avi

I know this has probably been discussed many times, but I haven't been able
to find the info I'm looking for, so hopefully someone can help me here.
I've been with my fiancée for 4 years. We met at school, and I was out of
status in this country for a little over a year during this after I was done
school. I never graduated college. I work for my parents company and
obviously I was not eligible for a visa, hence the reason I was out of
status. Last June, a couple months after I proposed to her, we decided that
since we were getting married anyways, we would go to the courthouse and do
all that stuff now so that we can get everything out of the way, and I would
be able to get my green card and etc sooner. I received my work
authorization, but my lawyer says I should not get travel papers since I was
out of status for a little over a year I should not travel out of the
country. Our real wedding is in August, and we both really want to go
somewhere special. We have both been pretty much everywhere we'd want to go
on "the mainland" and we're thinking either Hawaii, Puerto Rico or maybe
even USVI. My lawyer says that if I don't have to, I really shouldn't travel
off "the mainland". I was just hoping to get other people's opinions and
experiences with this, as I would really like to go somewhere off the
mainland for the honeymoon in August. My interview is in Jan of 2005, and
that's when I am told I should get my stamp in my passport and be able to
travel after that. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Thanks

Rete

Don't go off the mainland. Don't go to Hawaii. What would happen if you have to make an emergency stop in a place other than the US because of mechanical problems. Don't go to the Caribbean. Any little boat trip off of US soil would cause you nothing but heartbreak.

You could not have possibly seen all of the mainland US. There are so many wonderfully beautiful and fun places to go to. Do a little sightseeing online and find that little out of the way place where honeymooners can have privacy to enjoy each other to the fullest while insuring your peace of mind.

The Florida Keys, Sanibel Island, Florida, Block Island, Rhode Island in late August is just wonderful (our special place), the Rocky Mountains, the Blue Ridge Mountains of Tennessee, Washington State or Oregon, etc.

Listen to your attorney and consult a travel agent.

Rete

Mtravelkay

Rete wrote:

    > Don't go off the mainland. Don't go to Hawaii. What would happen if
    > you have to make an emergency stop in a place other than the US because
    > of mechanical problems.

Where would you emergency stop between Hawaii and the US?

Bluegrass Lass

We're honeymooning and getting married in the Smokey Mountains in Gatlinburg, TN. Absolutely stunning. :-)

Nicola76

my husband and I went to Puerto Rico for our honemoon and had no problems at all with leaving mainland USA or re-entering.

Nicola

Timeline TSC

NOA1 January 15th 2003
NOA2 June 19th 2003 (Online Status)
NOA2 Letter received June 23rd 2003
NVC Letter recieved July 2nd 2003 (dated 30th June)
Packet 3 received July 10th 2003
Returned IV-15 July 21st 2003 (Delayed due to being in the USA when it arrived)
Interview date received July 25th 2003
Interview date September 2nd 2003
Got the Visa!!!
Moved to the USA September 5th 2003

Got married November 1st

Adjustment of Status - Atlanta
Applied for SSN in married name November 21st 2003
AOS & EAD sent November 22nd 2003
Received at Atlanta office November 25th 2003 (UPS online)
SSN arrived November 28th 2003
Driving Test December 11th 2003
AOS & EAD NOA received dated December 17th 2003
Appointment for Biometrics January 24th 2004

kariml

I don't know if your situation is different, but we were married in the USVI. Our lawyer said it was fine. She checked with other attorneys, called POE in the mainland and customs leaving St. Thomas. Everyone told us it was fine. There was no confusion at all.

kariml

Indeed do not use a ferry for any other islands than US. We took a the ferry a couple of times a day between St. John and St. Thomas, but other non-US islands will get you into trouble. They checked our passports for stamps of other islands before leaving.

Eric S.

Hi Nicola,

We're thinking of going to Puerto Rico for our honeymoon, too. Glad to hear
you didn't have any problems. Did you even go through Immigation on your
way over or back? Did you have to bring your passports or any other
paperwork with you?

Thanks.
- Eric S.

"Nicola76" <member11792@british_expats.com> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > my husband and I went to Puerto Rico for our honemoon and had no
    > problems at all with leaving mainland USA or re-entering.
    > Nicola
    > Timeline TSC
    > NOA1 January 15th 2003
    > NOA2 June 19th 2003 (Online
    > Status)
    > NOA2 Letter received June 23rd 2003
    > NVC Letter recieved July
    > 2nd 2003 (dated 30th June)
    > Packet 3 received July 10th 2003
    > Returned IV-
    > 15 July 21st 2003 (Delayed due to being in the USA when it arrived)
    > Interview date received July 25th 2003
    > Interview date September 2nd
    > 2003
    > Got the Visa!!!
    > Moved to the USA September 5th 2003
    > Got married
    > November 1st
    > Adjustment of Status - Atlanta
    > Applied for SSN in married
    > name November 21st 2003
    > AOS & EAD sent November 22nd 2003
    > Received at
    > Atlanta office November 25th 2003 (UPS online)
    > SSN arrived November 28th
    > 2003
    > Driving Test December 11th 2003
    > AOS & EAD NOA received dated
    > December 17th 2003
    > Appointment for Biometrics January 24th 2004
    > Originally posted by avi
    > > I know this has probably
    > been discussed many times, but I haven't been able
    > > to find the info
    > I'm looking for, so hopefully someone can help me here.
    > > I've been with
    > my fiancée for 4 years. We met at school, and I was out of
    > > status in
    > this country for a little over a year during this after I was done
    > >
    > school. I never graduated college. I work for my parents company and
    > >
    > obviously I was not eligible for a visa, hence the reason I was out of
    > >
    > status. Last June, a couple months after I proposed to her, we decided
    > that
    > > since we were getting married anyways, we would go to the
    > courthouse and do
    > > all that stuff now so that we can get everything out
    > of the way, and I would
    > > be able to get my green card and etc sooner. I
    > received my work
    > > authorization, but my lawyer says I should not get
    > travel papers since I was
    > > out of status for a little over a year I
    > should not travel out of the
    > > country. Our real wedding is in August,
    > and we both really want to go
    > > somewhere special. We have both been
    > pretty much everywhere we'd want to go
    > > on "the mainland" and we're
    > thinking either Hawaii, Puerto Rico or maybe
    > > even USVI. My lawyer says
    > that if I don't have to, I really shouldn't travel
    > > off "the mainland".
    > I was just hoping to get other people's opinions and
    > > experiences with
    > this, as I would really like to go somewhere off the
    > > mainland for the
    > honeymoon in August. My interview is in Jan of 2005, and
    > > that's when I
    > am told I should get my stamp in my passport and be able to
    > > travel
    > after that. Any thoughts would be appreciated.
    > >
    > Thanks
    > --
    > Posted via http://britishexpats.com