K3 steps, tired of waiting (aren't we all)

[wayno 9]

Still up in the air as to which Visa to pursue. In a perfect world we want the CR1. But I understand the disadvantages with going the K3 route but the money saved by rent, phone calls, electric, and other living expences for my wife in Costa Rica might just make the K3 cheaper. She has been with me in the U.S. in the past and understands not being able to work right away but thats OK as she needs to go to english classes anyway before she can take a job.

My questions/

Based on the K3, how long after my NOA2 would my wife expect an interview, or at least notification of a date?

Also what forms do I (the petitioner) have to fill out? I-864 or I-134?

Who sends in the DS-230?

Do we both get an AOS interview in the states when we file to adjust status or would her K3 interview in Costa Rica be sufficiant?

At the moment we are looking to pursue the CR1 but with all this waiting we are thinking if both petitions get approved the same day, like many here, just go ahead with the K3 if she gets notified by the empasy shortly thereafter for a medical and interview.

[Frenchwife 1]

official processing times for I130 or K3 are the same

add a month for K3 because of first step with I130

so about 7-8 months

but nothing is guaranteed

you can look at the igor's list to see who is still waiting or who has been approved

in igor's list you will see some guys who did not update their timeline

but some old ones are actually true with owners fightling with service requests

at csc they are currently fast on i130 and K3

at vsc they have processed recent i130 but forgotten older, they are slower than csc on k3s

I130 is eventually quicker than K3

i130 is cheaper than k3 in terms of fees

csc has been consistently quicker and more reliable than vsc for the last months

again have a look at igor's list

[pushbrk 13,176]

Still up in the air as to which Visa to pursue. In a perfect world we want the CR1. But I understand the disadvantages with going the K3 route but the money saved by rent, phone calls, electric, and other living expences for my wife in Costa Rica might just make the K3 cheaper. She has been with me in the U.S. in the past and understands not being able to work right away but thats OK as she needs to go to english classes anyway before she can take a job.

My questions/

Based on the K3, how long after my NOA2 would my wife expect an interview, or at least notification of a date?

Also what forms do I (the petitioner) have to fill out? I-864 or I-134?

Who sends in the DS-230?

Do we both get an AOS interview in the states when we file to adjust status or would her K3 interview in Costa Rica be sufficiant?

At the moment we are looking to pursue the CR1 but with all this waiting we are thinking if both petitions get approved the same day, like many here, just go ahead with the K3 if she gets notified by the empasy shortly thereafter for a medical and interview.

If you use the NVC shortcuts for the CR1, K3 saves no time anyway.

[Jim and Lili 0]

Still up in the air as to which Visa to pursue. In a perfect world we want the CR1. But I understand the disadvantages with going the K3 route but the money saved by rent, phone calls, electric, and other living expences for my wife in Costa Rica might just make the K3 cheaper. She has been with me in the U.S. in the past and understands not being able to work right away but thats OK as she needs to go to english classes anyway before she can take a job.

My questions/

Based on the K3, how long after my NOA2 would my wife expect an interview, or at least notification of a date?

Also what forms do I (the petitioner) have to fill out? I-864 or I-134?

Who sends in the DS-230?

Do we both get an AOS interview in the states when we file to adjust status or would her K3 interview in Costa Rica be sufficiant?

At the moment we are looking to pursue the CR1 but with all this waiting we are thinking if both petitions get approved the same day, like many here, just go ahead with the K3 if she gets notified by the empasy shortly thereafter for a medical and interview.

If you want times for Bogota, read my timeline. It flew. After our I-129F (submitted first) was approved it was 100 days. After our NOA 2 we had an interview in weeks. Use the I-134. You file the ds-230 with you I-129f and the I-130 then you'll send a copy later to the embassy before your interview. Adjustment of status in the US if enter on the Visa.

Good luck.

[pushbrk 13,176]

Still up in the air as to which Visa to pursue. In a perfect world we want the CR1. But I understand the disadvantages with going the K3 route but the money saved by rent, phone calls, electric, and other living expences for my wife in Costa Rica might just make the K3 cheaper. She has been with me in the U.S. in the past and understands not being able to work right away but thats OK as she needs to go to english classes anyway before she can take a job.

My questions/

Based on the K3, how long after my NOA2 would my wife expect an interview, or at least notification of a date?

Also what forms do I (the petitioner) have to fill out? I-864 or I-134?

Who sends in the DS-230?

Do we both get an AOS interview in the states when we file to adjust status or would her K3 interview in Costa Rica be sufficiant?

At the moment we are looking to pursue the CR1 but with all this waiting we are thinking if both petitions get approved the same day, like many here, just go ahead with the K3 if she gets notified by the empasy shortly thereafter for a medical and interview.

