Complicated Marriage/Postpone situation... Help is greatly appreciated!

[RaminR]

Hi everyone... My case number is 2011AS000010**, and I am currently in the U.S. on an F-1 visa. I will be graduating in December 2010. I would appreciate it if anyone could please help me with my situation below:

I plan on getting married to my girlfriend, who is back home in Iran. One approach would be for me to do AOS and hopefully get my green card by December-January at the latest, then return to Iran, get married and then wait for an unknown amount of time for my wife to get her green card as well. However, I do not wish to take this route because of the many unknowns.

My initial plans were to return to Iran in January, get married, update my situation with KCC, and then take the CP route and have my interview in late April-early May (Since there is no U.S. embassy in Iran, we must go to Turkey or Abu Dhabi, and due to military service restrictions, I cannot exit the country before April~May). Do you think this is feasible?

My main worry is that DV visas will run out by May, but by looking at Visa Bulletins from previous years, it seems unlikely. What are your thoughts on this?

Another worry that I have is about postponing the interview. Is it even possible to have my interview in May? I mean, can I tell KCC that I want my interview in May? I asked them about it, but their reply was very vague and unclear.

Any general advice, ideas, or personal experiencs would be greatly appreciated. Good luck to everyone!

 

[leongsce]

Hi everyone... My case number is 2011AS000010**, and I am currently in the U.S. on an F-1 visa. I will be graduating in December 2010.

raminr,
you are current in oct. which means that a visa number will be available for you in oct. this also means that you should be prepared to send in your aos package by end sept or oct 1.

i suggest you not complicate your case by travelling and getting married now. you should focus on getting your gc first. after that you can take your time to decide how you want to bring your wife over. you only have this one chance of getting the gc. don't screw it.

 

[bentlebee]

I agree with the previous poster. getting married now will be a red flag and you might be getting administrative processing, which can take weeks to months.

But you are free to do whatever you choose to do

 

[RaminR]

Thank you for your replies leongsce and bentlebee...

I know that there will be administrative processing for us Iranians, but I have already been through this process once before, and for us Iranians, it takes about 2 months on average. So I'm not worried about that. I'm mostly worried about the 50,000 quota. What do you think are the chances that visas will be filled up in May?

In general, what are the risks associated with my plan? Thank you again.

 

[NuvF]

@RaminR

I hope following would help you .....

http://forums.immigration.com/showthread.php?310624-Marriage-before-DV-interview-please-help
http://forums.immigration.com/showt...!-Re-Marriage-before-DV-interview-please-help

Rather than going into Iran itself to marry, can you make it to Turkey or Abu Dhabi, and continue your 'struggle' from there?
One thing I am sure is that US embassies in the region know very well all the 'restrictions' imposed upon you by the Iranian regime, and your efforts to circumvent those should not raise any concern, JMO !

If the past facts are of any worth, next yr too the 55k limit should not be a prob till the end.
So you should have 8-9 mos to work out your case.

Only thing is you will have to face and accept all the uncertainties. BUT..... others have done it successfully before, why not you?

 

[RaminR]

Thank you for your reply NuvF...

Actually, I have closely followed those threads before, and they were very helpful. It looks like their situation was very similar to mine, with some variations...

I could go to Turkey and get married there, but I believe that would be too expensive, because I would have to stay in a foreign country for an undetermined period of time. My father actually suggested that, but I don't think it is feasible.

I also agree with you that others have done it before, so why not me? I don't believe that what I am doing is too risky... My relationship is bona fide, and I can prove it as well.

Now, I have another question... Does anyone know the latest time that I can send my marriage certificate to the embassy to update my case? I've seen in other threads that you can update your case up to 10 days before your interview date, but I need to confirm this.

Thank you again everyone!

 

[firo1234]

Hello dear

well I think I have situatuon like yours but different, I register as a single on the dv 2010 lottery, and after just one month of my registration I get married ( I didn't know at that time that I'll win) so when I receive the 1st NL I sent back the forms for me and my wife with a marriage certificate, and now I receive my 2nd NL and they include my wife name on my documents, and actually I read in some another forms that some guys they also apply as a single and after that they didn't even update there status with kcc, and they went smoothly to the interview and update there status during the embassy procedures, but aslo I prefer that u get married before and update your status with kcc because you never knows what will happen, any way my interview date is next week and I am so scared and I will update you with my status of visa, and I hope that I make it, but I think that you can make it, but not every one from our region went into the Administratative procedures, it all depend on your shape on the interview and I think if I can make it you can make too, just pray for me my friend I think you will be ok

 

[RaminR]

Thank you very much for your reply firo1234...

I hope that everything works out for you, and I will definitely have you in my prayers... I would appreciate it if you could please keep us posted on your visa status. Also, did you postpone your interview at all?

