Immigration (canada to Us)

Are you planning to get married in the US or in Canada?

My finace and I are getting married in the US. I am German and currently in the process of getting a K-1 visa. The whole process can take anywhere between 5 months to a year and you cannot work or travel outside the US for a while after marriage. So I would really think about if that's what you want to do. Otherwise you could get married in Canada and then your fiance can file for a K-3 visa. On a K-3 you can travel and work right after coming to the US. The courthouse marriage should not be an issue at all. I don't know about the church, though.

I would listen to the advice of your immigration lawyer. I know an American who is engaged to a Canadian, and they plan to live in the US after they marry. Their immigration attorney told them to absolutely NOT get married in Canada or hold any kind of a "commitment" or other symbolic ceremony here, prior to receiving the fiance's visa to marry in the US. They were told either of those actions would delay/complicate the process even further. They've been engaged and working on the visa for about 18 months now.... It seems to be a very long and frustrating process. They think they see an end coming soon, but they have hit roadblocks and delays a couple of times already, so they are trying to be patient and cautiously optimistic. I would only listen to the advice of a competent attorney. Good luck!

Hey there!! Congratulations on your engagement!

As the pp has said already, I would be very hesitant to take any advice that isn’t coming directly from your lawyer. Obviously, anyone who shares their experience is doing it in their best nature but often times the visa process depends on an individual's circumstances so their advice may not apply to you and your FS.

I hope that the process goes swiftly for you both!

We did exactly what you're planning. We eloped in June 2018 in order to speed up the immigration process, and in April this year, we celebrated our religious ceremony with family and friends. Afterward, we were separated for a month while I attended my consular appointment in my country and got my green card and now we're back to being together and I am a resident of the US.

Getting legally married before the wedding celebration was a very clever decision and we are more than happy with our choice, I know catholic churches are a little more complicated than Christian ones, so you should do some research about it.

I'm Dominican and my husband is American, in case you were wondering.