CR-1 visa - can i work once i reach the US?

[YuAndDan 153]

thanks for the advice there! my husband is the USC but i am better with forms so i have been filling them out and giving them to him to sign and post haha!

i didnt even know anything about the difference between the two, now i know i can work once i reach the US on the CR-1 visa, i am really glad i asked. i will continue down that path.

one query though, how do i let them know which path i am going down? do they send me paperwork for one or the other when i get my NOA1 from the I-130?

Simple you don't file an I-129F, and let the I-130 process normally.

i just filed my I-130 paperwork and followed all instructions on this website, HOWEVER i actually put in an I-129F form at the back (which i now know i shouldnt have done!!)

does this mean i will get an RFE and if so, do i just say i dont want that I-129f form in there now and to continue with the I-130? or will they just not even worry about the I-129F as it wasnt supposed to be in the package?

Let it process, and deal with any RFE that you may get.

If they let is slide and run them together and approve both I-129F and I-130 together, simply keep the I-130 moving through NVC by promptly responding to NVC's letters (I-864, DS-230, documents, etc..) in most cases if this is done in a timely fassion the CR-1 case makes it to the consulate before K-3 interview.

If your consulate uses P-3, P-4 for K-Visas, simply delay responding to P-3, to allow CR-1 to catch up, or you can simply reschedule K-3 interview to allow CR-1 to catch up.

There are many things that can be done at the consulate stage of the process to get the CR-1 visa instead of K-3.

[mrsemcee 1]

Exactly! hehehe... after this long process, it really feels like you can deal with anything else... just to be with our beloved until then, make sure you also appreciate the family and friends back home, meet up and hang out, think about the things u want to bring to the US (and pack and send some stuff too). No matter how independent and adventurous you think/know you are, you will miss home and will feel quite lost every now and again. Finding your footing in a new country, its another ballgame, for another thread LOL. But hey, u've dealt with the immigration bit, u've dealt with the long distance missing your spouse bit. You can do anything

yeh i know what thats like. and yeah it will be hard leaving all the family here in australia, but i think ill be alright! i was starting to think about packing some stuff and sending it over before i get there. i have SOOO much stuff!!

where are you guys based in the US?

[mrsemcee 1]

It's a pretty long journey this whole thing and at times, it really, really sucks but if you do all the research and reading you'll be fine. I found what worked for me was to read the Government jargon and such, and then research information here and then come to a conclusion based on all that for myself and what we were doing. it's a lot of stuff to read and it's a long process but really? it's not that difficult if you read everything and follow the instructions and well, have some patience.

I lack that myself but I'm learning and well, as long as you're dedicated to the outcome of this process, you'll be fine. Just research, read and be thorough. That said, we're still waiting, may even have an RFE waiting for us, who knows but... we are lucky that we live close enough that we can visit while this is going on.

Best of luck to you mrsemcee...

thanks for that. i work for the Government and have in the past and i still dont understand alot of the jargon used! UGH. its so hard sometimes to even understand the simplest of things.. but i will get there eventually.

at the time of sending the I-130 i knew i was supposed to send the I-129f seperately, but the only thing i didnt understand was the difference between the K3 and the CR-1 and how the heck they know which way you want to go!

now i get it.. finally!

thanks for the advice there! my husband is the USC but i am better with forms so i have been filling them out and giving them to him to sign and post haha!

i didnt even know anything about the difference between the two, now i know i can work once i reach the US on the CR-1 visa, i am really glad i asked. i will continue down that path.

one query though, how do i let them know which path i am going down? do they send me paperwork for one or the other when i get my NOA1 from the I-130?

Simple you don't file an I-129F, and let the I-130 process normally.

i just filed my I-130 paperwork and followed all instructions on this website, HOWEVER i actually put in an I-129F form at the back (which i now know i shouldnt have done!!)

does this mean i will get an RFE and if so, do i just say i dont want that I-129f form in there now and to continue with the I-130? or will they just not even worry about the I-129F as it wasnt supposed to be in the package?

Let it process, and deal with any RFE that you may get.

If they let is slide and run them together and approve both I-129F and I-130 together, simply keep the I-130 moving through NVC by promptly responding to NVC's letters (I-864, DS-230, documents, etc..) in most cases if this is done in a timely fassion the CR-1 case makes it to the consulate before K-3 interview.

If your consulate uses P-3, P-4 for K-Visas, simply delay responding to P-3, to allow CR-1 to catch up, or you can simply reschedule K-3 interview to allow CR-1 to catch up.

There are many things that can be done at the consulate stage of the process to get the CR-1 visa instead of K-3.

oh okay cool. thanks for that.. you seem like you know what you are talking about! i envy you haha. even after reading it all i didnt understand where all the forms end up.. but that explains it better.

i hope they do what you are saying and ignore the I-129f or somehow approve both or whatever.. as long as it doesnt delay things!

