juliakbird

Hi

My partner and I might be moving to the USA at the end of the year and I am looking at the visa options. It will be a transfer within the same company for him, so I assume that he can get an L1 visa. I could then get an L2 visa, because we are planning to get married next month.

The problem is, I was a little spooked by some websites that said we should have either 4-5 wedding photos, the entire wedding album, and/or the wedding invitation available for the application process. We were only planning a very small civil ceremony with the marriage celebrant and two witnesses from the council attending, no family and friends. We won't have an impressive wedding album and definitely no invitation. My question is if it will be enough if we get a few photographs of the whole ceremony?

Any advice would be appreciated!

mellybrown

I took a few and they didnt ask for them. Didnt even want to see my wedding certificate - most unhappy I was!! Us L2s just are not important enough!!!

meauxna

I've never heard of a photo evidence requirement, but surely the marriage certificate had been submitted with your application?

Folinskyinla

Hi:

The L-1/2 is a non-immigrant visa. As a general rule, the consular officers really don't look for bona-fides of a non-immigrant marriage as long as it is legally valid. Don't really worry about it all that much. If it makes you feel better, have a friend take a few digital snapshots at the ceremony and then print them out.


[Note for others out there -- the K-1 fiance visa is in the form of a NIV -- but it is considered a "hybrid" because it looks directly to obtaining immigrant status. The Foreign Affairs Manual of the State Department notes that it is processed "as if" it was an application for an immigrant visa.]

MsElui

dont think you have to jump through so many hoops for an L2 - i certainly didnt. You might need this kind of evidence for a fiancee or spouse visa but not a L2.

juliakbird

OK, sounds encouraging! I thought the marriage certificate should be enough and we both have honest faces so the US visa officials shouldn't be too worried about fraud

If we do end up going there, I will let the forum know how it went.

BrewMonkey

Don't worry about it too much.

We started the whole process before we were married (L-1A visa for me, L2 for my soon-to-be wife). My I-129 petition was filed 2 days after our wedding. It made things 'interesting' beforehand though with having different names on certain forms etc. with the attorneys, and it was touch and go with having her passport changed to her new name in time, but it all went through fine and no photos were needed, only the marriage certificate and to be honest I can't actually remember them checking it thoroughly.

We got the I797B approval a week later and then applied for our embassy appointment. We therefore had the actual embassy interview about 4 weeks after our wedding. No problems with only being married for such a short time.

Relax and enjoy your wedding.

One word of general caution - I emplore you to have your fiancee get everything he can about his new position in writing. No matter how much you trust the people, no matter what they promise verbally, you MUST get any benefits, special arrangments etc. in writing. I trusted my company (worked for them for 6 years in the UK) and I'm in an awkward position now where verbal arrangements about certain benefits have been questioned. The person the arrangements were made with is not longer with the company and other people are denying knowledge to cover their own backs.

I'm serious - please do yourselves a favour and follow this advice. No matter how trivial or 'obvious' certain contractual points or benefits may seem, it might make the difference between a great experience and a nightmare.

I'm off for a little cry......and some of this...