Requirement to enter the US after receiving CR-1?

[Cookiemole 0]

Hi, apologies if these have been addressed elsewhere--

1) My fiancee and I plan to get married while she is visiting the US on a tourist visa. Are there legal ramifications to this? We plan to respect the time limits of the tourist visa (she will only be here for a few weeks) and she does not plan to move here until after she receives her CR-1 later on down the line.

2) My fiancée has the concern that if she is granted her CR-1 while working abroad, she won't have time to wrap up before having to move to the US. Is there a time within which she has to make landfall in the US after receiving the visa?

3) If we want to hold a wedding ceremony in the US for friends and family some months after being legally married, will there be problems for her to enter the US on a tourist visa if she is in the midst of a CR-1 application?

Edited April 11, 2019 by Cookiemole

[Roel 7,193]

1. That's perfectly fine. 

2. It will take about a year before she has Visa in hand. In my opinion that's more than enough time to prepare for the move. I think after the visa is issued, she has 6 months to use it before it expires. 

3. I mean.. you cant really get married twice. Her being allowed to enter on b2 visa will entirely depend on the immigration officer talking to her on the border. 

[Dashinka 26,107]

3 hours ago, Cookiemole said:

Hi, apologies if these have been addressed elsewhere--

1) My fiancee and I plan to get married while she is visiting the US on a tourist visa. Are there legal ramifications to this? We plan to respect the time limits of the tourist visa (she will only be here for a few weeks) and she does not plan to move here until after she receives her CR-1 later on down the line.

2) My fiancée has the concern that if she is granted her CR-1 while working abroad, she won't have time to wrap up before having to move to the US. Is there a time within which she has to make landfall in the US after receiving the visa?

3) If we want to hold a wedding ceremony in the US for friends and family some months after being legally married, will there be problems for her to enter the US on a tourist visa if she is in the midst of a CR-1 application?

I agree with @Roel, but I will add a few things of my own.

1) No legal ramifications as long as she tells the truth to CBP when she enters.  She does not have to offer information, but if she is asked the purpose of her visit, I would think she would have to say to get married to her fiancé which is perfectly legal.  She should have documents showing her intentions to leave at the end of her stay such as work obligations, etc.

2)  Like Roel said, the CR1 will take over a year to process, then she can schedule the interview and medical according to her desires and then when the visa is issued, she will have about six months to use it.  Hopefully, this will give her enough time to wrap up her work.

3)  As long as she has a valid B1, she can attempt to enter the country while the CR1 is being processed, but she will have to be able to potentially prove to CBP that she does not intend to stay during that visit (see 1).

 

Good Luck!