MARRY IN BENEFICIARY'S COUNTRY

[salgood411 0]

We are thinking about marrying on San Andres Island to avoid the lengthy process of eventually doing this in Colombia. We are planning on doing this after the visa approval. The question is....does this meet the requirement of marrying within the 90 days or will it have to be a U.S. wedding ?

[rclouse 0]

We are thinking about marrying on San Andres Island to avoid the lengthy process of eventually doing this in Colombia. We are planning on doing this after the visa approval. The question is....does this meet the requirement of marrying within the 90 days or will it have to be a U.S. wedding ?

With a K-1 you have to marry in the United States within 90 days of entry. So it has to be a US wedding.

[frndly1 1]

agree with Rclouse

If you marry there you will have to file for a K3, CRI or some other spouse visa.

[payxibka 10,044]

We are thinking about marrying on San Andres Island to avoid the lengthy process of eventually doing this in Colombia. We are planning on doing this after the visa approval. The question is....does this meet the requirement of marrying within the 90 days or will it have to be a U.S. wedding ?

I agree with the previous posters. Technically speaking, you can get married anywhere HOWEVER since you have to marry within 90 days of the "activation" of you visa (activation occurs at your POE into the US) and since it is a single entry visa and you cannot leave until after you adjust statu (you adjust status after you are married), your wedding will occur in US territory. If you arrive married before your "activation" you will have invalidated your visa and as others have mentioned, start the process all over again for a "spousal" type visa.

CAUTION CAUTION CAUTION (I am not advocating this and I hesitate writing this!)

I know of a couple who married before arrival into the US but they did not file the "certificate" in the location of marriage at that time. After arrival, I assume they then had family members file the certificate with the governmental agency. Personally I think this borders on trouble but that is what they did.

[I'm Gone 60]

Come to the U.S. and get married in the U.S. before the 90 days are up. Trying to be slick and do anything else is just asking for trouble.

[Saddle Bronc 124]

I'll fifth that.

You file for K-1, your fiance(e) better enter US and you marry in US. You wanna marry outside, use another visa type (such as K-3, CR-1 or DCF).

[Peter Miami 0]

Hi Maurits,

You can not get married in Colombia and then travel to the U.S. Because when Sandra enters the U.S. she will be entering on a K-1 Fiancée Visa, this means she can not be married. You could get into serious trouble by doing this. The other thing you can do but it is stupid would be to get married in Colombia and then restarting the process for her again as a K-3 Spouse Visa but she would have to wait in Colombia while you re-do the whole process.

What Johanna and I are doing is that we got married on a civil wedding here in the U.S. and then next summer we are having a Catholic Church wedding in Armenia, Colombia so that all her family and friends can attend.

I hope this helps you and if you are not sure about what we are telling you please see an Immigration attorney.

Good luck,

Peter Miami

[Miranda&James 8]

Like others have said, you cannot be married and then come into the US on a K1 visa, nor can you come into the US on a K1 visa and then leave the country expecting to get back in without first applying for Advanced Parole, and you must have been married to get the Advanced Parole, so leaving the country after coming in on the K1 to get married in another country is not an option. You need an entirely different visa in order to do that. What exactly do you mean about avoiding the lengthy process of getting married in Columbia? The whole point of the K1 visa is to be able to get married in the US and stay here so I'm not sure how Columbia or San Andreas fits into that unless you misunderstood the K1 visa and thought it meant you can marry anywhere and come into the USA.

[JenT 0]

We are thinking about marrying on San Andres Island to avoid the lengthy process of eventually doing this in Colombia. We are planning on doing this after the visa approval. The question is....does this meet the requirement of marrying within the 90 days or will it have to be a U.S. wedding ?

What exactly would you be avoiding?

You have just petitioned as a USC to bring your non-USC fiance into the US to be married. That's the purpose of the K1. He has 6 months to enter the US and you have 90 days to marry once he enters.

If you do not marry in the US, you will be starting all over again with a spousal visa.

Jen

[Peter Miami 0]

I believe he meant to ask that if they could get married before entering the U.S. because I think he knows that she can not leave the U.S. until the AP after marriage or her getting the Green Card. Which I advice him in an earlier post that he could not do and should not do.

[] “avoid the lengthy process of eventually doing this in Colombia”[/

If you want to get married in Colombia it is a long process with a lot of requirements, this is what he is talking about. But if you marry in San Andres which is an Island that belongs to Colombia but is right off Panama the marrying process is very easy.

Like I stated before I am getting married in Colombia through a Catholic Church wedding next summer. Salgood411 this or something like this is what you can do but you must first get married in the U.S.

Good luck,

Peter Miami

Edited October 11, 2006 by Peter Miami