u/Waste_Assist1385

Trying to nail down logistics for an SF City Hall elopement and getting conflicting info, some sources say license + ceremony can happen same-day (just need a gap between the two appointments), others say they have to be on separate days.

Has anyone actually done same-day license + ceremony recently? If so - How much time did you need to leave between the two appointments?

We're flying in from out of state for this, so trying to figure out whether we need to build in an extra day or if same-day is realistic. Thanks in advance!

We're planning to get our marriage license Monday and have the ceremony Tuesday at SF City Hall. We are not from SF area so have to fly in there.

Has anyone actually done the "license one day, ceremony the next" version? My logic: since license + ceremony can be booked same-day, doing it a day apart gives us a built-in backup, if something goes wrong with Monday's license appointment, we could still try to get the license same-day as the Tuesday ceremony instead. I will appreciate if anyone that have some experiences can share:

1. Did the process go smoothly, or did anything trip you up along the way?
2. Realistically, how far ahead do same-day license slots tend to fill up? could we count on one still being open Tuesday morning as a true backup, or do they go fast, especially around a holiday week like Thanksgiving?
3. Anyone had a license appointment get delayed/rescheduled and had to scramble?

We don't have family in town and won't have a second date to fall back on, so trying to stress-test this plan before we book. Any real experiences appreciated, good or bad!

Thank you!

We're planning to get our marriage license Monday and have the ceremony Tuesday at SF City Hall. We are not from SF area so have to fly in there.

Has anyone actually done the "license one day, ceremony the next" version? My logic: since license + ceremony can be booked same-day, doing it a day apart gives us a built-in backup, if something goes wrong with Monday's license appointment, we could still try to get the license same-day as the Tuesday ceremony instead.

I will appreciate if anyone that have some experiences can share:

1. Did the process go smoothly, or did anything trip you up along the way?
2. Realistically, how far ahead do same-day license slots tend to fill up? could we count on one still being open Tuesday morning as a true backup, or do they go fast, especially around a holiday week like Thanksgiving?
3. Anyone had a license appointment get delayed/rescheduled and had to scramble?

We don't have family in town and won't have a second date to fall back on, so trying to stress-test this plan before we book. Any real experiences appreciated, good or bad!

Thank you!

Hi guys, I have been following TB for awhile and noticed that the private sale happen few times in a year.

I am wondering when is the best time to get the best deal? Is during the private sale, or black Friday? Or they have any other days that might have extra discount, such as labor days?

Thanks!

Hi everyone! My fiancée and I are planning a very small civil wedding at San Francisco City Hall in November, literally just the two of us.

I checked the reservation system and it looks like only Nov 2–5 are currently available, while the rest of the month is grayed out.

Does anyone know how the reservation system works? Do they release additional dates/appointments later, or does this mean the rest of November is already fully booked?

Also, any tips or tricks for getting a preferred date/time? Do cancellations show up regularly, and if so, is there a particular time of day that's best to check?

Would really appreciate advice from anyone who has recently booked a City Hall civil ceremony. Thank you!

Hi all,

Quick background: I'm on J-1, got my 212(e) waiver approved, got selected in the H-1B lottery, and my petition is currently in regular processing (my company/lawyer said if it's still pending by October, we'll switch to premium).

My J-1 status doesn't expire until early 2027, so I have some breathing room. My plan is: once my H-1B is approved (hopefully by October), travel back to my home country in December to visit family for the first time in years, and do visa stamping + interview at the U.S. embassy there.

I'm a little nervous because I know someone from the same country as me, also government-funded, who went through a similar process. She had her status changed to H-1B before getting an actual 212(e) waiver approval, she had a "not subject to" recommendation from the Department of State instead. When she went to do stamping, it didn't go through because of that gap.

In my case, I do have the actual waiver approval (not just a DOS recommendation), so I'm hoping that puts me in a different position. But given how strict/unpredictable consular processing can be, I'd just love to hear people's honest take, should I be worried about this trip? Anything I should be extra careful about, or is this a fairly standard process once the waiver itself is approved?

Any advice on what documentation to bring beyond the obvious (waiver approval, I-797, DS-2019s, employment letter)?

Appreciate any insight, trying to make sure this trip home doesn't turn into a nightmare. Thanks!!!

Hi all,

Quick background: I'm on J-1, got my 212(e) waiver approved, got selected in the H-1B lottery, and my petition is currently in regular processing (my company/lawyer said if it's still pending by October, we'll switch to premium).

