Legally married and then having wedding?

[gwendolyn]

Date: 5/6/2008 4:23:35 PM
Author: Addy
Oh, sorry, I thought you saying to get married in the US but then not live there afterward. If that''s the case, he doesn''t need a visa to marry. If he gets married and stays then, yes, visa time!


In the UK, if you get married you need a visa or COA whether you stay or not. This is where I think the US is easier to marry in if you''re not staying because it''s one less visa/COA, less paperwork is always good!


Didn''t mean to confuse you. Carry on. Ignore the crazy lady in the corner who is trying to secure a visa and getting slightly paranoid that the bank won''t freaking give me the paperwork I need!!! I''ll make more sense and be more sane in another few weeks.

Oh, sweetie, I know EXACTLY how you feel, and I haven''t even really gotten my hands dirty with this visa crap yet! It''s so complicated... No, I had thought it might be easier to get married here in the UK since we will already BE here in the UK, and then go settle in the US, where we want to be anyway (where I''d like to be in a couple of months if he could qualify for a visa other than the fiance one).

If J were to apply for a US marriage visa, would we already have to be married, or could we be about to get married?

(I''ve spent more on visas than on my e-ring...not that I''m bitter...much)

I know!! This really depresses me.

 

[Rhea]

I''m not familiar with US immigration. We decided to go UK instead. UK is typically quicker but less straight forward. From what I understand, you can do it either way for the US. Either get married first and then apply for a spouse visa or apply for a fiancee visa (3 months to enter the US and get married). But I don''t think that J can enter the US without visa to get married IF he plans to settle in the US after the wedding. It''s whole hog or none.

If you can, don''t do immigration and visas in both countries unless you can complete the process to the point where you are happy. I''ve heard of a few people getting their first few UK visas (fiancee, 2 year spouse, ILR) and then deciding to go back to the US. With both the US and UK, the greencard (US) and ILR (UK) expire after a certain time of not being resident and settled in whichever country. IMO, this is expensive as you''re effectively going through immigration on both sides with nothing to show for it in at least once country (such as permanent residence/citizenship) but a lower bank balance.

 

[gwendolyn]

Date: 5/6/2008 5:09:06 PM
Author: Addy
I''m not familiar with US immigration. We decided to go UK instead. UK is typically quicker but less straight forward. From what I understand, you can do it either way for the US. Either get married first and then apply for a spouse visa or apply for a fiancee visa (3 months to enter the US and get married). But I don''t think that J can enter the US without visa to get married IF he plans to settle in the US after the wedding. It''s whole hog or none.


If you can, don''t do immigration and visas in both countries unless you can complete the process to the point where you are happy. I''ve heard of a few people getting their first few UK visas (fiancee, 2 year spouse, ILR) and then deciding to go back to the US. With both the US and UK, the greencard (US) and ILR (UK) expire after a certain time of not being resident and settled in whichever country. IMO, this is expensive as you''re effectively going through immigration on both sides with nothing to show for it in at least once country (such as permanent residence/citizenship) but a lower bank balance.

Oh, ok. I was under the impression that we''d have to get both eventually anyway if we were to ever visit the friends & family in the other country (like, if we were married and settled in the US, I couldn''t visit J''s relatives in England as a regular tourist--I''d have to have a marriage visa--but maybe that''s wrong, it''s all a jumble because I''ve looked it up in bits while doing my schoolwork this year).

 

[Rhea]

Not at all. Visas in both countries are based on settlement. If you want to visit, you just visit like you already do, assuming you don''t stay longer than 3 months US or 6 months UK. Actually, immigration is easier. We go through together with our marriage certificate. To the immigration officers it kinda seems to appease them and be proof that we''re not looking to settle where we don''t have a visa.

 

[gwendolyn]

Date: 5/6/2008 5:48:12 PM
Author: Addy
Not at all. Visas in both countries are based on settlement. If you want to visit, you just visit like you already do, assuming you don''t stay longer than 3 months US or 6 months UK. Actually, immigration is easier. We go through together with our marriage certificate. To the immigration officers it kinda seems to appease them and be proof that we''re not looking to settle where we don''t have a visa.

Oh, ok, that makes sense! (I think the first thing in everything I''ve learned about immigration visas that does!) Thank you so much for taking the time to answer all my questions, Addy. You are a treasure. Hug?

 

[kathyinjapan]

I had a separate paper wedding and wedding ceremony too. We were legally married at the ward office in Japan last Feburary. Then 5 months later we had our wedding ceremony in Hawaii.

Reason being that year in August we were going to be completing our work contracts in Japan and my husband (US citizen) was moving (back) to Australia with me. We wanted to have his visa arranged well before that (incase of any last minute stuff ups) and so decided to arrange our paper wedding first to get the application process moving along. So we "married" in February, sent his application out in March and had his visa by May.

 

[purrfectpear]

Based on the example in the OP''s post of "months or even years" later and including a registry, I have to say no way. Sorry that you all have circumstances that may have put off your wedding by several months, but it''s in extremely poor taste to register for gifts at that late date.

Have how ever many weddings, ceremonies, or whatever you like, but if the wedding is more than a couple of weeks after the civil ceremony it''s just not appropriate to ask for gifts much later than that.

BTW, my parents were married twice in Germany. One a civil ceremony, and a few days later an American ceremony. When my mother got her visa and came over to join my dad, the locals gave her a bridal shower to welcome her. That was a nice way to handle it IMO. Certainly better than a registry.

 

[carabella]

I''ve had friends that have had a civil service right before or after a destination wedding (e.g. Mexico, Italy, Greece) to make it all legal. Other than that I''m not sure, maybe it would be OK if you did, say an east coast then west coast thing for older family members that couldn''t travel....but even then a ceremony is a ceremony and should probably be done just once (unless you''re talking second marriages, etc.) and anything after for the same marriage would probably be more like a reception/party type event.

 

[Rhea]

Date: 5/6/2008 5:52:54 PM
Author: gwendolyn

Date: 5/6/2008 5:48:12 PM

Author: Addy

Not at all. Visas in both countries are based on settlement. If you want to visit, you just visit like you already do, assuming you don''t stay longer than 3 months US or 6 months UK. Actually, immigration is easier. We go through together with our marriage certificate. To the immigration officers it kinda seems to appease them and be proof that we''re not looking to settle where we don''t have a visa.

Oh, ok, that makes sense! (I think the first thing in everything I''ve learned about immigration visas that does!) Thank you so much for taking the time to answer all my questions, Addy. You are a treasure. Hug?

Hiya. I didn''t see this until just now. I often feel like I confuse people with my random visa information. I glad I could help you!