Ceremony/Reception while K1 Visa is Pending

[Becci391 339]

6 minutes ago, RB&MN said:

So you suggest I abandon the K1 visa now, go to Canada and get married and start the Cr-1 process when I come back? Will she be able to come to the states?

 

Yes but only to visit you.

She has to proof that she will return to Canada. At the end the immigration officer is the one who decides if he let's her in or not.

[Lemonslice 4,583]

6 minutes ago, RB&MN said:

So you suggest I abandon the K1 visa now, go to Canada and get married and start the Cr-1 process when I come back? Will she be able to come to the states?

 

What is the most important to you and your fiancée:  Living together as soon as possible? Getting married on no other date than September 2? 

[RB&MN 3]

I don't think that's a possibility. We have our sets and money set on Sep 2nd. Our little cousins and nephews are out of school, it's good for everyone.

[Lemonslice 4,583]

Please remind her to bring documents to support she intends to return to Canada after your wedding. 

[RB&MN 3]

yes that is our plan. Thank you all for the feedback and advice.

[DaveAndAnastasia 2,079]

10 minutes ago, RB&MN said:

So you suggest I abandon the K1 visa now, go to Canada and get married and start the Cr-1 process when I come back? Will she be able to come to the states?

 

It depends on what's important to you and your fiancee. How attached are you to that date? Was she already worried about not being able to work or travel for an extended period?

 

If I were in your shoes, I'd abandon the idea of getting married on Sept 2nd and keep going with the K-1; you're already three months into the process there and starting over would take more time. But my fiancee is in Russia and that poses some logistical difficulties that a Canadian partner really shouldn't have, I think.

[Hbomb 22]

4 hours ago, RB&MN said:

We want to get married september 2nd. Have the date set and all. I have received my NOA1 on 1/24/2018. Finance is from Canada. You all think this visa will come in before Sept 2nd?

 

If no, what's plan B?

 

R+M

Hey! I am a Canadian fiancee of an American petitioner. When I filed back in August/17 I thought 9 months would be plenty of time to get the VISA but I was dead wrong. I ended up moving the (already tentative) wedding date three times and began to accept the grim reality that the process was going to lag on rather badly this year. We ended up booking our wedding 12 months after our filing time and we're pretty sure that will give some room. 

In my opinion, I think 8 months would be cutting it too close. 

[Hattivatti 35]

Marrying her now won't hasten her coming to states. But, if you abandon the K1 now and start the CR1 after getting married, you also lose all the money you've already put on the K1 application, AND you'll have to do (and pay the normal full price too) CR1 visa, which also will take 12-16months, based on recent forum posts.

 

Best course of action, finish the K1 and do the wedding AFTER she has the visa in hand.

[bowens44 213]

7 hours ago, RB&MN said:

We want to get married september 2nd. Have the date set and all. I have received my NOA1 on 1/24/2018. Finance is from Canada. You all think this visa will come in before Sept 2nd?

 

If no, what's plan B?

 

R+M

Obviously plan B is postpone the wedding. 

[212GUY 0]

9 hours ago, RB&MN said:

We want to get married september 2nd. Have the date set and all. I have received my NOA1 on 1/24/2018. Finance is from Canada. You all think this visa will come in before Sept 2nd?

 

If no, what's plan B?

 

R+M

Have you received the NOA2? Based on what I've been reading about K1 Visa, it takes about 5-7 months for the entire process to complete. Please don't risk jeopardizing your fiance's K1 plan by getting married now. And God willing by September you guys will be married in the US. And really you can't do much at this point other than waiting. Also if I were you, I wouldn't think about a plan-b right now. Too early! Good luck and god bless!

[Becci391 339]

2 minutes ago, 212GUY said:

Have you received the NOA2? Based on what I've been reading about K1 Visa, it takes about 5-7 months for the entire process to complete. Please don't risk jeopardizing your fiance's K1 plan by getting married now. And God willing by September you guys will be married in the US. And really you can't do much at this point other than waiting. Also if I were you, I wouldn't think about a plan-b right now. Too early! Good luck and god bless!

K1 takes longer than that. More like 8 to 12 months.

It was 6 to 8 months when I started the process in 2016.

[212GUY 0]

2 minutes ago, Becci391 said:

K1 takes longer than that. More like 8 to 12 months.

It was 6 to 8 months when I started the process in 2016.

It all depends on what country your Fiance is applying from. Canada would be faster as opposed to European Nations/Asia.  

[Naes 12,205]

2 minutes ago, 212GUY said:

It all depends on what country your Fiance is applying from. Canada would be faster as opposed to European Nations/Asia.  

Montreal is not even sending packet 3 timely. It is filled with applicants lately.

NOA2 and NVC times has nothing to do with country.

 

I have no clue how Canada will be faster than any other country under these circumstances....

[Paul & Mallory 1,398]

Regardless of any advice you get from others, PLEASE DO EXTENSIVE RESEARCH on ALL options available that pertain to your situation. This is the BEST thing to do before deciding what path to take, and should really be done before you actually begin the visa process at all. But definitely do this before abandoning the K1 process you are already on, and starting all over again with another one.

 

DO NOT have a wedding ceremony of any kind - even if it isn't considered legal - while your K1 is pending. You will most likely get denied if they see anything that looks like you've already gotten married, traditionally or legally, in the meantime. This has happened to many people. Then you will be starting all over again, but much later down the road and that's even more frustrating.

 

A lot of people have said CR1 usually takes longer than K1 also, although you aren't waiting to get married, so as others have said - you have to decide what matters most to you and your partner. The date of the wedding, or how long you'll end up waiting to be/live together. At this point, you'll be waiting longer regardless if you abandon K1 and restart CR1, whether that process is a longer one or not, because you will have to start over. So be sure you are both 100% positive and understand all circumstances. Because you also can't abandon the K1, and then come back to where you left off if you change your mind - you'd have to start over again there, also.

 

Not to come off so abrasive, but sooo many people make the above mistakes. It's easy to do when we are frustrated or what to do something just for the sake of DOING something. Waiting is not easy, and second guessing doesn't help, which I think we've all done. Wondering if the other route would've been better.

 

Good luck to you, no matter what option you both take!

[NikLR 13,220]

Are you set on that wedding date? If so you will have to do the CR1 afterwards if she doesn't have the K1 yet.