[faryan 4]

Exactly! hehehe... after this long process, it really feels like you can deal with anything else... just to be with our beloved until then, make sure you also appreciate the family and friends back home, meet up and hang out, think about the things u want to bring to the US (and pack and send some stuff too). No matter how independent and adventurous you think/know you are, you will miss home and will feel quite lost every now and again. Finding your footing in a new country, its another ballgame, for another thread LOL. But hey, u've dealt with the immigration bit, u've dealt with the long distance missing your spouse bit. You can do anything

yeh i know what thats like. and yeah it will be hard leaving all the family here in australia, but i think ill be alright! i was starting to think about packing some stuff and sending it over before i get there. i have SOOO much stuff!!

where are you guys based in the US?

We are in Iowa City, Iowa. Any chance that u might end up here?

None of my boxes arrived yet. I've packed, unpacked (when i was soooo upset by my RFE) and repacked over the 8 months of waiting, but never sending any (coz hubby was going to move from his previous condo, then was staying at the motel before and after our trip in NZ, and only found the current one after a month of moving about between motels and his dad's 2 hours away during the weekend). And I left KL a week after my interview, and by then (after interview) i didnt have any time to go to the post office at all. I have 3 younger brothers, cant depend on them to do it for me! lol. I cant remember what I got in those boxes to be honest, but im sure i spread my collection of shoes in those 5 boxes among my books and stuff. Ah well.

p/s: YuandDan always give sound opinion. You'd do well to take heed of his advice. But of course, read the instructions

Edited June 24, 2009 by faryan

[mrsemcee 1]

Exactly! hehehe... after this long process, it really feels like you can deal with anything else... just to be with our beloved until then, make sure you also appreciate the family and friends back home, meet up and hang out, think about the things u want to bring to the US (and pack and send some stuff too). No matter how independent and adventurous you think/know you are, you will miss home and will feel quite lost every now and again. Finding your footing in a new country, its another ballgame, for another thread LOL. But hey, u've dealt with the immigration bit, u've dealt with the long distance missing your spouse bit. You can do anything

yeh i know what thats like. and yeah it will be hard leaving all the family here in australia, but i think ill be alright! i was starting to think about packing some stuff and sending it over before i get there. i have SOOO much stuff!!

where are you guys based in the US?

We are in Iowa City, Iowa. Any chance that u might end up here?

None of my boxes arrived yet. I've packed, unpacked (when i was soooo upset by my RFE) and repacked over the 8 months of waiting, but never sending any (coz hubby was going to move from his previous condo, then was staying at the motel before and after our trip in NZ, and only found the current one after a month of moving about between motels and his dad's 2 hours away during the weekend). And I left KL a week after my interview, and by then (after interview) i didnt have any time to go to the post office at all. I have 3 younger brothers, cant depend on them to do it for me! lol. I cant remember what I got in those boxes to be honest, but im sure i spread my collection of shoes in those 5 boxes among my books and stuff. Ah well.

p/s: YuandDan always give sound opinion. You'd do well to take heed of his advice. But of course, read the instructions

my husband is from Kentucky so we will end up there, or Nashville TN... who knows!

you poor thing, its so stressful isnt it? i was lucky enough to spend 3 months in the US over xmas, then hubby has been here in Australia on a tourist visa for 5 months, and is going back to the US in a couple of wks, so we will be apart again... and that will be the hardest part.

the embassy said we could do the initial I-130 from Australia but they will reply to his residential address in the US, and luckily his parents are scanning the mail there so when our reply comes, if it is before he gets back to the US in July.. we will know.

im scared about the being apart thing, but we were apart a year before we married last November in the US.

we can do it!

you sound like you will be ok too... i wish you so much luck!

[faryan 4]

my husband is from Kentucky so we will end up there, or Nashville TN... who knows!

you poor thing, its so stressful isnt it? i was lucky enough to spend 3 months in the US over xmas, then hubby has been here in Australia on a tourist visa for 5 months, and is going back to the US in a couple of wks, so we will be apart again... and that will be the hardest part.

the embassy said we could do the initial I-130 from Australia but they will reply to his residential address in the US, and luckily his parents are scanning the mail there so when our reply comes, if it is before he gets back to the US in July.. we will know.

im scared about the being apart thing, but we were apart a year before we married last November in the US.

we can do it!

you sound like you will be ok too... i wish you so much luck!

All the best of luck for you too! And I'm glad that you guys get to spend a lot of time together already... The visa journey is indeed a long and emotionally tiring one, but there's light at the end of the tunnel

I'll be okay... I am starting my first job in the US next Wednesday, and I'm both scared and excited at the challenge. Much as I am enjoying being a housewife, I feel that I needed to find a job so that I will feel more involved with the community here. And thankfully it's working out for me. That's why CR1 is awesome

Keep in touch!

[mrsemcee 1]

All the best of luck for you too! And I'm glad that you guys get to spend a lot of time together already... The visa journey is indeed a long and emotionally tiring one, but there's light at the end of the tunnel

I'll be okay... I am starting my first job in the US next Wednesday, and I'm both scared and excited at the challenge. Much as I am enjoying being a housewife, I feel that I needed to find a job so that I will feel more involved with the community here. And thankfully it's working out for me. That's why CR1 is awesome

Keep in touch!

wow thats great.... good luck on starting your first job in the US. did you find it hard to find work with the economy like it is at the moment?

i am hoping i can slip into work pretty well once i arrive.

i will keep in touch. once i hear back from my I-130 ill let you know!