invite parents

[belle]

I have got my k1 visa . Can I invite my parents to go to US to attend my wedding?

[robhon]

Someone else might expand on this but, from all my reading, I'd say the answer is "unlikely."

 

If your parents in China are fairly wealthy and can show a substantial reason to return to China (money, property, family, well-paying jobs), then the answer might change to "maybe."

[wolf]

belle,

You will a K-1 visa can't invite them. Thay can apply for a visitor visa if they are wealthy as robhon said and may get it, but will take more than the 3 months you have to marry, unless they really have pull. Your Fiancee would have to invite them and submit a letter of invite and a I- 134 for for them. This is my understanding, but this has been brought up in the past so cheack past post.

[Robert S.]

belle, in a nicer world your idea ought to be possible - a sweet thing like marriage should have the parents present to give their blessing - but those who go on the adventure of marrying in foreign countries are forced to leave behind a great many comforts of their homeland and they encounter the jealous powers of national governments

[keelec]

Belle,

 

I was going to suggest considering a marriage outside of the USA, but there may be hope of getting a visa afterall, although it may depend on where you are and which Embassy you have to apply to. YOUR PARENTS WILL HAVE TO PROVE "STRONG TIES TO CHINA" (see below). It may be easier for one than both of them to get visas.

 

If you are considering a wedding outside of the USA, travel expenses will be high, and you may not be able to invite many of your husband's friends, but there are many places that you could likely go where visa restrictions might be easier. This might include Canada, or perhaps you could get married at the top of Macchu Picchu, Peru, home of the famous Inca civilization.

 

Anyway, here are the notes I saw on Visa applications.

 

Apparently the closest Embassy will accept non-immigrant visa applications (other than K1 visas).

 

Chengdu — Chongqing, Guizhou, Sichuan, Tibet, Yunnan

Guangzhou — Fujian, Guangdong, Guangzhou, Guangxi, Hainan, Immigrant Visa Unit, Adopted Children Immigrant Visa Unit

Hong Kong

Shanghai — Anhui, Jiangsu, Shanghai, Zhejiang

Shenyang — Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning

Beijing - Beijing and Tianjin, and the provinces of Xinjiang, Qinghai, Gansu, Shaanxi, Ningxia, Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, Hebei, Henan, Shandong, Hubei, Hunan or Jiangxi.

 

Here are the notes I saw on the Bejing web page:

http://www.usembassy-china.org.cn/visa/index.html

 

. . . . . All private passport holders who are applying for a

. . . . . U.S. visa for the first time are required to call

. . . . . (10) 6532-5305 to make an interview appointment.

. . . . . Our appointment hotline is staffed Monday through

. . . . . Friday from 8:30 am to 4:30 p.m. except on Chinese

. . . . . and American holidays.

. . . . . You will be given an appointment date, time and number

 

[...]

 

. . . . . If your visa application is approved, your passport

. . . . . with the visa will generally be given back within 20

. . . . . minutes of your interview.

 

The way I would interpret all of this is that your parents would be required to bring all of their forms with them to the interview, and a decision would be made essentially on the spot whether or not they would get a visa.

 

I presume the wait for an appointement is relatively short, perhaps a few weeks.

 

The important thing is that your parents MUST be able to prove that they are NOT interested in immigrating. For example, if you have a young sibling (brother or sister) that is staying in China with relatives, perhaps that could be part of their "ties to china". Another idea would be to have either your mother or your father apply for the visa, but not both of them.

 

I think it is important for them to say that they want to come to your wedding. However, be careful that they do not fall into the trap that you are coming to America, and now they want to come too.

 

Of course, later you could potentially apply for an immigrant visa for "immediate family members" which would include parents.

 

One other note:

 

The second visa is always supposed to be MUCH easlier to get than the first. If your mother, or both parents, could get a visa to come to the wedding, then they most likely would also be able to get a return visa for the birth of your first child or perhaps the grandchild's first birthday.

 

I am happy to hear that your application has been accepted, and I wish you the best of luck. Let us all know if your parents (or one of them) makes a successful visa application.

 

----- Clifford -----

[warpedbored]

belle, in a nicer world your idea ought to be possible - a sweet thing like marriage should have the parents present to give their blessing - but those who go on the adventure of marrying in foreign countries are forced to leave behind a great many comforts of their homeland and they encounter the jealous powers of national governments

I love that line "jealous powers of national governments" gonna have to adopt that one.

[keelec]

Need to be very careful about leaving the US after entering on a K-1. K-1 is a single entry. Leaving the US without getting married, filing AOS and receiving AP makes returning next to impossible.

Oooooohhhhhhh

 

There is always some complication.

Of course, there are countries where a person can travel with only a Driver's License and no passport. But, I would hate to get stuck on the wrong side of the fence.

 

In that case, try for a visa. Send the invitation and have the parents apply for a visa. Perhaps there would be someone at the Embassy or Consolate to talk to before making the application.

 

You may have best luck if a "significant" family member stays home, but the consolate should be able to tell you the criteria and the chances for acceptance.

 

Don't apply with the idea that you will re-apply if it gets refused.

 

----- Clifford ------