K1 visa time running out before wedding date

[nastra30 1,984]

Hmm, booking dates before visa is approved. What can possibly go wrong. The immigration process can be so unpredictable. I hope you are able to sort this situation out. All the best.

[MattjD91 0]

14 hours ago, geowrian said:

Option 1: Start planning to move the date in case it happens. No firm dates or deposits should be made prior to the visa being in hand.

 

Option 2: Meet anywhere (US, home, or on a trip elsewhere together) and marry. Withdraw the I-129F and start over with an I-130 for a spousal visa. ETA: ~12-16 months from I-130 filing to interview.

Thank you, 

In regards to option 2. Can you travel to the US as a visitor (ESTA) while waiting for the CR1 interview?

[EandH0904 1,184]

9 minutes ago, MattjD91 said:

Thank you, 

In regards to option 2. Can you travel to the US as a visitor (ESTA) while waiting for the CR1 interview?

Yes you can. You just can't come with the intention to stay

[SalishSea 16,772]

16 hours ago, MattjD91 said:

Hi,

I am currently waiting to hear from the USCIS and to set up the interview at the local consulate. We have been waiting two months so far. We are getting married in the middle of July 2019. (already cutting it short) I am worried that with the government shutdown, we are little to no chance of getting the visa done before our wedding. Does anyone have advise on what I should do? should we wait and hope that we get it done or should we go to plan B and start to find another visa option, if so, what visa option would be best for us? 

thank you,

Matt

Just curious as to how it is possible you have a pending adjustment of status?

[stacyt 209]

Took me about 8,5 months from filing to my arrival to the US. This is considering I had no RFE, everything went smoothly and my embassy had 0 waiting time, so I had my interview on the same date they got my case from NVC. And they allow taking my medical before the package arrives from NVC. I flew out a week after my interview.  If there is a delay of any sort (could be an RFE, medical delay, interview dates unavailable, log NVC processing or just simply no good flight options), you're at a huuuuge risk of not making the wedding. Do not have the ceremony before arriving on K-1, if those pictures appear anywhere you will be ineligible for K-1. 

[Sellamalola 222]

18 hours ago, MattjD91 said:

Hi,

I am currently waiting to hear from the USCIS and to set up the interview at the local consulate. We have been waiting two months so far. We are getting married in the middle of July 2019. (already cutting it short) I am worried that with the government shutdown, we are little to no chance of getting the visa done before our wedding. Does anyone have advise on what I should do? should we wait and hope that we get it done or should we go to plan B and start to find another visa option, if so, what visa option would be best for us? 

thank you,

Matt

If you’re waiting for K1 approval is better to not have a date set for the official ceremony. When your fiancée/é gets their approval and they come to the country, get married at the courthouse first and then you’ll have all the time in the world to prepare for the actual ceremony because even if you get the visa approved, you still need to get married within 90 days plus the aos filing nerve wrack. Too much pressure on top of planning a wedding. That’s what we did, courthouse, aos and now official wedding 😊 congratulations and good luck 👍🏽🍀 

[Brittani 484]

1. The government shutdown doesn't affect USCIS. They are paid through filing fees.

2. Why would you set a wedding date with a K1? It's ok to have an idea but be realistic. Wait until you have your NOA2 before you plan anything and even then it's uncertain. If the date is that important to you, withdrawal it and get married in Australia then file for a spousal. Unfortunately, us K1 filers don't get the luxury of being picky about weddings.

[accumbyte 148]

19 hours ago, MattjD91 said:

should we wait and hope that we get it done or should we go to plan B and start to find another visa option, if so, what visa option would be best for us?

Plan B would be:

1. Withdraw and/or cancel the K-1 process; optional as you'll no longer be eligible for the pending K-1 process when step #2 below is completed. Or you can do this step together with step #3 below.
2. Enter the US with VWP and marry in July.
3. The USC files a I-130 petition to start the CR-1 process.
4. Leave the US before your VWP status ends.
5. Wait abroad for the CR-1 process; you can visit the US again while you wait but all entries are at the discretion of CBP.

See thread below:

Hope this helps.

Edited January 22, 2019 by accumbyte

[PushaKee 35]

On 1/21/2019 at 6:52 PM, Mellamanlola said:

If you’re waiting for K1 approval is better to not have a date set for the official ceremony. When your fiancée/é gets their approval and they come to the country, get married at the courthouse first and then you’ll have all the time in the world to prepare for the actual ceremony because even if you get the visa approved, you still need to get married within 90 days plus the aos filing nerve wrack. Too much pressure on top of planning a wedding. That’s what we did, courthouse, aos and now official wedding 😊 congratulations and good luck 👍🏽🍀 

 Great advice. I just filed our I-129F earlier this month. In my mind I think we will be approved by August and he could be here by October but I didn't book any wedding venues. After he gets the visa and we book the flight, then we will plan a wedding date!

