Is official church engagement OK?

[Sekhvaruli 74]

We are planning to get married in the US, because K-1 visa process is faster than I-130. But we don't want to miss the pleasure of sharing our joy with the entire family of my fiance. Family in the Republic of Georgia is a scared concept. And I would love to invite my family from Russia as well. So, we came up with the idea to have an official church engagement instead of wedding, which in the Orthodoxy can be separated from the wedding ceremony. The bride can also wear the same wedding dress during that ceremony, and the family will share our prayers for our blessing by the Lord and our future well-being. After the church engagement we would have the engagement reception.

Question - will that be OK for the K-1 visa, if we do it some time before the interview? The church will provide us with the official engagement certificate, of course. We have a fear that engagement party pictures will be treated as wedding pictures and that might cause the denial. Or, may be, we better have that engagement after the interview?

Edited April 1, 2014 by Sekhvaruli

[No name 88 48]

I've seen this go both ways for the K-1 visa. Generally if it looks like a wedding you may have a hard time convincing the CO that it's not during the interview. 10 years ago I'd say no issue just don't t volunteer information about the party but today with social networking the pictures will be all over facebook and elsewhere. Immigration officers have been known to check.

I've heard of couples having issues in Vietnam for the K-1 both ways. The local custom is to have an engagement party with hundreds of people. Some unknowing CO's denied the K-1 because they thought it was a wedding in the photos. Another was denied because they didn't have the customary engagement party but I think there was more going on in that case than the poster was telling.

Your better off to not have the party. Might I suggest you do the K-1 first and have the party after the visa is in hand before you travel to the US. Just don't put any photos of this at your POE

Also don't just look at speed of the visa process. The K-1 is fast to go to the US but your fiancee can't work or travel for up to 9 months after coming to the US. That doesn't work for some couples. The CR-1 takes about a year before your fiancee steps in the US but you can work and travel right away. Also the CR-1 has a little better approval success and you don't have to worry the order of your relationship.

[Sekhvaruli 74]

Also don't just look at speed of the visa process. The K-1 is fast to go to the US but your fiancee can't work or travel for up to 9 months after coming to the US. That doesn't work for some couples. The CR-1 takes about a year before your fiancee steps in the US but you can work and travel right away. Also the CR-1 has a little better approval success and you don't have to worry the order of your relationship.

On K-1 visa my fiance won't be able to work for about a couple of months until he gets his work permit in the US. But he doesn't speak English, so, he wouldn't be able to do so anyway. He will bring his savings here and learn some English first. We believe, it will be better for us if he comes here sooner than later.

[Sekhvaruli 74]

Any more opinions?

[christeen 966]

I have seen many here denied because they believe they are married... If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck... Then... Personally I would NOT risk it, otherwise you will have wasted nearly a year. If having a big weddi g with family and such is so important,I say do the wedding and file CR1 or do the k1 then come back after and do a big ceremony... But dressed n a weddi g dress with friends and family is asking for trouble

[JE57 239]

I would agree with other posters, a engagement party that looks like a wedding seems risky. Perhaps a justice of the peace wedding in the USA and apply for Advance Parole at the time you apply for Adjustment of status so you can go to Georgia in as little maybe 2 - 3 months and have the religious wedding there. But what you are suggesting sounds like asking for complications with immigration.

[Ilovemyman 147]

You will be denied if you do that, for co you will be married.

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

I agree you will be denied for being married. I think this came up before with the eastern orthodox church and someone explained this part was a betrothal, which is effectively a marriage, not an engagement.

[baron555 934]

Or, may be, we better have that engagement after the interview?

Yep.....Email the Embassy and inquire to their understanding about the difference.....or none.

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

You also cannot get married after the interview. You (or your fiance rather) must be unmarried when you enter the US.

From what I remember, you got USC from being married to an American, and dumped him right after you got your citizenship based on 3 years, and then filed I-129F for someone in your home country, and now want to get semi-married and continue with the K-1 because it's "faster." I would tread carefully.

[Sekhvaruli 74]

Then another question - if after the same ceremony we apply for a husband's visa, shall we be approved? Since it will be officially treated as a marriage,

not an engagement?

[Sekhvaruli 74]

You also cannot get married after the interview. You (or your fiance rather) must be unmarried when you enter the US.

From what I remember, you got USC from being married to an American, and dumped him right after you got your citizenship based on 3 years, and then filed I-129F for someone in your home country, and now want to get semi-married and continue with the K-1 because it's "faster." I would tread carefully.

Not in my home country. Not right after getting my citizenship. Citizenship was received in August 2013, and the divorce is filed on Feb. 19th 2014.

Edited April 2, 2014 by Sekhvaruli

[Sekhvaruli 74]

Yep.....Email the Embassy and inquire to their understanding about the difference.....or none.

Yes, I also thought the best way would be to ask the embassy directly via email about the way they will treat the official church betrothal. And then use their email response as the validation of what we will do.

[Sekhvaruli 74]

When I receive the answer from the consulate in Tbilisi, Georgia, I will post it here.

[Sekhvaruli 74]

Almost everyone, answering to me in this topic, was wrong.

This is the official answer I received from the Conuslar Section in Tbilisi, Georgia:

The US government does not recognize church marriages (to say nothting about betrothals!!!) which take place in Georgia as legal documentation of a marriage. If a marriage is documented by a Civil Registry or legal authority in Georgia however, then the beneficiary would not be eligible for a petition of this kind.

Best Regards,
Consular Section