K1 timing and wedding planning advice

[RingoRiver 0]

Hey- I'm looking for some advice from anyone who's been through this.

I applied for the K1 in August. We are starting to make rough plans about how we are going to handle the marriage ceremony aspect.

We would like both our parents to be there at the ceremony- so we are planning on getting married in Hawaii. (Her dad wasn't too keen on the idea of coming to the Midwest all the way from Japan. )

My question is- do you feel there is a point in the process when it is somewhat safe to start setting dates? If we want to book flights and hotel rooms for everyone involved, when would be a (relatively) safe time to do it?

Would notification of the consulate interview date be a good time to go ahead and predict when we will get the Visa? I'm assuming once you get to that stage you should have a pretty good idea of when you will recieve the Visa, and the chances of it getting halted are slim (hope I'm not jinxing myself here!)

If something should happen even after we booked the trip-and we ended up not getting the Visa before the scheduled ceremony date- Could we just have a trip to Hawaii and hold a 'ceremony' anyways as long as my fiance could get into the country temporarily without threatening the pending Visa? Then when she actually got the Visa we would just do the civil thing here.

Any thoughts?

Thanks.

[Sam and Ben 2]

Hey- I'm looking for some advice from anyone who's been through this.

I applied for the K1 in August. We are starting to make rough plans about how we are going to handle the marriage ceremony aspect.

We would like both our parents to be there at the ceremony- so we are planning on getting married in Hawaii. (Her dad wasn't too keen on the idea of coming to the Midwest all the way from Japan. )

My question is- do you feel there is a point in the process when it is somewhat safe to start setting dates? If we want to book flights and hotel rooms for everyone involved, when would be a (relatively) safe time to do it?

Would notification of the consulate interview date be a good time to go ahead and predict when we will get the Visa? I'm assuming once you get to that stage you should have a pretty good idea of when you will recieve the Visa, and the chances of it getting halted are slim (hope I'm not jinxing myself here!)

If something should happen even after we booked the trip-and we ended up not getting the Visa before the scheduled ceremony date- Could we just have a trip to Hawaii and hold a 'ceremony' anyways as long as my fiance could get into the country temporarily without threatening the pending Visa? Then when she actually got the Visa we would just do the civil thing here.

Any thoughts?

Thanks.

Be careful with "ceremonies" when it comes to the K1. If the consular officer in any way believes that this ceremony is legitimate, you will have to refile for a spousal visa. Appearances are a big deal.

There is no entirely safe time to plan. Perhaps when you have the interview date... but even then, who knows. When it comes to setting dates and making concrete plans, as many will tell you here, you must prepare yourself to lose out on deposits, etc.

My fiance and I decided that we didn't want the added stress of trying to plan long distance, nor could we afford to be out the money if we had anything set in stone. For us, this was a very good choice, as there's been quite the delay at the consulate. Our original date choice was for sometime in December, but it looks as if I won't even receive my visa until early 2010. So it's very hard to say.

Pay attention to timelines of other folks going through the same service center/consulate to see what the general consensus is for how long you might be looking at. Any plans are a risk, but I'd say after approval from NVC would probably be the "safest" time to put down some plans... so long as your consulate has steady timeframes.

[redglasses 1]

You can plan things for your wedding in advance, but don't set a date until the visa is in hand.

Remember, K-1 is good for 6 months and you have 90 days to get married in the US.

That means you have 9 months to plan your wedding upon receiving the visa in hand.

I won't jeopardize the whole process by entering the US when you are about to get the visa even the ceremony is nothing legal.

[baron555 934]

Hey- I'm looking for some advice from anyone who's been through this.

I applied for the K1 in August. We are starting to make rough plans about how we are going to handle the marriage ceremony aspect.

We would like both our parents to be there at the ceremony- so we are planning on getting married in Hawaii. (Her dad wasn't too keen on the idea of coming to the Midwest all the way from Japan. )

My question is- do you feel there is a point in the process when it is somewhat safe to start setting dates? If we want to book flights and hotel rooms for everyone involved, when would be a (relatively) safe time to do it?

When they have the visa in hand after the interview. They have 6 months in which to come here and you have to be married within 90 days, so you have up to 9 months to plan the wedding. Very do-able. No need to rush.

