CR1 Processing Times for USC marrying UKC??

[jenniferjones101 19]

Hi All,

I was on here a few months ago getting information about filing the I-130 and all that is involved with that process. We now have a wedding date (YAY!) which is April 14, 2012 and we will be marrying in Las Vegas! I am a US citizen and my fiance is a UK citizen. He is going to come here on VWP so we can marry, but will return to the UK for work after a 1 week stay (not long enough ) I will then file the I-130 packet the week after the wedding - we are making sure we have EVERYTHING ready to go before the wedding so all we have to throw in the packet is the marriage certificate.

I was wondering what the current processing times are? What sort of timeline might we expect from the date the USCIS receives our packet to the date he is granted his visa at the interview in London? What can we do, if anything, to expedite the process at all? I know it is recommended to start calling the NVC for a case number about a week after they receive the packet from USCIS? I live outside Los Angeles, CA, what NVC office will my packet be sent to? Any information would be MUCH appreciated! Thanks!

[Laure&Colin 557]

NVC doesn't have local offices, maybe you were thinking of USCIS field offices? They're not involved in the CR1 process.

You can expect about 5-6 months at USCIS stage, and expedite requests are usually not granted, unless there's a real serious reason.

These days, NVC stage takes 1-2 months, and once you get a case number it mostly depends on you sending the packages asap.

You should look at recent timelines of UK members to see what the average delay between completing the NVC stage and being interviewed is. It varies a lot between different countries.

Good luck and congrats for the wedding

[Alaska2012 462]

Your CR1 will be sent to california or vermonth. If your lucky it wont end up in california, they are taking forever right now. As it is right now you might be looking at 6-7 months for your I-130 to get approved.

NVC can take anything from 2 weeks to 2 months!

Good luck with your wedding! We did a Las Vegas wedding too in june this summer, it was wonderful!

And then prepare to be patient, i've been waiting on my NOA2 for over 5 and a half months now and it sucks! But it will all be worth it!

[jaycali 415]

Hi All,

I was on here a few months ago getting information about filing the I-130 and all that is involved with that process. We now have a wedding date (YAY!) which is April 14, 2012 and we will be marrying in Las Vegas! I am a US citizen and my fiance is a UK citizen. He is going to come here on VWP so we can marry, but will return to the UK for work after a 1 week stay (not long enough ) I will then file the I-130 packet the week after the wedding - we are making sure we have EVERYTHING ready to go before the wedding so all we have to throw in the packet is the marriage certificate.

I was wondering what the current processing times are? What sort of timeline might we expect from the date the USCIS receives our packet to the date he is granted his visa at the interview in London? What can we do, if anything, to expedite the process at all? I know it is recommended to start calling the NVC for a case number about a week after they receive the packet from USCIS? I live outside Los Angeles, CA, what NVC office will my packet be sent to? Any information would be MUCH appreciated! Thanks!

Honestly, if your plan is to marry in the US, I highly recommend going the K-1 route instead of CR-1. He can travel visa fee to the US under the visa waiver program, but if he's getting married, there's no guarantee he'll actually be let into the country.

The K-1 visa is a fiance visa, and allows him to enter into US to get married within 90 days. He can then file for adjustment of status from K-1 to legal permanent resident. Meaning once he enters, he won't have to leave.

The K-1 altogether is a little more expensive than the CR-1, and he won't be able to work for about 3 - 6 months after entering (depending on when you get married and file for adjustment of status). BUT, it'll save you about 7 - 12 months of separation.

Different scenarios:

K-1: you file form I-129f, petition for fiance. Thus will take approximately 5 months. He gets a visa interview and can enter the US and marry within 90 days of arrival. He then files for adjustment of status, and can stay in the US while it's processing. He also files for work authorization once you're married, this may take up to 3 months to get, but he can then work, also while his green card is in the works. Approximate cost us $1500 + lost wages.

CR-1: you file I-130, petition for alien relative once you get your marriage certificate. He'll return to the UK while it processes. He then gets to apply for an immigrant visa. This will take 7 - 12 months for the entire process, and cost about $1000, but he gets to work immediately once he enters the US on his CR-1.

The CR-1 is a longer process, but a lot more practical and cost efficient.

The K-1 will have you guys ready to get married, most likely by July, and he won't have to leave the country after. A lot more expensive.

Also, take into account that to marry while on a visa waiver visit, he'll have to provide extensive evidence at the border that he has every intention of returning to the UK within 90 days. Lying may give him a lifetime ban.

[Ryan H 3,810]

I was wondering what the current processing times are? What sort of timeline might we expect from the date the USCIS receives our packet to the date he is granted his visa at the interview in London? What can we do, if anything, to expedite the process at all? I know it is recommended to start calling the NVC for a case number about a week after they receive the packet from USCIS? I live outside Los Angeles, CA, what NVC office will my packet be sent to? Any information would be MUCH appreciated! Thanks!

