Can a fellow canuck please help me with timeline info and an estimation on how long I will have to wait to get a CR-1!!

[js66 0]

Hi everyone,

I'm pretty new here and I was wondering if I could ask the other Canucks a few questions.

I have posted a few places on this board and I appologize if I offend anyone by posting again. Because of my work situation I have had a difficult time just figuring out what I need to apply for.

My Situation:

- I’m Canadian and I’ve been here in the US for 8 years on multiple TN Visas

- My TN Visa will expire in late June

- I am not currently married but we are talking about getting married before my TN visa expires if that would speed up the process.

- My job is changing from a contractor to a company employee. As an employee my company doesn’t want to be involved in any Visas so I have to do this on my own another TN visa is not an option.

- My company is global. They have told me that if I go to Canada I can keep my position and work there. If I choose to become legal to work in the US they will transfer me to the US payroll when that is an option and I can live in the US again.

- I have to accept the company position before I have time to do an AOS. I need to be on the Canadian or American payroll in about 6 weeks. I would not be able to stay in the US the required 90 days after marriage. If I stayed in the US with out starting work in Canada the company can not hold my position at work and I would be unemployed.

My objectives

- I want to marry my girlfriend that I live with and have been dating a few years and I want us together as much as possible

- To be legal to work in the US as soon as possible

- I want to take the new position offered to me as a company employee

I think now, with the help of a lot of great people on this forum, I have decided the best way for me to go is the CR-1 Visa. According to most that is the way to go for me as I cannot do the AOS.

1) I think I'm just dumb, but I really don't understand the timeline info some people have under there posts. Could someone fill me in on what happens and in what order? I have read through a lot of the guides and the timeline chart and I am completely confused.

2) Could someone give me a vague estimation on how long processing would take and when I could come back to the US and work legally?

I have seen this on the USCIS web site USCIS Processing Timeline Does that mean it takes about 6.2 months on average to complete or am I completely missing something. I see it says 6.2 next to I-130. I have heard everything from a little under 6 months to 12 months. I'm praying it isn't 12 months...

I'm about two days into this process and would appreciate any help or comments.

[rexalite 0]

My timeline for CR1 has been 20 months so far. I didnt find VJ until a month ago or so, so I made a couple of mistakes in the proces (sent in short form birth certificate) and that delayed me a couple of months. Other than that, I just had the misfortune of getting caught in the Great Service Charge Fee Increase Delay of '07, got bogged down at the VSC until they transferred me to California, etc etc. My case is really straightforward - no criminal record, no divorces etc. etc. I think 6 months just refers to the timeline to get to NVC. I would expect 12 to 14 months before being eligible to live in the US, if I were restarting again and could use VJ to make sure I did everything right.

[SapphireDreams 71]

You're looking at an average of anywhere from 8-14 months. I've noticed the time of year that you file matters a bit in this. We filed in June and were slowed down by summer vacations I'm sure, and then we got to the next step just before Xmas, so I think that slowed us down too. People that filed in January are processed quicker. We weren't CR1, but K1 and CR1 are both taking around the same time these days.

I would realistically aim for 12 months, could be sooner, could be longer.

[Krikit 1,165]

Welcome to VJ, JS.

[trailmix 77]

Hi, I see you found the Canada forum, welcome!

My Husband's IR1 visa took 11 months from I-130 to visa in hand, it could have been faster but we got held up at NVC.

I mentioned this other thread in my other reply, it will tell you exactly how long people (in Canada) have waited (those on the spreadsheet here on VJ) for their CR1/IR1 interview recently:

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.ph...t&p=2846112

I thought of something else as well. You mentioned that your employer did not want to provide a TN visa for you this year. Is the issue the money and have you offered to pay for it? Just something that I thought of last night after reading your other posts.

Edited April 17, 2009 by trailmix

[MsZ 6]

You can look at timelines to get an estimate of how long it has taken recent visas to be processed, but by no means does that guarantee anything. You could be approved much more quickly or it could take much longer. For us, it took much longer. And if anything triggers administrative processing, it could take much, much longer.

It would be a lot easier if your company would sponsor you.