Would notification of the consulate interview date be a good time to go ahead and predict when we will get the Visa? I'm assuming once you get to that stage you should have a pretty good idea of when you will recieve the Visa, and the chances of it getting halted are slim (hope I'm not jinxing myself here!)

No, not a good indicator. The best indicator is when they call you saying they have the visa in their hand.

If something should happen even after we booked the trip-and we ended up not getting the Visa before the scheduled ceremony date- Could we just have a trip to Hawaii and hold a 'ceremony' anyways as long as my fiance could get into the country temporarily without threatening the pending Visa?

No because you have to be unmarried to use the K-1 visa. Having a ceremony might be construed as a marriage and they could be denied at the interview or at the border.

Then when she actually got the Visa we would just do the civil thing here.

Any thoughts?

Thanks.

Then when she actually got the Visa we would just do the civil thing here.

Any thoughts?

Thanks.

If you are in a big rush to be together, then do the civil ceremony first and then have the lavish wedding later. Very simple.

Edited October 9, 2009 by baron555

[RingoRiver 0]

It's not so much that we are in a rush to have a 'lavish' wedding or anything.

It's more the idea that both our parents be there at the point that we are actually married.

With her dads unwillingness to come here- it makes it difficult.

I guess that the choice he is making is that he can either 1. See his daughter actually get married and come all the way here or 2. See a 'fake wedding' ceremony after we're already legally married but only have to go as far as Hawaii.

The other problem is that Hawaii get's super f'n expensive after a certain date. That's what complicates it. If we wait until we get the Visa in hand- plan maybe two or three months out the price of the whole thing will probably double.

Maybe I'm just being unrealistic about the highwire act that would be required to pull it off...

[baron555 934]

Why not fly him into SF and run up to Sonoma and do the wedding there?

[RingoRiver 0]

@Baron

I used to live in SF and trust me that sounds great! It's definitely beautiful up there...

But you know how there are those Americans whose idea of foreign travel is disembarking off a cruise ship to some roped off Caribeban resort area or going to Cancun? I think we're dealing with same kind of thing.

Her father is a stubborn middle aged man that speaks no English, has never left the country, doesn't like eating non-Japanese food... etc...

In that regard I don't think Sonoma would be any more inviting than Ohio where I live. Hawaii might as well be another Japanese island in the eyes of many Japanese tourists because so many people there can speak Japanese and everything is set up to accomodate Japanese tourists.

My fiancee and I originally were just treating it as a lost cause that he wouldn't come and were just planning on doing a simple thing here- with the possibility of her mom coming and a huge long-shot that her dad might have a last minute change of heart.

Somehow the subject of Hawaiian weddings came up in her family- and he said: "ハワイなら行けるかな。”　　(If you get married in Hawaii I could go.)

So it isn't that we wanted some fancy expensive destination wedding kind of thing- it just is the only way we can have both families together at the same time. (Not that I wouldn't enjoy the opportunity to go to Hawaii.)

Edited October 9, 2009 by RingoRiver

[pushbrk 12,978]

@Baron

I used to live in SF and trust me that sounds great! It's definitely beautiful up there...

But you know how there are those Americans whose idea of foreign travel is disembarking off a cruise ship to some roped off Caribeban resort area or going to Cancun? I think we're dealing with same kind of thing.

Her father is a stubborn middle aged man that speaks no English, has never left the country, doesn't like eating non-Japanese food... etc...

In that regard I don't think Sonoma would be any more inviting than Ohio where I live. Hawaii might as well be another Japanese island in the eyes of many Japanese tourists because so many people there can speak Japanese and everything is set up to accomodate Japanese tourists.

My fiancee and I originally were just treating it as a lost cause that he wouldn't come and were just planning on doing a simple thing here- with the possibility of her mom coming and a huge long-shot that her dad might have a last minute change of heart.

Somehow the subject of Hawaiian weddings came up in her family- and he said: "ハワイなら行けるかな。”　　(If you get married in Hawaii I could go.)

So it isn't that we wanted some fancy expensive destination wedding kind of thing- it just is the only way we can have both families together at the same time. (Not that I wouldn't enjoy the opportunity to go to Hawaii.)

So arrange a simple wedding ceremony in Hawaii. If you want, follow it up with a nice party/banquet in a private room of a nice restaurant. You could even arrange the wedding in the same room if you wanted. Just don't make nonrefundable deposits until the visa is in hand.

