K3 (spouse) and I-130 petitions approved

[london-schone 0]

Our K3 Visa petition and our I-130 petition were both approved at the same time and sent to NVC. I have heard everywhere that when NVC receives both at the same time that they will close the K3, BUT NVC emailed me on both petitions and told me what to do for the K3 and told me what to do for the I-130. Why wouldnt they just send info for the I-130 if they closed the K3? Im confused. And I do have a question if they didnt close the K3 and we went that way (money reasons)... Im curious if we went ahead with K3 then would my husband still have to get medical and AOS before coming here? *thats the money part). If he has to get both done then we would of course go with the I-130.

[marriedtomrg 141]

You may want to take the CR1/IR1 route.

Both CR1/IR1 and K3 visa applications start with an I-130 petition...they just lead to two different types of visas.

CR1/IR1 leads to a green card for your husband, while K3 leads to a temporary resident visa.

If you take the CR1/IR1, your case gets reviewed at the National Visa Center, before it is sent to the US Embassy in London for visa processing and issuance. Your cost there is the medical + $404 (which is the cost of the Immigrant Visa fee + the cost of reviewing your I-864 affidavit of support). When your husband arrives in the U.S., he's a green card holder, and he would not need to undergo medical nor apply for adjustment of status.

CR1 leads to a 2 year conditional green card, so his one extra step is to file for lifting/removal of conditions to get a 10 year green card; currently the cost of lifting of conditions is $545. (2 year GCs are issued if you are married less than 2 years).

IR1 leads to a 10 year green card; no lifting/removal of conditions. (10 year GCs are issued if you are married 2 years or longer)

If you take the K3 route, your case will go through NVC just to be assigned a case number, then it will be forwarded to the US Embassy in London for review and visa processing and issuance. Your cost there is the medical + $140 for the temporary resident visa, which is good for 2 years.

However, when he lands, he is not eligible to work unless he applies for an Employment Authorization Document (EAD), which you should ideally apply for at the same time as Adjustment of Status (AOS) so that you do not incur any additional costs. Adjustment of Status itself already costs $1,010 ($930 for the application + $80 for the biometrics fee). If you apply for the EAD first, it's $340; but if you apply for it at the same time as AOS, the fee is waived. The other cost is getting the medical transcribed by a Civil Surgeon (which can be anywhere between $20 to $300, depending on where you live...unfortunately USCIS has no control over how Civil Surgeons charge for their services).

In the end it depends on you...the difference in processing times between CR1/IR1 and K3 is like 2 to 3 months (CR1/IR1 usually takes a little longer)...but what you lose in time apart, you save quite a bit of money in costs down the road.

Hope that helps.

Our K3 Visa petition and our I-130 petition were both approved at the same time and sent to NVC. I have heard everywhere that when NVC receives both at the same time that they will close the K3, BUT NVC emailed me on both petitions and told me what to do for the K3 and told me what to do for the I-130. Why wouldnt they just send info for the I-130 if they closed the K3? Im confused. And I do have a question if they didnt close the K3 and we went that way (money reasons)... Im curious if we went ahead with K3 then would my husband still have to get medical and AOS before coming here? *thats the money part). If he has to get both done then we would of course go with the I-130.

[Darnell 8,478]

Im curious if we went ahead with K3 then would my husband still have to get medical and AOS before coming here? *thats the money part). If he has to get both done then we would of course go with the I-130.

--must get medical exam, regardless - is prerequisite for K-3 or CR-1, prior to interview day at Embassy

--impossible to do AOS(Adjustment of status) prior to arriving in USA - if you meant AOS as 'Affadavit of Support' - then either casetype requires this, must have in his hand , or in NVC, prior to interview day.

[Ready2Kl 1]

Our K3 Visa petition and our I-130 petition were both approved at the same time and sent to NVC. I have heard everywhere that when NVC receives both at the same time that they will close the K3, BUT NVC emailed me on both petitions and told me what to do for the K3 and told me what to do for the I-130. Why wouldnt they just send info for the I-130 if they closed the K3? Im confused. And I do have a question if they didnt close the K3 and we went that way (money reasons)... Im curious if we went ahead with K3 then would my husband still have to get medical and AOS before coming here? *thats the money part). If he has to get both done then we would of course go with the I-130.

The medical you do for K3 is valid for doing Adjustment of status after his arrival in USA. Either you go K3 or I-130/CR1 route your spouse will have to undergo the medical exam in his home country.

Edited September 24, 2010 by Ready2Kl

[daboyz 36]

If you take the CR1/IR1, your case gets reviewed at the National Visa Center, before it is sent to the US Embassy in London for visa processing and issuance. Your cost there is the medical + $404 (which is the cost of the Immigrant Visa fee + the cost of reviewing your I-864 affidavit of support)

It's actually $470.

[Darnell 8,478]

If you take the CR1/IR1, your case gets reviewed at the National Visa Center, before it is sent to the US Embassy in London for visa processing and issuance. Your cost there is the medical + $404 (which is the cost of the Immigrant Visa fee + the cost of reviewing your I-864 affidavit of support)

It's actually $470.

It's even more, now, fees went up -

88 for AOS

404 for IV

or

492 smackerolions

But hey - lets see what they decide to do, in a few weeks, ah ?

[daboyz 36]

It's even more, now, fees went up -

88 for AOS

404 for IV

or

492 smackerolions

But hey - lets see what they decide to do, in a few weeks, ah ?

Laugh. Really? They raised the IV fee $4? It probably cost at least twice that much to update all the forms, websites etc.

[Darnell 8,478]

Laugh. Really? They raised the IV fee $4? It probably cost at least twice that much to update all the forms, websites etc.

Ya, well, sure -

but

the ONE place they DID change it, thankfully, is IN the online payment portal - it shows up correctly on each fee bill. That's a plus, always.

[daboyz 36]

Ya, well, sure -

but

the ONE place they DID change it, thankfully, is IN the online payment portal - it shows up correctly on each fee bill. That's a plus, always.

They really need to update the guides on VJ. They still talk about OF-169 and OF-230.

http://www.visajourney.com/content/i130guide1

[Darnell 8,478]

aiyo - what are we doing? eeek - sorry, not posting anymore on this anomoly in the K-3 forum...or this thread... that Guide is mondo outdated, and I feel like bashing my skull into a nail-studded board to relieve the pain, after reading it.

[PGD 0]

404 fee for IV bill and 88 for aos, . Our experience had been approved both petitioned last month for K3 with I-129F and I-130, and gets to nvc , when my hubby tried to call to the nvc our I-129F is already closed and continue process the I-130. K3 is ok if you have I-129f and I-130 to file. When I-129f approved which is for the fiance and while the I-130 is pending you can travel to US by using I-129F and join your spouse if the I-129F is completed while the I-130 is continue to process. When booth petitioned of K3 which are I-129F for fiance and I-130 for spouse are approved and gets to nvc together, NVC closed the I-129F which is for fiance supposedly and continue the I-130 for the spouse (couple married). The good in K3 is when one of the petitioned still pending and the I-129F is completed you can travel and join to your spouse in the US and when you get there you are waiting the I-130 approval, when it would approved when you are there months or so then you will get your GC .

Edited September 24, 2010 by PGD

[carol anwar22 0]

pls i also got something like that on USCIS....am suppose to get my NOA2 but it went up and said CARD DOCUMENTATION..when i called they said it sent to the NVC is that right?