K1 Fiance Visa Question !!

[tilleyd]

Hello,

I am an American Citizen, and have applied for the K-1 Fiancee Visa for my Fiance who is an Indian citizen. Her parents are insisting that we have a wedding ceremony in India prior to bringing her to the USA (on a K-1) to get married in the USA.

Is there any way for us to have a "marriage" in India that is just shy of being considered an official wedding, so that we can still satisfy her parents' desire of having a wedding ceremony, but won't violate the K-1 rules?

Any thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated! Thanks!

-Toledo

[immihelp]

That's not recommended as you are supposed to get married in US. If you do anything that is a regular wedding in India, you would be considered married and your fiance not eligible for K1 visa any longer. Explain this to her parents. I know it is going to be hard.

[hnguyen3k]

Wedding ceremony

What if you just have the just have the wedding ceremony with no paperworks? There are no official document that saids we're married.

Would the Consulate still consider us married?

[nichole]

People have done a ceremony without registering it then go for their visa interview. I've read of people who said the interviewing officer had pictures of their ceremony in the files. With the internet, ********, etc people could post pictures/videos and the embassy could rightly suspect you have already married, no matter if you say you didn't file papers or whatever is required.
I'm not familiar with Indian weddings, but apparently there are elements that look more wedding than big celebration party. People have stupidly shown up at their interview with (non-legal)wedding photos. In these kinds of cases they are told, you are married and are not eligible for a K1 visa. So then they have to file for a K3 visa and start all over with paying all the fees and the months of waiting.

I would say the best way to do the ceremony is after the visa is received and leave immediately for the US after it, without any wedding clothes or photos or rings, etc in your possession or luggage. It's a fine line because on a K1 visa, you are suppose to marry in the US. If it's a party and not an actual wedding, then maybe you are bending the rules and not breaking them. I have also read of people who got to POE in the US and when the foreign fiance was questioned, they trip her up by referring to her "husband" and she answers. Then they say, Ahaa! you're not supposed to have a husband yet and they deny entry on the K1 visa because she is married.