any ideas on the best way to marry my american fiance?

[send80 0]

Ok I know I am not the only one out there with this question and I am sure it has been answered multiple times... but I am a Canadian engaged to an American and plan on marrying as soon as possible (have known him for almost 3 years, been together for a little over a year and engaged for a year... he has come here and spent a couple of months with me and I have gone there and spent a couple of months there).

I have gathered pretty much every possible scrap of information I can on how to do it the "right way", and can post it here to be scrutinized or used to help someone else, but have heard that the easiest way is to just go there and marry him then apply for a visa (already married one, sorry can't remember what it is called at the moment) or is it just best to go through with the fiance visa?

Thank you in advance for any and all help.

P.S.

Already know not to say anything about going to visit or marry american fiance lol

[zyggy 9]

Ok I know I am not the only one out there with this question and I am sure it has been answered multiple times... but I am a Canadian engaged to an American and plan on marrying as soon as possible (have known him for almost 3 years, been together for a little over a year and engaged for a year... he has come here and spent a couple of months with me and I have gone there and spent a couple of months there).

I have gathered pretty much every possible scrap of information I can on how to do it the "right way", and can post it here to be scrutinized or used to help someone else, but have heard that the easiest way is to just go there and marry him then apply for a visa (already married one, sorry can't remember what it is called at the moment) or is it just best to go through with the fiance visa?

Thank you in advance for any and all help.

P.S.

Already know not to say anything about going to visit or marry american fiance lol

To go over there and just get married would be an illegal act... This is because when entering as a visitor, one must have the intent of being a visitor and return home before your preiod of authorized stay ends. You have admitted that you have no intention of entering the US as a visitor, but wish to marry your fiancee and adjust status.

To do what you want to do would require that you get a K1 visa. You get it by filling out an I-129F and sending it to the service center that has jurisdiction over your USC fiancee's place of residence. Look at the guides on here to get more information.

It does not matter if you were let into the US by a CBP officer or not... the fact remains that you would have the intention of immigrating to the US when you entered the US. If the USCIS gets wind of this, they will deny your adjustment and send you back home. I know the seperation seems like it would be hard, but the forced very long term seperation and uprooting of your lives if things were to go wrong would be much, much harder. This is not one of those times where you should speed things up. It is very important to go through these things the right way, because the potential consequences are quite severe if you don't.

Edited February 27, 2006 by zyggy

[pax 0]

Zyggy is spot-on. You can't just cross the border as you would for a visit with the intention of getting married. File for the K-1 visa (it generally doesn't take that long through Canada, maybe 4-6 months) and come over with all your legal ducks in a row.

Congrats and good luck!

[zyggy 9]

P.S.

Already know not to say anything about going to visit or marry american fiance lol

P.S. This is something that we call a material misrepresentation. Making one to a CBP officer during inspection would result in a permanent ban on entering the US. Think long and hard before you ever make one...

Actually don't think at all.. never make one.

Edited February 27, 2006 by zyggy

[send80 0]

LOL yeah that is what I am trying to explain to my fiance... that i want to do it legally and properly so there are no mishaps, but he's got ADD and is ex Navy and has no patience or love for some of the Government rules. *sigh*.

[meddykomp 0]

Ok I know I am not the only one out there with this question and I am sure it has been answered multiple times... but I am a Canadian engaged to an American and plan on marrying as soon as possible (have known him for almost 3 years, been together for a little over a year and engaged for a year... he has come here and spent a couple of months with me and I have gone there and spent a couple of months there).

I have gathered pretty much every possible scrap of information I can on how to do it the "right way", and can post it here to be scrutinized or used to help someone else, but have heard that the easiest way is to just go there and marry him then apply for a visa (already married one, sorry can't remember what it is called at the moment) or is it just best to go through with the fiance visa?

Thank you in advance for any and all help.

P.S.

Already know not to say anything about going to visit or marry american fiance lol

To go over there and just get married would be an illegal act... This is because when entering as a visitor, one must have the intent of being a visitor and return home before your preiod of authorized stay ends. You have admitted that you have no intention of entering the US as a visitor, but wish to marry your fiancee and adjust status.

To do what you want to do would require that you get a K1 visa. You get it by filling out an I-129F and sending it to the service center that has jurisdiction over your USC fiancee's place of residence. Look at the guides on here to get more information.

It does not matter if you were let into the US by a CBP officer or not... the fact remains that you would have the intention of immigrating to the US when you entered the US. If the USCIS gets wind of this, they will deny your adjustment and send you back home. I know the seperation seems like it would be hard, but the forced very long term seperation and uprooting of your lives if things were to go wrong would be much, much harder. This is not one of those times where you should speed things up. It is very important to go through these things the right way, because the potential consequences are quite severe if you don't.

Another option is get married in Canada and then have your spouse apply for CR1, followed by K3 if CR1 isnt moving fast enough or DCF, which I have heard is now available in Canada, but you need to check with the consulate to find out the requirements there. DCF is usually the fastest method. The timelines for K1 and K3 vary so much that it is hard to say which of those would be fastest for you. If you need to get married in the US though, K1 is the only option.

[pax 0]

I believe that DCF in Canada requires legal residency in Canada on the part of the USC for a minimum of one year.

The K-1 is probably going to be fastest for them.

[Cygnet 0]

I agree with Zyggy and Pax. I am a Canadian and my husband is a USC. We got married in Montreal, and are going through the immigration process (CR-1). See our timeline. We have also applied for the K-3 recently.

