If you are engaged and have no formal plans to get married, then you’re probably going to be considering a fiancé visa. It’s actually not a bad thing that you don’t have formal plans to get married, but you’re going to have to understand that when your fiancé enters the United States, you are required to get married within 90 days of their entry. As long as you are flexible on when you can get married, having no formal date is actually fine.
Because the process can vary in terms of timing, you don’t necessarily want to have a formal date for your wedding if you’re applying for a fiancé visa. A fiancé visa can take as long as eight months for somebody to get to the United States, and then when they get here is when you would have to be married. Because you don’t know how long the petition process will take or when your fiancé will be scheduled for an interview at the consulate, it’s actually a very good idea not to have a formal date if you are going to apply for a fiancé visa.
If you have questions about fiancé visas and wonder whether this is the best option for you and your fiancé, please call me at my office and I’d be happy to discuss your options for you and whether a fiancé visa is best for your situation.
Cheryl David is an experienced immigration attorney based in New York City. Please contact the office for a free initial consultation if you have any questions regarding immigration procedures or applications.
What If We Are Engaged but We Have No Formal Plans to Get Married?