Wedding in fiancée's country for her family before coming to the U.S. on K-1

[Karmalious 50]

This will not be over quickly...You will not enjoy this...

LOL! I might just steal your signature and use it for myself lol.

[NigeriaorBust 4,087]

As a couple that suffered through a denial the line was fitting.

[Shauneg 762]

thanks to everyone for the quick responses... went with K-1 to avoid the hassle of waiting longer for her to come to the states with K-3 method. I have read a lot of posts and information with people stating that they did a second ceremony for the fiancé(e)'s family in their home country, but never knew the specifics of the "second" ceremonies. So sounds like it is always a non official ceremony without paperwork.

So thus before or after makes no difference (with no papers)?

In case it wasn't clear to you, after you are married in the states and are granted AP or she gets her green card, you are free to go have whatever kind of ceremony you want in her home country...it must be after though

[raven52 233]

We had a huge engagement party in the Philippines, BUT.,.,.nothing close to a ceremony! If you do ""anything"" that can be construed as a marriage, she cannot enter the USA on a K-1 visa.

If you want all to go smoothly, forget any thoughts of anything like a ceremony ""OF any type"" how would you like to start all over on a CR-1, that takes 12-16 months?

I hope you read this, and take it very seriously.,.,. as a marriage ceremony in Columbia, will ruin you and your fiance, being just to please family.,.,.K-1's does not work that way.

K-1's are for speed, and not to please family members. Do something in Columbia.,.,,.,."after" she enters the USA, on a K-1 and get married here first, by all means.

Good luck on the rest of your journey, and make sound decisions.

[kamw 93]

We had a huge engagement party in the Philippines, BUT.,.,.nothing close to a ceremony! If you do ""anything"" that can be construed as a marriage, she cannot enter the USA on a K-1 visa.

If you want all to go smoothly, forget any thoughts of anything like a ceremony ""OF any type"" how would you like to start all over on a CR-1, that takes 12-16 months?

I hope you read this, and take it very seriously.,.,. as a marriage ceremony in Columbia, will ruin you and your fiance, being just to please family.,.,.K-1's does not work that way.

K-1's are for speed, and not to please family members. Do something in Columbia.,.,,.,."after" she enters the USA, on a K-1 and get married here first, by all means.

Good luck on the rest of your journey, and make sound decisions.

So if they have a commitment ceremony (i.e. no pastor, no pronouncement of husband and wife) it could possibly be misconstrued as a wedding? Like if all the family comes together and has a party and someone prays over them or something like that, they could have problems?

[baron555 934]

My Fianceé wil be having her K-1 visa interview the first week of June in Bogotá, Colombia. Assuming it goes well for her, I was going to fly out to see her in late July or early August. We wanted to have a wedding ceremony for her family in Colombia before we return together to the United States. Once here in the states, we would do a courthouse type wedding U.S. legal formalities/ AOS purposes (nothing fancy since we did that with her family in Colombia).

If the wedding in Colombia is a legitimate wedding by Colombian standards, is there any issues with that?

Yep, then the K-1 would be invalid since now youve become married. You can do what you wish, just do the ceremony, then cancel the K-1 and apply for the CR-1 Spousal visa.

I am definitely in favor of this as it would give my fiancée's family the opportunity to be a part of the process and we would still be doing the required wedding for K-1 purposes in the states.

Nope, wrong thinking on your part.

Thanks in advance.

So if they have a commitment ceremony (i.e. no pastor, no pronouncement of husband and wife) it could possibly be misconstrued as a wedding? Like if all the family comes together and has a party and someone prays over them or something like that, they could have problems?

Yep it could. If it looks like a wedding then it is a wedding. The OP calls it getting married....which is a wedding.

[kamw 93]

So if there is no actual paperwork generated from the "wedding", how would USCIS make their determination? When they submit their AOS packet it would just be with the US marriage record, there would be no record of anything from their home country.

I mean if they have their visa in hand and have the "wedding party", no paperwork is generated and they don't mention it at the POE, would USCIS really care enough to go research? Or is it something they are asked about and have to answer at the POE?

I'm just curious as to how the process works so I hope I coming off as trying to go around any rules or instruct the OP to do anything that may get him them in trouble.

[usmsbow 795]

So if there is no actual paperwork generated from the "wedding", how would USCIS make their determination? When they submit their AOS packet it would just be with the US marriage record, there would be no record of anything from their home country.

I mean if they have their visa in hand and have the "wedding party", no paperwork is generated and they don't mention it at the POE, would USCIS really care enough to go research? Or is it something they are asked about and have to answer at the POE?

I'm just curious as to how the process works so I hope I coming off as trying to go around any rules or instruct the OP to do anything that may get him them in trouble.

Short answer: no one can answer for certain what a government official will or will not feel motivated to do. But yes, I think you are right.

One point of correction: USCIS is not at the POE. It is Customs and Border Patrol. Both are in DHS, but are different agencies.

[kamw 93]

Thanks for answering my random ponderings.

I'd play it safe and just have a bridal/wedding shower at home with the family and then just move here and get married but it would be interesting to see what the official stance is on the situation.

[Boiler 43,433]

Thanks for answering my random ponderings.

I'd play it safe and just have a bridal/wedding shower at home with the family and then just move here and get married but it would be interesting to see what the official stance is on the situation.

Official stance?

K1 is for marrying in the US.

[Loki_Go 126]

So if they have a commitment ceremony (i.e. no pastor, no pronouncement of husband and wife) it could possibly be misconstrued as a wedding? Like if all the family comes together and has a party and someone prays over them or something like that, they could have problems?

Yes. And I imagine if you or your fiancee post pictures anywhere online of any kind of ceremony or she brings those pictures back with her that would be trouble IMO.

[kamw 93]

Official stance?

K1 is for marrying in the US.

Really? I had no idea.

I meant official stance on having a wedding party/civil ceremony/mock wedding outside the US before having a legal and true wedding in the US. I see so many ppl adamantly against having anything outside the country because USCIS might look at it as a real wedding, while I think they really don't care as long as you are not legally married when you enter the country and are prepared to get married in the allotted time frame.

[Ortolan 381]

Have an engagement party in Columbia. Then you get married in the U.S.

[Unidentified 2,930]

If it's considered a legal marriage in her home country the US will see the two of you as married and you won't be able to use the K1 visa. Also if you do something that looks too much like a wedding they will be suspicious and think it's a wedding and there won't be a K1 anymore.

[Mike-eeh and Odie 192]

thanks to everyone for the quick responses... went with K-1 to avoid the hassle of waiting longer for her to come to the states with K-3 method. I have read a lot of posts and information with people stating that they did a second ceremony for the fiancé(e)'s family in their home country, but never knew the specifics of the "second" ceremonies. So sounds like it is always a non official ceremony without paperwork.

So thus before or after makes no difference (with no papers)?

There have been instances where couples would do an "engagement ceremony," no papers, etc., and were told to start over with a CR-1. It was like being not married, but "just married enough" to convince a CO a wedding of some sort took place.