yikes, this is all so new and confusing!

[kimchigirl 0]

..hello! i'm new to this forum..i've been with my fiance for 6 years, and we've just decided to get married. XD it's been long-distance for the last 2 years, as his student visa expired and he had to go back to korea. we've only been able to see each other 1 or 2 times a year, at great expense. we're about to start the h-1 visa application process, and i'm wondering if anyone has any advice on getting through all this smoothly?

..i also have some questions--1. i know he can't come here for a visit before the visa is granted, but what about me? am i allowed to leave the country? his father is in poor health, so there is always a chance that i would have to attend a funeral. 2. we're planning on having a ceremony here, and one in korea. i know the one in the usa will have to be the official, legal one, but would we be able to have an unofficial ceremony in korea before the h-1 visa was granted? or after it was granted, but before he comes over here? anyone else who is having this issue? good grief, this is such a pain in the @ss to try to organize. i'm used to the long-distance thing, but i'm ready for that part to be OVER. >_<

~stephanie

[Niels Bohr 72]

WELCOME TO VJ!!!

[athena_ny 1]

Are you referring to the K1 visa? I don't know what an H1 (other than an H1B) is, so I'm going to assume you mean K1.

Technically, you could do a ceremony in Korea first but if the officer at the POE suspects he's already married, even if the cermony wasn't legally binding, you run the risk of him not being granted admission.

..hello! i'm new to this forum..i've been with my fiance for 6 years, and we've just decided to get married. XD it's been long-distance for the last 2 years, as his student visa expired and he had to go back to korea. we've only been able to see each other 1 or 2 times a year, at great expense. we're about to start the h-1 visa application process, and i'm wondering if anyone has any advice on getting through all this smoothly?

..i also have some questions--1. i know he can't come here for a visit before the visa is granted, but what about me? am i allowed to leave the country? his father is in poor health, so there is always a chance that i would have to attend a funeral. 2. we're planning on having a ceremony here, and one in korea. i know the one in the usa will have to be the official, legal one, but would we be able to have an unofficial ceremony in korea before the h-1 visa was granted? or after it was granted, but before he comes over here? anyone else who is having this issue? good grief, this is such a pain in the @ss to try to organize. i'm used to the long-distance thing, but i'm ready for that part to be OVER. >_<

~stephanie

[kimchigirl 0]

WELCOME TO VJ!!!

thank you!!

[TimsDaisy 0]

You mean K1.

You, as the USC, are free to leave the country during the process (any other questions depend on Korea's immigration laws, which I can't comment on).

He *may* be able to come for a visit during the process - you can find plenty of threads about visits during pending K1s here on the boards.

Read the GUIDES and the FAQ tabs at the top of the page. Then check out the "immigration timelines" section for more information.

You can have all the unofficial ceremonies you want - so long as the sole legal, binding wedding takes place in the United States, if you are having your fiance enter with the K1 visa.

You'll be fine. The main thing you need for this process is patience.

Spend a week or so familiarizing yourself with the process through the information here, the information on the instructions on the government forms, and other discussions here on the boards and elsewhere on the net. Then you can develop a list of specific questions if you have trouble areas.

Best of luck.

[kimchigirl 0]

Are you referring to the K1 visa? I don't know what an H1 (other than an H1B) is, so I'm going to assume you mean K1.

Technically, you could do a ceremony in Korea first but if the officer at the POE suspects he's already married, even if the cermony wasn't legally binding, you run the risk of him not being granted admission.

..hello! i'm new to this forum..i've been with my fiance for 6 years, and we've just decided to get married. XD it's been long-distance for the last 2 years, as his student visa expired and he had to go back to korea. we've only been able to see each other 1 or 2 times a year, at great expense. we're about to start the h-1 visa application process, and i'm wondering if anyone has any advice on getting through all this smoothly?

..i also have some questions--1. i know he can't come here for a visit before the visa is granted, but what about me? am i allowed to leave the country? his father is in poor health, so there is always a chance that i would have to attend a funeral. 2. we're planning on having a ceremony here, and one in korea. i know the one in the usa will have to be the official, legal one, but would we be able to have an unofficial ceremony in korea before the h-1 visa was granted? or after it was granted, but before he comes over here? anyone else who is having this issue? good grief, this is such a pain in the @ss to try to organize. i'm used to the long-distance thing, but i'm ready for that part to be OVER. >_<

~stephanie

oops, k-1, yes..i'm thinking of several things at once.^^ hrm....good to know they might look on that with suspicion..thanks.

