Question about wedding party

[Slyman 2]

Hi Guys,

 

So I received my NOA2 for my Fiance living in Mexico on 11/14/2018.  We were told by a lawyer prior to starting the K-1 Visa that generally the entire process is 8-10 months from start to finish.  Having that in mind, we had planned a boda "wedding reception/party" for February 15th  2019,  which is right around the 10 month mark for us.  In my paperwork that I submitted, I had put in the paperwork that we plan on marrying in the US sometime in March IF the visa gets approved.  My fiances parents obviously will not have the financial means to make it to our wedding in the US if the visa gets approved, so we wanted to do a wedding party before marrying in the US just due to the fact that they won't be able to make it to our wedding in the states. We also thought to do the wedding party on this date because we figured if worst comes to worst and if the K-1 Visa gets denied, we can always file for a CR-1 and marry in Mexico around that same time frame IF it gets denied.  In our invitations, we have put in there that we are not marrying civilly in Mexico and that the actual wedding will be taking place in Salt Lake City, Utah. Our invited guests are her immediate family and close friends who are well aware that we are not doing any time of actual ring ceremony, nor are we marrying in any way down in Mexico, they know we are marrying in Utah in other words.  With this information in mind, would it be useful for my fiance to bring a copy of the wedding invite to the consulate to prove that it is strictly a celebration? What is the best route at this point? I have seen that some people have been okay doing this and some haven't. Thank you. 

[britishandusa 446]

Don't do it. Celebrations can be seen that you guys are "too married." You're almost done with the K1 visa. Finish it up. Marry in the US. File AOS/EAD/AP. Then come back with AP and then throw the celebration. Don't risk it.

 

So many people get denied due to celebrations:

 

 

[Roel 7,191]

Do it. But expect the k1 to be denied. 

[Unlockable 7,306]

7 minutes ago, Slyman said:

Hi Guys,

 

So I received my NOA2 for my Fiance living in Mexico on 11/14/2018.  We were told by a lawyer prior to starting the K-1 Visa that generally the entire process is 8-10 months from start to finish.  Having that in mind, we had planned a boda "wedding reception/party" for February 15th  2019,  which is right around the 10 month mark for us.  In my paperwork that I submitted, I had put in the paperwork that we plan on marrying in the US sometime in March IF the visa gets approved.  My fiances parents obviously will not have the financial means to make it to our wedding in the US if the visa gets approved, so we wanted to do a wedding party before marrying in the US just due to the fact that they won't be able to make it to our wedding in the states. We also thought to do the wedding party on this date because we figured if worst comes to worst and if the K-1 Visa gets denied, we can always file for a CR-1 and marry in Mexico around that same time frame IF it gets denied.  In our invitations, we have put in there that we are not marrying civilly in Mexico and that the actual wedding will be taking place in Salt Lake City, Utah. Our invited guests are her immediate family and close friends who are well aware that we are not doing any time of actual ring ceremony, nor are we marrying in any way down in Mexico, they know we are marrying in Utah in other words.  With this information in mind, would it be useful for my fiance to bring a copy of the wedding invite to the consulate to prove that it is strictly a celebration? What is the best route at this point? I have seen that some people have been okay doing this and some haven't. Thank you. 

This comes up a lot. And as you can see from the example @britishandusa posted, it is very risky. If the parents attending a wedding is a huge deal, then the spousal visa should have been your choice. Here is the most important thing you should know... it doesn't matter if it is real or not. YOU CAN STILL BE DENIED. Then you will have to start all over. There are numerous threads on here where people had a ceremony that was "not official" but were denied.

 

At this point your options are...

• Complete the K1, marry in US, have another ceremony in you fiance's country afterwards.
• Cancel the K1, get married in March 2019, file for CR1 visa (it will take over a year before your spouse comes on a CR1).

