Postponing the Wedding

[J. Mijares 0]

My fiancee and I may have to postpone our wedding due to family issues. It might take about six months or more before those issues resolve themselves. We got our NOA2 three weeks ago and I am assuming she will eventually have her interview at the Sydney, Australia Consulate some time later in the summer. We were hoping to set a wedding date for December this year, but it may have to be pushed back several months.

Can we extend the visa process at all? Perhaps when she gets notification from the Consulate we should let them know that the wedding will probably be pushed back because of these family issues? Will there be any ramifications?

Thanks,

Jay

[misskiya 0]

I don't want to get into too much detail because I'm sure it's personal, but I'm assuming the family issues are IN australia so the problem is your fiancee wouldn't be able to travel? If that's my understanding I have noo clue, if it were on the US side, maybe she could come and you could just have an informal wedding at a courthouse and THEN postpone the ceremony. IF it's on the Aus side, I BELIEVE (may be mistaken as it may have been taken down to 4 months, I've heard both) your fiancee has 6 months to travel after recieving the visa. Would that be enough time to sort things out, and just push back the TRAVEL to the US rather than the visa?

[SENKA 0]

I think they allow a one 3 or 4 months extension (nor sure if it is 3 or 4 thought) at the consulate after your Petition expires. Our petition was approved in January and would have expired in May, but we managed to have all the documents ready and had successful interview on May 09. So, you can request the extension from the consulate, which will gie you some more time.

Once the visa is issued, it is valid for 6 months, meaning that your fiance has to enter US within that time frame. And you have to get married within 90 days from entering the US.

Good luck and I hope this helps.

Senka

[rebeccajo 14]

She doesn't even have to use the visa for 6 months. She can wait until the 11th hour to enter the US and then you still have 90 days to marry.

[nane1104 146]

When you look on your NOA2, there is a box where it says how long it is valid...maybe you can already slow down things, kinda get all further steps done kinda "last minute", have her have the interview and then, like said before, she still has 6 more months to actually enter the US.

Maybe that will give you all enough time?

I am sorry you are having problems like that, I hope, it will all work out soon!!

[gag54611 1]

Once your fiancee gets the interview appointment date, then you will be in a better position to decide if you need to delay the interview. She will have to arrive in the USA on or before the expiry date of the visa, which date shall be 6 months after issuance by the consulate in Sydney.

So, add 6 months to the date of the interview and if that isn't late enough for you, call the Sydney consulate and ask them for another interview date that fits better for you. I have heard of this sort of thing done before, so I feel confident that you won't have any problems. I wouldn't delay anything else at this stage. Get the documents returned to the Sydney consulate as soon as you can. It will be easier to delay the interview than to try and explain why you took a long time to return the packet 3 documents.

Whatever else you do, I don't think you should follow misskiya's advice. If your fiancee comes the USA as she suggests, then she will not be able to return to Australia and then return to the USA without an Advanced Parole (AP) document. AP can only be applied for after you get married and file for Adjustment of Status (AOS). Assuming that your AOS submission is submitted shortly after the 'informal wedding' and there are no problems with it, AP takes about 2 months to acquire. This would mean that your fiancee would have to stay in the USA for about 3 months or so after the so-called 'informal wedding'. This doesn't seem like a good course of action for you, given what I can read into your situation.

Best of luck,

G

[misskiya 0]

Once your fiancee gets the interview appointment date, then you will be in a better position to decide if you need to delay the interview. She will have to arrive in the USA on or before the expiry date of the visa, which date shall be 6 months after issuance by the consulate in Sydney.

So, add 6 months to the date of the interview and if that isn't late enough for you, call the Sydney consulate and ask them for another interview date that fits better for you. I have heard of this sort of thing done before, so I feel confident that you won't have any problems. I wouldn't delay anything else at this stage. Get the documents returned to the Sydney consulate as soon as you can. It will be easier to delay the interview than to try and explain why you took a long time to return the packet 3 documents.

Whatever else you do, I don't think you should follow misskiya's advice. If your fiancee comes the USA as she suggests, then she will not be able to return to Australia and then return to the USA without an Advanced Parole (AP) document. AP can only be applied for after you get married and file for Adjustment of Status (AOS). Assuming that your AOS submission is submitted shortly after the 'informal wedding' and there are no problems with it, AP takes about 2 months to acquire. This would mean that your fiancee would have to stay in the USA for about 3 months or so after the so-called 'informal wedding'. This doesn't seem like a good course of action for you, given what I can read into your situation.

Best of luck,

G

Just to clarify, I wasn't recommending AP. I was wondering on which side the family problems are. if they were on the US side ( meaniung the ceremony itself was the problem and not the travel) then just postponing the ceremony, not the legal action of marriage could be a possible solution.

But it does seem to be on the Aus side(traveling) so I hope the 6 month visa expiration date will be enough time.

[mrswooten4ever 0]

ditto to what Rebecca said, Hope you get those issued resolved soon

Adele

[Kajikit 65]

You can stretch the process out if necessary - you have a certain length of time to return the packet 3 once it gets to you and there's no need to return it next day if you're not in a rush. Also you can request an interview after a certain date due to family circumstances, and Sydney's pretty good about trying to fit you in.

Also, after she gets the visa remember she has six months to use it, and then you have 90 days to get married...

For a typical Sydney timeline take a look at mine. Three months from NOA1 to NOA2, and I ended up having my interview about four months later.

[J. Mijares 0]

Great advice folks, thanks! If the wedding does get pushed back, it would be June next year instead of December this year.

Jay