Where to get married?

[Strawberrymermaid 346]

Me again 😂❤️
 

After a long talk, my fiancé and I have decided to get married and do the cr1 visa instead. The pandemic has taken a toll on him financially and he feels it would be best if he could work immediately once arriving to the US. We also feel we may have more rights as a married couple. We understand we would be starting over and pushed further back in line. 
 

Does anyone have a suggestion of somewhere in the Caribbean we can get married where Russians can go without a visa? I was thinking Mexico, but the blood test scared me a bit and I didn’t know if Mexico cases were scrutinized? 

[Dashinka 24,597]

The Bahamas is nice.  There are quite a few other options.

 

Good Luck!

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visa_requirements_for_Russian_citizens

 

 

[DiamondEyes490 126]

You could do Cuba once it reopens. Plenty of Canadians get married in the hotels there.

[HRQX 4,145]

41 minutes ago, Strawberrymermaid said:

After a long talk, my fiancé and I have decided to get married and do the cr1 visa instead.

Has your fiance ever tried to get US tourist visa? If not, is he willing to try (once the US Embassy and consulates in Russia start processing routine B-1/B-2 visa requests)? Marriage in the US is allowed with tourist visa:

After marriage, you can also file i-130 while he is visiting the US: "The beneficiary will not apply for adjustment of status in the United States, but he or she will apply for an immigrant visa abroad at the U.S. Embassy or U.S. Consulate in" https://www.uscis.gov/i-130

 

An alternative is for him to apply for Schengen Area visit visa. After getting such visa, you two can get married in Iceland, Denmark, etc.

Edited August 23, 2020 by HRQX

[Strawberrymermaid 346]

1 minute ago, HRQX said:

Has your fiance ever tried to get US tourist visa? If not, is he willing to try (once the US Embassy and consulates in Russia start processing routine B-1/B-2 visa requests)? Marriage in the US is allowed with tourist visa:

After marriage, you can also file i-130 while he is visiting the US: "The beneficiary will not apply for adjustment of status in the United States, but he or she will apply for an immigrant visa abroad at the U.S. Embassy or U.S. Consulate in" https://www.uscis.gov/i-130

Thank you! He did previously have a 3 year b1/b2 but it expired this past June. 

[HRQX 4,145]

6 minutes ago, Strawberrymermaid said:

Thank you! He did previously have a 3 year b1/b2 but it expired this past June. 

June 2020? If so, starting on Sept. 1, 2020, he can try to renew without an interview: https://www.ustraveldocs.com/ru/ru-niv-visarenew.asp

You may submit your visa application at Pony Express (U.S. Visa document delivery locations operated by VFS Global or in selected Russia post location on or after September 1, 2020) as a interview waiver submission and proceed without a consular interview if you meet all of the following qualifications:

• All ten fingerprints were captured at a prior consular interview
• For holders of B1/B2 (tourist), I (journalist), or C1/D (crew) visas: Your most recent visa was issued after November 6, 2007 and is currently valid or you are applying within 11 months of the expiration of that visa.
  OR
  For holders of all other types of visas: Your previous visa is currently valid or you are reapplying within 11 months of the expiration of your previous visa.
• You are applying for the exact same type of visa as your current/previous visa
• Your visa does not have Clearance Received annotated on it
• You must be present in the Russian Federation

 If any of the above conditions are not met then you must schedule an interview.

In July 2020, tourist visas were still being issued in Russia: https://travel.state.gov/content/dam/visas/Statistics/Non-Immigrant-Statistics/MonthlyNIVIssuances/JULY 2020 - NIV Issuances by Post and Visa Class.pdf

• 15 B-1/B-2 visas in Moscow
• 20 B-1/B-2 visas in Yekaterinburg

[J&A1234 181]

Still sticking with the K1 for now, but if things don’t change soon we might have to consider something similar....

[Strawberrymermaid 346]

5 minutes ago, J&A1234 said:

Still sticking with the K1 for now, but if things don’t change soon we might have to consider something similar....

Definitely hard to know what’s best right now. If we can’t find a place to marry, we will stick with k1. I’m glad we filed it. I just think it would be better for us as a couple if he’s able to work right away. 

