K3 or CR1?

[MarieCookie 0]

Hello! I'm new in this forum... I was so happy when I discovered because in the internet I found so many different information and reading this forum as cleared so many questions

I'm Canadian and my fiancé is a US citizen. We have been dating for 3 years.

I study in Montreal, Qc and he's been studying in Miami, Fl. We visit each other a lot, we spend all our vacation together (mostly I'm the one who spend all the summer in Miami like 3 months and he comes to Montreal for the spring and winter break). I've never had any problem crossing the border, they all been nice to me (I just tell the truth that I'm visiting friends.. they don't ask me personal question, so I don't say more than they ask me).

He propose like a year and half ago and now we are ready for the big move. He is doing is Phd so I have to come to the US. Now the big question is for what visa apply... We think of spending the summer (2009) together, in Miami, as we have been doing and having our engagement party/wedding celebration party with his part of the family and then at the end of the summer go back to Montreal and get married there.

Then he will apply for a Spouse visa. (Getting married like this is better for us because I'll be finishing school and working (in Montreal) while all the process takes place). We didn't want to do the K-1 because I can not spend so many time without visiting my family..

Now, what we don't know is should we been applying for the K-3 Spouse visa or the CR-1 Spouse Visa?

Which one cost less money? Also, which one will be faster?

Also I would like to stat studying and working soon enough after we will be install together.

Thank you very much!

[Reba 2]

Go for the CR1. Its less hassle, and less money, and you can work as soon as you get to the US, with K3 you can't. You're already in Montreal, and you will have the interview for CR1 there at the US consulate anyhow.

[brnidokiegurl 0]

cr1

[belovedbyme 0]

This is the comparison I got from one of the VJ members.

If you wish to immediately take a Job after entry to the USA, the K-Visa is NOT the way to go.

If considering K-3 think carefully about it. CR-1 and K-3 tend to take about the same time, K-3 may save you about a month, however the K-3 has the added pain of adjustment of status, and it NOT a work authorized visa, so also has the added period of limbo waiting for EAD to be able to do things like take a job, get SSN, etc...

For the most part CR-1 tends to take a bit longer than K-3 to get if you prepare for NVC when they request I-864 fee, and Visa fee, as well as documents requested by NVC. In many cases the CR-1 petition reaches the consulate just before K-3 interview, which causes K-3 to get dropped and the interview becomes a CR-1 visa interview.

K-3:

I-130: $355

I-129F: NONE

Consulate: $131

AOS: $1010

($1496)

CR-1

I-130: $355

NVC I-864: $70

NVC Visa fee: $400 ($355+$45)

($825)

I see many posts from K-3 holders stating, "Wow this sucks, I am stuck at home because I don't have EAD, DL, etc, or I am having hard time getting added to bank accounts because of NO SSN." K-3 has a 90 day or longer period of limbo while waiting for EAD or Green-card.

K-3 was developed at a time when CR-1 was taking much longer that today, NVC has greatly streamlined the CR-1 process to the point where K-3 becomes irrelevant.

If you consider CR-1, all you need to do is keep the NVC processing going for CR-1, and delay responding to the K-3 Packets from consulate, or reschedule K-3 interview to allow the CR-1 to complete at NVC and get sent to the consulate.

Hello! I'm new in this forum... I was so happy when I discovered because in the internet I found so many different information and reading this forum as cleared so many questions

I'm Canadian and my fiancé is a US citizen. We have been dating for 3 years.

I study in Montreal, Qc and he's been studying in Miami, Fl. We visit each other a lot, we spend all our vacation together (mostly I'm the one who spend all the summer in Miami like 3 months and he comes to Montreal for the spring and winter break). I've never had any problem crossing the border, they all been nice to me (I just tell the truth that I'm visiting friends.. they don't ask me personal question, so I don't say more than they ask me).

He propose like a year and half ago and now we are ready for the big move. He is doing is Phd so I have to come to the US. Now the big question is for what visa apply... We think of spending the summer (2009) together, in Miami, as we have been doing and having our engagement party/wedding celebration party with his part of the family and then at the end of the summer go back to Montreal and get married there.

Then he will apply for a Spouse visa. (Getting married like this is better for us because I'll be finishing school and working (in Montreal) while all the process takes place). We didn't want to do the K-1 because I can not spend so many time without visiting my family..

Now, what we don't know is should we been applying for the K-3 Spouse visa or the CR-1 Spouse Visa?

Which one cost less money? Also, which one will be faster?

Also I would like to stat studying and working soon enough after we will be install together.

Thank you very much!

[Thai family 0]

Voting for CR-1. We're in the midst of K-3 hassles now.

Thai Mom

[MarieCookie 0]

Thanks everyone for your responds! You are all very helpful !

Yeah, the CR1 seems like the best option for us but Do you know if during the process we still can visit each other?

After applying for the CR1 while we are waiting can I enter the US just to visit for a few days?

Thanks