QUESTION
What could happen if I wish to meet my Mexican girlfriend in Belize, get married there and go to the US together?
Asked on Jun 18th, 2017 on Immigration - Georgia
More details to this question:
I am a US citizen and my girlfriend is a Mexican citizen living in Mexico. She has a valid tourist visa. We are not willing to wait for the ridiculous bureaucratic process of getting a fiancé visa nor are we willing to wait 2 months after she comes into the country and then lie and say she did not enter with the intention of marrying me. Instead, we would like to meet in Belize and get married there and then both come here together to live. What are the legal ramifications of this decision which we are almost certain to do? We are extremely frustrated with the government telling us when and how long we must wait to get married in order to go through all of their red tape.
1 ANSWER
It certainly can be frustrating to have to comply with the laws and regulations relating to immigration. Nonetheless, failure to strictly comply with the law can result in very harsh consequences. If you and your fiance were to become married in Belize, and if your wife then were to enter the U.S. with a visitor's visa (which requires nonimmigrant intent) your wife might get turned away at the airport if she is asked about being married; beyond that, even if she succeeded in entering the U.S., in the subsequent adjustment of status application process the USCIS may determine her entry with a visitor's visa to constitute visa fraud, with potentially very harsh consequences - not only denial of the application, but potentially a permanent bar to getting immigration benefits. It would be wise for you and your fiance to consult with an immigration attorney who, after learning all of the relevant information, could advise about eligibilities, options, and strategies to attain your goals at the earliest possible time, and who then could offer legal representation in the often complex application process.
Answered on Sep 05th, 2017 at 12:28 PM