file I 129 along with I30 or not?

[himher 634]

That is your opinion and you are entitled to it.

In OUR case it was 217 days from the day I mailed the petition until my wife entered the US. IR1 visas filed at the same time (the same week) took 247, 315, 343, 332, and 320 days to INTERVIEW. My wife had completed school and gotten her drivers license within 30 days, which means she was here, settled, and driving around before the quickest IR1 petition that was filed the same week as ours even went to interview. We filed for EAD (18) days after she arrived in the US. It arrived (84) days later. So, total, from filing to EAD card arrival was 319 days. According to the other timelines, that's very close to the time she would have INTERVIEWED, rather than having arrived, settled in, started driving, and spending time together. Take the quickest interview date (247 days, add (2) weeks to get the flight, and (2) weeks to get the green card in the mail, and you get 275 days as the very best time (at least from this site) that she would have potentially been able to be here with full status. So someone who filed at the same time we did spent (2) extra months apart to save (6) weeks of waiting for permission to work and a few hundred dollars. That was the only person who filed the same time we did who actually benefitted at all - the others still have the booking time / green card arrival time to add to their interview timelines and my wife was here, driving, and already had permission to work while the other filers were still waiting apart.

All the data I see says that we, as expected, benefited from taking the K3 route. I assume that some petitioners put economics first, which means that the lower cost in fees and ability to put their beneficiaries to work as soon as possible is the primary consideration for the entire immigration plan, which is fine. Economics in our case were not as primary a concern as starting our life together and the K3 process allowed us (according to the data) to do that much sooner than the Ir1 process.

In our case, the (2) months we saved in reducing our time apart (based on average timelines at the time) were WAY worth the few hundred more dollars we had to spend to file K3/AOS vs. go the IR1 route. NVC processing is taking and has been taking 2-4 months longer for IR1 than K3, which is where the additional time for the IR1 gets tacked on. So the choice is: Wait apart or wait together. Either way, taking the difference in time into account, the green card or EAD card arrives on the same date relative to initial filing of the petition.

Going for a K3 instead of a IR-1 is nuts! Not my opinion. Just a fact!

[cmnb 0]

I am not sure about the expedite thing here is what I know about it. On the I29 F you can pay to have it expedited. Maybe, if the think they want to.

The I-130 can also be expedited maybe , if they think the want to,you just have to send a letter or call them which I did both. My wife is my business partner and our business is suffering from her absence.

To quilify for a expedite you must fall under the crieteria to have it done so.If you pay or not if you dont meet the qualifications they wont expedite.

K3 (129F) and CR-1 do not entertain express processing (paying extra money) expedites.

[daboyz 36]

One thing to consider. CR-1 will take longer at NVC than K-3, but the interviews get scheduled quicker for CR-1. If you follow lingche's shortcuts, it's almost no difference in the total time from NVC to interview. I have seen people get though NVC in 21 days with the CR-1. Also, there is no adjustment of status with CR-1. And the best thing, if you have been married for 2 years or more when you arrive, you will get a 10 year green card, and not have to bother with either Adjustment of Status, or Lifting of Conditions.

[himher 634]

Our interview was (34) days after NOA2 approval. That included NVC processing. I do not see any CR1 timelines that beat us from filing date to US entry date. 217 days seemed like an eternity as it was.

One thing to consider. CR-1 will take longer at NVC than K-3, but the interviews get scheduled quicker for CR-1. If you follow lingche's shortcuts, it's almost no difference in the total time from NVC to interview. I have seen people get though NVC in 21 days with the CR-1. Also, there is no adjustment of status with CR-1. And the best thing, if you have been married for 2 years or more when you arrive, you will get a 10 year green card, and not have to bother with either Adjustment of Status, or Lifting of Conditions.

[daboyz 36]

Our interview was (34) days after NOA2 approval. That included NVC processing. I do not see any CR1 timelines that beat us from filing date to US entry date. 217 days seemed like an eternity as it was.

One thing to consider. CR-1 will take longer at NVC than K-3, but the interviews get scheduled quicker for CR-1. If you follow lingche's shortcuts, it's almost no difference in the total time from NVC to interview. I have seen people get though NVC in 21 days with the CR-1. Also, there is no adjustment of status with CR-1. And the best thing, if you have been married for 2 years or more when you arrive, you will get a 10 year green card, and not have to bother with either Adjustment of Status, or Lifting of Conditions.

Congratulations. Your case is the exception not the rule.

Look here:

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.ph...ge=k3historical

and here:

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.ph...r1cr1historical

Average time to interview after NOA2 for k-3= 72 days

Average time to interview after NOA2 for IR-1/CR-1 = 97 days

It's up to you which route to take. I'm just stating my opinion that why not wait the 25 days, and be done. You can work, you can drive, save the AOS fee.

If it's worth it for someone to have their wife here 25 days faster, and then have to deal with USCIS again while waiting for Adjustment of Status and EAD while they can not work or drive, that is up to them. It is nice to have that choice.

[wayno 9]

I guess everybody's case is different. My intention is to stop renting in Costa Rica as soon as my wife can come here. In that case every month longer is an extra $450 plus another $200 for phone bills. Minimum! Not to mention western union fees and double groceries for us (CR & MD). Based on that, if the K3 is 1 month quicker it will actually be cheaper then the CR1. We understand that she won't be able to work right away or drive but she needs to take some time to learn to drive anyway. And she's allready been here for several month's during the past couple of summers so she know's what to expect. As far as losing any potential income by her not being able to work right away wouldn't really be an issue because she would most likely be arriving here at the end of the tourist season when there are no jobs available anyway. Not even on a good year.

[conquest 0]

I spoke with a uscis agent and was told that any thing can be experdited all you have to do is ask for it and it is free. In the case of the I-129 you have to pay for it but for a I-130 there is no fee.I think if I thought there was even a hint of being able to qualify for It I would ask.

Also some of you were talking about filing the I-129f and I-130 would cost more money but a new policy states that if you file a I-130 you can file the I-129f for free. I have already waited a month I am not sure at this point its worth filing the I-129f If I now would have to wait for it to catch up with my I-130 so question would be is it still worth doing?

My wife wouldnt have the work issue as she is my business partner. What ever we make we split any way so that doesnt really matter it all falls under me. It would be nice though if she could drive.

Edited December 4, 2008 by conquest