[athena_ny 1]

Most of the time on these boards it's suggested that if you go that route, make very sure not to wear rings, refer to each other as husband or wife, etc etc until the legal marriage takes place.

Are you referring to the K1 visa? I don't know what an H1 (other than an H1B) is, so I'm going to assume you mean K1.

Technically, you could do a ceremony in Korea first but if the officer at the POE suspects he's already married, even if the cermony wasn't legally binding, you run the risk of him not being granted admission.

..hello! i'm new to this forum..i've been with my fiance for 6 years, and we've just decided to get married. XD it's been long-distance for the last 2 years, as his student visa expired and he had to go back to korea. we've only been able to see each other 1 or 2 times a year, at great expense. we're about to start the h-1 visa application process, and i'm wondering if anyone has any advice on getting through all this smoothly?

..i also have some questions--1. i know he can't come here for a visit before the visa is granted, but what about me? am i allowed to leave the country? his father is in poor health, so there is always a chance that i would have to attend a funeral. 2. we're planning on having a ceremony here, and one in korea. i know the one in the usa will have to be the official, legal one, but would we be able to have an unofficial ceremony in korea before the h-1 visa was granted? or after it was granted, but before he comes over here? anyone else who is having this issue? good grief, this is such a pain in the @ss to try to organize. i'm used to the long-distance thing, but i'm ready for that part to be OVER. >_<

~stephanie

oops, k-1, yes..i'm thinking of several things at once.^^ hrm....good to know they might look on that with suspicion..thanks.

[TimsDaisy 0]

Are you referring to the K1 visa? I don't

Technically, you could do a ceremony in Korea first but if the officer at the POE suspects he's already married, even if the cermony wasn't legally binding, you run the risk of him not being granted admission.

oops, k-1, yes..i'm thinking of several things at once.^^ hrm....good to know they might look on that with suspicion..thanks.

They may or may not, but the bottom line is - if he isn't married, then he isn't married. Wearing a nice suit and eating a particular kind of cake doesn't make you legally married in this country. Make sure you leave out any legal processes that would make a Korean ceremony legally binding and you should be fine.

[maya62 7]

Are you referring to the K1 visa? I don't

Technically, you could do a ceremony in Korea first but if the officer at the POE suspects he's already married, even if the cermony wasn't legally binding, you run the risk of him not being granted admission.

oops, k-1, yes..i'm thinking of several things at once.^^ hrm....good to know they might look on that with suspicion..thanks.

They may or may not, but the bottom line is - if he isn't married, then he isn't married. Wearing a nice suit and eating a particular kind of cake doesn't make you legally married in this country. Make sure you leave out any legal processes that would make a Korean ceremony legally binding and you should be fine.

Having gone that route (having two ceremonies... a non-legal one in my husband's country, and a legal one here), I would recommend against it. It is much easier to prove to anyone that you ARE married than it is to prove to a suspicious CPB agent at the point-of-entry into the US that you aren't. People have been turned around at the POE and sent back because of this. This process has enough worries and headaches to it without adding to them oneself unnecessarily.

Just my opinion,

Best wishes to the OP,

Maya

[athena_ny 1]

It's not up to the CBP officer to find out if you really are married in your country - if it walks like a duck, and talks like a duck, it must be a duck, right? Even if it's really a cat.

Are you referring to the K1 visa? I don't

Technically, you could do a ceremony in Korea first but if the officer at the POE suspects he's already married, even if the cermony wasn't legally binding, you run the risk of him not being granted admission.

oops, k-1, yes..i'm thinking of several things at once.^^ hrm....good to know they might look on that with suspicion..thanks.

They may or may not, but the bottom line is - if he isn't married, then he isn't married. Wearing a nice suit and eating a particular kind of cake doesn't make you legally married in this country. Make sure you leave out any legal processes that would make a Korean ceremony legally binding and you should be fine.

Having gone that route (having two ceremonies... a non-legal one in my husband's country, and a legal one here), I would recommend against it. It is much easier to prove to anyone that you ARE married than it is to prove to a suspicious CPB agent at the point-of-entry into the US that you aren't. People have been turned around at the POE and sent back because of this. This process has enough worries and headaches to it without adding to them oneself unnecessarily.

Just my opinion,

Best wishes to the OP,

Maya

[TimsDaisy 0]

Is it too hard to travel without your wedding ring or a large, white album stamped with "Our Wedding" on top?

I think it would be pretty easy to not arouse suspicion. Especially since you wouldn't be married! Just remember that part - no matter how big the ceremony, if you aren't married, you aren't married.

Use common sense - avoid trouble.

[stevenw60 0]

good luck guys

Edited March 19, 2007 by stevenw60