nineohtwo

Of course.
 
He would never lie, nor would I make him lie. I actually work in immigration (but backwards--Americans coming to Europe) so I know the importance of being forthcoming. There is nothing wrong with him having visited Iraq (he went to Kurdistan with a childhood friend and had an amazing time), so why would he lie? It's a bureaucratic formality we unfortunately must comply with. In the grand scheme of things, worse things could happen than having to wait another year or two to visit NYC. 
 
That poster suggesting we commit fraud is way out of line.

Thank you. It is distressing that someone here would openly advocate for immigration fraud.
 
I would never allow my SO to do that nor would he ever even want to.

Lol, this is an oddly hostile reply for being so ill-informed. No offense, but you really shouldn't suggest things like this especially when someone wants to immigrate to a country legally. I can assure you we have researched this ad nauseum and it is true that he lost his ESTA privileges due to the Iraq visit.
 
We'll wait for the tourist visa but marry in the meantime and if he likes the U.S. after finally being able to visit again, we'll start the spousal visa. Thanks all!

There was no option to go into the existing booking and re-book. The only way to re-book was to go to the actual calendar page and go through the entire process from the start. It's been incredibly frustrating. 

Of course.
 
He would never lie, nor would I make him lie. I actually work in immigration (but backwards--Americans coming to Europe) so I know the importance of being forthcoming. There is nothing wrong with him having visited Iraq (he went to Kurdistan with a childhood friend and had an amazing time), so why would he lie? It's a bureaucratic formality we unfortunately must comply with. In the grand scheme of things, worse things could happen than having to wait another year or two to visit NYC. 
 
That poster suggesting we commit fraud is way out of line.

Of course.
 
He would never lie, nor would I make him lie. I actually work in immigration (but backwards--Americans coming to Europe) so I know the importance of being forthcoming. There is nothing wrong with him having visited Iraq (he went to Kurdistan with a childhood friend and had an amazing time), so why would he lie? It's a bureaucratic formality we unfortunately must comply with. In the grand scheme of things, worse things could happen than having to wait another year or two to visit NYC. 
 
That poster suggesting we commit fraud is way out of line.

Of course.
 
He would never lie, nor would I make him lie. I actually work in immigration (but backwards--Americans coming to Europe) so I know the importance of being forthcoming. There is nothing wrong with him having visited Iraq (he went to Kurdistan with a childhood friend and had an amazing time), so why would he lie? It's a bureaucratic formality we unfortunately must comply with. In the grand scheme of things, worse things could happen than having to wait another year or two to visit NYC. 
 
That poster suggesting we commit fraud is way out of line.

*** Mod reminder: It is against the site's TOS to advocate fraud. This includes lying, omitting, or withholding pertinent information that would otherwise disqualify a person for a visa.
https://www.visajourney.com/terms-of-service/
Condone or instruct, either directly or indirectly, others on how to commit fraudulent or illegal immigration activities in any way, shape, manner or method.  
Mod hat off:
It does not matter if it happened 5, 10, or 20 years ago. Everything still needs to be disclosed. In immigration, when they ask the question "Have you ever...." the word EVER does not have a timeframe. 

Lol, this is an oddly hostile reply for being so ill-informed. No offense, but you really shouldn't suggest things like this especially when someone wants to immigrate to a country legally. I can assure you we have researched this ad nauseum and it is true that he lost his ESTA privileges due to the Iraq visit.
 
We'll wait for the tourist visa but marry in the meantime and if he likes the U.S. after finally being able to visit again, we'll start the spousal visa. Thanks all!

While I guess technically it would be possible to circumvent this issue by getting another passport, and then answering no to the pertinent questions on the ESTA application form, lying to authorities never works out well... Especially if you are looking to at a future date to immigrate to the said country, that seemingly innocent lie could come back to haunt you years after.

It’s not that he can’t use a Netherlands passport, it is that he can’t use VWP. Changing passports doesn’t change what you have done, the VWP eligibility questions are about what you did, not which passport you did it on. Fraudulent misrepresentation to gain an immigration benefit can get you banned from the US. This is a totally different situation from what you use an example.
 
 

Thank you for the reply! I forgot to mention that I do pay US taxes at my US address, so that's good! I will look into the Zoom wedding. 

A B2 application and a CR1/IR1 application are separate.  Yes, if you get married, you can submit the I130 et. al. for the spousal visa, and that processing will take anywhere from 12-24 months (some shorter, some longer).  The issue is, he would not be able to actually enter the US until the spousal visa is issued.  He can still apply for a B2 independently, but as you stated, until consulates return to normal processing, it is just a guess as to when that application will be decided.  In your situation I would start the spousal visa process soon since you are planning to move to the US in 1-2 years.
 
Good Luck!