Do you have to use it right away?

[usmcwife 3]

Just as a quick run-down to answer everyone's questions:

Kennym, yes I do know we have to get married here. Our wedding is in NH.

Inky, the honeymoon is after the wedding. Our wedding is September 3, we had booked the honeymoon for Sept 5.

Long story short - Because of all of the hangups we were having with processing time (US being busy), we accepted the fact back in April (after getting a letter from the Consulate in Montreal saying it'd be another 4-6 months before my fiance's interview) that we would probably not be able to get legally married at our wedding, so it'd be a pomp-and-circumstance party. We would just have to wait until after he got the visa to have a legal, officiated ceremony.

The plans was

-Fiance drives to MA

- "Wedding"

- Leave for DR

- Fly back to Boston

- Fiance drives home, grabs his stuff

- Fiance enters on K-1

- Get married

After finding out the visa is *affixed* to your passport, I accepted all of this as impossible, and honestly, I still don't know if trust that he will be able to enter the US after the DR trip without a problem. Booking the honeymoon was a mistake, however, we thought we were clear on all of the terms. One of the most frustrating things about this whole process is that you can get contradictory information even from official sources.

It looks to me like something does have to be cancelled. I guess just pick whichever is less expensive.

You can get married as planned and cancel the honeymoon in the dominican ... or...

you can meet in the dominican and see if you can switch the wedding to after.

There have been people who have had mock weddings and then legally married. But it is a bit risky at the border.

Maybe try to see if either option can be moved and go from there.

It is pretty frustrating when you make plans and they have to change. We had booked our wedding and had to move it when I didn't get my visa on time. Luckily it didn't end up costing much and I think worked out better. Good luck

[wallaby4rent 2]

NO!!!!!

Is the font big enough?

The K1 is invalid once you are married! You can't marry, leave the US, and then return with a K1 visa. You MUST BE LEGALLY FREE TO MARRY WHEN YOU ENTER WITH THE K1!

Sorry, there is no way your plan can work.

Please re-read what I wrote. There will be no marriage at the wedding - like I said, it's pomp and circumstance. It's just going to be a big party. We planned the wedding a year after the engagement, and we were told that was plenty of time. Obviously it was not, and I advise anyone who is about to go through the process, don't listen to what lawyers tell you. Just because they make a living off of immigration procedures, doesn't mean they're always right.

Because I've gone through the process, yes, I am keen enough to know that leaving the US after using the visa invalidates it and that I can't get married before it's been used (or else I just forfeited all of the time and money that went into it). Our plans have to be changed since he's required to use the visa the next time he enters. We can't cancel the whole wedding, and we're not going to give up the visa just to go on a honeymoon, so it's going to have to be thing that gets canceled.

[Aztec&Taino 144]

My two cents:

I think too much is at stake to risk it. I mean, if you are already getting conflicting information from OFFICIALS then, how can you make sure the information you are given is accurate or that it will actually work as someone explained it to you?

My suggestion would be for your fiance to fly out of Canada with his Canadian passport to the DR and meet you there. Enjoy your pre-wedding "honeymoon." After all that fun in the sun (believe me, the DR IS wonderful),you can go to Canada and help him move his stuff to the US. He can enter the US using his K1 visa and then you can actually get married within 90 days.

Best wishes and congratulations!

[PurpleSky 19]

My personal opinion is that something this important shouldn't be left up to another's discretion. What I mean is who's to say that the officer won't just activate the visa despite your fiance's attempt and explanation otherwise? Heck, the officer may even think that your FH doesn't want to marry you any longer and is trying to enter the US under false pretenses. Under most other circumstances when people get approved K1 Visas they absolutely want to get married right away (or at least in the 90day timeframe) thereby having the visa activated. With all these things going on I just would be so fearful of something going wrong and you having to see your honey denied re-entry (because the "re-entry" officer may see your honey's entrance stamp from before the honeymoon even though the K1 hadn't been activated and determine that the stamp itself "activated" the 90 day requirement and because ya'll went to the DR the K1 is no longer valid since it's a single entry). If he is denied entry you would have to start all over with a spousal visa. I would really hate to "see" that happen. This is already a costly process and I'm sure you don't have money to just give away.