The fiancee visa (K-1) will probably go faster for you. But then again, it depends on where you want to get married. My husband and I really wanted to get married in Montreal where my family lives. (I was actually living in Ontario before our wedding.) Do you know what visa center your application will have to go through?

Good luck!

Cygnet

P.S.

Not related to this topic but...the postman came as I was typing up this reply and the DS-3032 was in the mail!

[send80 0]

This is all the information I have gathered in regards what needs to be done:

File form I129f (fiancé visa - $170.00) with USCIS in Indianapolis (double check this is the right place).

http://uscis.gov/graphics/formsfee/forms/i-129f.htm

http://uscis.gov/graphics/fieldoffices/ind...tm#anchor235776

Need:

- passport

- divorce certificate

- Police certificate from BC, ON & AB.

- Medical Exam (vaccinations?)

- Two DS-156 forms

- One DS-156 form

- Two nonimmigrant visa photos

- Evidence of fiancé relationship.

After marriage:

- Form 1-485 ($325.00) to adjust status or register perm. Residence.

- 1-864 affidavit of support.

- 1-765 ($180.00) to work before marriage. (Apply for SSN before I go to the US).

[pax 0]

Not quite.

I suggest a read-through of the VisaJourney Guides regarding the K-1 visa. Your I-129F petition needs to be filed by your American fiance to the proper service centre with jurisdiction over his American address, for starters.

[zyggy 9]

This is all the information I have gathered in regards what needs to be done:

File form I129f (fiancé visa - $170.00) with USCIS in Indianapolis (double check this is the right place).

http://uscis.gov/graphics/formsfee/forms/i-129f.htm

http://uscis.gov/graphics/fieldoffices/ind...tm#anchor235776

Need:

- passport

- divorce certificate

- Police certificate from BC, ON & AB.

- Medical Exam (vaccinations?)

- Two DS-156 forms

- One DS-156 form

- Two nonimmigrant visa photos

- Evidence of fiancé relationship.

After marriage:

- Form 1-485 ($325.00) to adjust status or register perm. Residence.

- 1-864 affidavit of support.

- 1-765 ($180.00) to work before marriage. (Apply for SSN before I go to the US).

Actually it gets sent to the Nebraska Service Center.

Go to this page to see exactly what is required to submit the I-129F.

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.ph...om&page=k1guide

[send80 0]

I know he has to file it, but he sucks at researching stuff so I get to do all the research and tell him what to do. LOL

He is in Bloomfield Indiana... and in brackets I put that he has to find out what office he has to file with (this was a copy of an e-mail I sent him).

[pax 0]

I know he has to file it, but he sucks at researching stuff so I get to do all the research and tell him what to do. LOL

He is in Bloomfield Indiana... and in brackets I put that he has to find out what office he has to file with (this was a copy of an e-mail I sent him).

I realize that Indianapolis may well be his local USCIS office, but you won't have dealings with the local office at this time. He'll file the petition with the regional service centre that covers his state, which will be the Nebraska Service Centre.

Before you decide to do this, you need to make sure that your future husband is capable of following directions and filling out forms. I'm not saying this to be mean, but the USC has to be very proactive and conscientious throughout this process, and if he can't do that at this time, you should consider delaying the filing or hiring a lawyer to do the paperwork for you.

The process isn't difficult if you can understand the paperwork and the directions, but if this is something your man would rather not deal with, you have to understand that sloppy paperwork or recordkeeping could delay you significantly.

[zyggy 9]

I know he has to file it, but he sucks at researching stuff so I get to do all the research and tell him what to do. LOL

He is in Bloomfield Indiana... and in brackets I put that he has to find out what office he has to file with (this was a copy of an e-mail I sent him).

I realize that Indianapolis may well be his local USCIS office, but you won't have dealings with the local office at this time. He'll file the petition with the regional service centre that covers his state, which will be the Nebraska Service Centre.

Before you decide to do this, you need to make sure that your future husband is capable of following directions and filling out forms. I'm not saying this to be mean, but the USC has to be very proactive and conscientious throughout this process, and if he can't do that at this time, you should consider delaying the filing or hiring a lawyer to do the paperwork for you.

The process isn't difficult if you can understand the paperwork and the directions, but if this is something your man would rather not deal with, you have to understand that sloppy paperwork or recordkeeping could delay you significantly.

It can be done if you want to do all the legwork... However, you should really try to fill out the paperwork together if this is the case... Bring a copy of the I-129F with you the next time that you go to visit. Start gathering evidence that you have been in each others physical presence, which may not be necessarily the easiest thing to do if you travel to the US by car. You may want to consider taking a trip together by air or something of that nature....

A couple of other things... On the I-129F, Question 19 - You will be applying for a visa at the consulate in Montreal Canada. NOT Toronto as they do not handle K visas.

Edited February 27, 2006 by zyggy

[send80 0]

Ok. let's clear this up.. just cause I said he sucks at research doesnt mean he can't file paperwork. And I knew that the Local office probably wasnt gonna be the one to file out, but its alot easier for him to make a phone call and find out then me. And its not gonna hurt for him to do a little bit of research either. LOL

We have already found a lawyer for him to contact if he feels that he can not accomplish the paper work.

He has taken a plane to see me and I still have the records of it, and I have taken the bus to see him and flew back to Canada after the visit.