harvard

hi I'm in the same situation as you. Waiting for my visa interview. I don't know if they are processing my interview date or not. I have sent in all my forms (DS-230, DS-156, DS-156k etc) and they have received my medical exam info. I don't know what to do now. I called them many times but only got through once. They told me to log on to their new website, (which doesn't work very well at all!!!). They seem to be instructing me to send my forms again by courier, BUT I HAVE ALREADY DONE THAT!!!

Would you mind telling me what email address you used to contact them. I have had no luck with communicating with anyone in the embassy who seems to know what is going on.

I have exactly this problem. Does anyone know a sure fix?

I've tried updating abode and I've tried it with chrome and IE.

Just for every one's information. I called the US embassy in London and spoke to a representative who said it was fine to have a celebration so long as it was not recognized legally.

The only thing people should be careful about is the common law marriage.

Hi,

I'm wanting to know if there is anything I need to do now that my I129F has been approved. Do I just wait until my application is processed through the NVC and arrives at the US embassy in London?

I know I need to have a medical before I can book my interview. Does anyone know a helpful list of things that need to be done for the medical/for the interview?

I need to have my interview before August so I can start my MBA, but see that the processing times are almost 3 months! Any helpful suggestions on speeding the processes up?

Do a search on this site and you'll find more than a few examples of people who had "non-legal" ceremonies and were denied...along with a similar refrain of waiting until the K-1 visa is in hand before making any reservations/firm plans:

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/300963-k1-visa-refused-under-section-212-a5a-for-invalid-petition/

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/306181-k1-visa-is-rejected-what-are-the-alternatives-can-i-apply-for-spouse-visa/

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/408019-k1-visa-getting-married-before-the-visa-comes-through/

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/331197-non-legal-religious-wedding-before-k1-visa

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/70350-family-separated-by-immigration-policies/page__st__45__p__943472#entry943472

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/417606-non-legal-ceremony-in-foreign-country/

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/346279-how-can-a-k-1-misrepresentation-denial-be-overturned/

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/235732-help-help-help-k-1-visa-denied/

Thanks for this, it was very helpful.

If you marry , leave, get a K1 and return ( especially if you marry in the US ) They will eventually figure out you entered illegally ( on a visa you were no longer qualified to recieve based on being married already ) They will at that point revoke all immigration benefits that you have gained after entering invalidly. NEVER lie to immigration. If you want to get married , do so , cancel the K1 and file for a Cr1 ( start all over )

Thanks for your advice, but I'm still not clear how I would be lying. I wouldn't be legally married upon entry? I would get legally married within 90 days. I would have one official wedding date that would include a small civil ceremony once im in the country on the K1.

Are you saying that the immigration service will view that my ecclesiastical ceremony as the date at which I became "married" rather than the legally binding civil ceremony?

So at the border, are you telling them you're having a wedding and that's why you're entering? You would most likely be denied entry.

What if they decide to deny you entry anyway?

And the pastor is willing to not sign the documents till later, so what date is he putting on the certificate? It would be a lie (fraud) to put any date except the one that you were actually married on, but putting that date will have you in more trouble for getting married before the K1.

You either just have fake church wedding, NO paperwork completed and then get legally married in a court house, or have another legal church ceremony, or wait all together and just have the one ceremony after your approval, or have the legal wedding and then switch to CR-1.

Im already in the country on the visa waiver. At the port of entry I had no intent to marry during this trip, I naively thought the visa would come through in time and that I would go back to the UK then re-enter on the K1. They questioned me at port of entry and were satisfied.

Does anyone actually know of anyone who has been denied the K1 on the grounds of already being married, when there has been no legally binding event or record to point to? In my mind I would just argue that I haven't had a marriage yet, and that I plan to when I enter the USA. Which would all be true.

Neither me or my fiance will be on FB during my interview. The only reason I'm asking is (and I'm sure it happens to many others) that many family and friends have already booked flights, booked time off work etc to make the ecclesiastical ceremony. It would cost a lot to postpone the wedding. When we filed, we had advice it would take 5/6 months, but it's more like 8/9 months.

I don't know of a church in the US that would do a pretend religious wedding that wasn't also legally binding.

A pastor from the PCA is willing to perform our marriage ceremony on the understanding that once I have re-entered the USA on the K1 we will apply for a marriage licence and have him sign it. The delay will be around 2/3 months between ecclesiastical ceremony and legally binding paperwork filled in.

Is it okay to have an ecclesiastical (Church) wedding ceremony in the USA on the VWP visitors visa before the K1 visa has been processed? What are the risks involved at the consulate interview? Will this cause problems when I go for AOS?