Bob

She's likely to get the B2 denied with you being a USC.

Getting a registry wedding done on paper and then doing the whole ceremony later isn't a big problem, many people do this, you just wouldn't need to file a marriage cert then because you'd already have done it.

Your making things a lot worse if you mess things up, you probably want to talk to a immigration lawyer who could advice you of the options you've got and the benefits of them.

Bink

Thanks Bob. I've been on to my company to put me in direct contact with their immigration lawyer - their advice so far has just been for me to go ahead and get my US passport. I need to quiz them closely on this.

We'd consider moving the wedding forward if we can at the same venue/church but a registry wedding isn't something we want to do just so that we can sort a visa. It may be that I end up having to do the first 6 months on my own.

They've also agreed to get me in a tax accountant to advise me on how to handle my tax.

As far as Selective Service goes I'll also double check - I'm 27 and from what I can see it's only compulsory for those aged 18-25...

Bob

Well your a USC so you need a US passport to enter the US anyway.

Just get a registry wedding done with a couple witnesses, sorted. Do the church wedding as planned, it's only a ceremony anyway and no one need know....your making this a problem when there isn't one.

SS you were meant to sign up when 18, don't know what or if there could be any problems with not signing up regarding sponsoring a partner though, but you certainly need the last 3 years of taxes filed for it.

You want your own lawyer to ask questions too because the company lawyer isn't looking out for your benefit as you ain't the client, the company is so they will do what is in the best interest of their client which might not be the same for you and your partner.

The Horticulturalist

You're in a position that many here would envy, in that you're a US Citizen and can bring a wife with you without the hassle of a spouse visa....

Ultimately it's really up to you and your wife-to-be to decide whether being married now so that you can be together in the USA in the near future is more important than the planned wedding in 2011.

lisa67

Doing the first 6 months on your own, I'm sure would be doable, but then she'd be visiting you on the VWP and only allowed to stay for up to 90 days at a time with about the same amount of time spent out of the US before she visits you again...sorry if you know all this already

Bob

and the problem of then not being resident in the UK, thus making it a slower process to bring spouse over permanently later.

Bink

The difficulty is that this isn't intended to be a permanent move, only for a few years. Sorry, I hadn't realised I hadn't mentioned earlier that it would only be our intention to do it for 2-3 years tops hence our slight hesitance about moving the wedding.

Even were we to get married tomorrow it could still take 6 or more months for her to get approved to come over, potentially longer.

I understand that most people who are looking for a longer term move would envy my situation but actually being a USC is what's causing the issues for me. If I wasn't a USC I'd almost certainly be able to take her across for at least a year, possibly two while I carried out my work contract and then return to the UK.