Can I marry a canadian citizen in the US without having to file an I-129F application first?

Q: I'm US citizen and due to get married in July 2006 to my fiance(Canadian citizen), and I want to see if we can get married without having to file the I-129F application to USCIS and then just submit the I-130 application right after we're married instead for her and her 3 kids? Does anyone have any advice for doing this? Are we making a mistake or do we have anything to worry about?

A: There is no immigration bar to getting married. If your wife is in the United States, just go see a priest and get hitched. If she is not in the United States, I would go to Canada and get married. If she is in Canada, do not let come to America in order to get married. At the border, they will ask "Why are you coming to America?" Is she answers "To marry the love of my life." They will deny her entry, because she is intending to immigrate. Otherwise, she will have to lie to the immigration official, this will cause big problems in the future. So, after you get hitched, file the I-130. It will take about 6 months. During that time, your new wife should not leave the United States (or enter the United States), so plan ahead. Anyway, if you are happy, do whatever you wish. Congratulations.

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