International dating — United States

Location map — United States — United States. Simplified location map — Natural Earth data, public domain.

The context

A country built on immigration, with an immigration system that is heavily documented and heavily litigated. Everything is knowable in advance; almost nothing is quick.

Entering the country

Many nationalities travel under the visa waiver programme with an ESTA; others need a B-2 visitor visa. Either way, entering as a visitor with the intention of staying is treated seriously — it can result in refusal at the border and long-term consequences.

Marrying, and having it recognised

The United States does not issue certificates of no impediment. For a marriage abroad, US embassies can usually witness an affidavit of eligibility instead, which some foreign authorities accept and others do not: check with the local authority first.

Two routes exist for bringing a partner: the K-1 fiancé(e) visa, which requires marriage within 90 days of arrival, and the spouse visa after marrying abroad. Both require an affidavit of support with an income threshold, and a consular interview. See civil marriage in the United States.

Getting there

Direct flights from every continent. Marriage requirements are set by each state, not federally: waiting periods, licence validity and officiant rules all differ.

Customs and family

The rehearsal dinner, the processional and the gift registry structure a typical American wedding. See wedding customs in the United States.

Points to watch

Choose the route before travelling: switching later usually means starting over.
Misrepresentation at the border — entering as a visitor with immigrant intent — carries lasting bars on re-entry.
The income threshold of the affidavit of support is a real barrier; a joint sponsor is allowed.

Two limits with no exceptions

Paying for sex and any relationship with a minor are crimes in the United States as elsewhere, and your own criminal law can reach you abroad. In sexual offences against children, nearly all states drop the requirement that the act be an offence where it occurred and need no complaint: prosecution and trial at home are possible whatever local law provides and whatever local officials do. See sexual offences committed abroad.

If you met through the internet

Scammers behave in predictable ways: a rapid declaration of love, repeated avoidance of video, an urgent request for funds, a move to a private channel. Do not send money to a person you have never seen in real life. Someone sincere will take a video call, agree to meet in a public place and be happy to introduce you to relatives and friends.

Spotting and reporting a romance scam — United States

United States: everything on this site

This country appears on 35 other pages of this site, across every section. Here they all are, in one place.

Sexuality

Health

Advice

Marriage

Names

Names

Rights

Official sources and links

Your own foreign ministry's travel advice — read it before each departure: it also conditions your travel insurance. Official portals: United Kingdom · Canada · Australia · New Zealand · Ireland
Your consular post there, or the one covering the country — civil status, marriage, emergencies; note the number before you go. Official directories: United Kingdom · Canada · Australia · New Zealand · Ireland
World Health Organization — health recommendations by destination
Hague Conference on Private International Law — celebration and recognition of the validity of marriages

The full dossier, one page per question

What to see

Where to go

New York

The one city that meets expectations: the museums — the Met, MoMA, the Natural History Museum — the neighbourhoods, and the walking. Manhattan is smaller than it looks and Brooklyn and Queens repay the subway ride. Four days minimum, and it will be the most expensive part of any trip.

Washington and the east coast

The Smithsonian museums are free and among the best in the world, and the memorials are walkable in a day. Combine with Philadelphia, Boston and the New England coast; the north-east corridor is the one part of the country where trains work well.

California

San Francisco and the bay, the Pacific coast highway to Big Sur, Los Angeles, and Yosemite or Sequoia inland. Two weeks by car, and the most varied single-state itinerary in the country.

The south-west national parks

The Grand Canyon, Zion, Bryce, Monument Valley and Arches, usually as a loop from Las Vegas or Phoenix. Spring and autumn only — summer is dangerous in the desert. Ten days by car.

The South

New Orleans, the Mississippi delta, Memphis and Nashville: the music, the food and a history the better museums now confront directly. Charleston and Savannah for the architecture. Spring, before the heat.

Alaska and the north-west

Seattle and Portland, then the Olympic peninsula, the Cascades, and Alaska beyond. Summer only for Alaska, and the scale is unlike anything in the lower forty-eight.

Building the itinerary

Three stops a week, no more.