Why can't the family attend a wedding on the K1 visa?

[Boiler 45,519]

Just make sure you and your fiance have met in the period of 2 years.

When collecting information that "documents proof of having met your fiance(e) within two years" consider information that "factually" places the two of you together first. This means items such as dated photographs, airlines tickets/stubs (proving you boarded) to their country (or for them to the US and your home city), etc.. You should also consider submitting information that validates your relationship which will help the adjudcator understand the scope of your relationship and acts as secondary evidence (photos together, dated emails -edit out personal items first-, etc..).

1. Copies of all airline boarding passes, train passes, itineraries, hotel receipts, passport stamps (make sure you can read the dates on the stamps), and other documentary evidence that you have met within the last two years. You may want to highlight or place post-it notes indicating the dates and locations on the copies (to make the adjudication easier) for the person reviewing your file.

2. Color Photo's of you and your fiance(e) together. Make sure you write your names, date, and location on the back of every photo. Provide two to five photo's. If you only have a single copy of the photo, then make a color copy and send that. If it is a digital photo, have it printed at a company such as kodakgallery.com. You can also make duplicates of photo's at your local photo store (Walgreeens, CVS, etc). Place photo's in a plastic bag or photo sheet and label the sheet. Note that you may not receive originals of photo's back.

3. The following items will not typically show proof of having met in the last two years however will show proof of an ongoing relationship: Copies of phone bills, cell phone bills, emails (you can edit personal info with a marker), letters (edit personal info also), stamps on the letters (to document the date they were sent), and other written documentary proof. Provide a reasonable amount; two to four of each type. Pick a range of dates up to and including the present. You can also include a copy of engagement ring receipt (this is something that is a big optional - do not worry if you do not have a ring yet!)

Way overkill.

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

You are apart after marriage because the process of obtaining the visa takes several months. Again, forget the K3. If you marry first, take the CR1 route.

A key consideration in the whole picture is how you value the need for work authorization. The K1 route results in several months in the USA without work authorization. Marriage abroad and the CR1 visa results in immidiate work authorization upon US entry.

By far the best post on this thread. Forget the K visa's unless you and your spouse plan on living abroad, or want to jump through hoops in order for him to gain any kind of normality in the US. CR1 visa has the K visa's beat hands down and is pretty much a no brainer. The K1 IMO is for USC who can only afford one trip abroad to actually meet their future spouse in person. Also CR1 interviews are usually pretty straight forward, unlike the K1 interviews who get the 5th degree when they go in for an interview.

[Moonandstar 6]

The K1 IMO is for USC who can only afford one trip abroad to actually meet their future spouse in person.

Also for those of us who can not marry in our SO's country! Don't forget us!

[Justine+David 218]

By far the best post on this thread. Forget the K visa's unless you and your spouse plan on living abroad, or want to jump through hoops in order for him to gain any kind of normality in the US. CR1 visa has the K visa's beat hands down and is pretty much a no brainer. The K1 IMO is for USC who can only afford one trip abroad to actually meet their future spouse in person. Also CR1 interviews are usually pretty straight forward, unlike the K1 interviews who get the 5th degree when they go in for an interview.

I wouldn't necessarily agree with that...since we started dating, my fiance has been to the U.S. 4 times to visit me and I've been to see him 5 times in the last 12 months. We are planning the K1 because I have a much larger family than he does and it makes more sense to have it here in the states and it's not important to us to be able to work right away as he would like to write a novel and I make more than enough money to support us for the time being.

[TBoneTX 45,299]

Way overkill.

Technically, yes, for USCIS alone. At the consular stage later, the petitioner's having included extra evidence of relationship could mean the difference between adequate proof or a 221(g) for "insufficient evidence" if the consulate refuses what the visa applicant brings to the interview. Keep the big picture in mind.

[JimVaPhuong 4,863]

By far the best post on this thread. Forget the K visa's unless you and your spouse plan on living abroad, or want to jump through hoops in order for him to gain any kind of normality in the US. CR1 visa has the K visa's beat hands down and is pretty much a no brainer. The K1 IMO is for USC who can only afford one trip abroad to actually meet their future spouse in person. Also CR1 interviews are usually pretty straight forward, unlike the K1 interviews who get the 5th degree when they go in for an interview.

You're seeing this from a very very narrow perspective. Your statement may be true, to some degree, at the consulate in Belarus, but it's certainly not true at most consulates in East and Southeast Asia. I had a LOT of reasons for choosing the K1 over the CR1.

