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K1 Visa - Getting married before the visa comes through

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Hi All,

My fiance and I submitted our initial K1 petition before the Christmas break. I am the sponsor, UK nationality so going via the US embassy in London. Although we are early in the process we are trying to plan our wedding later in the year (end of August) and had a question about a possible problems that we thought we should check.

1. If we arrange the wedding for August but dont have the Visa in time, can we go ahead with our plans, me fly in, get married in the US and then I would have to leave presumably. Would we need to advise them we had got married during the process and would there be a problem coming into the country without a Visa yet in order to get married whilst still in the process to obtain one.

Not sure if there is any other complications we might not have considered yet, although I am trying to look through the vast quantities of info to cover everything, so any advice welcome.

Many thanks and best of luck to all other December applicants (and everyone else) out there :)

Owen

Wait so are you both living in the UK? If you are then you can marry and do a DCF and you will get your visa very quickly if that is an option for you.

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And in this crazy life, and through these crazy times

It's you, it's you, You make me sing.

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Filed: K-1 Visa Country: Spain
Timeline

What I would suggest as many have done is once you get the visa in hand, come over, get married in the courthouse to get your paperwork started, then begin preparations for the wedding "party" as you have called it. It may take you nearly a year to get the visa in hand (hopefully sooner). That way you can have as much (or as little) time as you want to plan your actual wedding party together.

07-17-2009 I-129F sent

07-22-2009 NOA1 date

07-24-2009 check cleared

07-30-2009 NOA1 received via snail mail

10-14-2009 NOA2 (we were around #187 on Igor's List)

12-30-2009 Interview in Madrid!

02-01-2010 Visa in Hand - finally!

03-08-2010 POE Orlando, FL

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Filed: Citizen (apr) Country: Nigeria
Timeline

Hi All,

My fiance and I submitted our initial K1 petition before the Christmas break. I am the sponsor, UK nationality so going via the US embassy in London. Although we are early in the process we are trying to plan our wedding later in the year (end of August) and had a question about a possible problems that we thought we should check.

1. If we arrange the wedding for August but dont have the Visa in time, can we go ahead with our plans, me fly in, get married in the US and then I would have to leave presumably. Would we need to advise them we had got married during the process and would there be a problem coming into the country without a Visa yet in order to get married whilst still in the process to obtain one.

Not sure if there is any other complications we might not have considered yet, although I am trying to look through the vast quantities of info to cover everything, so any advice welcome.

Many thanks and best of luck to all other December applicants (and everyone else) out there :)

Owen

So you probably are at the Vermont Service Center? which now is approving at about 7 to 9 months. Than another 1 to 2 months for IV intact at embassy for you. Is a tight squeeze.

Just follow your course if not working right away and driving and going to school is important. Please please don't get even play married.

I have seen people denied for having a engagement party the consulate deemed a wedding party. Walk very careful. Good luck.

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Filed: Citizen (apr) Country: Haiti
Timeline

I would suggest:

1-Either wait for the K1 visa to pull through, set a date after, and get married.

2-Cancel your petition, wait for August, get married, and go the spousal visa route...

If you do your option, you will end up lying to USCIS and they do have a way of finding out these things... Fall weddings are still very pretty :) Which is when it'll likely fall. Or Spring... Let us know what you do! Good luck!

Edited by mtcmk1

To see a more detailed journey schedule, please see the About Me page and my Timeline.

Our K1 Process

June 7, 2012 -- Sent I-129F to June 9, 2013 -- Religious & Civil Wedding Ceremony in CT

FROM I-129f NOA1 to VISA APPROVAL: Exactly 8 months! No RFEs

Our AOS Process

July 16, 2013 -- Mailed AOS, EAD, and AP Paperwork to December 21, 2013 -- Received GC Card in the Mail!

FROM NOA1 to GREEN CARD in Hand: Exactly 4 months 27 days! No Interview or RFEs.

Our ROC Process

September 21, 2015 -- Mailed ROC Paperwork to August 6, 2016 -- Received Card in the Mail!

FROM NOA1 to GREEN CARD in Hand: Exactly 10 months 10 days! No Interview or RFEs.

Our {His} N-400 Process

Eligible to Apply for Citizenship on September 14, 2016.

October 4, 2016 -- Mailed N-400 Paperwork.

November 8, 2016 -- Completed Biometrics.

May 6, 2017 -- Received Interview Letter in the Mail.

June 8, 2017 -- Interview Passed!

