Marriage before K1 Interview

[jdogcisco 0]

I can't see what it would possibly matter if you had the ceremony before hand but signed no legal documents that change your marital status. So, technically, you are still legally single and elegible to marry. Perhaps to God's eye and the two families you are married, but as far as the law is concerend, nothing changed.

[luv2teach77 41]

Email the Embassy (londonconsular@state.gov), explain the tight timeline you are on and request that you be scheduled for an interview as soon as possible. If you make it clear that you have all the documents ready for the interview they might just be able to squeeze you in somewhere.

Bearing in mind that an interview is no good without a completed medical i'd also get work on getting your medical done so that you are all set in the event that an earlier interview date is made available.

The visa section at the Embassy might look on your plight favourably but you won't know unless you ask.

Good luck

Mark

[eric_and_teresa 10]

So if they are going to have a Justice of the peace do a service for them here in the US, will the Justice of the Pease require a marriage licence to do this??? if he does then it is a legal marriage is it not???

Kezzie

Of course, I don't think that any judge would celebrate a marriage without a marriage license! But we were not talking about marriages celebrated by judges, we were talking about religious marriages, and that in some way a couple can talk to the priest so the ceremony would be just that a ceremony that's not legally binding.

That's what I think, I'm not an american lawyer.. so I don't know the answer for what you're asking! I wish I was a lawyer in the US! Then I could be an immigration lawyer and make lots of money!

[rebeccajo 14]

i just realised that the justice of the peace who is conducting our ceremony is a friend of my fiances sister, so now i have someone who might be able to help me with any legal questions about the ceremony

Thanks again

OMG. A justice of the peace is NOT a lawyer.

The first reply you got in this thread is the only answer you need to hear. If I were you I'd change that country club gig into an engagment party.

Edited July 31, 2006 by rebeccajo

[TucsonBill 0]

Um - I already responded here, i just want to see how my new signature looks I have 'Enable signature' checked, but 'Preview post' does not seem to be working...

Bill

[eric_and_teresa 10]

i just realised that the justice of the peace who is conducting our ceremony is a friend of my fiances sister, so now i have someone who might be able to help me with any legal questions about the ceremony

Thanks again

OMG. A justice of the peace is NOT a lawyer.

The first reply you got in this thread is the only answer you need to hear. If I were you I'd change that country club gig into an engagment party.

I missed that!!! That's why I didn't get why Kezze was asking something about a Justice of peace! LOL I didn't read that part.. if a justice of peace is going to perform the ceremony then the marriage will be legally valid! You'll have to either change the date and wait for the visa, or have another ceremony religious or not, that's not legally valid. But there's no way a justice of peace will celebrate a wedding that's not legally binding.

[rebeccajo 14]

i just realised that the justice of the peace who is conducting our ceremony is a friend of my fiances sister, so now i have someone who might be able to help me with any legal questions about the ceremony

Thanks again

OMG. A justice of the peace is NOT a lawyer.

The first reply you got in this thread is the only answer you need to hear. If I were you I'd change that country club gig into an engagment party.

I missed that!!! That's why I didn't get why Kezze was asking something about a Justice of peace! LOL I didn't read that part.. if a justice of peace is going to perform the ceremony then the marriage will be legally valid! You'll have to either change the date and wait for the visa, or have another ceremony religious or not, that's not legally valid. But there's no way a justice of peace will celebrate a wedding that's not legally binding.

Well yeah but that's not what I meant. I'm interpreting the OP's post to mean he would seek legal advice from a JP.

[dani_christine 0]

i agree with the others here who say email the london consulate.

take a peek at my k-1 timeline...they were VERY accomodating for us in scheduling the interview. by the way, i don't know if it helped or not, but I (the USC) was the one who handled all contact and correspondence with the consulate. we figured that it might help if the USC contacted them. *shrug*

september 9 is still quite a way off...you may still make it!

like others have said, maybe an engagement party would be the best bet? you two could maybe stand in front of your friends and families, hold hands, gaze into each other's eyes and say your public vows to one another...but have no officiant at all. it would definitely be the safest and most legal option, i think.

good luck!