21 minutes ago, HRQX said:

June 2020? If so, starting on Sept. 1, 2020, he can try to renew without an interview: https://www.ustraveldocs.com/ru/ru-niv-visarenew.asp

You may submit your visa application at Pony Express (U.S. Visa document delivery locations operated by VFS Global or in selected Russia post location on or after September 1, 2020) as a interview waiver submission and proceed without a consular interview if you meet all of the following qualifications:

• All ten fingerprints were captured at a prior consular interview
• For holders of B1/B2 (tourist), I (journalist), or C1/D (crew) visas: Your most recent visa was issued after November 6, 2007 and is currently valid or you are applying within 11 months of the expiration of that visa.
  OR
  For holders of all other types of visas: Your previous visa is currently valid or you are reapplying within 11 months of the expiration of your previous visa.
• You are applying for the exact same type of visa as your current/previous visa
• Your visa does not have Clearance Received annotated on it
• You must be present in the Russian Federation

 If any of the above conditions are not met then you must schedule an interview.

In July 2020, tourist visas were still being issued in Russia: https://travel.state.gov/content/dam/visas/Statistics/Non-Immigrant-Statistics/MonthlyNIVIssuances/JULY 2020 - NIV Issuances by Post and Visa Class.pdf

• 15 B-1/B-2 visas in Moscow
• 20 B-1/B-2 visas in Yekaterinburg

Thanks so much for sharing!!! I was trying to find some info about this but I couldn’t translate the Russian lol. Thank you ❤️

[J&A1234 181]

Yea it sucks being in limbo. Hopefully things move soon

[millefleur 5,047]

3 hours ago, Strawberrymermaid said:

Definitely hard to know what’s best right now. If we can’t find a place to marry, we will stick with k1. I’m glad we filed it. I just think it would be better for us as a couple if he’s able to work right away. 

Being able to work right away is a huge plus of the CR-1. I hope whichever path you end up taking will be speedy and painless!

 

4 hours ago, Strawberrymermaid said:

I was thinking Mexico, but the blood test scared me a bit and I didn’t know if Mexico cases were scrutinized? 

I've never heard of the blood test thing before because I'm not familiar with Mexico? It seems like an odd requirement but in places where these diseases are common it makes sense. I don't think a marriage from Mexico would be scrutinized. Being married at all is huge, especially in a 3rd country, it shows you went to the trouble to go through all the necessary steps.

 

I know it would require a visa, but Canada might be an option? Usually if a Russian has a US visitor visa, getting a Canadian one is very straightforward as the two countries share data. It is possible to apply for a Canadian visa via mail in Russia. I just don't know what the travel restrictions are there right now and if that makes it complicated to marry in Canada or not.

[Just Paul 4,595]

15 hours ago, Strawberrymermaid said:

I was thinking Mexico, but the blood test scared me a bit and I didn’t know if Mexico cases were scrutinized? 

I have a few friends that married in Mexico.   Depends on the town but you get the blood test and have the results 6 to 48 hours later.  They are just looking for HIV and syphilis. The fees vary wildly.   In our sleepy fishing / tourist village is $30/40 and in Cabo is more like $300/400.  Some Mexican States require a chest x-ray and watching a video. 

 

[Cheburashka34 228]

On 8/22/2020 at 8:54 PM, J&A1234 said:

Yea it sucks being in limbo. Hopefully things move soon

I agree. I filed the same time as OP and I really can't see a way to get married that isn't extremely expensive.

[Cheburashka34 228]

My fiance applied for a tourist visa last November, but I heard there's slim chances of it being approved since he's engaged to a us citizen. Is that right? 

[millefleur 5,047]

Just now, Cheburashka34 said:

My fiance applied for a tourist visa last November, but I heard there's slim chances of it being approved since he's engaged to a us citizen. Is that right? 

Yes, that's the case unfortunately. It's extremely hard to overcome immigrant intent when a US is a fiancee or spouse. My husband's tourist visa was rejected for this reason (despite that I even lived in Russia at the time).

[Cheburashka34 228]

5 minutes ago, millefleur said:

Yes, that's the case unfortunately. It's extremely hard to overcome immigrant intent when a US is a fiancee or spouse. My husband's tourist visa was rejected for this reason (despite that I even lived in Russia at the time).

Millefleur, how did you two marry?