marry in or outside the US?

skc11

Registered Users (C)
I am a Philippine national with an H1B visa (always in status). I am going to marry a US citizen in the Philippines next year.
1) Do I lose my H1B status when I enter the US?
2) Can I enter the US with an H1b after the wedding and file for a green card once im back in the US? I will still be with the same employer.
3) Or should we get married first in the US, file the green card application before going back to the PHilippines.
Greatly appreciate any help. Thanks.
 
marry anywhere...

1) Do I lose my H1B status when I enter the US?

No, marriage and h1(pre-approved , in this case) have no relation....afaik.

2) Can I enter the US with an H1b after the wedding and file for a green card once im back in the US? I will still be with the same employer.

yes, you certainly can. You have no forms to fill....for visa and answer questions like:

"are you married" ? :-) or
"is your spouse a US citizen" ?

Since you are maintaining your status legally in the usa while ur status is being adjusted (once you file 485), you should be ok. Be prepared to answer questions about marriage during the 485 interview...that's all.
H1 is dual intent visa.....u can adjust status on that visa without a hiccup.

Most people get married and register their US marriage, tho. maybe cos the cert is a breeze to obtain. In foreign countries, marriage certs can take a while....paperwork BS.
 
I had two weddings - US and India. I had no problems traveling with my USC spouse and I was on H1B at the time. I registered the US wedding and made that the legal one.
 
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