[danielm2 0]

Before finishing reading all the responses, my initial thought was to go through with the ceremony and celebrate with all your guests, but don't actually get married. Maybe I'm simpifying things, but that seems okay to me, since you're not getting married. Then when you arrive in the US, just have a quick civil service or religious ceremony based on your preferences.

Good Luck!!

Edited August 1, 2006 by danielm2

[russell 0]

Just a quick update.. The Justice of the Peace has informed us that it is very safe to have a ceremony, we can do everything apart from sign a marriage license, even exchange rings and vows. Apparently it is done as two seperate occasions quite often. Then when we are both good and ready we can sign the marriage license with witnesses infront of the same Justice of the Peace, i have emailed the embassy to let them know my plans just to be doubly safe, so i await there reply with bated breath, disaster averted!

Russell + Chloe

[Kez/JWolf 6]

Hope it works out well for you and your day is as special as you want it to be....

Good Luck

Kezzie

[John and Anna 0]

Anna and I did a cute ceremony on the forth on July.

We told the JOP that we did not want it legalized.

No paperwork was signed. No license signed or issued.

want the 4th to be our special day - and to us it is.

But is it legal - no.

Yes?

[caroledfb 0]

DO NOT PLAN YOUR WEDDING BEFORE YOU GET YOUR VISA IN HAND!

(And don't whine if you do and end up with a scrwewed up wedding, screwed up visa or worse.)

YES BUT YOU NEED TO PROVE THAT YOU WANT TO GET MARRIED BY PROVIDING EVIDENCES SUCH AS CATERER QUOTES!!!

How do you solve the catch 22???

(It is said everywhere that you have to prove:

That the couple previously met within the two (2) years of the date of filing the petition, UNLESS A WAIVER IS GRANTED;

That the couple has a bona fide intention to marry; AND

The couple is legally able and actually willing to conclude a valid marriage in the United States within 90 days after the foreign fiancee’s arrival.)

[luv2teach77 41]

YES BUT YOU NEED TO PROVE THAT YOU WANT TO GET MARRIED BY PROVIDING EVIDENCES SUCH AS CATERER QUOTES!!!

How do you solve the catch 22???

(It is said everywhere that you have to prove:

That the couple previously met within the two (2) years of the date of filing the petition, UNLESS A WAIVER IS GRANTED;

That the couple has a bona fide intention to marry; AND

The couple is legally able and actually willing to conclude a valid marriage in the United States within 90 days after the foreign fiancee’s arrival.)

It is not a requirement to show receipts for caterers etc.. at the embassy interview. While some people feel that it adds weight to their evidence of actually planning to marry, many many people have courthouse weddings that don't ever include caterers etc.. A bona fide intent to marry is confirmed by the signed letters of intent, that is all that is required by the USCIS to determine your desire to actually follow through with the marriage within the allotted timeframe.

I know that we went ahead and finalised all of our wedding plans before the interview but we didn't do so until I had been granted an interview date. We had a very straightforward case and I was confident that if I could get as far as an Embassy interview, we wouldn't have any problems. We knew that booking anything any further ahead than that would be way too risky.

Hopefully the OP will find the Embassy to be accommodating of their situation.

Mark

[Yodrak 7]

caroledfb,

Nothing is needed to prove that the couple wants to get married beyond each of them making a statement to that effect.

Yodrak

YES BUT YOU NEED TO PROVE THAT YOU WANT TO GET MARRIED BY PROVIDING EVIDENCES SUCH AS CATERER QUOTES!!!

How do you solve the catch 22???

(It is said everywhere that you have to prove:

That the couple previously met within the two (2) years of the date of filing the petition, UNLESS A WAIVER IS GRANTED;

That the couple has a bona fide intention to marry; AND

The couple is legally able and actually willing to conclude a valid marriage in the United States within 90 days after the foreign fiancee's arrival.)

Edited August 2, 2006 by Yodrak