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JessLoe

Wedding in America or Germany

By JessLoe in What Visa Do I Need - Family Based Immigration

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JessLoe Newbie

JessLoe   0

Posted
Filed: K-1 Visa Country: Germany
 Timeline
Posted

Hello there, 

 

my fiancé and I are getting married in June 2021. We currently live in Germany and we try to move to the US in June. Now with Covid we are unsure about the wedding being placed in America. We already talked about having a civil wedding in Germany and move afterwards. I tried to research a little bit in advance but couldn’t figure out what would be the best option. As I understand it’s easier to get the K1 and get married in America instead of having a civil wedding in Germany. Is that correct?
My fiancé wants to travel back home next year in January to get everything going (Job, living situation...)
All the forms and applications are confusing. Maybe there is someone else with the same situation right now or has been there recently who can help us. 
 

I’m thankful for any help and sorry if that topic has already been talked about and I couldn’t figure out where to find it. 
 

Stay safe

Jess & Nick 
 

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mushroomspore Proficient

mushroomspore   3,043

Posted
Filed: Citizen (apr) Timeline
Posted
49 minutes ago, JessLoe said:

Hello there, 

 

my fiancé and I are getting married in June 2021. We currently live in Germany and we try to move to the US in June. Now with Covid we are unsure about the wedding being placed in America. We already talked about having a civil wedding in Germany and move afterwards. I tried to research a little bit in advance but couldn’t figure out what would be the best option. As I understand it’s easier to get the K1 and get married in America instead of having a civil wedding in Germany. Is that correct?
My fiancé wants to travel back home next year in January to get everything going (Job, living situation...)
All the forms and applications are confusing. Maybe there is someone else with the same situation right now or has been there recently who can help us. 
 

I’m thankful for any help and sorry if that topic has already been talked about and I couldn’t figure out where to find it. 
 

Stay safe

Jess & Nick 
 

Only you guys can really decide what's best for you guys.

 

K1's are taking forever.

 

Nothing wrong with getting married in Germany first and then filing for CR1 visa. CR1 is easier in certain respects because it's cheaper and you are a permanent resident upon arrival. It's less messy. With K1, you have to do Adjustment of Status and you cannot work during this time until you receive the Employment Authorization Document. 

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aaron2020 Grand Master

aaron2020   11,651

Posted
Filed: Country: Vietnam (no flag)
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Posted

Hi,

 

Immigration to the US takes time, so there is no way to get marry in June 2021 in Germany and move to the US immediately.

You have two choices; 1) Get marry in Germany (or anywhere) now and file for a CR-1 spousal visa which will take 12-18 months to get.  You enter the US and automatically receive a green card authorizing you to work and freely travel internationally.  2) File for the K-1 fiancee visa now and wait 9-15 months to get the visa that requires you to marry in the US within 90 days after you enter.  You would need to file to adjust your status and wait 6-9 months to get your EAD allowing you to work and AP allowing you to leave the US without abandoning your adjustment of status.  Then, it's another 6 months to get your green card.  Since this involves two processes, you will be paying twice.

You many want to consider a civil wedding now in order to start filing for a spousal visa.  You can have your wedding later.  This will allow you to immigrate to the US and automatically get a green card.

Best of luck.

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Lucky2Lucky Experienced

Lucky2Lucky   2,526

Posted
Filed: Citizen (apr) Country: Haiti
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Posted (edited)
1 hour ago, JessLoe said:

Hello there, 

 

my fiancé and I are getting married in June 2021. We currently live in Germany and we try to move to the US in June. Now with Covid we are unsure about the wedding being placed in America. We already talked about having a civil wedding in Germany and move afterwards. I tried to research a little bit in advance but couldn’t figure out what would be the best option. As I understand it’s easier to get the K1 and get married in America instead of having a civil wedding in Germany. Is that correct?
My fiancé wants to travel back home next year in January to get everything going (Job, living situation...)
All the forms and applications are confusing. Maybe there is someone else with the same situation right now or has been there recently who can help us. 
 

I’m thankful for any help and sorry if that topic has already been talked about and I couldn’t figure out where to find it. 
 

Stay safe

Jess & Nick 
 

Hi unfortunately it is highly highly unlikely you will be moving to the US in June and it actually may be more realistic that it may be early 2022. Now you said you are getting married in June 2021..do you already have this planned or is that what you would like?

 

If it’s not already planned (down payment for the venue, invitations etc)  personally I would recommend to get married in Germany and file a CR1. There are both positives and negatives for both the k1 and CR1 and since you are able to be together now the CR1 makes much more sense. K1 is great for when the fiancé  can’t travel to the US, the foreign country makes you go through significant hoops to get a marriage registered, the petitioner can’t take significant time off to get married out of the US, there is a language barrier for the immigrant, etc. 