Having said that...is there no way that the following scenario will work?

Talk with your vendors for the "wedding" and see if you can push the date back until you return from DR

Prior to that have him hurriedly pack a few belongings and have them shipped to you while putting the rest in storage for a few months (until AOS is approved)

Then he leaves from Canada & meets you in DR for your "honeymoon"

Return to the States together (thereby activating the K1)

Have the wedding

Live happily ever after

[JimVaPhuong 4,863]

Please re-read what I wrote. There will be no marriage at the wedding - like I said, it's pomp and circumstance. It's just going to be a big party. We planned the wedding a year after the engagement, and we were told that was plenty of time. Obviously it was not, and I advise anyone who is about to go through the process, don't listen to what lawyers tell you. Just because they make a living off of immigration procedures, doesn't mean they're always right.

Because I've gone through the process, yes, I am keen enough to know that leaving the US after using the visa invalidates it and that I can't get married before it's been used (or else I just forfeited all of the time and money that went into it). Our plans have to be changed since he's required to use the visa the next time he enters. We can't cancel the whole wedding, and we're not going to give up the visa just to go on a honeymoon, so it's going to have to be thing that gets canceled.

Sorry, I misunderstood. I thought the second wedding on your list was the "pomp" wedding.

[wallaby4rent 2]

Sorry, I misunderstood. I thought the second wedding on your list was the "pomp" wedding.

It's ok. I just didn't want anyone to think I thought it was ok for the rules to be bent for me.

Purplesky, in theory, your idea is perfect, but since the honeymoon was booked for two days after the wedding, and I'd need my fiance present in the US for the wedding, we wouldn't be able to fly him out of Canada to DR. And there's no way to push anything back with the wedding: we'd lose everything we've spent. * sigh * I do agree, it's not worth risking anything, especially when you're getting conflicting advice from people who should be telling you the same thing. Also, too much of what goes on with a person crossing and the BP is up to the officer's discretion. You never know.

The way I am looking at this now is that at least we will be able to get legally married at our wedding, which we didn't think was going to happen.

Edited August 29, 2010 by wallaby4rent

[usmcwife 3]

It's ok. I just didn't want anyone to think I thought it was ok for the rules to be bent for me.

Purplesky, in theory, your idea is perfect, but since the honeymoon was booked for two days after the wedding, and I'd need my fiance present in the US for the wedding, we wouldn't be able to fly him out of Canada to DR. And there's no way to push anything back with the wedding: we'd lose everything we've spent. * sigh * I do agree, it's not worth risking anything, especially when you're getting conflicting advice from people who should be telling you the same thing. Also, too much of what goes on with a person crossing and the BP is up to the officer's discretion. You never know.

The way I am looking at this now is that at least we will be able to get legally married at our wedding, which we didn't think was going to happen.

good luck with whatever happens.

Maybe you can find someone to take over the vacation and costs of that for you.

[Aztec&Taino 144]

It is really not worth taking the risk. The fact that you are getting conflicting information from people who SHOULD know the law is nothing new. In fact, it just reminds me of when I filed for Advance Parole for myself so that I could re-enter the US after a visit to my family in Mexico (when my AOS was being processed) and the immigration official asked me why I had an AP. I told him that I had researched and thought that I needed it and he told me something like, "Heck, they change the law so much that I don't know what is what any more" as he stamped my passport. I hope you are able to find a solution and congratulations on your K1 approval.

[wallaby4rent 2]

Just wanted to update anyone who this information might be useful for.

Yes, you are allowed to cross from Canada to the United States using the B1 visa without activating your K1. My husband had no problem at all doing so. As we all know, whenever you cross the border it's up to the CBP's discretion to let you enter, however, it is permissible to enter the US on the B1 without entering on the K1.

Edited October 19, 2010 by wallaby4rent

[JlovesA 109]

What are you talking about, B1? Canadians don't need a visa to enter the USA?

Anyway, congrats it all worked out!