New Delhi: When Sunil Dhar, who lives in the US, began preparing for his younger son's wedding, he was presented with an uncommon challenge: the bride's parents, who reside in Delhi, lacked the visa authorizations required to enter the US. For Indian nationals, the waiting period for a guest visa to the US may exceed a year.


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This is in spite of the US sending "temporary visa officers" to Mumbai last month in an effort to shorten the wait for visas. (Also Read: iPhone 14 Gets Rs 21,000 Discount: Here's How The Deal Works)


The 65-year-old Dhar did not want his future daughter-in-law to get married without her parents there. He told The New York Times, "This is a memory that lasts a lifetime. And I wouldn't want her to get married without her parents being present. (Also Read: Next-Gen Business Tycoons: Meet Kids From India's Richest Families Who Are Ready To Lead Empire)


The difficulty was solved ingeniously by the sides of the bride and the groom. The Dhars, who reside in the San Francisco Bay Area, have chosen to get married in Blaine, Washington, next to the Peace Arch, a landmark on the US-Canada border.


A park surrounds the Peace Arch and spans both the US and Canada. According to the New York Times, this park is regarded as a neutral location where Americans and Canadians can interact without going through immigration.


The Dhar family will hold the nuptials in The American Kitchen, a structure located in the park's southern section. The bride's parents and other family members will enter from the Canadian side while they are on a Canadian visa. Without requiring US visas, they can travel as far as the parking lot on the American side.