No Ring Ceremony,need advice please for NEWDELHI CONSULATE...

[Sawa N Ab 7]

I don't know if having the petitioner helps because they are not able to answer questions and I have heard denials with the petitioner there. I think it depends on the COs mood and the evidence.

I am hoping you get approved and please leave a detail review for the people like me who wont be able to attend and will be less worried once we see that we do not have to be there to get good results. I feel the more positive reviews will calm all of our nerves (I think a lot of people once they get approved, they forget to come on here to share their experience) and with Katie experience which started off bad we can learn that if you have the evidence, you get approved.

If you can't tell, I try to stay positive during this experience to keep my nerves calm. Wishing you luck!

[katietw95 16]

Yes, do not get discouraged. I truly do believe that as long as your relationship is real that even if you are set back that you will get approved eventually. Just stay positive. Bring as much evidence as possible.

Good luck to both of you!

[abhishek1984 5]

I don't know if having the petitioner helps because they are not able to answer questions and I have heard denials with the petitioner there. I think it depends on the COs mood and the evidence.

I am hoping you get approved and please leave a detail review for the people like me who wont be able to attend and will be less worried once we see that we do not have to be there to get good results. I feel the more positive reviews will calm all of our nerves (I think a lot of people once they get approved, they forget to come on here to share their experience) and with Katie experience which started off bad we can learn that if you have the evidence, you get approved.

If you can't tell, I try to stay positive during this experience to keep my nerves calm. Wishing you luck!

Yes Ur right.It bugs me to the core when people are here during all their journey asking for advice and help and once they get approval,they simply forget about this site or may be don't care to help others.It pisses me off big time.Definitely I will be helping out with my reviews and possible advice from my experience.

Katie I think I have enough evidence except RING CEREMONY....but I am ready to fight till the end because we have spent 6 years in this relationship and we love each other truly .I can't be deterred by some prejudice mind.If they do not approve then we will call the senator,the very next day and have them look into this matter and if they treat me bad like other applicants I am gonna bite hard.

I am the master of my fate,

I am the captain of my soul

by William Ernest Henley...

[katietw95 16]

That is the best way to be. Also, we never did a ring ceremony when we got engaged either. We did not even do a tradition marriage, just a court one. So, if that makes you feel a little better.. than good!

[LionessDeon 2,060]

One thing I find quite interesting about this whole native country custom thing is do they not take into consideration the non alien fiance(e)? Especially in cases were it is a woman, wouldn't it be possible that wedding traditions and customs may be waived to follow American traditions? Even more so when there is such a huge distance and both sides of the family cannot attend. I don't understand why when they are evaluating intercontinental, interracial, marriages that they take no consideration for all parties concerned. So if I choose to marry someone from another country, I have to follow all their traditions? We, as a couple, cannot chose to eliminate any or all of those and opt for a traditional American wedding?? Just another way our (VJers) standards of marriage have to surpass others just to be deemed "real".

OP, i truly wish you the best of luck! My brother married a wonderful girl from India who came here with her parents when she was 10. Their wedding was a mixture of both cultures, but mostly American.

[abhishek1984 5]

One thing I find quite interesting about this whole native country custom thing is do they not take into consideration the non alien fiance(e)? Especially in cases were it is a woman, wouldn't it be possible that wedding traditions and customs may be waived to follow American traditions? Even more so when there is such a huge distance and both sides of the family cannot attend. I don't understand why when they are evaluating intercontinental, interracial, marriages that they take no consideration for all parties concerned. So if I choose to marry someone from another country, I have to follow all their traditions? We, as a couple, cannot chose to eliminate any or all of those and opt for a traditional American wedding?? Just another way our (VJers) standards of marriage have to surpass others just to be deemed "real".

OP, i truly wish you the best of luck! My brother married a wonderful girl from India who came here with her parents when she was 10. Their wedding was a mixture of both cultures, but mostly American.

thank you very much...

[Adil & Jeanne 296]

i am sorry that i do not understand but this says K1 financee visa / why would you need a ceremony for a ring?

CR 1 yes, marriage photos and proof but engagement ring????

you need, as others have said, proof of a strong relationship

i wish you well but we never had to prove any ceremony for engagement / is this normal in India????

help us understand your culture as it is great to learn and know these things

[Sawa N Ab 7]

One thing I find quite interesting about this whole native country custom thing is do they not take into consideration the non alien fiance(e)? Especially in cases were it is a woman, wouldn't it be possible that wedding traditions and customs may be waived to follow American traditions? Even more so when there is such a huge distance and both sides of the family cannot attend. I don't understand why when they are evaluating intercontinental, interracial, marriages that they take no consideration for all parties concerned. So if I choose to marry someone from another country, I have to follow all their traditions? We, as a couple, cannot chose to eliminate any or all of those and opt for a traditional American wedding?? Just another way our (VJers) standards of marriage have to surpass others just to be deemed "real".

OP, i truly wish you the best of luck! My brother married a wonderful girl from India who came here with her parents when she was 10. Their wedding was a mixture of both cultures, but mostly American.

This was my exact thought process before I joined this site. I was like we are dealing with american COs so multicultural should be normal but it seems to be the opposite. I thought as a couple we got to make those decisions for our family and that as long as we got married in the first 90 days we were good. Thank you Lioness for stating exactly how I am feeling.

Abhishek, I loved that post and with that attitude I know your going to get approved. Good luck everyone!

[Sawa N Ab 7]

One of the traditions in Indian wedding ceremony is to have a ring ceremony to announce the engagement. It usually the first event when the two families gather together to celebrate the marriage. The ring ceremony can be as big as the wedding and some times they cause issue in the K1 visa process because the COs think they are a wedding but they are just a ring ceremony. It seems it very common for the COs to ask during the interview if you had a ring ceremony, I think it is a way to show that your family approves of the marriage. Family approval is a big factor in deciding approval in the India process.