June 16, 2017 -- Oath Ceremony! He is a USC!!

FROM Application to CITIZENSHIP: Exactly 8 months 13 days! No RFEs.

== I am the Petitioner/Sponsor/Citizen Spouse ==

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Filed: Lift. Cond. (apr) Country: China
Timeline

Unfornately this is on USCIS time line and schedule not ours, patience.

In Arizona its hot hot hot.

http://www.uscis.gov/dateCalculator.html

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Filed: K-1 Visa Country: France
Timeline

If you guys want to be together asap, like most of vj members, then stick with the K1, wait patiently till you have it, and THEN make plans...

Winter weddings can be nice blush.gif And if you are together, what does it matter what the weather is like. Plus, you can have bad weather in august too, you never know

Our personal choice is this: I'll fly to the US as soon as I as the visa, and we'll get married right away, with just two witnesses and no guests, so I really don't need to plan anything. Maybe we'll go crazy and book a table for 2 in a nice restaurant. Latter on, we'll have a nice little ceremony, a nice dinner and a big party with all our friends and familly. This is not ideal, but seriously, I wouldn't tolerate to be separated from my fiancé any longer than absolutely necessary.

In any case, you could have your K1 visa in hand in august, but there is a good chance that you won't. 8 month is the average time to get the visa those days... And if it grows a little bit longer for whatever reason, then... crying.gifcrying.gif

Good luck to you guys!

Good luck in your visa journey!

From the day we sent I-129F to the day I recieved my K-1: Exactly 9 months
I am the benifeciary

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Filed: K-1 Visa Country: United Kingdom
Timeline

Thanks for all your replies, some of you are very..ahem..tenacious.. but its good to know people out there care, great helpful community here.

Carol, over lunch today we have basically come to the same conclusion.

- Clearly from the advice we have been given, we should not have any party or anything that might complicate or concern USCIS or the consulate during the Visa process

- That said, would they frown on making plans? i.e can we buy dresses, consider booking venues etc albeit with the knowledge that we might have to cancel if we run out of time.

- More realistically though we are now thinking it is best to do exactly what you said. Wait till we have the Visa, use it asap because our priority is be in the same place! Then have a small wedding and start planning the big party for some point in 2014.

- To answer a few other queries, she is based in the US and I am in the UK, and our application got NOA1 at VSC just before Christmas.

- I have seen that VSC is currently processing at 6months on average, hopefully if we dont make many mistakes August-October is a realistic time frame for completing this process therefore.

- I noticed some people who applied in July last year got their Visa by November, 4months for the whole thing! What happened since then!!!

Anyway, thanks again :)

Owen

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- I noticed some people who applied in July last year got their Visa by November, 4months for the whole thing! What happened since then!!!

Anyway, thanks again :)

Owen

I doubt those people were K-1 cases going through London.

Part One: The K-1 Visa Journey:

USCIS Receipt of I-129F: January 24, 2012 | Petition Approval: June 15, 2012 (No RFEs)
Interview: October 24, 2012 - Review | Visa Delivered: October 31, 2012



Part Two: Entry and Adjusting Status:

POE: November 18, 2012 (at SFO) - Review
Wedding: December 1, 2012 | Social Security: New cards received on December 7, 2012.
AOS Package (I-485/I-765/I-131) NOA1: February 19, 2013 | Biometrics Appt.: March 18, 2013
AP/EAD Approved: April 29, 2013 | Card Received: May 6, 2013 | AOS Interview Appt.: May 16, 2013 - Approved Review Card Received: May 24, 2013

Part Three: Removal of Conditions:

Coming Soon...

"When you're born you get a ticket to the freak show. When you're born in America, you get a front row seat." – George Carlin

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So you probably are at the Vermont Service Center? which now is approving at about 7 to 9 months. Than another 1 to 2 months for IV intact at embassy for you. Is a tight squeeze.

Just follow your course if not working right away and driving and going to school is important. Please please don't get even play married.

I have seen people denied for having a engagement party the consulate deemed a wedding party. Walk very careful. Good luck.

VSC is n ot 7-9 months! 5-6, way to freak someone out!

