About to get married before CR1 application, but...
#1
Forum Regular
Thread Starter
Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 96
About to get married before CR1 application, but...
Hello all
My first post after coming across BE whilst looking for further clarification.
I am a UK citizen and my fiancee a US citizen who has been in the UK for two years on a Tier 2 visa. We met at work shortly after she arrived, have been living together for almost a year, and are due to be married shortly in the new year.
Later in the year we are hoping to move to the US and so will need to apply for a CR1 Visa. We live in London so would file at the embassy here.
A couple of questions and points of clarification I have not been able to answer though, and would appreciate any advice please:
Because she has an extensive family (Italian heritage, so very large!) we would want to marry close to her home town. My family however, cannot afford to travel to visit the states at the moment, at least not in 2018. Because of this, we have decided to have our own wedding in the new year in London,with no friends or family present, a day just for us to celebrate rather than cause arguments over where to hold a wedding. For our 1 year anniversary (likely to be February 2019), my family will fly over and have a proper family party with both families present as well as some of our closest friends.
My concern though - when it comes to the interview, we will not have evidence of a traditional wedding with both families present, due to the circumstances. Will this likely cause issues in the visa application? Will they assume we have only married for the purpose of a visa? This will also not be helped by the very short time period between marrying and applying for the visa.
As well as living together, we share a bank account, have traveled extensively together during our relationship, and have on many occasions met each other's extended families. I have visited her family home in the US on two separate occasions in the past 14 months, and her family has visited the UK twice already. On the latter occasion they visited my family in the North of England and were guests in both of my parents' homes. I hope this would be of some assistance in proving our marriage is genuine, but can anybody comment?
Additionally, am I right in thinking that because she can not financially sponsor me (as she has not been earning in the US for two years now) then I will have to use an affidavit of support. Is there any issue that this person does not reside in the same state as we plan to emigrate to? Her family (and her mother, who would be my financial co-sponsor) live in CT where as we plan to reside in NY.
The reason for going CR1 rather than a K1 visa is to minimize the amount of time not working. We will ensure that she has a new job lined up before we travel but I will only start looking seriously once a visa is (hopefully) about to be obtained. I do not particularly want to spend 3-5 months waiting to be allowed to start working.
EDIT to add a couple of additional questions that I couldn't find on the forum:
What are the travel restrictions during the application process, and then once awaiting a green card when moving over? I presume I will be able to travel freely during the application as I will never physically hand over my passport? Does this mean I can also travel to the USA on my existing ESTA during this time? Once arriving and awaiting a green card (approximately a month on average I believe), am I able to leave and re-enter the USA?
Are there complications if my fiancee was to move back to the states before I do, at sometime between the time of submitting my application and taking part in an interview / obtaining a visa?
Thank you all, and look forward to keeping you updated with my own US visa application process over the next year.
S
My first post after coming across BE whilst looking for further clarification.
I am a UK citizen and my fiancee a US citizen who has been in the UK for two years on a Tier 2 visa. We met at work shortly after she arrived, have been living together for almost a year, and are due to be married shortly in the new year.
Later in the year we are hoping to move to the US and so will need to apply for a CR1 Visa. We live in London so would file at the embassy here.
A couple of questions and points of clarification I have not been able to answer though, and would appreciate any advice please:
Because she has an extensive family (Italian heritage, so very large!) we would want to marry close to her home town. My family however, cannot afford to travel to visit the states at the moment, at least not in 2018. Because of this, we have decided to have our own wedding in the new year in London,with no friends or family present, a day just for us to celebrate rather than cause arguments over where to hold a wedding. For our 1 year anniversary (likely to be February 2019), my family will fly over and have a proper family party with both families present as well as some of our closest friends.
My concern though - when it comes to the interview, we will not have evidence of a traditional wedding with both families present, due to the circumstances. Will this likely cause issues in the visa application? Will they assume we have only married for the purpose of a visa? This will also not be helped by the very short time period between marrying and applying for the visa.
As well as living together, we share a bank account, have traveled extensively together during our relationship, and have on many occasions met each other's extended families. I have visited her family home in the US on two separate occasions in the past 14 months, and her family has visited the UK twice already. On the latter occasion they visited my family in the North of England and were guests in both of my parents' homes. I hope this would be of some assistance in proving our marriage is genuine, but can anybody comment?
Additionally, am I right in thinking that because she can not financially sponsor me (as she has not been earning in the US for two years now) then I will have to use an affidavit of support. Is there any issue that this person does not reside in the same state as we plan to emigrate to? Her family (and her mother, who would be my financial co-sponsor) live in CT where as we plan to reside in NY.
The reason for going CR1 rather than a K1 visa is to minimize the amount of time not working. We will ensure that she has a new job lined up before we travel but I will only start looking seriously once a visa is (hopefully) about to be obtained. I do not particularly want to spend 3-5 months waiting to be allowed to start working.
EDIT to add a couple of additional questions that I couldn't find on the forum:
What are the travel restrictions during the application process, and then once awaiting a green card when moving over? I presume I will be able to travel freely during the application as I will never physically hand over my passport? Does this mean I can also travel to the USA on my existing ESTA during this time? Once arriving and awaiting a green card (approximately a month on average I believe), am I able to leave and re-enter the USA?
