k3 visa process

[loki 0]

Hello, I am a uk citizen but recently married a US citizen, My wife has to move back to the states because of her work. We are looking getting my k3 visa so I can reside in the US with her, We have seen that the processing time for the k3 can take along time. So i would like to know if I can enter the US on tourist visa for short visits and return to the uk while my k3 visa is being processed? And what are the current processing time people have been experiencing with the k3 visa? And does anybody have any suggestions of other ways for us to be together in the US rather than using the K3?

[Boiler 46,260]

K3 is no more, CR1/IR1.

DCF would be the quicker route, but your wife would need to have been resident in the UK.

[Darnell 8,479]

Oh - the K-3 is effectively dead, since 1 FEB 2010, as any approved I-129F that travels together with an approved I-130 (and they do travel together, btw) FROM USCIS to NVC, will be administratively closed by NVC. Sure - an I-129F will get approved by USCIS, but it's effectively tossed at NVC, into the bin, as it's administratively closed.

The K-3 visa type, created by the Life Act, was 'formed' when NVC processing for any CR-1/IR-1 was taking YEARS, as was massive technology leak to get the namechecks done. In the past 4 years, automation increased greatly, and decreased the wait time on namechecks considerably.

So, these days, with the onus at NVC to administratively close the I-129F, it makes no sense to follow up with any K-3 visa - and instead - to follow the route for a CR-1/IR-1 visa.

see (yes, click the links, read - trust me, are safe to click, not install any malware on yer computer) ::

Comparison on K-3 vs CR-1 - http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/204324-wondering-if-i-made-a-mistake-marrying-in-us/page__view__findpost__p__3060767

K-3 administratively closed - http://www.visajourney.com/news/2010/02/07/department-of-state-to-close-k-3-visas-if-i-129f-and-i-130-petitions-approved-and-received-together/

Now, yer wife hasn't left YET, so you might have a better 'life' of immigrating if she, instead, files an I-130 petition at the US Embassy, London - see http://www.visajourney.com/content/dcf - she can get all together today and tomorrow, plan to file (via post) on Saturday. She'll have to meet the residency requirements in UK to be able to file direct with US Embassy/London, though - so be certain of her residency status - a tourist visa usually isn't enough to prove up UK residency.

If, instead, you two miss out on filing at London, then she can file the I-130 petition to the lockbox in Chicago - see http://www.visajourney.com/content/i130guide1

Usually, a DCF'd I-130 takes 2 to 3 months, via London filing, and a 'Chicago-lockbox-filed' I-130 takes about 9 to 11 months from start to 'interview day'.

She CAN LEAVE UK once the I-130 is filed, though - so read up a bit, decide which method of filing you two want to do, and then download all the forms, start filling them out.... IMO, a DCF'd I-130 filed to London is 'easier' on yer life apart, then filing to the lockbox in Chicago.

Good Luck ! Let us know what you decide to do, soonish?

[loki 0]

While I am waiting for my cr-1 visa is being processed can I enter the US on a tourist visa?

[Boiler 46,260]

VWP?

You can visit.

[Mononoke28 135]

While I am waiting for my cr-1 visa is being processed can I enter the US on a tourist visa?

Yes you can, you may be grilled at POE by an Immigration officer thinking you'd want to stay but you can still visit.

And yes, the K3 is pretty much not an option anymore.

Diana