ceremonial (non legal) wedding China

[Meidon]

Hi my name is Don, I have met a wonderful woman in China (Zimei). We plan to Marry on 7/5/05 (Ceremonial). I read so much about k-3 visa delays and I am thinking of a K-1. When you apply for a k-1 do you need to have purchased engagement rings? Also we have been chatting via yahoo instant messenger, do I need to send all of our conversations to them as proof that we have a relationship (some conversations are private). Also should I send pictures of our cermonal (non legal) wedding? Also when my SO is questioned for her visa will they ask her if she married(non legal)? Will it even matter????

I am new to all this and I am gathering as much information as I can.

Thanks,

Don

[Carl]

Personally I wouldn't. It could up end up confusing the VO whenit comes time for the interview and might make them think you are already married and thus commiting fraud by applying for a K-1. You can still have the non binding ceremony for your SO's family, take the pictures, but don't add them to the photo album you show the VO. To be considered married you need a legal document that says you are. If there is no legal document, you may consider yourself married in name after the "ceremony," but legally you are both single.

[tonado]

Don,

 

Welcome to CFL.

 

Don't give photos of the ceremonial wedding to the VO. You don't need to purchase an engagement ring for K1. However, the more evidence you have the better for the interview.

[Meidon]

Also we have been chatting via yahoo instant messenger, do I need to send all of our conversations to them as proof that we have a relationship (some conversations are private).

[Feathers268]

Don,

You don't have to send all of them, but you will need to send some that show the direction of the relationship. Will you be planning to be in Guangzhou with her for the interview? I would suggest having all of them with her at the interview incase further supporting documents are needed. Chances are that they will not look at them or even ask about them, but in a pinch my feeling is that I will want them to be there just in case.

[david_dawei]

Don,

 

The K-3 does seem to take longer, but hard to advise you without really knowing all your circumstances.. You mentioned you meet this woman in china.. sounds like your still there? Or going back to possibly marry. How long are you going to stay in China?

 

Is speed your highest priority? If your going to be in China a year or more, then the wait is less important anyway. I am not sure if one is 'easier' to convince as a valid relationship or not... but when I evaluated the two methods, I saw some advantages to the K-3 in terms of the process but the wait appeared longer. In the end, I opted for the K-1.

 

You don't need to buy a ring.. but frankly, I'd advise it since you will find most everything in China cheaper than waiting for the US to get it. Zixuan and I have already bought our wedding rings as well in China. We also already did professional 'wedding' pictures... but we will be careful as to what we provide in the interview.

 

You will need to provide evidence of a relationship. In the fist submission, a few pictures and a 'letter' of intention to marry is provided with some bio papers. It is at the interview (many, many months later) that the majority of the 'relationship' evidence is provided and reviewed. So, in this sense, you have a lot of time to build up this evidence. Your Yahoo chatting can be used to establish your first meeting dates, but you can make some better evidence over the months. When apart, send some emails back and forth as well. When together, keep all trip records, receipts to show dates and that you went together places. If you take a train or plane together, keep the boarding pass. If you buy the rings, keep the receipts, etc. If your names appear on anything together, keep it.

 

The more you go to visit or longer you stay the better. In the end, they really want to know that the relationship is valid (ie: no fraud exists, Carl mentions), you intent to marry in the US (for a K-1) and you have the financial ability to take care of her.

 

If you avoid providing any evidence of a "non-legal" ceremony, then there's no reason for the interview to bring it up... But if you can prepare some answers for her just in case. "we are not married. We will marry in the US". She'll have to provide a 'single' status paper anyway from China. You can do this close to the interview. Then the date of it is probably after your ceremony anyways. This will establish she is indeed single.

 

david&Zixuan

[yuehan123]

Don,

 

One of the items required by form OF-169, included in the P-3 information, is a marriage status certificate.

 

You SO is either legally married or legally single.

 

I agree with the other posters- do not use any "ceremonial" photos.

 

Here is a link, provided on this website to the p-3/p-4 information.

 

http://home.comcast.net/~donahso/index.htm

[ptcrusier333rph]

The problem I have is not knowing if it be official or not, from the reading I did I have to be in country for 30 days and become a resident or file here in the states and wait 30 days, to get official marriage, But my SO say not to worry, it just depend on who you know to get marry. So is it official it be K3 if not it K1. either way I'm still filling out the marriage paperwork , and both K1 and K3 just to be safe

 

woman can make life complicated

 

But I love it

 

Robert

[Mengxin]

Everything Matters. Don't give them any excuse to deney you.

[philb]

Welcome Don:

 

Phone logs don't hurt. there are several good cards out there. I use onesuite.com and I am very satisfied. Also dated pictures of you together with your SO....and with family members does not hurt either.

 

Mostly you are going to have to become very patient; if that is possible.

 

Cheetos,

 

Phil & Yun

[NY-Viking]

We didn't include photos of our ceremonial wedding with our initial application (it hadn't actually taken place at that point, so photos wouldn't have been possible ...), but my fiancée did take some down with her for the interview, to show that our parents had met, etc., and I think the VO did look at them.

 

As part of our initial I-129F application, I did however include a long letter detailing how we met and knew each other, and it stated that we were having ceremonies in both countries, but that we would not legally marry until we came to the U.S.

 

Your SO will have a single certificate that she will obtain after she gets her P3. If your China ceremony happens before that date, there shouldn't be any confusion. It is pretty common to have two ceremonies, and I think the VOs are smart enough to understand this.

[mike_m]

I think that in China you must go to some government office and enter your name in some kind of marriage registry to be considered legally married. I hope someone else here will either clarify or correct my statement.

 

You could consider the cerememony an 'engagement ceremony' or celebration.

 

As far as the printed copies of email and chat I'd provide enough to show regular communication and the development of your relationship. The VO may or may not decide to even look at the copies. If there is anything that is too private for the VO to read then don't put it in the package. It shouldn't take ALL of your chat and email to show the development of a relationship.

[Meidon]

Thank you all for the great advice!!! I am putting my initial documentation to gether this weekend. I will keep you all up to date on my progress!!

[SongDaJiang]

As far as being legally married in China: Yes, it is a government procedure versus a simple cutomary ceremony. Lucy and I were married at the Chengdu Marriage Office. I had to show a 'letter of single status' notarized by city, county, state of Oklahoma and then the Chinese consulate form Houston had to notarize it. My wife had to present some papers and family history. They put our name in a database, took our pictures, and issued us each a 'red book.' This book has both of our pictures and names written in English and Chinese. The book represents the marriage certificate like ou would get in the US. (Very important and do not lose!) The US and China both recognize marriages from both countries as binding - so no polygamy between them.

 

Despite all these formalities, for the past year all the papers I have had to file locally (health insurance, loan papers, house deeds) have declared me single until she has an official SSN and is recognized by the US.