 

[firo1234]

Hello RaminR actually I didn't postpone my interviwe, but my case number is high and I get current in September and to be honest I really don't advise you to postpone your interview date it's just one chance my friend don't ruin it, I was waiting this day since a whole year, but if you can get marry before your interview it will be great for you, any way I'll tell you exactly what will happin with me next week because I am really worry its the only chance I have

take care

 

[RaminR]

Well, technically I'm not "postponing" my interview, because I don't have an interview date yet... since I'm currently in the U.S., I don't have an interview date at the embassy... so after I go back and get married, then I'll tell them that I want to pursue the CP route...

Do you think that makes sense?

 

[NuvF]

Well, technically I'm not "postponing" my interview, because I don't have an interview date yet... since I'm currently in the U.S., I don't have an interview date at the embassy... so after I go back and get married, then I'll tell them that I want to pursue the CP route...

Do you think that makes sense?

Did you already send your DSP 122 and DS-230 to KCC?
If you have done that they will schedule you for an intvw per their wish, usually asap.
You may have seen how Ankara intvw schedule go well into the future.

You are in a catch 22 situation. But you may very well be successful, I m sure!
Your OPTION 1 : Hold on to your DSP 122 (that way no intvws scheduled for you to postpone). Go home as soon as you're done in Dec and get married.
Send in the DSP 122 etc with marriage cert and then just wait. Call KCC and tell them to schedule intvw ONLY in May since you cannot travel. This may be least costly but costly in terms of time. But if you can put up with it, it will be the least 'suspicious' in the eyes of the CO s, IMO.

OPTION 2 : Get a week or so 'holiday' asap and go to Turkey or other. Get your prospective bride too and GET MARRY (a simple, acceptable civil marriage than a big customary ceremony) Get the official docs and file DSP122. Ask for an intvw after Dec. When intvw is scheduled go to Turkey ask wife to come too. But make sure you apply for OPT and have valid status in US. This as you can see will cost you money for travel and stay etc. You can explain why you did what you did if they ask, but I m sure they'll understand.

PS
OPTION 3: Same as 2, get marry outside Iran. You come back asap, send DSP122 and select to do AoS with wife doing FTJ process (follow to join) Ask 'Capeolive' for advise. Since you got low CN you got ample time to do this option as well. You may want to apply for OPT so you can wait in US till your GC is issued.

btw, 2 & 3 are useless if your F1 is expired, i blv it is? !!

 

[RaminR]

Did you already send your DSP 122 and DS-230 to KCC?
If you have done that they will schedule you for an intvw per their wish, usually asap.
You may have seen how Ankara intvw schedule go well into the future.

You are in a catch 22 situation. But you may very well be successful, I m sure!
Your OPTION 1 : Hold on to your DSP 122 (that way no intvws scheduled for you to postpone). Go home as soon as you're done in Dec and get married.
Send in the DSP 122 etc with marriage cert and then just wait. Call KCC and tell them to schedule intvw ONLY in May since you cannot travel. This may be least costly but costly in terms of time. But if you can put up with it, it will be the least 'suspicious' in the eyes of the CO s, IMO.

OPTION 2 : Get a week or so 'holiday' asap and go to Turkey or other. Get your prospective bride too and GET MARRY (a simple, acceptable civil marriage than a big customary ceremony) Get the official docs and file DSP122. Ask for an intvw after Dec. When intvw is scheduled go to Turkey ask wife to come too. But make sure you apply for OPT and have valid status in US. This as you can see will cost you money for travel and stay etc. You can explain why you did what you did if they ask, but I m sure they'll understand.

PS
OPTION 3: Same as 2, get marry outside Iran. You come back asap, send DSP122 and select to do AoS with wife doing FTJ process (follow to join) Ask 'Capeolive' for advise. Since you got low CN you got ample time to do this option as well. You may want to apply for OPT so you can wait in US till your GC is issued.

btw, 2 & 3 are useless if your F1 is expired, i blv it is? !!

Actually, I already sent in DSP-122 in May because at that time I was not aware that I would have to wait a long time for my wife to also get a green card... So basically, I informed KCC of my intent to pursue the AOS route... but I don't think that switching to CP would be a problem, because I won't file my AOS package (I-485 and other documents)...

Regarding my F-1 visa, I must point out that it is single-entry (this is true for all Iranians)... therefore, if I exit the country, I must re-apply for the visa, and I don't think this is a good idea!!!

Thus, I don't think option 2 and 3... However, I thought of another option... and that would be to do a proxy marriage (in absentia) as soon as possible, then do AOS, get my green card, return to Iran, then file Follow-to-Join for my wife... at that time my marriage will be consummated, and so there should be no problem... but I did some research and it seems as if it also will take several months, and the process was less common... I couldn't find too much information about it... Does anyone know how long follow-to-join generally takes?

Thank you again everyone!