K-1/K-3 Netherlands to US

[cmsJustin 0]

My girlfriend and I have been together for over a year. She was here on a 6-month student visa, and we were actually roommates. A month and a half before she left we started dating. We've spent a lot of time traveling back and forth to see each other (having an aunt that works for US Airways helps!).

She recently graduated, and we want to be together, whatever it takes.

What are our options for her to move here? I had assumed that a marriage visa would only take 2 months maximum, and when I searched the internet tonight for more information I was shocked to see that it was much longer.

What's the fastest way that she can move here? Should we get married in the Netherlands before filing, or get married here? If we file for a K-1 or K-3, can she visit in the meantime?

Any info would be very appreciated...

[YuAndDan 153]

Use the timelines here on VJ to compare the visas. K-1 tends to be the quickest to process.

http://www.visajourney.com/timeline/

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.ph...mp;page=compare

[pushbrk 13,102]

Use the timelines here on VJ to compare the visas. K-1 tends to be the quickest to process.

http://www.visajourney.com/timeline/

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.ph...mp;page=compare

K1 usually processes a little faster than K3 from filing to visa but you can't file a K3 until later, after you marry. You can file a K1 now and marry in the US usually 6 to 9 months later.

[cmsJustin 0]

During the processing time, can she visit the US?

[JeroenAndMichelle 28]

Hi,

You can basically scrap the idea of marrying quickly in the Netherlands since you have to file a petition for that at the Dutch INS, and after they approve your marriage (there are quite a few rules for you two being able to marry here), you should be listed as engaged for at least two weeks (this timeframe is called 'ondertrouw' in Dutch) and has to be done officially at the local cityhall. During this time, you both will need to be together (as in living together) in the Netherlands the whole time, with a bit of bad luck you wont be able to do this (meaning your visa to be here might expire) because sometimes they might take a while to approve that petition. There are some other rules as well, as the Dutch petitionair should have an adequate income (which is pretty high). They made it really hard to get married here, and even harder to live here, when one of you is not a Dutch citizen (bastids). Marrying in the states would be a lot less complicated and a lot faster.

We basically thought doing the same but we end up doing the K1 instead and will marry after everything is approved and we got the K1 visa.

You can be together during the K1 visa process... the beneficiary just have to make sure he/she has papers/proof with him/her to show him/her connection to the Netherlands still, such as a letter from the company stating that the person carrying this letter is expected to come back at work on a set date, house lease/rental agreements, other bills and such... the more the better since they can easily deny entry to the states.

Edited April 13, 2008 by JeroenAndMichelle

[YuAndDan 153]

During the processing time, can she visit the US?

You may want to go through the FAQ page, your question is one of the most asked ones on the board.

FAQ: http://www.visajourney.com/faq/k1k2visa-application.html#4.6

[letty 1]

I got married almost a year ago in the Netherlands and applied for a CR-1 visa. I don't advise this if you want to get a visa quick since I barely will make it over there with an appoved visa for our first anniversary. But I like to correct a few things about getting married in the Netherlands.

What takes longest is the paper for the IND (dutch immigration service) in which they basically decide if you just get married to recieve a visa for the Netherlands or not. It took us 6 weeks to get the paper appoved and I doubt it will give you much trouble.

After that I went back to the courthouse (the paper needs to be filled out by you and send out by the courthouse) to go "in ondertrouw". My husband wasn't able to come with me since he was in the USA so I already had a paper organised which he had signed in which it said he wanted to marry me. We were clearly not living together at that time and that was no problem at all!! You have to wait 2 weeks till you can get married in the Netherlands.

There are no (!!!!) other rules to get married, so no income check or whatever. That is all needed for an immigration visa but not to get married in the Netherlands.

I'm glad we did, it was nice to have been together with my whole family and friends knowing that I would leave and might not see them all back together.

[JeroenAndMichelle 28]

There are no (!!!!) other rules to get married, so no income check or whatever. That is all needed for an immigration visa but not to get married in the Netherlands.

That's pretty weird then coz I was pretty sure I read about those things on a Dutch government site last december when my fiance was with me. Not saying this aint true because you obviously went that way but I guess I have read things wrong back then.

[cmsJustin 0]

Thanks for everyones input! It's extremely helpful.

For the I-129F, I have two questions:

1) Is it typical to just send the documents on your own, or should I schedule an appointment at the local USCIS field office?

2) 5B: How do I provide a statement of intent to marry, each of us just write a letter saying that we are engaged and intend to marry? Is there a special format for this?

[YuAndDan 153]

Thanks for everyones input! It's extremely helpful.

For the I-129F, I have two questions:

1) Is it typical to just send the documents on your own, or should I schedule an appointment at the local USCIS field office?

2) 5B: How do I provide a statement of intent to marry, each of us just write a letter saying that we are engaged and intend to marry? Is there a special format for this?

1) You CANNOT turn them in at the field office, you must mail them to the service center that has jurisdiction over where you live, either CSC or VSC.

http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/men...00045f3d6a1RCRD

2) You may want to look through the Example forms, there is a sample letter of intent, can be one signed by both, or separate ones from each.

http://www.visajourney.com/examples/Fiance...r_of_Intent.doc

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.ph...p;page=examples

Also you may want to

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.ph...mp;page=k1guide

[lizandpat 0]

Hello everyone! I'm still reading through this site and all the guides and paperwork but just wanted to say that after reading your replies and timelines I'm feeling much better about the whole process. I love the idea that it's only taking around 6-7 months from start to finish!!

My fiance and I met online in March 2007. I'm currently in Texas while he's still in The Hague trying to get things cleared up financially on his end so we can start our K-1 process. We are planning to do it all on our own and we don't have the finances to hire a lawyer. Once we get started, I'll add a timeline...

If anyone has any suggestions, we are more than willing to take them!!

Lots of luck to you all!!

Liz

[LR2010 0]

My girlfriend and I have been together for over a year. She was here on a 6-month student visa, and we were actually roommates. A month and a half before she left we started dating. We've spent a lot of time traveling back and forth to see each other (having an aunt that works for US Airways helps!).

She recently graduated, and we want to be together, whatever it takes.

What are our options for her to move here? I had assumed that a marriage visa would only take 2 months maximum, and when I searched the internet tonight for more information I was shocked to see that it was much longer.

What's the fastest way that she can move here? Should we get married in the Netherlands before filing, or get married here? If we file for a K-1 or K-3, can she visit in the meantime?

Any info would be very appreciated...

We have such a similar situation - except that he was the visiting student From the research I've done, it looks like getting married in the Netherlands will be faster since you can't get married here in the US until the fiance has a k-1 visa (otherwise, you risk being accused of entering the country on a tourist visa with the intent to immigrate = fraud) and that alone takes almost as long as getting the k-3, from what I can gather. I'm also waiting for advice from others!