[Rosie + Yu 0]

We have also been wondering about this as setting a date right now before an NOA2 is not a good idea in my opinion. I think it's too much stress. We are waiting till the interview date is set and then estimating from there as embassy in Japan is pretty easy. Maybe start calling venues now for information if you plan on doing a wedding ceremony/reception as places book in advance. I've already made appointments to look at a few reception restaurants as we are going get hitched at beautiful SF city hall and follow that with restaurant reception in the city. Just trying to keep it within budget but still nice. The important thing is getting married quickly & then getting marriage certificate copy quickly so we can file that with the AOS & he can get his EAD.

Try looking at places in Hawaii now and maybe you can set a date and reservations when you schedule the interview. You can do a nice, low budget Hawaii wedding if you look around Japanese dads, heck all dads will be stubborn when it comes to their little girl getting married I am already dealing with my own dad haha. Good luck!!

[beatlesrebel 0]

Hi there,

My fiance and I are getting the last steps together for him to interview at the embassy. We discussed the marriage aspect with each other and decided that the easiest thing for us is to go to a justice of the peace as soon as he gets here so we can get the paperwork filed. Then we are going to have the big wedding ceremony later. It saves us stress trying to plan a wedding that there is no date for. Plus, this way we can plan the wedding together in person. Good luck!

Hey- I'm looking for some advice from anyone who's been through this.

I applied for the K1 in August. We are starting to make rough plans about how we are going to handle the marriage ceremony aspect.

We would like both our parents to be there at the ceremony- so we are planning on getting married in Hawaii. (Her dad wasn't too keen on the idea of coming to the Midwest all the way from Japan. )

My question is- do you feel there is a point in the process when it is somewhat safe to start setting dates? If we want to book flights and hotel rooms for everyone involved, when would be a (relatively) safe time to do it?

Would notification of the consulate interview date be a good time to go ahead and predict when we will get the Visa? I'm assuming once you get to that stage you should have a pretty good idea of when you will recieve the Visa, and the chances of it getting halted are slim (hope I'm not jinxing myself here!)

If something should happen even after we booked the trip-and we ended up not getting the Visa before the scheduled ceremony date- Could we just have a trip to Hawaii and hold a 'ceremony' anyways as long as my fiance could get into the country temporarily without threatening the pending Visa? Then when she actually got the Visa we would just do the civil thing here.

Any thoughts?

Thanks.

[Justine+David 218]

We're doing something of a compromise...we decided to plan out our wedding and book vendors, but only if they agreed to push the date forward if need be. We are also planning our wedding almost 13 months in advance; filed in August 2009 and the wedding hopefully in Sept 2010.

Getting your NOA2 is a big step since it can be the "iffiest" part on time line length and I think you can feel much more comfortable setting a timeline after that. My suggestion is to check out the Japan forum and see what the average time wait is between NOA2 and the interview. For example, the UK is <2 months usually, but the Montreal (Canada) office is months to get an interview.

Also consider if there is anything potentially complicating your case: similar ages, enough proof, no crimes, etc.

Also good to keep in mind that most consulates will extend your NOA2 validity (check with Japan's, I can't quote on them) beyond the 4 months in case you want to delay the visa process if you get NOA2 early enough (like us; we got NOA2 in October and we're planning on him entering in June or so if all things go well)

Sept/Oct is still very beautiful in Hawaii; I lived there for 4 years and it's a great time of year : ) although anytime pretty much is, lol.

With all of this being said, of course you may be the unlucky one that has to wait 2.5 years for their NOA2 or USCIS loses your application twice or you get stuck in AP at NVC or stuck in AP after the intervew process...all of those have happened here on VJ and I feel for those folks. I took a risk doing what we're doing...so far so good!

Good luck!

[RingoRiver 0]

Thanks for the discussion everyone!

My fiance and I are both minimalists- we aren't planning anything big at all.

If we do get married in Hawaii, it will be essentially the two of us- and our parents.

The only wedding specific thing we will do is to set up a simple ceremony (on the beach?) with a justice of the peace.

After that the 6 of us will have a nice dinner somewhere or something to that tune. That would really be the extent of it Etc...

From there the three groups of two will split up and do whatever they want to do the rest of the time we are in Hawaii... our parents won't be able to communicate with each other without one of the two of us there translating- and we don't really want to spend our 'honeymoon' with our parents...

