Wedding CEREMONY/banquet after k1 issued but before arrival in U.S.

[yojoe]

my fiancee already passed her K1 interview and has the K1 visa in HAND. We would just be having a wedding banquent/ceremony (no documents signed). The laws of her country, China, state that to be considered married, a couple must actually be issued a marriage certificate.

"Article 8 Both the man and the woman desiring to contract a marriage shall register in person with the marriage registration office. If the proposed marriage is found to conform with the provisions of this Law, the couple shall be allowed to register and issued marriage certificates. The husband and wife relationship shall be established as soon as they acquire the marriage certificates. In the absence of the marriage registration, the man and the woman shall go through the procedures subsequently. "

Also the "ceremony/banquet" would not be administered by a priest or any other form of religious clergy but just by an hired MC from the wedding company that I would pay to plan the party. We would also not have any photos placed online and will not be taking any photos with us on the plane. I know everyone thinks it is better just to wait, but her family refuses to let her come without having the ceremony there for "face". Any thoughts under this circumstance?

[dnoblett]

That's what my wife and I did, it is not an issue, consider it an "engagement" party, call it what you want.

[Greg.D.]

I am not the expert, nor have I married someone in China or married a Chinese person, but my understanding from all of my Chinese friends is that the banquet/party/ceremony is usually (or is it always?) separate from the legal procedure. Sometimes a year or more (thinking of a couple of friends in particular).

The problem with her family's idea is that if you two choose NOT to marry in the 90 day K-1 period and she returns to China .... she needs to more or less announce to all that you did not marry after all - and she may have to return the gifts, etc (wedding etiquette also NOT my area of expertise).

 

I wonder what the different opinions are about that outcome.

Greg

[Randy W]

I am not the expert, nor have I married someone in China or married a Chinese person, but my understanding from all of my Chinese friends is that the banquet/party/ceremony is usually (or is it always?) separate from the legal procedure. Sometimes a year or more (thinking of a couple of friends in particular).

 

The problem with her family's idea is that if you two choose NOT to marry in the 90 day K-1 period and she returns to China .... she needs to more or less announce to all that you did not marry after all - and she may have to return the gifts, etc (wedding etiquette also NOT my area of expertise).

 

I wonder what the different opinions are about that outcome.

 

Greg

 

 

It's your (and her) choice whether to have the ceremony or not. It's 100% optional, as is the degree of formality.

 

With the visa, on the other hand, you have stated under oath that you fully intend to marry her within the 90 day period. The "legal procedure" (the actual wedding) needs to take place in the U.S. - that's the whole purpose for the visa.

 

Holding back on her because it MAY not work out may not be the wisest thing to do at this point. Talk it over with your fiance and make sure you are doing the right thing

[msittig]

In my experience/circle of friends, it's more and and more common for the marriage registration/certificate and the wedding ceremony to be completed at different times, whether due to timing issues, legal reasons, distance between the families, etc. In other words, it's widely recognized that these two events don't have to happen together and that they have different meanings.

[pkfops]

Keep in mind you will have an AOS interview and your wife will be asked questions while under oath only she can answer.

 

[Randy W]

Keep in mind you will have an AOS interview and your wife will be asked questions while under oath only she can answer.

 

 

 

?? Huh !!?! Not sure that I'm catching any significance here.

[dnoblett]

May or may not have an AOS interview, my wife had only 2 interviews throughout the whole process, K-1 visa interview in China and Citizenship interview. No AOS or ROC interviews.