Ladybee314

I've been reading the posts here for a while, trying to find out what other people's experiences have been with getting married to a USC on the visa waiver program and then returning home to the UK.

I'm a UK citizen and am getting married to my American fiancé in 3 weeks and am stressing out BIG TIME about the border control interview. I find them stressful when I'm just visiting, so I can't imagine how much worse it'll be when I'm carrying a wedding dress in a little travel box.

The situation is this:

My fiancé is in the United States Marine Corps and is deploying to Afghanistan in a few months time. We wanted to be married before the deployment, and decided there was no point in doing a K-1 visa and doing the whole AOS thing because I definitely don't want to stay in the USA on my own while he's off in Afghanistan. Staying in USA would be a pointless and lonely experience. I want to be back home in England with my family and friends until the end of next year when he is back from Afghanistan. By that time, he should not be deployed again.

So, after doing some research and confirming that this is perfectly legal, we are getting married on the VWP, I'm spending a week with him afterwards, and then I'm coming back to the UK.

The question is, how convincing will this be to the border control official? I don't know and it terrifies me!

I've made 3 visits to the US before to visit him, went back home when I said I would and never had any problems at point of entry. The only proof they ever wanted those times was a return ticket but I think I should be prepared for a more thorough questioning.


- I have a return ticket, obviously.
- I will have a letter from my employer stating that I have a job to return to
- I can provide proof of bank accounts with lots and lots of savings
- I don't own any property. I pay monthly rent but it's to my parents so I can't really use this as convincing proof.
- I run my own piano teaching business and have ongoing commitments to my students with that but I'm not sure how I can prove this...? The most I can give them is a teaching schedule and some emails showing that I only recently took on some new students in the last week and guaranteed them 20 weeks of tuition (i.e. why would I do that if I didn't intend to return home).
- I'm asking my fiancé for some proof that he's active duty military and due for deployment soon. Hopefully he can provide SOMETHING along these lines as I think it may help my case. He doesn't have his orders yet, but there may be something he can give me.


What else can I show them?
I need some ideas. Please help I'm trying to do this right and I'm so terrified about this.




Also, I was planning on being open with them about the wedding! Question: Is this a bad idea or is it ok for me to say "I'm here for my wedding and honeymoon" when asked about the purpose of my visit? I just thought it would seem really suspicious if I said I was on holiday or visiting my boyfriend (what I've said on previous occasions) and they found out I was carrying a wedding dress! I think that would look really bad, so I'm planning on being entirely truthful.

I'd be so grateful for any advice! So stressed out

Helen

meauxna

Helen!
You had me at "My fiancé is in the United States Marine Corps and is deploying to Afghanistan in a few months time. We wanted to be married before the deployment,"

Remember that the 'formula' for getting in is different for everyone. Your reasons seem consistent with the purpose of your visit and the VWP.

A copy of his orders would be a good thing to have, but I think you are worrying too much. Some is good, too much is bad for you.

Ladybee314

Thank you!! I'll see what I can do regarding orders. Pretty sure there is nothing official he can give me yet, but at the very least I'll be able to prove that he is active duty and he is due for redeployment very soon.

I'm still worried though.

The first question they ask is always along the lines of "What is the purpose of your visit?" and my parents are arguing that I should say I'm visiting my boyfriend but I'm worried that it'll look bad if they question further and find out I'm getting married..! Any thoughts on this? What's the best way to answer the question directly without giving information that isn't needed? Do you think it's ok to say that I'm there to marry to my fiancé before he deploys, and return home the following weekend? Or is that offering too much information already?

ian-mstm

Why don't you just FedEx your wedding dress over ahead of time? I'm sure you can trust your fiance and his family not to open the box until you arrive... especially if you ask him/them not to!

Ian

Ladybee314

Thanks for your thoughts ian-mstm

I thought about that I could send the wedding dress etc. ahead. However, I still don't know what I should say in response to the purpose of my visit question. It's not quite true to say I'm just visiting my boyfriend is it?

What if they pry, or even ask directly "do you intend to get married?" - it might look suspicious if I said yes (I can't lie!) but had already stated that I was just visiting my boyfriend for a short holiday. Hmm hmm. This is what I can't figure out.

ian-mstm

Then tell them you're visiting your fiancee. That is the truth.


If they pry, you tell them the truth... yes, you're intending to get married before your fiancee ships out to Afghanistan, but that you're returning to the UK in 2 or 3 weeks because that's where your family and support network is.

Ian

Wolfy

I told them I was visiting my fiance and was never questioned if i was going to get married, but expected that question and wouldve answered honestly.

If you have a car take your V5 as I did, but never had to show anything cos they never asked

avanutria

My DH said he was there to get married. The IO told him congratulations!

Ladybee314

Hope I get such a trusting IO!

Anyway.

I've decided I'm just going to be very transparent about it all!

If they do ask about the purpose of my visit, which I expect they will, I'll tell them that I'm going to get married and have a short holiday in the US. If they don't believe me, I'm pretty confident that my story adds up (because it's the truth!) and I have enough evidence to convince them that I'm not trying to immigrate.

My fiancé told me he can't get me a copy of his orders, because the official orders have no yet been released, and there's nothing he can get hold of that he's actually allowed to copy and give to me. But he can write me a letter and even get something in writing from his lieutenant, and I think that'll help. :]


Thank you so much to everybody who replied! I feel much less stressed out now! PHEW. ;D Only 2 weeks to go until I leave! Hooray

Ladybee314

Just wanted to follow up and say that it was all fine, they didn't even ask to see my return ticket (I suppose the fact that I've been to the US 3 times previously and always left in a timely manner probably told them I was trustworthy...) and the wedding went ahead as planned. Got married, had a wonderful time and now I'm back in jolly old England, grumpy and alone.

So now we're getting the I-130 and associated paperwork underway so that I can eventually get a green card. Ahhh... what fun. Exciting though!

Wolfy

Ditto....and sympathies, feel for you truly do....but now the work begins and your adventure...Many congrats on your marriage!

2 and a bit months since I was able to hold my wife and feel her skin and smell her hair and I should be thankful in a way that we can affordt to do regular trips to break up the long spells and cant wait for next weekend to hold her again!

Chin up, the good will always outweigh the bad!