[Sellamalola 222]

3 hours ago, PushaKee said:

 Great advice. I just filed our I-129F earlier this month. In my mind I think we will be approved by August and he could be here by October but I didn't book any wedding venues. After he gets the visa and we book the flight, then we will plan a wedding date!

You’re welcome!! Yeah it’s a good idea to have all of that taken care of immediately, get it out of the way at city hall, send aos and then start planning the real deal! Take tons of pictures at city hall and send your packet and in peace and with grace you can have a beautiful wedding ♥️♥️♥️Good luck and congratulations!!!

[mzthang0820 36]

k

Edited January 29, 2019 by mzthang0820
d

[mzthang0820 36]

On 1/21/2019 at 9:50 PM, Brittani said:

1. The government shutdown doesn't affect USCIS. They are paid through filing fees.

2. Why would you set a wedding date with a K1? It's ok to have an idea but be realistic. Wait until you have your NOA2 before you plan anything and even then it's uncertain. If the date is that important to you, withdrawal it and get married in Australia then file for a spousal. Unfortunately, us K1 filers don't get the luxury of being picky about weddings.

Thank you! Your post eased some of my worries. I just sent my packet off, and I was worried about the shutdown. I'm the petitioner and my fiancé and I were looking towards a small to medium size wedding in September. I wanted to be realistic but not overdoing it. 

[Unlockable 7,306]

2 minutes ago, mzthang0820 said:

I will basically be in the same boat. How do we plan during this time? I'm the petitioner, and my fiancé is from the UK. I know that we needed to show some type of planning, so I placed some of my planning e-mails, etc in the packet. However, I don't want to be overreaching and do too much planning and things don't work out. God forbid. However, I know that the gov shutdown could potentially affect us in some way. I originally put in my petition that we planned for Sept. 1, 2019. I was looking at the average processing times, and that seemed 'realistic'. I pray that things work out. 

There is nothing in any K1 visa sites, guides, or references that says you have to have an actual wedding date. All the government requires you to do is get married with 90 days of entering on the K1 visa. Wedding plans are helpful but is not a requirement to be approved. And this is where people get caught up in. A CO may ask you when and where you may get married but they do not require you to have actual venure reservations or deposits or anything like that.

 

Hard planning (reservations, etc) should not be made until the visa is physically in your hands. A lot of people think this is too little time to plan a wedding. Well the visa is valid for 6 months of issuance or the medical. And you have 90 days to get married after entering the US with the visa. So that gives you essentially a little less than 270 days to plan a wedding.

 

Anther option is to have a small courthouse wedding after entering the K1, file for and complete the AOS afterwards, and then having the big extravagasa wedding at a following date of your liking. This option totally puts the control of the timing back into your hands.

[mzthang0820 36]

5 minutes ago, NuestraUnion said:

There is nothing in any K1 visa sites, guides, or references that says you have to have an actual wedding date. All the government requires you to do is get married with 90 days of entering on the K1 visa. Wedding plans are helpful but is not a requirement to be approved. And this is where people get caught up in. A CO may ask you when and where you may get married but they do not require you to have actual venure reservations or deposits or anything like that.

 

Hard planning (reservations, etc) should not be made until the visa is physically in your hands. A lot of people think this is too little time to plan a wedding. Well the visa is valid for 6 months of issuance or the medical. And you have 90 days to get married after entering the US with the visa. So that gives you essentially a little less than 270 days to plan a wedding.

 

Anther option is to have a small courthouse wedding after entering the K1, file for and complete the AOS afterwards, and then having the big extravagasa wedding at a following date of your liking. This option totally puts the control of the timing back into your hands.

Thank you! Yes, I'm one of the many that were concerned about the 90 day part. Your explanation helped me out. We were thinking we had to conform our planning towards the guidelines of the visa. I was unaware of the visa validity being 6 months. 

[Unlockable 7,306]

1 minute ago, mzthang0820 said:

Thank you! Yes, I'm one of the many that were concerned about the 90 day part. Your explanation helped me out. We were thinking we had to conform our planning towards the guidelines of the visa. I was unaware of the visa validity being 6 months. 

For clarity, once you are issued a K1 visa you have 6 months to use it to enter the US. It is 6 months from the issuance of the visa or the medical you took, whichever comes first.

 

The only downside to this is that you would be using the 6 months to plan your wedding in your own country. So if you are a bridezilla that needs to be in control of every detail of your wedding this may not sit well with you 😋.