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[jpetrocxme 0]

Hi All,

Thanks in advance for replies, information and suggestions. All are welcome and appreciated.

We have recently had our first person-to-person after nearly 6 months of emails (1 or more daily) phone calls (1 or more daily), and so forth. I have a call log of all of my calls to her BTW. I use Union Telecard. In the time the call total is over 40 hours and about $600.00. I have already organized this information in Excel.

Also have photos of each of us in her city. Have all airline flight info from my flight.

I am 59 years and in 3 years will be able to receive my social security but also am receiving my modest pension from the job I had for 21 years and was laid off from about 15 years ago. BTW, this pension is a much if not slightly more then the average monthly income in her country.

She wants to come to the US but in reality for both of us is more important than where we are together.

The process is long and she wants to be able to work as soon as possible after arriving in the US. She has strongly but gently stated that she wants to contribute to our future together including the financial. On this note I am wondering if the K-3 or CR-1 would be a better choice to expedite this oportunity for her to be able to work.

I am not a wealthy man and would be hard-pressed to afford an expenive attorney I am highly detail-oriented and have no problem with paperwork. On a side note, I booked my flights in such a way as to save about 45% after much research for about 2 months. Yes, booking as a single booking would have been about $1800 but by juggling myself it was only about $1000 R/T.

I confes however that I'm a bit intimidated by the ream of paperwork.

Any input is welcome.

Thanks

[YuAndDan 153]

CR-1 is an IMMIGRANT visa and gets green-card upon entry to the USA, this allows the ability to take a job soon after arrival.

K-3 is a NON-immigrant visa which is not work authorized, getting work authorization requires filing for EAD and/or adjustment of status, EAD and/or green-card can take months to get.

K-3 is an OPTIONAL visa type developed when USCIS was taking a very long time to approve I-130 for spousal visas, the K-3 allowed the foreign spouse to enter the USA and WAIT for I-130 approval. Since USCIS has been approving both I-129F for K-Visa and I-130 for CR-1 visa on the same date lately, this has defeated the reason the K-3 exists, (WAITING for I-130 approval).

You can get a CR-1 in just about the same time it takes to get K-3, CR-1 is also $800 less expensive than K-3.

[Old Dominion 26]

The CR1 seems to be the best avenue and you can do it all without an attorney, if you follow the instructions exactly. The question to be dealt with is your financial ability to sustain a two-person household above the poverty level, i.e., income higher than $18,500 not including any estimate of her earning potential. Good luck!