Religious Ceremony in Ireland

[USA12345 0]

To start out, I realize questions like this have been asked before, however, they all seem to ask if you can have a ceremony before getting your K-1

So, my fiancee is from Northern Ireland and we want to get married there. Would we be able to apply for a K-1 fiancee visa and after receiving the visa have a religious ceremony (no wedding license signed) in Ireland. Then after the ceremony travel to the US and have a legally binding ceremony (probably just go to the court house and sign the papers)?

Thanks

[KayDeeCee 4,904]

If you have a ceremony without actually becoming legally married, then you can. Are religious ceremonies legal in Ireland? If so, do not do it.

[aaron2020 11,652]

To start out, I realize questions like this have been asked before, however, they all seem to ask if you can have a ceremony before getting your K-1

So, my fiancee is from Northern Ireland and we want to get married there. Would we be able to apply for a K-1 fiancee visa and after receiving the visa have a religious ceremony (no wedding license signed) in Ireland. Then after the ceremony travel to the US and have a legally binding ceremony (probably just go to the court house and sign the papers)?

Thanks

DO NOT DO THIS!!!!

Read this; http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/493079-k1-visa-denied-to-getting-married/

[wildcrdj 12]

That thread seems a little more complicated. Everything I have read indicates that the restriction is you cannot be legally married. Whatever parties or ceremonies you have should not have an effect if there is no legal basis. Now, in some countries this can get murky so make sure you understand the law, and possibly if it was a high-fraud country there could be an issue.

[christeen 966]

This is playing with fire... If you attempt to,do,this (as many have) you have to be willing to face any consequences if for some reason they find out. Of there is a chance that this "wedding" can be construed as a legal marriage, then you could find yourself in the grey area of being "too married for a K1 but not married enough for the CR1" Has this been done successfully? Yes... Has this plan blown up in others faces? Yes as well... Best I can say is do a search here and see what others experiences are...

[Boiler 48,942]

A Church Wedding in the UK is a Wedding.

You can have as many religious ceremonies as you like. Some sort of blessing? Never understood the point but your call.

[NigeriaorBust 4,096]

In most places a church wedding is a legal marriage , you have to have a permit to do it and it is recorded as an official wedding. So having a K1 , getting married outside the US then entering with the K1 is fraud and could lead to a ban. You could legally go the other way around , hop over to the US, do the courthouse thing and then go back for the big wedding. Most religious officials will NOT do a church wedding without all the proper paperwork. If a foreign wedding is what you have your hearts on the option is K1 wedding in the US , Big wedding after AP / AOS ( check to see if the religious person will do the wedding ) or big wedding then file a CR1 and wait about a year to come to the US