Eventually we will have a reception back on the mainland so that friends and family can attend.

I would never book anything before the NOA2- but I am thinking Japan's consulates being relatively friendly from what I've read it would be reasonably safe to start thinking about booking hotels/ flights once we have a final interview date in place...

But maybe we'll just have to go the Civil route first here and play it safe. I don't know!

[PeruvyandGringa 25]

Thanks for the discussion everyone!

My fiance and I are both minimalists- we aren't planning anything big at all.

If we do get married in Hawaii, it will be essentially the two of us- and our parents.

The only wedding specific thing we will do is to set up a simple ceremony (on the beach?) with a justice of the peace.

After that the 6 of us will have a nice dinner somewhere or something to that tune. That would really be the extent of it Etc...

From there the three groups of two will split up and do whatever they want to do the rest of the time we are in Hawaii... our parents won't be able to communicate with each other without one of the two of us there translating- and we don't really want to spend our 'honeymoon' with our parents...

Eventually we will have a reception back on the mainland so that friends and family can attend.

I would never book anything before the NOA2- but I am thinking Japan's consulates being relatively friendly from what I've read it would be reasonably safe to start thinking about booking hotels/ flights once we have a final interview date in place...

But maybe we'll just have to go the Civil route first here and play it safe. I don't know!

I think another deciding factor (since you don't want a big lavish affair that requires lots of planning anyway), is if your fiance is going to want to work/travel as soon as she arrives. Doing a quickie immediately after she arrives allows to file all of the paperwork immediately. We are going quickie courthouse at first because my fiance will go crazy spending 3 months with nothing to do (most states won't allow to get driver's licenses or anything until after AOS). But I also want a lot of friends and family from out of state, and his uncle is coming from Spain. Quickie courthouse doesn't have to change any of your other plans. You can already have another planned just 3 months later if you wish, it gets the paperwork started sooner.

[philabride 0]

Hi

I will write my advice because I am from Japan, followed the same step as you are trying to do now.

I dont know why my time line is not showing on my profile but,

we filed k-1 in April 2008

we knew the file was lost in June 2008

We filed again in July 2008

NOA2 in november 2008

medical in January 2009

interview in march 2009

a week after the interview I received my visa

It took much more than we expected, and it could be unpredictable. It would be better to wait to set a date

until you actually receive K-1 visa in hand. I traveled to US while I was waiting for k-1. POE is usually easy

on Japanese passport holders, but safe to bring proof your fiancee is working in Japan or something.

You have 6 months after your fiancee receive K-1 visa so plan what you want to do and just wait to set a date.

Once your paper works go to US embassy in Japan, I am sure things will move quickly.

They are very nice and professional except I dont understand why I have to pay money to ask them a question

on the phone or email.

Good luck and stay patient

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Hey- I'm looking for some advice from anyone who's been through this.

I applied for the K1 in August. We are starting to make rough plans about how we are going to handle the marriage ceremony aspect.

We would like both our parents to be there at the ceremony- so we are planning on getting married in Hawaii. (Her dad wasn't too keen on the idea of coming to the Midwest all the way from Japan. )

My question is- do you feel there is a point in the process when it is somewhat safe to start setting dates? If we want to book flights and hotel rooms for everyone involved, when would be a (relatively) safe time to do it?

Would notification of the consulate interview date be a good time to go ahead and predict when we will get the Visa? I'm assuming once you get to that stage you should have a pretty good idea of when you will recieve the Visa, and the chances of it getting halted are slim (hope I'm not jinxing myself here!)

If something should happen even after we booked the trip-and we ended up not getting the Visa before the scheduled ceremony date- Could we just have a trip to Hawaii and hold a 'ceremony' anyways as long as my fiance could get into the country temporarily without threatening the pending Visa? Then when she actually got the Visa we would just do the civil thing here.

Any thoughts?

Thanks.

It is safe to start setting dates when the visa is IN HER HAND. I would suggest she get her visa and you either...

1. Delay her arrival by up to 6 months and make your plans accordingly (you can delay arrival by 6 months and the wedding by 90 days after her arrival) or

2. Have her arrive, get married in a small civil ceremony and then have a big wedding later

USCIS and the State Department do not care about your plans and will not issue a visa based on them. Any dayes or commitments you make are subject to change at your expenses.