I-130 or I-129F (K3)? Which is better?

[esmatsgirl 1]

I know I have seen this topic before....and I will be doing research to find it....but any new news is also good. I have a full NVC case complete I-130...waiting to be scheduled for the interview...and hopefully will be scheduled for September, sometime in the 2nd week of August. I was a little surprised when I got an approval notice for the K3 in my email box this weekend....saying the I-129F for K3 was approved. Especially since I have not even thought of that petition and thought it was somehow stopped by the USCIS when I got the I-130 approval back in April.

I called the NVC this morning and they confirmed that they received the I-129F for K3 case Friday. The operator indicated to me that the two cases are now open concurrently and the I-129F for K3 it would be directly forwarded to the Amman embassy and the embassy will do the scheduling for the K3 (non-immigrant) visa interview. Now I am waiting for 2 different things....an inteview to be scheduled by the Amman embassy for the I-129F K3 and also for the NVC to schedule for the I-130 interview sometime in the 2nd week of August...for hopefully the month of September.

I am curious to know if anyone out there ended up going the route of the K3 and were disappointed or happy??? or vice versa? Also, if I keep it on the I-130 route I was under the impression thats better because he comes over as a conditional resident and does not have to "adjust status" once he gets here. I am wondering if we went the K3 route how this would affect his ability to work. Also, if we went the I-130 route when does he get his green card? Does it arrive in our mailbox in the US after he arrives here and until he gets it he uses his passport visa stamp?

Anyone have good/bad advice on this subject?

I must say it feels good to be at this point...and at the same time I want to blast a letter out to every Immigration Official involved in creating the K3 visa because it is really like a false hope kind of lie. It does not go faster while you wait for the I-130 like they say. In this case and most from what I have seen on here, I-130s get processed much faster than the I-129F for K3, especially where the USCIS is concerned. I wonder why its so screwed up. I wonder why no one has changed it or done anything about it...I can imagine that by the time everyone gets their spouse over here...even though they are frustrated by the backwardness of the process and claims, they are just so sick of it they don't bother to take the time to act on their frustration by writing a letter or letters to the agency itself as well as politicians to try to change the process. Having the I-129F for K3 visa applications in there seems to only be clogging up the system unnecessarily. ...so whats new?

Hope everyone is having a nice Monday so far. Any advice, as always, is greatly appreciated.

Deb

[YuAndDan 153]

It all depends,

Compare timelines, for most K-3 is only slightly quicker than CR-1.

K-3 costs more, due to the added costs of adjustment of status, K-3 is NOT work auth, so cannot WORK, Get SSN, or apply for a driver's license until getting EAD or green-card. EAD can take 90 days or more to get.

CR-1 is an immigrant visa, it gets green-card upon entry, so can do the things K-3 cannot.

K-3:

I-130: $355

I-129F: NONE

Consulate: $131

AOS: $1010

($1496)

CR-1

I-130: $355

NVC I-864: $70

NVC Visa fee: $400 ($355+$45)

($825)

[brnidokiegurl 0]

one cr1 i know of got green card 2 weeks after arival, everyone adivsed us cr1

[Staashi 371]

One thing I have seen with the CR1 is that when it comes time to remove conditions on the Green Card, you will typically have an interview. This is done because you didn't have the AOS interview, so CIS will want to see how things are going and grill you based on the validity of the relationship after the 2 year point. Shouldn't be a problem if everything is going well.

That's the only thing I can really think of.

[~Jackie~ 30]

Are you all paid at NVC? Then go for the CR1...........either way you are in for a few more years of paperwork. Good luck

Edited August 4, 2008 by just_Jackie

[polarbear 0]

One thing I have seen with the CR1 is that when it comes time to remove conditions on the Green Card, you will typically have an interview. This is done because you didn't have the AOS interview, so CIS will want to see how things are going and grill you based on the validity of the relationship after the 2 year point. Shouldn't be a problem if everything is going well.

That's the only thing I can really think of.

Actually, alot of people don't have an interview for AOS, especially if there were no red flags or AP for the K-1 visa. My case, we had the GC in 3 months at the same time as the temp EAD and AP without an interview.

Does that mean we will definantly have an interview for the removal of conditions? I kinda hope not, those sound scarry

[morocco4ever 63]

Our I-130 was approved before our I-129f, and to top it off they lost the I-129f, so we ended up going the CR1 route. Although the K-3 route is faster I am actually glad we did the CR1 (which actually turned out to be the IR1 due to an unfortunate situation). If I was to do it again I would stick with the CR1 to avoid the additional paperwork, money, and sitting around waiting time when he gets here.

Of course a lot depends on where your paperwork with the NVC is at. If you haven't done anything yet, and you really can't wait, the K-3 is good. If you have paid and done most of your CR1 then you would be crazy to drop it at that point.

It really is a matter of what works best for you. My husband got his green card within 2 weeks of getting here, and was able to work right after. This was the best for him because sitting at home alone all day...everyday....in a foreign country was not easy. My hubby hates to be alone all day.

[morocco4ever 63]

One thing I have seen with the CR1 is that when it comes time to remove conditions on the Green Card, you will typically have an interview. This is done because you didn't have the AOS interview, so CIS will want to see how things are going and grill you based on the validity of the relationship after the 2 year point. Shouldn't be a problem if everything is going well.

