F1 OPT or H1B if planning to get married in US?

[sekharan]

My girlfriend is an Australian citizen and I am an Indian citizen.

I am on F1 OPT and already graduated in Fall 2011; she is a GC holder (LPR) with her citizenship interview due around March 2013.

I am expecting a full-time job offer in March/April 2012 and we would like to get married around that time (I would have to move to Virginia for the job from Burbank, CA where she stays with family. Both of us are originally from Hyderabad and our family has consented to us moving together after we get married).

Regarding this I had questions:

1. Would I have to definitely update my Indian passport to reflect single to married status change? Will the Indian embassy issue a new passport or attach a page/stamp over the marital status line on the passport?

2. If I do not want to waste time setting up appointments and visiting the Indian embassy just to get my passport updated in the next one year, would I be breaking any laws? (Is there a strict requirement to get my marital status updated within X number of days?)

3. I will have my OPT valid 28 months from November 2011 (my OPT will expire around November 2013).

If she gets her citizenship shortly after her interview in March 2013 and applies for my I-130 etc, how long would be my wait to obtain legal status/work authorization/spouse visa from then on?

4. Would it be easier to apply for a H1B for me ASAP rather than do all of this while on OPT?

I would rather skip the whole H1B process if possible.