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Filed: K-1 Visa Country: United Kingdom
Timeline

I am going through london embassy too. I would allow 10-11 months from applying to entering the US. Just to give u an idea of my timeline we sent our I129f on march 19th 2011 and planned on a entry date of march this year. I never thought it would take that long but it has and im glad we planned for a year rather than put any extra pressure on the process by planning a wedding earlier than that. It took 7 1/2 months for approval through vermont with no rfe. Then it moved through nvc and got to london pretty quick in a few weeks. I sent packet 3 and had the medical as soon as i was able to and had all my paperwork ready well in advance. Ive been waiting 8 weeks for an interview date but havent received it yet..In all liklihood i will have the interview early feb then it takes 1-2 weeks to receive the visa in hand from london. This process is gruelling and can be very stressful. I seriously wouldnt make firm wedding plans for august because it would add a lot of pressure to u both. And i wouldnt Advise friends and family booking flights for your wedding until u have visa in hand. It will likely be fall when u get the visa and u never know what bumps in the road u will experience. One idea could be to have a legal ceremony as and when u arrive in the states and then plan a larger wedding party next summer. Fyi - i visited my fiance throughout the process on vwp no problems, even as recently as 2 weeks ago and stated i was visiting my fiance. I always brought proof of my ties to the uk with me in case i was questioned though which i would strongly advise if u plan on making trips over then whilst u wait for the k1. Good luck to u.

VAWA

February 10, 2014 - NOA1 for I-360, I485 and I-765

March 14, 2014 - Biometrics

April 4, 2014 - Approval of I-360!

May 14, 2014 - Approval of EAD

June 23, 2014 - I-485 transferred to NBC

August 7, 2014 - Put in service request

September 23, 2014 - Interview - approved!

October 4, 2014 - Green card received

Total time:7 months 25 days

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Hi All,

My fiance and I submitted our initial K1 petition before the Christmas break. I am the sponsor, UK nationality so going via the US embassy in London. Although we are early in the process we are trying to plan our wedding later in the year (end of August) and had a question about a possible problems that we thought we should check.

Owen

Oh honey, welcome to USCIS time. Where they do what they want, when they want and how. I would wait until you have visa in hand (or at least an interview date) before making wedding plans. I wouldn't even have a "ceremonial" wedding. Even if you pull it off and get your K-1, you still have to get through AOS. Happy engagement! x

THE JOHN (UK) AND CAMIE (US) SHOW

K-1

[*]I-129F Sent : 2009-02-19 [*]I-129F NOA1: 2009-02-23 [*]I-129F NOA2: 2009-03-23 [*]John's Medical: 2009-05-11 [*]John's INTERVIEW - APPROVED!!: 2009-06-08 [*]VISA ARRIVES!!: 2009-06-12 [*]Camie Goes to England : 2009-06-18 [*]Our POE : 2009-06-24 [*]Got married and went to Jack-in-the-Box : 2009-07-07

AOS

[*]AOS Package Sent: 2010-02-13 [*]AOS Package Delivered (per USPS): 2010-02-15 [*]USCIS Email Confirmation (WOO HOO!!): 2010-02-23 [*]AOS Fee Check Cashed: 2010-02-23 [*]USCIS Status Check Available Online: 2010-02-24 [*]I-485 NOA1 Received and touch : 2010-02-26 [*]I-765 NOA1 Received and touch : 2010-02-26 [*]Biometrics: 2010-03-18 (letter received 2010-03-08) [*]EAD CARD RECEIVED: 2010-05-06 [*]INTERVIEW: 2010-05-21 - APPROVED [*]RECEIVED GREEN CARD: 2010-06-17 - Lakers FTW, then off to Disneyland to celebrate!

ROC

[*]I-751 Package Sent: 2012-05-18 [*]I-751 Package Delivered (per USPS): 2012-05-19 [*]CSC Fee Check Cashed: 2012-06-06
[*]I-751 NOA1: 2012-06-07 (dated 2012-05-21)
[*]Biometrics: 2012-07-16 (letter received 2012-06-25) [*]RFE: 2013-01-18 (responded on 2013-04-08)
[*]I-751 APPROVED: 2013-04-25 (dated 2013-04-19)

[*]10-Year GC Received: 2013-06-17

Christopher Midian Chance - 7lbs., 5oz., born 11-19-14 :wub:

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- Clearly from the advice we have been given, we should not have any party or anything that might complicate or concern USCIS or the consulate during the Visa process

Have an engagement party! My husband and I had one at his local pub before we came back to the States to get married.

- That said, would they frown on making plans? i.e can we buy dresses, consider booking venues etc albeit with the knowledge that we might have to cancel if we run out of time.

Go ahead and make all the plans you can. We bought our wedding clothes and rings, etc. Make sure you book a place with a good cancellation policy.