Posted times by USCIS from submission of file to adjudication decision is 5 months, your actual time may vary. Your petition will go to the service center in California or Vermont. The NVC only has one office and it's located in Portsmouth, NH and the NVC only receives approved petitions from USCIS so you will not be dealing with them until that time.

For an overall timeline from submission of petition to issuance of visa, you should estimate 7-10 months.

[jenniferjones101 19]

Thanks, everyone, for your replies. 7-10 months total seems reasonable I suppose that's kind of what I was expecting so glad to know that's a realistic expectation. We'd love to do k-1 fiancé visa so we can stay together...but our financial situation (especially since k-1 involves more fees) is not conducive to us having only 1 income for several months, which is why we decided on the CR1 because my fiancé will have to go back to the UK to continue working anyway. We've already been traveling back and forth for a year and a half now...so that's what we'll continue to do while the visa is is process. Not ideal...but a means to an end

Any advice on how to approach the topic of his visit to customs at LAX?? He has my engagement and wedding rings so we were planning on telling customs that he's here to propose to me and visit for a week (his return flight will obviously be scheduled already). Our Vegas wedding is very informal (hired a company who does ceremonies on the strip so it's going to be in front of the Bellagio fountains ) Is it frowned upon not to mention this detail just to avoid further questioning from customs lol it's not technically lying since we will be getting engaged and he is visiting me and my family for the week...perhaps I'll have him bring more evidence that he'll be returning to the UK (lease agreement, employment letter, etc) just in case. Thoughts?

[cathy2904 97]

There is nothing wrong with traveling to Vegas to get married - it would only be a problem if he intended to stay which he clearly doesn't. I would just make sure he has as much proof as possible that he is going back.

We got through the whole process from filing to visa in under eight months and that included a slight hold up because when we started out Trevor was not a USC. There is nothing you can really do to speed up the process at USCIS but once we got to NVC we were ready with everything the minute it was asked for.

Good luck and congratulations.

[foobaz123 39]

Thanks, everyone, for your replies. 7-10 months total seems reasonable I suppose that's kind of what I was expecting so glad to know that's a realistic expectation. We'd love to do k-1 fiancé visa so we can stay together...but our financial situation (especially since k-1 involves more fees) is not conducive to us having only 1 income for several months, which is why we decided on the CR1 because my fiancé will have to go back to the UK to continue working anyway. We've already been traveling back and forth for a year and a half now...so that's what we'll continue to do while the visa is is process. Not ideal...but a means to an end

Any advice on how to approach the topic of his visit to customs at LAX?? He has my engagement and wedding rings so we were planning on telling customs that he's here to propose to me and visit for a week (his return flight will obviously be scheduled already). Our Vegas wedding is very informal (hired a company who does ceremonies on the strip so it's going to be in front of the Bellagio fountains ) Is it frowned upon not to mention this detail just to avoid further questioning from customs lol it's not technically lying since we will be getting engaged and he is visiting me and my family for the week...perhaps I'll have him bring more evidence that he'll be returning to the UK (lease agreement, employment letter, etc) just in case. Thoughts?

My thoughts... He has no intention of staying... the wedding is merely part of the visit... why say anything about it and possibly complicate matters? That said, unless I'm mistaken, refusal of entry at POE from a VWP country is pretty rare.

[jaycali 415]

Is he actually proposing? Then tell them that. He doesn't need to volunteer information, but if they ask him straight up if he's getting married, he has to answer yes.

Not volunteering information is ok. Lying will get him banned for life.

I like to think of it this way. Being fully honest MAY get him denied entry as a tourist once. Lying will get him denied entry for life.

Edited February 6, 2012 by jhsm85

[jaycali 415]

My thoughts... He has no intention of staying... the wedding is merely part of the visit... why say anything about it and possibly complicate matters? That said, unless I'm mistaken, refusal of entry at POE from a VWP country is pretty rare.

That's correct. The vast majority of VWP visitors pass with minimal inspection, but they still have to fill the same criteria as B-2 visa visitors. The major difference is that VWP countries statistically have extremely low overstay and visa violation rates. Also, biometric passports from VWP countries are virtually impossible to fake.

So the initial suspicion from the CBP officer of fraud/intent to overstay etc will be much lower.

[Rachie07 4]

I came to the US and got married on VWP. I had no problems. As everyone has told you above, it is better to show as many ties as you can to the UK. Be honest and thats the best policy. Its hard to say whats going to happen at POE until it happens. People on here have been posting about travelling back to the US whilst I-130 is processing and its impossible to predict what is going to happen (I am in this position too). I am sure you will be fine. As long he is honest, can prove he can return, I am sure he will be fine. As I said, I wasnt even asked if I was getting married when I came through but had additional evidence just in case.