Filing I-130 in the US and then completing the rest in Japan

[shogimatt 0]

My wife and I are trying to find some way to live together while we complete the K-3 visa process. I am living in the US and she is living in Japan.

Is it possible to file the I-130 in the US, then move to Japan to live with her, and then complete the paperwork in Japan, mailing it to the same US processing center?

Is it better to move to Japan and live there long enough to qualify for DCF instead?

Thank you for your help.

[pushbrk 12,899]

My wife and I are trying to find some way to live together while we complete the K-3 visa process. I am living in the US and she is living in Japan.

Is it possible to file the I-130 in the US, then move to Japan to live with her, and then complete the paperwork in Japan, mailing it to the same US processing center?

Is it better to move to Japan and live there long enough to qualify for DCF instead?

Thank you for your help.

Sure it's possible but you'll want to arrange to have your mail hand forwarded by a friend or family member. Use their address as an "in care of" address. The complication you'll need to deal with is to make sure you still qualify to sponsor or that you have a co-sponsor. For the K3 visa, there may be no further interaction needed with USCIS but for the CR1/IR1 there would be.

[payxibka 10,045]

the problem will be with monitoring it from abroad... I imagine it would slow down once the NVC process begins, if not for any other reason but logistics....

Whether to file ffrom here or abroad is a personal choice... fulfilling the 6 mos. residency may in fact be quicker... If you do, just do not forget about maintaining US domicile and being able to fulfill the affidavit requirements.

[pushbrk 12,899]

the problem will be with monitoring it from abroad... I imagine it would slow down once the NVC process begins, if not for any other reason but logistics....

Whether to file ffrom here or abroad is a personal choice... fulfilling the 6 mos. residency may in fact be quicker... If you do, just do not forget about maintaining US domicile and being able to fulfill the affidavit requirements.

For K3 there is really no NVC process at all.

[Chica Yeyé 41]

OR you could move to Japan and file DCF after 6 months of legally residing there.

[shogimatt 0]

Thank you guys for the response.

It's looking to me now that the best way might be to live in Japan for 6 months and go DCF. Otherwise, I need to get my parents involved in shuffling paperwork back and forth to me in Japan, and it just seems like it will introduce unneeded stress without really speeding up the visa process.

Thanks again!