[abhishek1984 5]

i am sorry that i do not understand but this says K1 financee visa / why would you need a ceremony for a ring?

CR 1 yes, marriage photos and proof but engagement ring????

you need, as others have said, proof of a strong relationship

i wish you well but we never had to prove any ceremony for engagement / is this normal in India????

help us understand your culture as it is great to learn and know these things

Hi adil! Well yes in India we have an Engagement Ceremony before wedding day.The bride and the Groom exchange rings and it signifies a promise to marry each other or a seal deal u can say.You are right in some countries they do not bother to ask for the Ring Ceremony and pics for evidence but here in India they are all ready to grill you for that.I can understand if both petitioner and the beneficiary are ethnically Indian then yes its obvious that they will follow their customs.My fiancee is a USC and they don't have a Ring Ceremony like us.She came to India to meet my family for 12 days and I didn't want her to do something which she is not accustomed to.She wanted a platinum ring and some designs she liked on some American website.I didn't know that she doesn't like yellow gold.So we decided to purchase the wedding band and the ring once I reach USA.

The ring ceremony usually happens in the case where the marriage is arranged by parents,basically relatives and friends come to the party and witness the ceremony and eat free food and later complain about things(oh! the food was not delicious,the ice cream was melted and blah blah.#######).My elder sister and brother in law did not have a ring ceremony and they had a love marriage.Why should I spend my hard earned money for people just to show off?.

I did not know that the Indian consulates make it a huge issue.Also they are grilling people to let their fiance/fiancee stay at their house with the parents.I don't know what is wrong with these people.It's our life and our decision where we will stay.

Anyways thanks for stopping by adil

[TBoneTX 43,476]

*** Thread moved from K-1 Process forum to the Embassy/Consulate forum -- topic involves the interview. ***

[dilip 187]

Recently, my fiancee went for interview @ Delhi and I was with her. Our application was front loaded and prepared by a immigration lawyer ( VJ helped all the way to collect the documents - Thanks VJ). But, during interview , she was asked all the standard questions and more. She was divorced before and she was ask reasons with details. Took the photo albums and ask her to wait and then called her back again. Ask about marriage plans, why KI visa. However, if you have all the answers and you answered them confidently and you have supporting documents to prove those, I think, you will be approved. Delhi Embassy is not easy except one lady ( window 20, white looking), but she was handling mostly parents visa ( 0 token number) visa.

[trublubu2 62]

hi @abhishek1984--thanks for sharing about the customs, and i must say that i had a great chuckle of familiarity at this part:

[...]basically relatives and friends come to the party and witness the ceremony and eat free food and later complain about things(oh! the food was not delicious,the ice cream was melted and blah blah.#######).

^^ YUP!! sounds just like weddings/engagement parties/bridal showers in the U.S., hahahah!

Why should I spend my hard earned money for people just to show off?.

^^ i concur wholeheartedly with this^^

thanks for the laugh and best of luck on your journey and i wish you smooth sailing all throughout your process.

Edited October 13, 2015 by trublubu2

[abhishek1984 5]

Recently, my fiancee went for interview @ Delhi and I was with her. Our application was front loaded and prepared by a immigration lawyer ( VJ helped all the way to collect the documents - Thanks VJ). But, during interview , she was asked all the standard questions and more. She was divorced before and she was ask reasons with details. Took the photo albums and ask her to wait and then called her back again. Ask about marriage plans, why KI visa. However, if you have all the answers and you answered them confidently and you have supporting documents to prove those, I think, you will be approved. Delhi Embassy is not easy except one lady ( window 20, white looking), but she was handling mostly parents visa ( 0 token number) visa.

thank you dilip,i wish they rotate this lady to the k1 visa interview window on 15th

[vsathyak 6]

We are a Interracial couple.Met online in 2009 and eventually developed a relationship and met three times in real life(2 times I visited her to the USA and 1 time she visited INDIA for 12 days),in total we spent like 35 days.I have been to USA like 9 times.1 time on tourist visa to be with her for 20 days.I used to work for a Cruise Ship company for 9 years in USA.She applied for a K 1 in December 2014.We never had a FORMAL RING CEREMONY as she told me that people usually don't do it in the USA.So we decided that I will buy her a ring once I reach USA as she did not like Indian designs for engagement rings.

We are planning to have a Courthouse Wedding as soon as I reach USA followed by a Wedding Reception at a Clubhouse.I have the receipts of flowers,clubhouse and the catering quote for the food along with the guest list who will be attending the wedding reception and their contact information.Also photographs of me with her mom and my fiancee with my family(if CO cares to look at them).Also affidavits from her family and my family about our relationship.

Now coming to the point-I have read many reviews about NEW DELHI consulate and the Chinese looking CO who grills the applicants.I know she is gonna grill me to the core for this "ring ceremony"thing and may be not issue the visa.I just need some ideas how to to reply to this question in a best possible way or handle this issue.YOUR ADVICE WILL BE GREATLY APPRECIATED.Thanks in advance...

I am not sure about New Delhi Consulate. I had my interview at Mumbai. But based on my experience I can say that u should be ready to answer lot of questions. Collect as much as proof.. They will ask the questions back and forth multiple times to make sure that your relationship is genuine. Also be ready to say the full story of how u both met and all those stuff. Please go through the below link which contain list of questions that I prepared long back for my interview. Hope it might help you someway..

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/440805-k1-visa-interview-questions/

Best wishes..