 

With the CR1 you guys can get married whenever since you are both together and apply for the visa. Once you have the visa and are admitted to the US you have your greencard and can work right away as well as travel freely in and out of the country . With a k1 it’s taking 6 months- year to be able to work..that may be fine if you need time to practice up your English or get use to America but if you are coming from Germany -and your English sounds fluent- it may be a year of boredom. With a k1 you also can’t come and go as you please- so if you have a family emergency  etc you need to either miss it or leave the country and can not come back without a new petition for a spousal visa. 


Your fiancé is in the right mind frame to travel back and establish domicile in the US which is something that has to be proven with the visas as well as obtaining a job (to sponsor you..if he didn’t meet the requirement would need a joint sponsor)

 

Ultimately the decision is up to you both (And you will find everyone has an opinion) but as a European who is already living with her fiancé it makes so much more sense to get married now and go the CR1 route.

 

Edited by Luckycuds

Our K1 Journey    I-129f

Service Center : Texas Service Center   Transferred? California Service Center on 8/11/14

Consulate : Port au Prince, Haiti             I-129F Sent : 4/14/2014

I-129F NOA1 : 4/24/14                            I-129F NOA2 : 9/10/14

NVC Received : 9/24/14                          NVC Left : 9/26/14

Consulate Received : 10/6/14 CEAC status changed to ready

Packet 3 Received : 10/27/14 packet received by petitioner in USA ( beneficiary never received packet 3)

Medical: 10/30/14 Dr. Buteau                  Medical picked up: 11/3/14

Packet 3 Sent : 11/10/13.. Had to schedule interview appointment and attach confirmation receipt to packet

Interview Date : 12/1/14                           Interview Result : Approved !

Visa Received : 12/10/14 picked up at Jacmel location

US Entry : 12/15/14 Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Apply for Social Security Card: 12/30/14 Connecticut

Marriage: 1/26/15

 

Adjustment of Status

CIS Office : Hartford                                  Filed : 3/18/15

NOA : 3/25/15                                            Biometrics : 4/15/15

Approved: 8/31/15                                     Received: 9/8/15

 

EAD

CIS Office : Hartford                                  Filed : 3/18/15

NOA : 3/25/15                                            Approved: 6/12/15

Received: 6/20/15

 

Removal of Conditions I-751

Filed: 8/14/17 at VSC                                 NOA: 8/15/17 Received 8/21 by mail

Biometrics: Dated: 8/25/17   Received 9/2/17   Appointment 9/11/17 

Approved: 10/23/18 -no interview

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TBoneTX Grand Master

TBoneTX   43,058

Posted
Filed: Citizen (apr) Country: Ecuador
 Timeline
Posted

Thread is moved from the IMBRA subforum to the "What Visa Do I Need" forum.

06-04-2007 = TSC stamps postal return-receipt for I-129f.

06-11-2007 = NOA1 date (unknown to me).

07-20-2007 = Phoned Immigration Officer; got WAC#; where's NOA1?

09-25-2007 = Touch (first-ever).

09-28-2007 = NOA1, 23 days after their 45-day promise to send it (grrrr).

10-20 & 11-14-2007 = Phoned ImmOffs; "still pending."

12-11-2007 = 180 days; file is "between workstations, may be early Jan."; touches 12/11 & 12/12.

12-18-2007 = Call; file is with Division 9 ofcr. (bckgrnd check); e-prompt to shake it; touch.

12-19-2007 = NOA2 by e-mail & web, dated 12-18-07 (187 days; 201 per VJ); in mail 12/24/07.

01-09-2008 = File from USCIS to NVC, 1-4-08; NVC creates file, 1/15/08; to consulate 1/16/08.

01-23-2008 = Consulate gets file; outdated Packet 4 mailed to fiancee 1/27/08; rec'd 3/3/08.

04-29-2008 = Fiancee's 4-min. consular interview, 8:30 a.m.; much evidence brought but not allowed to be presented (consul: "More proof! Second interview! Bring your fiance!").

05-05-2008 = Infuriating $12 call to non-English-speaking consulate appointment-setter.

05-06-2008 = Better $12 call to English-speaker; "joint" interview date 6/30/08 (my selection).

06-30-2008 = Stokes Interrogations w/Ecuadorian (not USC); "wait 2 weeks; we'll mail her."

07-2008 = Daily calls to DOS: "currently processing"; 8/05 = Phoned consulate, got Section Chief; wrote him.

08-07-08 = E-mail from consulate, promising to issue visa "as soon as we get her passport" (on 8/12, per DHL).

08-27-08 = Phoned consulate (they "couldn't find" our file); visa DHL'd 8/28; in hand 9/1; through POE on 10/9 with NO hassles(!).

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