That's the only thing I can really think of.

Actually, alot of people don't have an interview for AOS, especially if there were no red flags or AP for the K-1 visa. My case, we had the GC in 3 months at the same time as the temp EAD and AP without an interview.

Does that mean we will definantly have an interview for the removal of conditions? I kinda hope not, those sound scarry

After our denial I really freaked at the idea of having to prove our relationship again. I have heard they ask all sorts of intimate questions. I have heard that they ask things like the color of his/her toothbrush. I couldn't even tell you what mine is, let alone his. I just know mine is in the front of the toothbrush holder and his is in the back.

[Staashi 371]

One thing I have seen with the CR1 is that when it comes time to remove conditions on the Green Card, you will typically have an interview. This is done because you didn't have the AOS interview, so CIS will want to see how things are going and grill you based on the validity of the relationship after the 2 year point. Shouldn't be a problem if everything is going well.

That's the only thing I can really think of.

Actually, alot of people don't have an interview for AOS, especially if there were no red flags or AP for the K-1 visa. My case, we had the GC in 3 months at the same time as the temp EAD and AP without an interview.

Does that mean we will definantly have an interview for the removal of conditions? I kinda hope not, those sound scarry

It all depends, but somewhere along the way, USCIS will probably do an interview on you. Either AOS or Removal of Conditions. We didn't have any red flags for our AOS but we still got called...but we didn't have one for Removal of Conditions - no RFE either. Thank God!

[esmatsgirl 1]

Yes, I was thinking it would probably be best to go the CR1 route because everything is already finished and the case is complete. I just think its so freaky and backwards how the I-130's get approved before the I-129F K3's....I mean...shouldn't someone update the policies and procedures manual at USCIS and the NVC?!! Also, the processing times on the uscis.gov is all wrong and inaccurate. I don't think they (USCIS) really know what they are doing.

I hope everyone is having a nice afternoon...and thank you all for your input.

Deb

One thing I have seen with the CR1 is that when it comes time to remove conditions on the Green Card, you will typically have an interview. This is done because you didn't have the AOS interview, so CIS will want to see how things are going and grill you based on the validity of the relationship after the 2 year point. Shouldn't be a problem if everything is going well.

That's the only thing I can really think of.

Actually, alot of people don't have an interview for AOS, especially if there were no red flags or AP for the K-1 visa. My case, we had the GC in 3 months at the same time as the temp EAD and AP without an interview.

Does that mean we will definantly have an interview for the removal of conditions? I kinda hope not, those sound scarry

After our denial I really freaked at the idea of having to prove our relationship again. I have heard they ask all sorts of intimate questions. I have heard that they ask things like the color of his/her toothbrush. I couldn't even tell you what mine is, let alone his. I just know mine is in the front of the toothbrush holder and his is in the back.

[Nasturtium 500]

If youre I-130 makes it to Amman first or while you are waiting for your interview for an I-129F, they will switch you over anyway to a CR-1. I think CR-1 is better. Ammar got his greencard in about 2 or 3 weeks, but I think 2 weeks, after he got here.

[a1angied 0]

When my husband and I went through this the 129 interview was scheduled first and he interviewed and then waited and was asked to send in his passport, yeah the visa for the 129. Well that is not what happend, then sent this passport back with no visa. I was devastated, the next day I received a package with an interview scheduled for the CR-1 which was only a couple of weeks away you can see in my time line. I was so happy that he got the Cr-1 because he was able get his SS & GG card and Drivers license in a short time and work. I will have to do some other paperwork here in about 6 months but that is it. We have had no problems or delays that sometimes happen with the K-3. This is all I know since i have seen what some others have had to go through.

May you get your interview date and be reunited very soon. God Bless!

Angie

[sarahaziz 0]

We have the k3 - please take the Cr1 if you can wait. We couldn't wait to be together again and he's worth it but for someone else who has more patience don't take k3

[Sofiyya 1,687]

We got an IR1, and it's crusin' from here. I can't recommend an immigrant visa highly enough!

[howdydoodle 0]

One thing I have seen with the CR1 is that when it comes time to remove conditions on the Green Card, you will typically have an interview. This is done because you didn't have the AOS interview, so CIS will want to see how things are going and grill you based on the validity of the relationship after the 2 year point. Shouldn't be a problem if everything is going well.

That's the only thing I can really think of.

Actually, alot of people don't have an interview for AOS, especially if there were no red flags or AP for the K-1 visa. My case, we had the GC in 3 months at the same time as the temp EAD and AP without an interview.

Does that mean we will definantly have an interview for the removal of conditions? I kinda hope not, those sound scarry

After our denial I really freaked at the idea of having to prove our relationship again. I have heard they ask all sorts of intimate questions. I have heard that they ask things like the color of his/her toothbrush. I couldn't even tell you what mine is, let alone his. I just know mine is in the front of the toothbrush holder and his is in the back.

So on which one CR-1 or K3 do you have a more or lesser chance of getting an AP?

Also on which one do you have to prove more of the relationship? We've been married for almost 1 1/2 years now.