Greetings from the Pacific Northwest/Lower Mainland

[betazed 0]

Hello all,

I am a potential K-3 Visa Holder destined for Seattle, WA.

A little bit about me:

I was born & raised in Vancouver, BC, Canada. I just finished up my BA in Criminology from Simon Fraser University. I have been a government employee for a little over 4 years.

A little about him (the petitioner):

He's a year older than I am. He was born & raised in Philadelphia, PA, USA. He went to University of Pennsylvania for his undergrad in Psych, and is now in Seattle Pacific finishing his Master's in Education.

Our relationship

His dad is from the same ethnic minority group that my family is from, so he would often have to spend summers with his dad in Seattle, as I did with my grandma/aunts/uncles/cousins. Our ethnic group has annual summer bbqs/meet-n-greets where the youth from Vancouver to San Diego all come to Seattle to get to know each other. We met at the annual bbq, and got to know each other on several outings reserved for the college-age youth of our ethnic group. We've been together since 2004, and were married (religiously and civilly) in Seattle in 2008. We chose Seattle because the majority of both of our families live there, and it's "equal-ground" (where it's neither HIS territory nor MY stomping grounds).

Our process:

We decided to go with the K-3 route, and my closest office is in Vancouver (a few blocks away from my job, actually). Although we've visited each other many times in Philly & Vancouver, we both agreed to live in Seattle, as that was our "equal-ground", and it's a city we're both very familiar with. We began the petition in October 2008, were approved in Feb 2009, and I am scheduled for my inteview @ the Vancouver consulate at the end of this month.

To conclude: I have been feeling rather alone in this process (esp in terms of employment!), and am looking for a forum where I have people who can relate to me, and I can learn about their experiences. This looks like a place that's very much alive, and I look foward to reading your adventures.

[Bobby+Umit 161]

Hello and welcome!

[Zee Bee 61]

Welcome to VJ and good luck on your journey

[forchika 4]

Welcome to visa journey....wishing you a successful interview

[Chica Yeyé 41]

Greetz from Seattle

[scandal 951]

Welcome to VJ.

I'm no expert on K3, but the consensus I keep reading from the experts I trust (particularly pushbrk) is that K3 is an outdated visa which should rarely if ever be pursued. If you're married, either IR-1/CR-1 or a DCF is the more appropriate way to go. Do some searching on the forums for more info on this.

I'm a K1 petitioner which is why I don't actively follow the subject.

[jundp 191]

Welcome from another Seattle-ite!

Also, I love the SFU Pipe & Drum band! I've seen them every year for the last 5 years at the Seattle Scottish Highland Games.

[kaffy 2]

Hi neighbor! We're on the eastside in Kirkland.

Is your husband getting his M.Ed to become a teacher or administrator? Just asking because my husband's finishing his Masters in teaching (certified in 5-12 English/LA) and it's pretty bad timing for us given the current economic status & how little our government values education

[Chica Yeyé 41]

Welcome to VJ.

I'm no expert on K3, but the consensus I keep reading from the experts I trust (particularly pushbrk) is that K3 is an outdated visa which should rarely if ever be pursued. If you're married, either IR-1/CR-1 or a DCF is the more appropriate way to go. Do some searching on the forums for more info on this.

I'm a K1 petitioner which is why I don't actively follow the subject.

Great point. Indeed, the CR1 is a much better visa.

DCF is only available to couples living abroad, so the OP would not qualify.

[PrinceandPrincess 0]

Welcome to VJ and good luck on your journey!

[TimandJoyce 1]

Welcome and good luck with your interview!!

[betazed 0]

Welcome to VJ.

I'm no expert on K3, but the consensus I keep reading from the experts I trust (particularly pushbrk) is that K3 is an outdated visa which should rarely if ever be pursued. If you're married, either IR-1/CR-1 or a DCF is the more appropriate way to go. Do some searching on the forums for more info on this.

I'm a K1 petitioner which is why I don't actively follow the subject.

Hello. Thanks for the welcome.

We were informed by the Vancouver consulate that the K3 would just get us living together faster, but not that I'd be a permanent resident until I adjust my status after I cross. I originally wanted to go through the IR-1/CR-1 route, but the costs & timeline that's added to it just outweighed the benefits. At this rate, the final interview is only a week away, so there's no point in me looking into any of the other methods.

Thank you for your concern though!

[betazed 0]

Hi neighbor! We're on the eastside in Kirkland.

Is your husband getting his M.Ed to become a teacher or administrator? Just asking because my husband's finishing his Masters in teaching (certified in 5-12 English/LA) and it's pretty bad timing for us given the current economic status & how little our government values education

He's getting it to be a school counsellor. In the meantime, he's been working full-time for one of the school districts for a few years already.

[maritoni 3]

Hello and welcome to Vj

[blue123 0]

Welcome to VJ.

I'm no expert on K3, but the consensus I keep reading from the experts I trust (particularly pushbrk) is that K3 is an outdated visa which should rarely if ever be pursued. If you're married, either IR-1/CR-1 or a DCF is the more appropriate way to go. Do some searching on the forums for more info on this.

I'm a K1 petitioner which is why I don't actively follow the subject.

Hello. Thanks for the welcome.

We were informed by the Vancouver consulate that the K3 would just get us living together faster, but not that I'd be a permanent resident until I adjust my status after I cross. I originally wanted to go through the IR-1/CR-1 route, but the costs & timeline that's added to it just outweighed the benefits. At this rate, the final interview is only a week away, so there's no point in me looking into any of the other methods.

Thank you for your concern though!

Costs? K3 costs a lot more than CR-1