- More realistically though we are now thinking it is best to do exactly what you said. Wait till we have the Visa, use it asap because our priority is be in the same place! Then have a small wedding and start planning the big party for some point in 2014.

:thumbs:

- To answer a few other queries, she is based in the US and I am in the UK, and our application got NOA1 at VSC just before Christmas.

- I have seen that VSC is currently processing at 6months on average, hopefully if we dont make many mistakes August-October is a realistic time frame for completing this process therefore.

- I noticed some people who applied in July last year got their Visa by November, 4months for the whole thing! What happened since then!!!

We were CSC; took us four months from filing to K-1, so keep your chin up, hun.

THE JOHN (UK) AND CAMIE (US) SHOW

K-1

[*]I-129F Sent : 2009-02-19 [*]I-129F NOA1: 2009-02-23 [*]I-129F NOA2: 2009-03-23 [*]John's Medical: 2009-05-11 [*]John's INTERVIEW - APPROVED!!: 2009-06-08 [*]VISA ARRIVES!!: 2009-06-12 [*]Camie Goes to England : 2009-06-18 [*]Our POE : 2009-06-24 [*]Got married and went to Jack-in-the-Box : 2009-07-07

AOS

[*]AOS Package Sent: 2010-02-13 [*]AOS Package Delivered (per USPS): 2010-02-15 [*]USCIS Email Confirmation (WOO HOO!!): 2010-02-23 [*]AOS Fee Check Cashed: 2010-02-23 [*]USCIS Status Check Available Online: 2010-02-24 [*]I-485 NOA1 Received and touch : 2010-02-26 [*]I-765 NOA1 Received and touch : 2010-02-26 [*]Biometrics: 2010-03-18 (letter received 2010-03-08) [*]EAD CARD RECEIVED: 2010-05-06 [*]INTERVIEW: 2010-05-21 - APPROVED [*]RECEIVED GREEN CARD: 2010-06-17 - Lakers FTW, then off to Disneyland to celebrate!

ROC

[*]I-751 Package Sent: 2012-05-18 [*]I-751 Package Delivered (per USPS): 2012-05-19 [*]CSC Fee Check Cashed: 2012-06-06
[*]I-751 NOA1: 2012-06-07 (dated 2012-05-21)
[*]Biometrics: 2012-07-16 (letter received 2012-06-25) [*]RFE: 2013-01-18 (responded on 2013-04-08)
[*]I-751 APPROVED: 2013-04-25 (dated 2013-04-19)

[*]10-Year GC Received: 2013-06-17

Christopher Midian Chance - 7lbs., 5oz., born 11-19-14 :wub:

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Filed: K-1 Visa Country: United Kingdom
Timeline

Sounds like we have a similar timeline - I got my NOA1 just before Christmas, too, and my fiance is going through London. As almost everyone has said, just don't bother with the wedding plans (or just don't plan anything firm because there is a VERY good chance they'll have to be canceled). We are hoping to have him over by the end of September if everything goes well and we'll do a small parents-only courtroom marriage then. We really want to plan for our ceremony together so we're going to plan for a ceremony in late summer/early fall 2014. Better safe than sorry!

I am the USC/petitioner.

Our K-1 Journey
12/19/2012 - Mailed I-129F via USPS Express
12/21/2012 - I-129F arrives in Lewisville, TX according to USPS tracking (delayed because it's the USPS)
12/21/2012 - NOA1 date of receipt
12/26/2012 - NOA1 received via text/email
12/27/2012 - Checked cashed by USCIS
12/31/2012 - Alien Number changed (NOA1 hardcopy in post, but was away for 2 weeks prior)

05/16/2013 - NOA2 received via text/email

05/20/2013 - NOA2 hardcopy received in post

05/28/2013 - NVC receives packet and assigns London case number

07/15/2013 - Sent all paperwork/medical complete

08/23/2013 - Receive Interview Date

09/19/2013 - Interview

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  • 3 weeks later...
Filed: K-1 Visa Country: United Kingdom
Timeline

Ok rather than start a new thread we had a further thought we just wanted to check with anyone:

Our existing scenario is we are applying for the K1 Visa for me to go to the states. We filed our 129F in December 12, but we have now had a further idea to consider. We are thinking she could come to the UK first under a student visa to do her masters as its cheaper here, and would allow me to save more money for the move too.

Rather than cancel our application, would it be possible to delay it so that we get interview in 2014 and i move over then, effectively one year later?

Is this insane/not possible? I have heard you can ask the embassy to extend the duration of the 129F approval...

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