Any alternative to K1?

[mishab 1]

I spent most of the evening last night looking at the time tables and got really depressed. We were hoping to be together this summer, but now I am not sure we would be able to be together before 2012. Why I-129F this takes so long to process? Its been a month since we mailed the forms, so started looking for alternatives.

I begin to consider moving to Russia and getting married there. Sadly I learned that there is no alternative to i-129F/i-130. Both take months to process, yet I feel more comfortable that i-130 will be a bit faster. not to mention we will be together. Talking to few of my friends I was told that having dual citizenship ( i hold russian and us passports) might complicate things a bit. I was told that I wont be able to get married as foreigner to a russian citizen, and therefore wont be able to apply for i-130 from Moscow. Can anyone confirm this is true?

However waiting for i-130 together makes me feel better, especially due to the fact we are not placing our lives on hold. Assuming we get married, can both of us come to the USA and apply for i-130 here? Are there any alternatives?

[YuAndDan 153]

Moving to regional,

I have seen many posts of CR-1 and CR-1 DCF out of Russia, nothing stopping you from getting married overseas, however you will need to withdraw the pending K-1 petition.

You will still be dealing with processing time.

[pushbrk 12,906]

I spent most of the evening last night looking at the time tables and got really depressed. We were hoping to be together this summer, but now I am not sure we would be able to be together before 2012. Why I-129F this takes so long to process? Its been a month since we mailed the forms, so started looking for alternatives.

I begin to consider moving to Russia and getting married there. Sadly I learned that there is no alternative to i-129F/i-130. Both take months to process, yet I feel more comfortable that i-130 will be a bit faster. not to mention we will be together. Talking to few of my friends I was told that having dual citizenship ( i hold russian and us passports) might complicate things a bit. I was told that I wont be able to get married as foreigner to a russian citizen, and therefore wont be able to apply for i-130 from Moscow. Can anyone confirm this is true?

However waiting for i-130 together makes me feel better, especially due to the fact we are not placing our lives on hold. Assuming we get married, can both of us come to the USA and apply for i-130 here? Are there any alternatives?

You can marry and withdraw the I-129F and then file the I-130. Either way, the foreigner wait out the process until they have the visa. As a foreigner marrying in Russia, you'll face some complications but it's possible.

Get your head around the fact that whichever way you go, you'll be apart for 8 to 12 months unless you wait in Russia together.

[1HappyGuy 45]

Stick with the K-1. It is still the fastest method.

Learn patience.

[baron555 934]

Stick with the K-1. It is still the fastest method.

Learn patience.

Yeppers .... Learn patience and use Skype.

Since you are one month in, unless you've mucked up the documents or have something amiss in your relationship , no reason not to assume you'll be together in 2011. Look at our timing which includes rescheduling the interview.

[SMR 368]

I spent most of the evening last night looking at the time tables and got really depressed. We were hoping to be together this summer, but now I am not sure we would be able to be together before 2012. Why I-129F this takes so long to process? Its been a month since we mailed the forms, so started looking for alternatives.

I begin to consider moving to Russia and getting married there. Sadly I learned that there is no alternative to i-129F/i-130. Both take months to process, yet I feel more comfortable that i-130 will be a bit faster. not to mention we will be together. Talking to few of my friends I was told that having dual citizenship ( i hold russian and us passports) might complicate things a bit. I was told that I wont be able to get married as foreigner to a russian citizen, and therefore wont be able to apply for i-130 from Moscow. Can anyone confirm this is true?

However waiting for i-130 together makes me feel better, especially due to the fact we are not placing our lives on hold. Assuming we get married, can both of us come to the USA and apply for i-130 here? Are there any alternatives?

If you are already a month into the K-1 and your ducks are all in a row, I would be surprised if you aren't together this summer or at least in the fall. It is a wait but I doubt things will extend into 2012.

As far as a foreigner marrying in Moscow, it has certainly been done. But you aren't a foreigner. If you have a Russian passport, while in Russia, you are a Russian. It doesn't really matter what other passports you have. If your situation is such that going to Russia, getting married, applying for CR-1, and waiting for the visa together in Russia is feasible, then it certainly has the advantage of you being together sooner.

On the other hand, considering you are already a month into the K-1, if you start over and apply for the CR-1, the time until you are in the US together will increase accordingly. Not only is the CR-1 a little longer from application to POE on average, but you also lose the month you have waited as well as any time before you can get married and actually file CR-1. But you'll be together as soon as you can get on a plane and get to Russia. And if you won't have to come back for work, etc. then I can certainly see the attractiveness of that option.

[Valentine5 0]

I spent most of the evening last night looking at the time tables and got really depressed. We were hoping to be together this summer, but now I am not sure we would be able to be together before 2012. Why I-129F this takes so long to process? Its been a month since we mailed the forms, so started looking for alternatives.

I begin to consider moving to Russia and getting married there. Sadly I learned that there is no alternative to i-129F/i-130. Both take months to process, yet I feel more comfortable that i-130 will be a bit faster. not to mention we will be together. Talking to few of my friends I was told that having dual citizenship ( i hold russian and us passports) might complicate things a bit. I was told that I wont be able to get married as foreigner to a russian citizen, and therefore wont be able to apply for i-130 from Moscow. Can anyone confirm this is true?

However waiting for i-130 together makes me feel better, especially due to the fact we are not placing our lives on hold. Assuming we get married, can both of us come to the USA and apply for i-130 here? Are there any alternatives?

An alternative: the B2 Visa

I was with my fiance in the US all along through the K1 process, thanks to the B2 visa - I could not stand to be separated from him.

For this, I had applied for a B2 tourist visa, which allowed me to stay one year in the US (6 months at a time). I was straightforward about the reason, both at the US embassy as well as at the US borders on my way in: I wanted to visit my fiance during the K1 process; I was not going to marry him because we didn't want to risk a fraud when applying for a green card.

It worked perfectly fine, we are now married and I am just about to send the papers for the adjustment of status.

You should look into this B2 Visa; hopefully your fiancée could apply for it too. Good Luck and all the best!

[Valentine5 0]

I spent most of the evening last night looking at the time tables and got really depressed. We were hoping to be together this summer, but now I am not sure we would be able to be together before 2012. Why I-129F this takes so long to process? Its been a month since we mailed the forms, so started looking for alternatives.

I begin to consider moving to Russia and getting married there. Sadly I learned that there is no alternative to i-129F/i-130. Both take months to process, yet I feel more comfortable that i-130 will be a bit faster. not to mention we will be together. Talking to few of my friends I was told that having dual citizenship ( i hold russian and us passports) might complicate things a bit. I was told that I wont be able to get married as foreigner to a russian citizen, and therefore wont be able to apply for i-130 from Moscow. Can anyone confirm this is true?

However waiting for i-130 together makes me feel better, especially due to the fact we are not placing our lives on hold. Assuming we get married, can both of us come to the USA and apply for i-130 here? Are there any alternatives?

P.S.: I have come to realise that the process doesn't take that long, in fact, you may well be together this summer - if not before