CR1 Visa plan. Sound plausible?
Apr 26th 2022, 4:48 pm
#16
Forum Regular
Joined: Jan 2017
Posts: 246
Re: CR1 Visa plan. Sound plausible?
Because, even if she intends to leave and get an immigrant visa in the UK, it is so easy for her to change her mind after entering the US and decide to stay and do Adjustment of Status. The law allows her to do Adjustment of Status after entry on B2 or even VWP. There is nothing stopping her from changing her plans to do it. Therefore, it's hard to convince the officer that she won't immigrate on that stay. This is true even for her visit on VWP before the marriage.
Apr 26th 2022, 7:44 pm
#17
DE-UK-NZ-IE-US... the TYP
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 2,855
Re: CR1 Visa plan. Sound plausible?
Some mitigation to that risk may be achieved by choosing a "good" airport to enter the US, when coming to get married.
I had previously been grilled at Podunk International when visiting, but when I arrived to get married (and then leave again to apply for a visa!) I chose a flight into a New York area airport, actually Newark, but JFK would have served as well, or IAD, or LAX, where they see thousands of people from around the world and IME don't spend too much time interrogating people at the immigration desk.
And yes, when I arrived at Newark to catch an onward flight, a week ahead of getting married, I sailed through immigration with minimal fuss or questions.
I had previously been grilled at Podunk International when visiting, but when I arrived to get married (and then leave again to apply for a visa!) I chose a flight into a New York area airport, actually Newark, but JFK would have served as well, or IAD, or LAX, where they see thousands of people from around the world and IME don't spend too much time interrogating people at the immigration desk.
And yes, when I arrived at Newark to catch an onward flight, a week ahead of getting married, I sailed through immigration with minimal fuss or questions.
Sent back at the border on an ESTA
Apr 26th 2022, 9:04 pm
#18
Joined: Dec 2001
Location: Dixie, ex UK
Posts: 52,446
Re: CR1 Visa plan. Sound plausible?
Dunno, never been there, but it has reputation as one of the largest gateway hubs into the US, so I am comfortable suggesting it for the reasons I described above.
The truth is that we can all have one unfortunate experience that perhaps is not at all representative of any one international airport. ... And just to clarify my earlier post, I wasn't sent to secondary, and looking back I suspect that it was just the immigration officer yanking my chain, ... but I was still more comfortable booking my travel to clear immigration in Newark than I was taking a direct flight back to where I had the previous poor experience.
The truth is that we can all have one unfortunate experience that perhaps is not at all representative of any one international airport. ... And just to clarify my earlier post, I wasn't sent to secondary, and looking back I suspect that it was just the immigration officer yanking my chain, ... but I was still more comfortable booking my travel to clear immigration in Newark than I was taking a direct flight back to where I had the previous poor experience.
Last edited by Pulaski; Apr 26th 2022 at 9:36 pm.
Aug 24th 2022, 2:39 pm
#19
Forum Regular
Joined: May 2020
Location: Chicago, IL USA
Posts: 42
Re: CR1 Visa plan. Sound plausible?
PS as for the advise that she might encounter problems if she tells them at the port of entry that she is planning on marrying while here, as tht noted he used the word "MAY". The same issue could be had when she says she is visiting her fiancée or boyfriend. The way around this is to bring documentation that she is going to be returning home.
Whilst travelling to Chicago (ORD) numerous times to visit my (then) girlfriend/ fiancée, when asked why I was visiting, I said to "visit a friend" (scared that the "fiancée" would raise flags (I was naïve)
The agent then said "That must be a good friend, you visit them a lot!"
After blushing I replied "she's my gf / fiancée", to which the (female) agent replied, with a big beaming smile, "Why didn't you say that then?! Welcome!"
I guess the moral of the story is to be honest and you cannot predict how an agent will react!
