I am sorry, but I think you have misunderstood on several levels. Perhaps I did not explain myself well.
I have known him for almost two years. I have no intention of 'hurrying up and running off' to marry him. We both were courting in, yet, another country. I returned to the US and he will be arriving soon. We are an older couple and we just know we want to marry, in God's good time. But, we have the visa problem and we are looking for a way to remedy it. We cannot afford to send him back to his original country at this time, and we are seeking other VALID options.
If by 'civil', you think I am considering a Justice of the Peace marriage, no. That is not what I was saying. For those who knows their catechism, the priest and those marrying are required, by the Church, to fulfill the law of the land regarding marriage, in addition to the laws of the Church. Priests are not allowed, except under grave or exceptional cases, to ignore the civil law, such as, certain age requirements set forth by your particular state, or health requirements of yet another state. And in our case, it is not legal in the US to marry on a tourist visa. But it is not illegal to marry outside the US and then return to the US as a married couple. That is legal.
And, by the way, a tourist visa is good for ten years, not six months. One only has to leave and then come back again to continue in the US. He has been here for many years.
I was not asking for marriage advice. I am quite old enough and wise enough to make up my own mind, with prayer, if this man is worthy to wed.
I was asking for advice on how to remedy the visa problem. Thank you for your concerns, but they are all invalid for me. I am far from an immature eighteen year old. Please stick with the question asked in the future. Thank you.