marry US citizen on tourist visa and have religious ceremony but not legal ceremony

[arul4mathur]

Hello. Hoping for some guidance.

I am a US citizen. She is an Indian citizen. She has a 10+ year US tourist VISA that she has had since before she met me. My research indicates we have two options for marriage: she comes here on tourist VISA and then after 60+ days we get married or I file for a K-1 VISA but that can take an year.

With either of these options, will there be any issues with us doing a religious, not legal, ceremony in India before she comes or before she gets the K-1? So we'd have a "wedding" but it wouldn't be "official" as we wouldn't register it with the Indian government.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

[peace999]

if you are going for a K-1, you cannot be married whether only religious or legal. K-1 is only for engaged people and not married people.
Also, once married in India , even if only religious, she should not go for visitor to green card in US .

Go for DCF in Delhi, if you can live in India for a few months. It is fast .

[arul4mathur]

if you are going for a K-1, you cannot be married whether only religious or legal. K-1 is only for engaged people and not married people.
Also, once married in India , even if only religious, she should not go for visitor to green card in US .

Go for DCF in Delhi, if you can live in India for a few months. It is fast .

DCF in Delhi?

[peace999]

DIRECT CONSULAR FILING;
US embassy in Delhi has a USCIS field office , so US citizens can directly file their I-130s there. All processing is done there in 3-4 months.
The requirement is that the US citizen should be residing in India.
Read more;

http://newdelhi.usembassy.gov/uscisi130pet.html

This website also tells you about US citizens getting married in India; religious vs. legal