If you want times for Bogota, read my timeline. It flew. After our I-129F (submitted first) was approved it was 100 days. After our NOA 2 we had an interview in weeks. Use the I-134. You file the ds-230 with you I-129f and the I-130 then you'll send a copy later to the embassy before your interview. Adjustment of status in the US if enter on the Visa.

Good luck.

K3 requires filing the I-130 first, not the I-129F first.

[Jim and Lili 0]

Still up in the air as to which Visa to pursue. In a perfect world we want the CR1. But I understand the disadvantages with going the K3 route but the money saved by rent, phone calls, electric, and other living expences for my wife in Costa Rica might just make the K3 cheaper. She has been with me in the U.S. in the past and understands not being able to work right away but thats OK as she needs to go to english classes anyway before she can take a job.

My questions/

Based on the K3, how long after my NOA2 would my wife expect an interview, or at least notification of a date?

Also what forms do I (the petitioner) have to fill out? I-864 or I-134?

Who sends in the DS-230?

Do we both get an AOS interview in the states when we file to adjust status or would her K3 interview in Costa Rica be sufficiant?

At the moment we are looking to pursue the CR1 but with all this waiting we are thinking if both petitions get approved the same day, like many here, just go ahead with the K3 if she gets notified by the empasy shortly thereafter for a medical and interview.

This is Bogota.......

I-130 Sent : 2009-02-06

I-130 NOA1 : 2009-02-11

I-129F Sent : 2009-02-25

I-129F NOA1 : 2009-03-03

I-129F RFE(s) : 2009-04-14

RFE Reply(s) : 2009-04-16

I-129F NOA2 : 2009-03-19

NVC Received : 2009-03-26

NVC Left : 2009-04-03

Consulate Received : 2009-04-13

Packet 3 Received : 2009-04-14 (we had it prepared ahead of time and ready to go once we new the embassy received the the I-129f)

Packet 3 Sent : 2009-04-13

Packet 4 Received : 2009-05-08

Interview Date : 2009-05-22 (I called the DOS NVC and asked when the interview date was versus waiting for the website update)

[daboyz 36]

Still up in the air as to which Visa to pursue. In a perfect world we want the CR1. But I understand the disadvantages with going the K3 route but the money saved by rent, phone calls, electric, and other living expences for my wife in Costa Rica might just make the K3 cheaper. She has been with me in the U.S. in the past and understands not being able to work right away but thats OK as she needs to go to english classes anyway before she can take a job.

My questions/

Based on the K3, how long after my NOA2 would my wife expect an interview, or at least notification of a date?

Also what forms do I (the petitioner) have to fill out? I-864 or I-134?

Who sends in the DS-230?

Do we both get an AOS interview in the states when we file to adjust status or would her K3 interview in Costa Rica be sufficiant?

At the moment we are looking to pursue the CR1 but with all this waiting we are thinking if both petitions get approved the same day, like many here, just go ahead with the K3 if she gets notified by the empasy shortly thereafter for a medical and interview.

If you want times for Bogota, read my timeline. It flew. After our I-129F (submitted first) was approved it was 100 days. After our NOA 2 we had an interview in weeks. Use the I-134. You file the ds-230 with you I-129f and the I-130 then you'll send a copy later to the embassy before your interview. Adjustment of status in the US if enter on the Visa.

Good luck.

You can't submit I-129F for a K-3 until you get NOA1 for the I-130. Read the guides. Read uscis.gov.

YOU CAN NOT FILE THE I-129F FOR K-3 WITHOUT FILING I-130 first. Sorry for shouting, but bad advice is annoying.

[wayno 9]

Thanks for the responces, though I may have been a bit confusing in my original post. I have turned in my I-130 and I-129f last year and am currently in the waiting stages at VSC. about 6 & 7 month's now. Just trying to see my options if both get aproved at the same time.

Our current plan is to finish with the rent and other ties to C.R. (where she will be going for the interview) as soon as she gets her visa. Therefore my questions regarding the difference in time------if the petitions are approved together.

[Y's_habibitk 2]

The "timesaver" with the K3 is at the interview scheduling stage. Most consulates schedule the K visa interviews faster. This can mean saving anywhere from one to two months difference.

Your petitions will be approved together(or a few days apart), even if you sail through NVC; your interview wait time will most likely be longer with the CR1.

For instance, at our consulate.. they schedule CR1 interviews 60(+/-) days out, but K visas are scheduled 30(+/-) days. There are some consul's that are 90 days out for CR1 interviews. See what the trend is at your consulate and that should help you make a decision.

I hope that made sense and helped a little

[wayno 9]

Thanks, that made perfect sence. I guess the thing to do is check with the embassy in C.R. regarding scheduling (just for an idea) as soon as I get approval.

Less then a month difference and the CR1 would be better but once going past a month all living expences would start to add up and the K3 would be considerably cheaper for me.

Thanks again,

Wayne