Is the K1 route the only way for us?

[chriswells 0]

Hi

I wish to ask if some of you will look over my plan and confirm that I am doing the best (only) thing.

In brief:

I am a mature male

We have known each other for four years and visited many times

Proposal Dec 2006

Apply for K1

Ceremony in UK May 2007

Both parties to USA May 2007

USA licence and ceremony June 2007

Both live in USA thereafter.

I am British. I return to the USA for Christmas and New Year when I will propose that we marry each other in May 2007.

My intended dearly wanted a British wedding. However, my research suggests that I would have difficulty in returning immediately with her to the USA since the protection for the USA is a lengthy investigation into my standing and status following her filing of the I130.

For this reason I think it best if we apply for a K1 visa. The US Embassy in London will conduct any interviews.

My intended will travel to the UK for a ceremony in church (to be agreed). However, the civil licencing and registration will not be done here in the UK. We will then have a brief honeymoon, finalise asset disposal here (UK) and both return together to the USA.

I will enter the USA using a K1 Visa and we will launch into an American ceremony and registration.

The licence will therefore record an American wedding and I will adjust my status to work.

That concludes my plan.

My original wish was for her to obtain a visa-marriage to enter the UK and we marry and return together. However, I would enter the USA improperly using the visa waiver scheme and risk deportation when the AOS is applied for.

Our main difficulty appears to be my entry into the USA directly after the wedding.

Will you be kind enough to review my plan and advise me if there are alternatives or if I have chosen the most appropriate route.

Thank you very much

Chris

[heishe 2]

As long as the UK wedding is not legally binding or officially registered, your plan should be fine. You could also file for a K3 after marrying in the UK, but you'd probably have to be apart several months after your wedding.

[Ladylethal 12]

If you start the paperwork right after the engagement you could have the visa by the time you want, or a little later, by when you would be able to fly back to USA with your fiancee in a K1 visa. Read the guide and UK Embassy experiences to have an idea of the time you'll be waiting.

[Turboguy 6]

Yes, that is a good plan as long as the UK wedding is just a cerimony and not registered. Many people do that because the Foreign parnter (bride ususally) wants the service for her friends and family.

If you did a real one there you would have to abandon you K-1 and start from scratch with a K-3 and it would take a long time.

[ms514 0]

That is that plan I had, but there is one small snag. The British government requires that ALL marriage ceremonies be registered with the Registrar's office and that the sivil marriage must be registered either simultaneously or before the ceremonial wedding.

I ran into this issue while trying to get married, as the places of worship request paperwork from the registrar's office before they will book a date for your wedding (less separation of church and state there). IF you can find a priest/minister and church who will do the ceremonial wedding without filing the civil marriage, you can use the K1 route. But just be aware that the British do technically require that all marriage ceremonies must be done simultaneously or after the civil marriage. This is why I am sitting here doing the I-130 and K3 instead of the K1 (which I had filed and had to withdraw due to this stipulation).

So if you can find such a priest/minister and church removed from this paperwork, go for the K1. BUT make sure to check around for that first. Sorry to rain on your parade, but better to look into it now than later.

You can contact the U.K. Registrar people with the information here:

http://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/contactu...ips_Section.asp

The stipulation for the civil marriage is here:

http://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/marriage.../marriage1b.asp

[Ladylethal 12]

If that's the case then you can't get married in UK and go for a K1, you'd have to go through a K3 or just have a wedding reception for her family without getting married in church.

[sophyie 0]

That is that plan I had, but there is one small snag. The British government requires that ALL marriage ceremonies be registered with the Registrar's office and that the sivil marriage must be registered either simultaneously or before the ceremonial wedding.

I ran into this issue while trying to get married, as the places of worship request paperwork from the registrar's office before they will book a date for your wedding (less separation of church and state there). IF you can find a priest/minister and church who will do the ceremonial wedding without filing the civil marriage, you can use the K1 route. But just be aware that the British do technically require that all marriage ceremonies must be done simultaneously or after the civil marriage. This is why I am sitting here doing the I-130 and K3 instead of the K1 (which I had filed and had to withdraw due to this stipulation).

So if you can find such a priest/minister and church removed from this paperwork, go for the K1. BUT make sure to check around for that first. Sorry to rain on your parade, but better to look into it now than later.

You can contact the U.K. Registrar people with the information here:

http://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/contactu...ips_Section.asp

The stipulation for the civil marriage is here:

http://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/marriage.../marriage1b.asp

Reading this I'd suggest getting married in the US on the K1 and return to the UK later for a big reception for friends and family. It would also be possible to have a "ceremony", vows, a white dress...

[chriswells 0]

Thank you all very much for your considered opinions and help.

The question of the civil side of the wedding is the subject of my meeting with our vicar in a couple of days.

I must say I am very happy to know of all problems in advance that I can plan around them.

It may be that the ceremony is by special arrangement or is in the form of a blessing, (though that is usually after a Register Office wedding not before).

A K3 route is an awful enforced parting. I do feel for you. Thank you for the links too!

Thank you again and I will be pleased to receive other comments.

Chris

[chriswells 0]

A blessing of a marriage before a licence is issued does not seem possible for us after all.

We have to rethink the whole plan.

Thank you all for your advice so far.

Chris