I need some help!?!

[anniej 0]

Ok, i have been reading alot in here, and i think i found out that the CR-1 visa is one off the best.

Im not married to my US-citizen yet, so i was planning for the K-1 but after reading how expensiv it is and it will take a while to get the EAD and the AOS, i think maybe i want to go the long but easy way.

Im planning a trip in either july or september, so if we decide to go this way we will get married then, and ill go back home and wait for my visa.

So as soon as we are married we can start to file for the I-130??

Should we apply for both the CR-1 and the K-3 or just CR-1??

How long does it take??

And how do you know what service center you get? or is that decided after you send in the paper works??

Im going crazy with all the information....its not a easy thing to be with the one you love:)

Well ill continue my reading in here, and most likely pop back in with more questions:)

[sanj 0]

Hello,

I can't talk much about K-1. I suggest do just CR-1 to avoid confusion. 'Cause,,, we regret we did both. As far as I know, service center is picked by Chicago office. It is decided after you send your I-130 petition. Yes there is a lot to learn in this whole journey.

Ok, i have been reading alot in here, and i think i found out that the CR-1 visa is one off the best.

Im not married to my US-citizen yet, so i was planning for the K-1 but after reading how expensiv it is and it will take a while to get the EAD and the AOS, i think maybe i want to go the long but easy way.

Im planning a trip in either july or september, so if we decide to go this way we will get married then, and ill go back home and wait for my visa.

So as soon as we are married we can start to file for the I-130??

Should we apply for both the CR-1 and the K-3 or just CR-1??

How long does it take??

And how do you know what service center you get? or is that decided after you send in the paper works??

Im going crazy with all the information....its not a easy thing to be with the one you love:)

Well ill continue my reading in here, and most likely pop back in with more questions:)

[john & jean 37]

with proscessing time at the current pace, k3 is not an intelligent choice.

[Holliday 4]

Ok, i have been reading alot in here, and i think i found out that the CR-1 visa is one off the best.

Im not married to my US-citizen yet, so i was planning for the K-1 but after reading how expensiv it is and it will take a while to get the EAD and the AOS, i think maybe i want to go the long but easy way.

Im planning a trip in either july or september, so if we decide to go this way we will get married then, and ill go back home and wait for my visa.

So as soon as we are married we can start to file for the I-130??

Should we apply for both the CR-1 and the K-3 or just CR-1??

How long does it take??

And how do you know what service center you get? or is that decided after you send in the paper works??

Im going crazy with all the information....its not a easy thing to be with the one you love:)

Well ill continue my reading in here, and most likely pop back in with more questions:)

I think getting married and going for the CR-1 is a good option. I don't see the point in going for the K-3 also, really. Especially considering you decided against the K-1 because of the expense and hassle of the AOS process. You'd have to deal with all that if you went the K-3 route.

You can certainly send out the I-130 right after you get married... well, as soon as you receive your marriage certificate, that is. I think it would be a good idea to read all about exactly what you'll need for both the USCIS and NVC processes in advance, so that you can bring everything with you to the U.S when you visit/get married, and then you can leave it all with your spouse when you go home. That is pretty much what my husband and I did. It can be kinda difficult to come up with proof of relationship/marriage stuff as newlyweds, but you just have to work with what you have. We sent in some photos, a notarized letter from my Mother-in-law, boarding passes, and proof of a shared bank account with our petition, and we were approved very quickly.

It's really hard to say how long this process will take, since it seems to vary from case to case. It's also difficult to know which service center you'll end up with. A lot of cases (like mine) that 'should' go to VSC end up at CSC.

Anyway, good luck! Just read as much as you can, and learn as much as you can. I know it's a lot of info to process right now, and it can seem pretty overwhelming, but I swear, it all starts to make sense eventually. The most important thing is just to be prepared for anything.

[trinket 30]

Petitioners who reside in AK, AZ, CA, CO, Guam, HI, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, MI, MN, MS, MT, Nebraska, NV, ND, OH, OR, SD, UT, WA, WI, or WY will get California as their service center.

