International Marriage

[bostonhoon]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? MA

I'm a permanent resident in MA and am engaged to marry a Japanese woman. The issue is she got accepted to a graduate school in Philadelphia and she cannot return to the US until only 30 days prior to the start of her school in July. And we've found out through the government immigration website that we cannot get married if she visits here with her tourist visa. I'm planning to move with her to Philly next year around June but we'd prefer to marry in MA before we move to Philly because this is where we met. Is there any way for us to get married before we move to Philly? Is there a way for her to come to the US sooner than 30 days to prepare for a wedding? I'm not sure if they allow some exceptions to the rule.

 

[Proserpina]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? MA

I'm a permanent resident in MA and am engaged to marry a Japanese woman. The issue is she got accepted to a graduate school in Philadelphia and she cannot return to the US until only 30 days prior to the start of her school in July. And we've found out through the government immigration website that we cannot get married if she visits here with her tourist visa. I'm planning to move with her to Philly next year around June but we'd prefer to marry in MA before we move to Philly because this is where we met. Is there any way for us to get married before we move to Philly? Is there a way for her to come to the US sooner than 30 days to prepare for a wedding? I'm not sure if they allow some exceptions to the rule.

Where does it say that you cannot marry on her tourist visa?

 

[OHRoadwarrior]

You may run into immigration issues if she arrives on a student visa and marries. I assume you have spent several month/years courting her in Japan, to prove the relationship was pre-existing?