Can you get married in Atlanta while on a tourist visa?
Atlanta, GA – You never know when you may find your true love. It may very well happen while visiting the city of Atlanta on a tourist visa. To answer the question, yes, you can get married during a trip to Georgia, but you must be very careful if you want to avoid fraud accusations.
Even if you’re madly in love, seek legal counsel from an experienced Atlanta immigration lawyer before tying the knot. In this type of situation, it is not wise to act on impulse. Don’t rush into it if you want to have a happy marriage. If you get married too soon, you may end up spending your honeymoon defending yourself in immigration court.
What is the procedure for a foreigner to marry a US citizen?
If you want to get married to a US citizen and stay in the United States, you would need to apply for a fiancé visa (K-1 visa) or a spousal visa (K-3 visa) through the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). These visas have specific requirements and application procedures that you must follow.
Keep in mind that the process of obtaining a visa can take some time, and you must meet certain eligibility requirements. If you do not follow the proper procedures, you may be denied a visa and may not be able to enter or stay in the United States legally.
What if you want to get married right away?
If you talk to knowledgeable Georgia immigration lawyers they will tell you that right away is not an option. US immigration authorities will assume you came to the US with the sole intent of getting married and lied at your tourist visa interview. This is a serious charge and you could be deported and barred from re-entry.
The 90-Day Rule
To put it simply, if you get married within three months of landing in the US the authorities will assume the marriage is fraudulent. Either the whole thing is nothing but an immigration scam or you knew each other before and decided to go ahead and get married to avoid the complexities of the legal immigration process.
Also, keep in mind that if your love is real and you want to be together, you will have to file for adjustment of status to obtain legal permanent residence. The State Department has its own version of the 90-day rule. They call it the 30/60-day rule. This rule makes it risky to apply for marriage-based adjustment of status within 60 days of arriving in the US and downright harmful within 30 days of arriving.
Either way, you risk seeing your adjustment of status application denied. If you’re not approved for a Green Card, you may be placed in removal proceedings.
Bottom line: If you find your soulmate in Atlanta, wait at least 90 days before getting married. Also, consult with trustworthy immigration lawyers on your next steps. Most of all, you need to know what to expect during the interview with local immigration authorities. Don’t expect them to extend their congratulations on your recent marriage. On the contrary, they’ll have a lot of questions about your relationship – where did you meet, what drew you together, what do you like about each other, etc. Be prepared for some intimate questions. Going over the most likely questions they’ll ask with a knowledgeable lawyer can help you avoid making a stupid mistake that would compromise your newly-found happiness.
If you have any problem concerning immigration, you need to seek legal advice from an experienced attorney at the Kuck | Baxter Immigration LLC law firm in Atlanta and let them help you start a new life in Georgia.
Contact info:
365 Northridge Road
Suite 300
Atlanta, GA 30350
Tel : (404) 816-8611
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