Petitioners who reside in AL, AR, CT, DL, FL, GA, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, OK, PA, Puerto Rico, RI, SC, TN, TX, VT, VA, U.S. Virgin Islands, WV, or District of Columbia will get Vermont as their service center.

Do go with CR-1 visa, do read the guides, start with VJ guide and also lotto's guide (a VJ member)

No one can predict how long will it take, but take an average estimate of anywhere from 6 months to 12 months. Everything really depends upon how soon your Petition gets approved at USCIS, once approved its easy road, you will have things in your hand. Keep reading, I know it can be overwhelming at first, but you have loads of time to prepare for your petition, so take your time to learn and understand the process.

Best of luck!

[anniej 0]

Thank you everybody!!

I think the CR-1 is the way to go:)

So ill start collecting all the info i need and continue to read in here....

[chinese_mutt 11]

uhmm.. i suggest you open a bank account when you go visit and get married.

in some countries, it is hard to open a joint account without the other spouse around.

uhmmm.. if you've ever been divorce, bring a copy of your divorce paper. you may need it for a license.

also, i suggest you check the marriage requirement in Norway. It'll save time and effort when you get there.

as for the time, takes about 6-12 months or more... depending on the case. nobody can guarantee anything.

k1 seems to go faster though if you're in a hurry.

Good luck!

[Beth/ Paris Heart 2]

Ok, i have been reading alot in here, and i think i found out that the CR-1 visa is one off the best.

Im not married to my US-citizen yet, so i was planning for the K-1 but after reading how expensiv it is and it will take a while to get the EAD and the AOS, i think maybe i want to go the long but easy way.

Im planning a trip in either july or september, so if we decide to go this way we will get married then, and ill go back home and wait for my visa.

So as soon as we are married we can start to file for the I-130??

Should we apply for both the CR-1 and the K-3 or just CR-1??

How long does it take??

And how do you know what service center you get? or is that decided after you send in the paper works??

Im going crazy with all the information....its not a easy thing to be with the one you love:)

Well ill continue my reading in here, and most likely pop back in with more questions:)

First of all, dont file for K3 will slow you down by 3 months for a approval, I've seen that posted by filers who filed for K3. They regretted filing the I-129F after they received NOA 1.

You can file as soon as you have your filed/registured copy of marriage cert.

Service center, well lately ,all March filers got to go to CSC all filed for CR-1 visa's. Luckily missed VSC !!!

Best of luck on your journey!!!

[Chris Me lil D 17]

Ok, i have been reading alot in here, and i think i found out that the CR-1 visa is one off the best.

Im not married to my US-citizen yet, so i was planning for the K-1 but after reading how expensiv it is and it will take a while to get the EAD and the AOS, i think maybe i want to go the long but easy way.

Im planning a trip in either july or september, so if we decide to go this way we will get married then, and ill go back home and wait for my visa.

So as soon as we are married we can start to file for the I-130??

Should we apply for both the CR-1 and the K-3 or just CR-1??

How long does it take??

And how do you know what service center you get? or is that decided after you send in the paper works??

Im going crazy with all the information....its not a easy thing to be with the one you love:)

Well ill continue my reading in here, and most likely pop back in with more questions:)

My personal advise: Go with the CR-1 - it's cheaper, and it's been going faster lately, timeline as long as a K-1 visa. We did CR-1. Good luck! If you're in US, personal advise - get married over there, don't go back to your country. It will save you time and nerves, pressure and craziness.

[CA dreamer 3]

read the guides and go the cr1 better for you

My personal advise: Go with the CR-1 - it's cheaper, and it's been going faster lately, timeline as long as a K-1 visa. We did CR-1. Good luck! If you're in US, personal advise - get married over there, don't go back to your country. It will save you time and nerves, pressure and craziness.

[anniej 0]

Thank you so much for all the replies!

I just had a long conversation with my boyfriend and we decided to go with the CR-1...

So now its back to reading and collecting all the papers we need, so we got it ready for my next visit to the states wich will be in july or september....

Hopefully july, but im working on a sailboat this summer so i have to see if i manage to get a flight from the port im at when my days off are...

Crazy to think about that i might be a married woman in just a couple off months....

Thanks again everybody