• Getting a license for a foreigner to marry a Vietnamese citizen in Vietnam is extraordinarily difficult and time consuming. It can take weeks, and involve an intensive interview with Vietnamese government officials. Getting married in California required no advance appointments, and took a total of 20 minutes at the county clerk's office. Nothing was required other than identification.
  
• My wife (then fiancee) wanted to bring two of her three children with her. One was already over 18, and the other had a strong likelihood of turning 18 before the interview. They would not have been eligible as derivatives under a CR1 because we could not have been married before they turned 18. With a K1, they can be over 18 as long as they adjust status before they're 21.
  
• Passing the interview in HCM is no easier for a CR1 beneficiary than it is for a K1. In some cases, it can be more difficult. CR1's have occasionally even required a Stokes interview, which is almost unheard of in K1 cases.
  
• A CR1 would have meant even more time apart because the consulate expects a reasonable amount of time between the first meeting, the formal engagement ceremony, and the wedding (as is customary in traditional Vietnamese culture), and we wouldn't have been able to file until after the wedding. With the K1, we could file right after the engagement ceremony.
  

An additional note, someone who can "only afford one trip abroad to actually meet their future spouse in person" would almost certainly be denied a visa at the consulate in HCM, whether it's K1 or CR1. Only making one trip has been cited countless times by CO's in HCM for denying visas because it's contrary to traditional Vietnamese culture for a relationship to develop that quickly. It doesn't even give the family of the Vietnamese fiance/e time to know the foreigner, and approve of the marriage.

Vietnam is unique, in some respects, but many of these factors would also apply in just about any East Asian or Middle Eastern country. The derivative visa requirements would apply worldwide.

[Bernie C 24]

Excellent. Yeah, my boyfriend is Irish...so it would be his family; I'm American and living in NYC. It is very important to me that they could attend.

We are struggling to figure out which visa is right for us — K1 or K3? Can anyone recommend a good thought process for this? I have done the research and it's still not clear to me which is the way to go. We are very much in love and have been dating for a couple years (he's back and forth from Ireland), so we know we want to do this. We might be facing a lot of time apart this year as a border officer gave him a hard time at the border last time — this will factor into whether we choose K1 or K3.

Any and all advice is GREATLY appreciated.

K3 you get married in the beneficiaries country, in many cases the petitioners family and friends cannot attend due to costs and schedules

K1 you get married in the US but in many cases the beneficiaries family and or friends cannot attend due to obtaining visas, costs and schedule.

It is a lot of thought and decision making to be done on the part of both of you. We did K1 but had a traditional wedding ceremony in Vietnam for her family (we did not register the marriage therefore the K1) and we will be married when she comes to the US (within 90 days). Some thought that the fact we had a ceremony in Vietnam may cause problems with our K1 (fiancee) visa but it did not. I ex[lained everything very clearly anfd the reasons in our initial I129F Petition.

It all comes down to what works best for the both of you while trying to please as much family as possible too!

I see you have already received a lot of feedback - just remember thaty each individuals case is unique to their circumstances. GOOD LUCK AND BEST WISHES

[Bernie C 24]

By far the best post on this thread. Forget the K visa's unless you and your spouse plan on living abroad, or want to jump through hoops in order for him to gain any kind of normality in the US. CR1 visa has the K visa's beat hands down and is pretty much a no brainer. The K1 IMO is for USC who can only afford one trip abroad to actually meet their future spouse in person. Also CR1 interviews are usually pretty straight forward, unlike the K1 interviews who get the 5th degree when they go in for an interview.

Thats absurd and rediculous. It is each individauls specifics that should guide them not a lame brain comment like that. As far as the number of visits go - it would be foolish for anyone to apply for any type of "relationship" visa after only one visit. That is asking for trouble. My fiancee and I did K-1 and we got no 5th degree at all (just normal questions that were expected - thanks to VJ and its members). The info you get from the USCIS is only enough to fumble into this process. You should submit your posts using an objective opinion not a biased opinion.

Now I would agree with you that the CR-1 in my opinion would be preferential over the K-3 but if your not decided wether to get married in the native country or the USA then either K1 or CR-1 would be my considerations as I evaluate things.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

I keep reading that the K1 visa means my future husband's family (they are Irish) would not be able to attend the wedding save for obtaining a tourist visa. That doesn't make sense to me — can they not simply come to the States on vacation, like any other person would, when the wedding will take place?