My J-1 status doesn't expire until early 2027, so I have some breathing room. My plan is: once my H-1B is approved (hopefully by October), travel back to my home country in December to visit family for the first time in years, and do visa stamping + interview at the U.S. embassy there.

I'm a little nervous because I know someone from the same country as me, also government-funded, who went through a similar process. He had her status changed to H-1B before getting an actual 212(e) waiver approval, he had a "not subject to" recommendation from the Department of State instead. When he went to do stamping, it didn't go through because of that gap.

In my case, I do have the actual waiver approval (not just a DOS recommendation), so I'm hoping that puts me in a different position. But given how strict/unpredictable consular processing can be, I'd just love to hear people's honest take,

should I be worried about this trip? Anything I should be extra careful about, or is this a fairly standard process once the waiver itself is approved?

Any advice on what documentation to bring beyond the obvious (waiver approval, I-797, DS-2019s, employment letter)?

Appreciate any insight, trying to make sure this trip home doesn't turn into a nightmare. Thanks!!!

Hi all,

Quick background: I'm on J-1, got my 212(e) waiver approved, got selected in the H-1B lottery, and my petition is currently in regular processing (my company/lawyer said if it's still pending by October, we'll switch to premium).

My J-1 status doesn't expire until early 2027, so I have some breathing room. My plan is: once my H-1B is approved (hopefully by October), travel back to my home country in December to visit family for the first time in years, and do visa stamping + interview at the U.S. embassy there.

I'm a little nervous because I know someone from the same country as me, also government-funded, who went through a similar process. She had her status changed to H-1B before getting an actual 212(e) waiver approval, she had a "not subject to" recommendation from the Department of State instead. When she went to do stamping, it didn't go through because of that gap.

In my case, I do have the actual waiver approval (not just a DOS recommendation), so I'm hoping that puts me in a different position. But given how strict/unpredictable consular processing can be, I'd just love to hear people's honest take, should I be worried about this trip? Anything I should be extra careful about, or is this a fairly standard process once the waiver itself is approved?

Any advice on what documentation to bring beyond the obvious (waiver approval, I-797, DS-2019s, employment letter)?

Appreciate any insight, trying to make sure this trip home doesn't turn into a nightmare. Thanks!!!

My friend (J-1 visa, government-funded scholarship from our home country) later got a teaching job and changed status to H-1B while still in the US.

He's normally subject to the 212(e) two-year home residency rule since his scholarship was government-funded. He got a No Objection Statement from our embassy, and the Department of State recommended he was not subject to 212(e) so his change of status to H-1B was approved without a waiver.

He later went home and applied for his H-1B visa stamp at the US Embassy. It got rejected for not having a 212(e) waiver, the same issue that was supposedly cleared during his change of status.

How can USCIS approve a change of status without a waiver, but the consulate then reject stamping for lack of one? Thank you!

On H1B, planning to head to my home country in Asia (not India) for ~3 weeks in December for vacation + visa stamping. I don't have backup coverage at work, so I'd need to log in maybe 2 days/week while there, rest of the time fully off.

Is occasional remote work like this a legal/USCIS issue during a short trip like this? I know extended remote work abroad (60+ days) needs LCA changes, but wondering if a few scattered days over 3 weeks raises any flags at re-entry or during stamping.

Anyone dealt with this? What documentation did you carry just in case?

Thanks!

On H1B, planning to head to my home country in Asia (not India) for ~3 weeks in December for vacation + visa stamping. I don't have backup coverage at work, so I'd need to log in maybe 2 days/week while there, rest of the time fully off.

Is occasional remote work like this a legal/USCIS issue during a short trip like this? I know extended remote work abroad (60+ days) needs LCA changes, but wondering if a few scattered days over 3 weeks raises any flags at re-entry or during stamping.

Anyone dealt with this? What documentation did you carry just in case?

Thanks!

On H1B, planning to head to my home country in Asia (not India) for ~3 weeks in December for vacation + visa stamping. I don't have backup coverage at work, so I'd need to log in maybe 2 days/week while there, rest of the time fully off.

Is occasional remote work like this a legal/USCIS issue during a short trip like this? I know extended remote work abroad (60+ days) needs LCA changes, but wondering if a few scattered days over 3 weeks raises any flags at re-entry or during stamping.

Anyone dealt with this? What documentation did you carry just in case?

Thanks!