My fiance and I are planning to marry and visit the US soon after. The laws are changing soon, and then it’ll be easier(or maybe just cheaper). But, now she’ll have to do an interview and apply for a tourist visa. During the interview, we won’t be married yet.
A friend of hers said she might be better off saying she’s visiting alone-so she won’t overstay and be an illegal immigrant. Also, she told her to act like her English is worse than the reality.
I thought the truth about going with me would be better-going with your (at the time of the visit) husband doesn’t seem much like a legal problem.
[quote=“spitzig”]My fiance and I are planning to marry and visit the US soon after. The laws are changing soon, and then it’ll be easier(or maybe just cheaper). But, now she’ll have to do an interview and apply for a tourist visa. During the interview, we won’t be married yet.
A friend of hers said she might be better off saying she’s visiting alone-so she won’t overstay and be an illegal immigrant. Also, she told her to act like her English is worse than the reality.
I thought the truth about going with me would be better-going with your (at the time of the visit) husband doesn’t seem much like a legal problem.[/quote]
I don’t know how quickly US visas are issued in Taiwan. But how quickly are you getting married?
I would suggest:
bringing to the interview proof you will be married before the intended travel date
bringing proof she is returning to Taiwan after vacation ie. letter from employer stating employment, utility bills, rental receipt, car registration, pay stubs, any and all ties to Taiwan
hotel reservation of where you will stay in the US, or letter of invitation if staying with friends/families
Ok a bit of real world experience to share here. We were in the same boat a number of years back. Cept I thought we would not be married yet before we visited cAlif.
So I suggested my GF apply for a tourist visa based on her visiting the USA with a tour group (which was actually the initial intention, we were going to go with a tour). So she went to the interview and get , to our surprise , a multiple five year visa. Unfortunately with the stipulation she must travel with a tour group. Upon clarification, it was determined that only the first visit she must be with a tour group, subsequent visits not.
So all good and dandy. But we ended up getting married before the trip occurred. Then we decided to visit SF as our honeymoon so we asked the AIT what to do. They said it will be fine to let her use the same visa but explain to the Immigration that she has actually married since the visa was issued and that now she is travelling with me and not a tour group.
When we landed she was in the Visitors line and I was in the US citizens line. A very sharp immi official walking the lines noticed her nervousness ( The USA is quite nerve racking for a first time non US citizen visitor and non world traveller). I quickly left my line and went and explained to the officer. HE then said we should BOTH use the US citizen line although she was not a US citizen, didnt have a Green Card nor was using an Immigrant visa.
When we both got up to the line, there was some explaining to do and the Immigration officer was kind but not entirely pleased. He said the Ait shouldve gotten her a new visa as she could be turned away based upon the fact that she was not on a tour group.
Anyhow the important thing is to be completely up front from the beginning with the AIT because:
nobody bar secret agents can pass off a lie to immigration or AIT official. They are very smart and trained to smell a rat.
If a person lied to get a US VISA that person could be PERMANENTLY BARRED from entering the USA for the rest of her/his life.
Therefore, i would strongly suggest no shenanigans with the AIT. None whatsoever.
We’re getting married January 1-we were planning to visit the US over CNY, so we decided to make it a honeymoon. Also, that date will be easy to remember and we’ll always have a holiday.
Also, it’s the second time she’s visited the US-the first was a long time ago.
What is proof of a future marriage? There won’t be a big ceremony or anything-we’re just going to the Justice of the Peace(or the equivalent). The closest thing I know of is evidence of a current relationship-which is really just proof that we live together.
Iris said that the laws regarding tourist(visitor/landing?) visas are changing such that if we went later(ignoring marriage), she wouldn’t need to apply for a visitor visa. I guess the situation is going to be like in Taiwan.
Appointment letter for date of marriage? I don’t know how it works in Taiwan, or do you just show up to court and get married?
How about your fiancee’s proof of ties to Taiwan? Does she go to school? Does she work? Does she have any commitments with her name and address on them? Single women with no ties to home countries are a red flag.
(In my non-professional opinion, I’d do the DCF before attending the interview, if your intention is to move to US with your fiancee within a few years. Just so it’s on file that you’re legitimately married and are following through with filing the paperwork for your fiancee’s visa.)