Are there complications if my fiancee was to move back to the states before I do, at sometime between the time of submitting my application and taking part in an interview / obtaining a visa?
Thank you all, and look forward to keeping you updated with my own US visa application process over the next year.
S
Last edited by samills610; Nov 23rd 2017 at 3:52 pm.
#2
Re: About to get married before CR1 application, but...
I am a UK citizen and my fiancee a US citizen who has been in the UK for two years on a Tier 2 visa. We met at work shortly after she arrived, have been living together for almost a year, and are due to be married shortly in the new year.
Later in the year we are hoping to move to the US and so will need to apply for a CR1 Visa. We live in London so would file at the embassy here.
Later in the year we are hoping to move to the US and so will need to apply for a CR1 Visa. We live in London so would file at the embassy here.
A couple of questions and points of clarification I have not been able to answer though, and would appreciate any advice please:
Because she has an extensive family (Italian heritage, so very large!) we would want to marry close to her home town. My family however, cannot afford to travel to visit the states at the moment, at least not in 2018. Because of this, we have decided to have our own wedding in the new year in London,with no friends or family present, a day just for us to celebrate rather than cause arguments over where to hold a wedding. For our 1 year anniversary (likely to be February 2019), my family will fly over and have a proper family party with both families present as well as some of our closest friends.
Because she has an extensive family (Italian heritage, so very large!) we would want to marry close to her home town. My family however, cannot afford to travel to visit the states at the moment, at least not in 2018. Because of this, we have decided to have our own wedding in the new year in London,with no friends or family present, a day just for us to celebrate rather than cause arguments over where to hold a wedding. For our 1 year anniversary (likely to be February 2019), my family will fly over and have a proper family party with both families present as well as some of our closest friends.
My concern though - when it comes to the interview, we will not have evidence of a traditional wedding with both families present, due to the circumstances. Will this likely cause issues in the visa application? Will they assume we have only married for the purpose of a visa? This will also not be helped by the very short time period between marrying and applying for the visa.
As well as living together, we share a bank account, have traveled extensively together during our relationship, and have on many occasions met each other's extended families. I have visited her family home in the US on two separate occasions in the past 14 months, and her family has visited the UK twice already. On the latter occasion they visited my family in the North of England and were guests in both of my parents' homes. I hope this would be of some assistance in proving our marriage is genuine, but can anybody comment?
Additionally, am I right in thinking that because she can not financially sponsor me (as she has not been earning in the US for two years now) then I will have to use an affidavit of support. Is there any issue that this person does not reside in the same state as we plan to emigrate to? Her family (and her mother, who would be my financial co-sponsor) live in CT where as we plan to reside in NY.
The reason for going CR1 rather than a K1 visa is to minimize the amount of time not working. We will ensure that she has a new job lined up before we travel but I will only start looking seriously once a visa is (hopefully) about to be obtained. I do not particularly want to spend 3-5 months waiting to be allowed to start working.
EDIT to add a couple of additional questions that I couldn't find on the forum:
What are the travel restrictions during the application process, and then once awaiting a green card when moving over? I presume I will be able to travel freely during the application as I will never physically hand over my passport? Does this mean I can also travel to the USA on my existing ESTA during this time? Once arriving and awaiting a green card (approximately a month on average I believe), am I able to leave and re-enter the USA?
What are the travel restrictions during the application process, and then once awaiting a green card when moving over? I presume I will be able to travel freely during the application as I will never physically hand over my passport? Does this mean I can also travel to the USA on my existing ESTA during this time? Once arriving and awaiting a green card (approximately a month on average I believe), am I able to leave and re-enter the USA?
Are there complications if my fiancee was to move back to the states before I do, at sometime between the time of submitting my application and taking part in an interview / obtaining a visa?
Thank you all, and look forward to keeping you updated with my own US visa application process over the next year.
S
S
Last edited by Rete; Nov 23rd 2017 at 4:20 pm.
#3
Re: About to get married before CR1 application, but...
It is common for people to have a legal marriage in order to get the visa to later have the big wedding ceremony after immigrating.
Also, it is not uncommon for people with widely spread out families & friends to have a wedding followed by a second celebration. My own daughter did that (opposite coasts of the US).
Also, it is not uncommon for people with widely spread out families & friends to have a wedding followed by a second celebration. My own daughter did that (opposite coasts of the US).
#4
Forum Regular
Joined: Apr 2017
Posts: 197
Re: About to get married before CR1 application, but...
I’ve just gone the CR-1 route.
I entered the USA a couple of times on my ESTA after embassy approval. Activated my visa when my wife came with me. We both left a few days later back to the UK. I’m about an hour out of Newark as I type this will be my 2nd trip without my wife. Flying to UK again on Thursday and back again on Sunday. Can’t miss Wasps vs Tigers 😀
When my passport was stamped the validity was changed to 2 years from 1.
I entered the USA a couple of times on my ESTA after embassy approval. Activated my visa when my wife came with me. We both left a few days later back to the UK. I’m about an hour out of Newark as I type this will be my 2nd trip without my wife. Flying to UK again on Thursday and back again on Sunday. Can’t miss Wasps vs Tigers 😀
When my passport was stamped the validity was changed to 2 years from 1.