.

AOS

Date Filed : 2008-02-15

NOA Date : 2008-02-26

RFE(s) : 2008-03-13

Bio. Appt. : 2008-03-18

AOS Transfer** :

Interview Date : 2008-07-23

Approval / Denial Date : 2008-07-23

Approved : 2008-07-23

Got I551 Stamp :

Greencard Received:

EAD

Date Filed : 2008-02-15

NOA Date : 2008-02-26

RFE(s) :

Bio. Appt. : 2008-03-18

Approved Date : 2008-04-24

Date Card Received : 2008-05-03

Comments : Packet Arrived in Chicago - Feb 20, 2008

Check cashed Feb 28, 2008

AP

Date Filed : 2008-02-15

NOA Date : 2008-02-26

RFE(s) :

Date Approved: 2008-04-24

Date Received : 2008-05-01

BigCityDave Rising Star

BigCityDave   0

Posted
Filed: K-1 Visa Country: Hungary
 Timeline
Posted
The only way I can think of to salvage what you have is for her to go directly to CR (DO NOT ENTER THE USA)... Have a FAKE wedding ceremony in CR...(DO NOT SIGN ANY LEGAL DOCUMENTS) .... Have her enter the USA still legally a single person... Perform a legal civil ceremony sometime after her US entry....

That is a good idea...

Our Relationship

(09-27-06)Met in Hungary

(11-25-06)Fell in Love

(11-24-07)Met again in Hungary

(02-19-08)Met again in Hungary

K1 Visa Petition

(09-27-07)Preparing to send K1 Petition

(12-03-07)K1 Petition Sent US Postal Service

(12-11-07)Received NOA 1

(12-28-07)Touched

(03-11-08)Recieved NOA 2

(03-21-08)Recieved at NVC

(03-27-08)Sent from NVC

(04-02-08)Received Packet 3

(04-27-08)Medical Completed

(05-15-08)Received Packet 4

(05-29-08)Interview Date

(05-29-08)Visa given 40 mins after approval

(06-02-08)Arrival at the JFK and EAD given

payxibka Grand Master

payxibka   10,048

Posted
Filed: AOS (apr) Country: Philippines
 Timeline
Posted

There are no guarantees that if they see the K-1 in the passport they won't process and admit her as such and then you are SCREWED.... In addition. if they do not process her as a K-1 they might just turn her around.... so two bad outcomes out of three possibilities....

YMMV

 
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