If they are from a visa waiver country, they czn attend of course. Wherever you are reading that is WAY wrong. stick with VJ.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

By far the best post on this thread. Forget the K visa's unless you and your spouse plan on living abroad, or want to jump through hoops in order for him to gain any kind of normality in the US. CR1 visa has the K visa's beat hands down and is pretty much a no brainer. The K1 IMO is for USC who can only afford one trip abroad to actually meet their future spouse in person. Also CR1 interviews are usually pretty straight forward, unlike the K1 interviews who get the 5th degree when they go in for an interview.

wrong.

I visited my wife every 6 weeks to 2 months during our journey, before and after sending the petition. We CHOSE the K-1 route because it was faster for us AND we had no need or desire for her to work immediately upon arrival AND she had no need or desire to return to Ukraine (or any other international travel) immediately after arriving. We had the money and the plan to file AOS immediately, we did. She had her green card in 2 months.

the CR-1 is a better visa for some people, agreed. To make a blanket statement is absurd. I could, and can, afford to viist Ukraine (or any and many other countries in Europe) anytime I darn well please and even have an apartment we own there. We still make frequent and extended trips, it is actually worhtwhile for us to continue to own the flat in Donetsk.

we had not a question asked at our K-1 interview in Kiev. Not ONE question. We were called up and told the visa was approved and given back our original documents. 4 months later we had our AOS interview. Not ONE question asked. 10 motnhs later we had a K-2 to follow interview...not ONE question asked. 2 months after that our oldest son received his green card with NO interview (I guess they got tired of scheduling us and then having no questions to ask). Your generalization is completely off base.

Each couple needs to review their own circumstances and choose the visa that is best for them.

If we must make generalizations, then I would say the CR-1 is for poor people that cannot afford the extra cost of the K-1 (about $700 more than a Cr-1) and need their spouse to work right away because they cannot afford to feed them when they arrive. I had no such problem. Does that generalization fit you?

[john_and_marlene 162]

And I take it you can file these papers anytime, yes? There is no specific period they accept them or deadline?

You can't submit the petition for a CR1 until after you are married.

[TracyTN 237]

By far the best post on this thread. Forget the K visa's unless you and your spouse plan on living abroad, or want to jump through hoops in order for him to gain any kind of normality in the US. CR1 visa has the K visa's beat hands down and is pretty much a no brainer. The K1 IMO is for USC who can only afford one trip abroad to actually meet their future spouse in person. Also CR1 interviews are usually pretty straight forward, unlike the K1 interviews who get the 5th degree when they go in for an interview.

What a load of tosh.

Since when does a K1 mean you want to live abroad? We did a K1 and I went to England 4 times to meet my (now) hubby AND he was asked maybe a grand total of 5 questions at his interview. Hard for you to believe, I know. There may be some consulates where you get the third degree at interview, but I suspect those same consulates would do an equal grilling for a K1 or a spousal visa.

Nonsensical post all the way around, I'm sorry.

[Susita 175]

By far the best post on this thread. Forget the K visa's unless you and your spouse plan on living abroad, or want to jump through hoops in order for him to gain any kind of normality in the US. CR1 visa has the K visa's beat hands down and is pretty much a no brainer. The K1 IMO is for USC who can only afford one trip abroad to actually meet their future spouse in person. Also CR1 interviews are usually pretty straight forward, unlike the K1 interviews who get the 5th degree when they go in for an interview.

I don't agree at all. The K-1 Visa was the right thing for us, our interview went great and alltogether, we were back in NY together in < 6 months from filing the petition. I went to visit Luis before we were even engaged. I was able to afford more than one trip, so I don't get what you base this opinion on.

[Boiler 45,519]

By far the best post on this thread. Forget the K visa's unless you and your spouse plan on living abroad, or want to jump through hoops in order for him to gain any kind of normality in the US. CR1 visa has the K visa's beat hands down and is pretty much a no brainer. The K1 IMO is for USC who can only afford one trip abroad to actually meet their future spouse in person. Also CR1 interviews are usually pretty straight forward, unlike the K1 interviews who get the 5th degree when they go in for an interview.

K1 was best in my particular case and the interview was extremely anti climatic. As was everybody else's I witnessed.

YMMV

[maggieNomar 0]

K1 was best in my particular case and the interview was extremely anti climatic. As was everybody else's I witnessed.

YMMV

Are they not issuing the temp EAD at JFK anymore?