Which Visa is Faster: K-1 vs K-3?

[RollingStone 0]

The USCIS timelines for NOA2 on the K-1 and K-3 visas is the same: 6 months. On VisaJourney, the average time from NOA1 to the interview at the consulate is 202 days for K-1; 219 days for K-3 and 320 days for IR-1/CR-1.

I am currently visiting my fiance in the US and returning home shortly. We are trying to figure out which visa to apply for - ie. whether to get married before I leave or wait. As with everybody else, when we will be able to be together is the most important consideration. Most of what I have read on this site indicates that the K-1 visa is the quickest route but is the difference just a couple of months?

Does anybody know if filing for a K-1 generally significantly faster?

What did other people decide to do?

Thank you in advance!

[pushbrk 13,109]

Most of what I have read on this site indicates that the K-1 visa is the quickest route but is the difference just a couple of months?

At most, yes.

[Lambie and Wolfie 0]

The USCIS timelines for NOA2 on the K-1 and K-3 visas is the same: 6 months. On VisaJourney, the average time from NOA1 to the interview at the consulate is 202 days for K-1; 219 days for K-3 and 320 days for IR-1/CR-1.

I am currently visiting my fiance in the US and returning home shortly. We are trying to figure out which visa to apply for - ie. whether to get married before I leave or wait. As with everybody else, when we will be able to be together is the most important consideration. Most of what I have read on this site indicates that the K-1 visa is the quickest route but is the difference just a couple of months?

Does anybody know if filing for a K-1 generally significantly faster?

What did other people decide to do?

Thank you in advance!

K1 should be quickier. An immrigation lawyer suggested that the K1 route is easier and faster. We just got our approval from Vermont service center but we are still at a 3 month wait at the consulate level. We both wished that we had gone the K1 route.

[pushbrk 13,109]

The USCIS timelines for NOA2 on the K-1 and K-3 visas is the same: 6 months. On VisaJourney, the average time from NOA1 to the interview at the consulate is 202 days for K-1; 219 days for K-3 and 320 days for IR-1/CR-1.

I am currently visiting my fiance in the US and returning home shortly. We are trying to figure out which visa to apply for - ie. whether to get married before I leave or wait. As with everybody else, when we will be able to be together is the most important consideration. Most of what I have read on this site indicates that the K-1 visa is the quickest route but is the difference just a couple of months?

Does anybody know if filing for a K-1 generally significantly faster?

What did other people decide to do?

Thank you in advance!

K1 should be quickier. An immrigation lawyer suggested that the K1 route is easier and faster. We just got our approval from Vermont service center but we are still at a 3 month wait at the consulate level. We both wished that we had gone the K1 route.

Petition approval to interview has the same timeline for K3 as for K1. The time difference comes two places.

1. Fiance petitions can be filed as soon as the couple has met in person. Spouse visa petitions have to wait until an actual marriage has taken place.

2. The I-129F petition for K3 visa must wait for the NOA1 from filing an I-130 petition. That's where the one or two months longer comes in.

[babyanna 0]

The USCIS timelines for NOA2 on the K-1 and K-3 visas is the same: 6 months. On VisaJourney, the average time from NOA1 to the interview at the consulate is 202 days for K-1; 219 days for K-3 and 320 days for IR-1/CR-1.

I am currently visiting my fiance in the US and returning home shortly. We are trying to figure out which visa to apply for - ie. whether to get married before I leave or wait. As with everybody else, when we will be able to be together is the most important consideration. Most of what I have read on this site indicates that the K-1 visa is the quickest route but is the difference just a couple of months?

Does anybody know if filing for a K-1 generally significantly faster?

What did other people decide to do?

Thank you in advance!

K1 should be quickier. An immrigation lawyer suggested that the K1 route is easier and faster. We just got our approval from Vermont service center but we are still at a 3 month wait at the consulate level. We both wished that we had gone the K1 route.

Petition approval to interview has the same timeline for K3 as for K1. The time difference comes two places.

1. Fiance petitions can be filed as soon as the couple has met in person. Spouse visa petitions have to wait until an actual marriage has taken place.

2. The I-129F petition for K3 visa must wait for the NOA1 from filing an I-130 petition. That's where the one or two months longer comes in.

As a matter of fact K3 is faster but with K1 you have to come up with so much explanation and evidence. I am talking out of a long experience and a personal one

[cjgator 2]

With all due respect to others who have stated that the K-1 is only a short time faster than the K-3, I think us K-3 filers at VSC would strongly debate that assertion. Procedurally, it does take a little extra time up-front, because the I-130 has to be received and an NOA-1 issued from USCIS before the I-129F for a K-3 can be accepted. But, if you time these properly up front, the difference can be minimal. In my case, the difference in NOA 1 dates between the I-129 and I-130 is 6 days.

The difference is in the amount of time it takes to receive the NOA 2 approval from USCIS. The statistics for most individuals who are keeping records (e.g. Igor's list, V-J timelines, many posters on this site who keep their own worksheets) is that the K-1 time from NOA1 to NOA 2 on the I-129F is ranging about 3, and in some cases 4 months faster than the K-3 time from NOA 1 to NOA 2. There are countless March and April NOA-1 K-3 people on this website who are still waiting for their approvals, myself included. In one very striking personal example, I have a local friend who received his 129F NOA 1 exactly 2 weeks before I did, and his fiance' was approved in 58 days. From the time he got his NOA 1 until the time his Russian fiance' landed in the states was 4.5 months. He's been with his fiance (now wife) for 4 months, while I am still waiting for my NOA-2 after 7.5 months. The difference? His was K-1, mine was K-3.

I do think the difference is less at CSC, they seem to process both much faster than VSC. The backlog of 7 and 8 month waits for I-129F K3 NOA 2's is large, and growing. Their 6 month estimate is not realistic, and the agents will tell you when you call to ask they are still actively processing February and March.

If I had to do it all over again, I would go K-1, without question.

The USCIS timelines for NOA2 on the K-1 and K-3 visas is the same: 6 months. On VisaJourney, the average time from NOA1 to the interview at the consulate is 202 days for K-1; 219 days for K-3 and 320 days for IR-1/CR-1.

I am currently visiting my fiance in the US and returning home shortly. We are trying to figure out which visa to apply for - ie. whether to get married before I leave or wait. As with everybody else, when we will be able to be together is the most important consideration. Most of what I have read on this site indicates that the K-1 visa is the quickest route but is the difference just a couple of months?

Does anybody know if filing for a K-1 generally significantly faster?

What did other people decide to do?

Thank you in advance!

[RollingStone 0]

Thank you everyone for your replies - They are really helpful... this is a big decision!