[aaron2020 11,651]

22 minutes ago, Slyman said:

Hi Guys,

 

So I received my NOA2 for my Fiance living in Mexico on 11/14/2018.  We were told by a lawyer prior to starting the K-1 Visa that generally the entire process is 8-10 months from start to finish.  Having that in mind, we had planned a boda "wedding reception/party" for February 15th  2019,  which is right around the 10 month mark for us.  In my paperwork that I submitted, I had put in the paperwork that we plan on marrying in the US sometime in March IF the visa gets approved.  My fiances parents obviously will not have the financial means to make it to our wedding in the US if the visa gets approved, so we wanted to do a wedding party before marrying in the US just due to the fact that they won't be able to make it to our wedding in the states. We also thought to do the wedding party on this date because we figured if worst comes to worst and if the K-1 Visa gets denied, we can always file for a CR-1 and marry in Mexico around that same time frame IF it gets denied.  In our invitations, we have put in there that we are not marrying civilly in Mexico and that the actual wedding will be taking place in Salt Lake City, Utah. Our invited guests are her immediate family and close friends who are well aware that we are not doing any time of actual ring ceremony, nor are we marrying in any way down in Mexico, they know we are marrying in Utah in other words.  With this information in mind, would it be useful for my fiance to bring a copy of the wedding invite to the consulate to prove that it is strictly a celebration? What is the best route at this point? I have seen that some people have been okay doing this and some haven't. Thank you. 

Having a wedding reception/party is considered marrying in one way down in Mexico.

People have gotten away with it.  They weren't okay.  

Don't make any plans without a visa in hand.  The US Government advise this at the beginning of the process.

Bringing a copy of the wedding invite to prove anything about the Mexican celebration would most likely end in a denial for being "too married."

Best route is to cancel the Mexican wedding reception/party. 

[Mike E 11,723]

Reading about this a lot on immigration websites like this, and I am convinced that the interview questions that ask about if there has been an engagement party are just traps designed to provide grounds to deny the petition. As are questions about plans made for the actual wedding. 

 

Save the wedding ceremony in the old country for after you are married in the USA, and the green card or advanced parole document is in hand. 

 

Bringing a document that says the party is a wedding seems high risk.

Edited November 26, 2018 by Mike E

[debbiedoo 2,339]

bad idea. bad bad idea.

[Slyman 2]

Thank you guys for your input, my fiance and I are going to cancel the party until the visa is in her hands, thank you so much!

[debbiedoo 2,339]

39 minutes ago, Slyman said:

Thank you guys for your input, my fiance and I are going to cancel the party until the visa is in her hands, thank you so much!

good idea. good good idea

[myjourney2018 52]

7 hours ago, Mike E said:

Reading about this a lot on immigration websites like this, and I am convinced that the interview questions that ask about if there has been an engagement party are just traps designed to provide grounds to deny the petition. As are questions about plans made for the actual wedding. 

 

Save the wedding ceremony in the old country for after you are married in the USA, and the green card or advanced parole document is in hand. 

 

Bringing a document that says the party is a wedding seems high risk.

I doubt questions about plans for an actual wedding is a trap, I mean you are claiming this person is your fiance and any reasonable person would believe that you discussed something like that during the 8-10 months of waiting.

[Mike E 11,723]

17 hours ago, Slyman said:

Thank you guys for your input, my fiance and I are going to cancel the party until the visa is in her hands, thank you so much!

 

If you hold the party after she has the visa and before POE, the CBP officer is free to look though her personal effects and her phone. If he sees pics of the party, it might not go well.

 

Just wait until she is in the USA.

[Mike E 11,723]

14 hours ago, myjourney2018 said:

I doubt questions about plans for an actual wedding is a trap, I mean you are claiming this person is your fiance and any reasonable person would believe that you discussed something like that during the 8-10 months of waiting.

Yes, and any reasonable person who has planned a wedding under normal circumstances knows that a formal wedding in the USA requires about a year to plan. Any reasonable person who is not in a dream land with respect the realities of the fiance(e) visa process knows that serious planning cannot commence until one has actually been admitted to the USA.

[geowrian 22,335]

One is provided up to 6 months to enter on the visa, and 90 days to marry. That's essentially just under 9 months to plan a wedding, if one wants a larger or traditional wedding ceremony.

They can also marry in a courthouse and do the larger celebration later.

 

One can also plan many aspects before the visa is issued...just not anything that requires a firm date or down payment yet. But a good chunk of the planning can happen...my now-wife and I did exactly this and had a traditional wedding 1 month after she arrived. It's not easy (it never is, especially not with the constraints involved), but it is certainly possible if that's what a couple wants.

[Catherine6 118]

On 11/26/2018 at 11:32 AM, britishandusa said:

Don't do it. Celebrations can be seen that you guys are "too married." You're almost done with the K1 visa. Finish it up. Marry in the US. File AOS/EAD/AP. Then come back with AP and then throw the celebration. Don't risk it.

 

So many people get denied due to celebrations:

 

 

I was going to say exact same and quote that post.