hello from Kentucky/ I-129 vs I-130 question

[vincatimatt 0]

Greetings from the middle of middle of America (Kentucky),

I just registered on this site because my fiancee and I are deciding how to go forward in life. The first big question from the stand point of legal reality appears to be do we get married in her home country of Slovakia or does she fly here and we get married here. Although we dream of returning to Europe later in life our immediate plan is to start our family here in the United States so the marriage would be followed by her immigration to the United States.

So my first question is (and I am sorry if it is an obvious one): which makes more sense in terms of speed, red tape and money: marriage here (the I-129 route) or marriage there (the I-130 route). I have asked several lawyers and several friends with relevant experience and so far what I have heard is either A) marry in the USA!!! or B) it does not matter in the case of Slovakia; if you do all the paperwork right and are telling the truth you are looking at 3-6 months either way if all goes as it should.

Please, I would be very appreciative for any responses and shared experiences.

thanks!!

[sheeshkabelle 153]

Fiance Visa is slightly faster if everything goes right, but more expensive in the end. Ours didn't go right; because we had an idiot of an attorney, when our K-1 was denied because I made below poverty level for a family of 6, he never told us we could get a joint-sponsor. We paid him almost 2 grand for nothing. The only advice he gave after the denial was 'get married and combine assets'. Total idiot. I then found this site and we are in the middle of our CR-1 visa, and have done it on our own with help from all the wonderful people here!

CR-1 spousal visa takes longer, but less expensive because she will have a Green Card as soon as she arrives.

It varies from country to country but for CR-1 you're looking at an average of about 9 months.

Greetings from your southern border! (Tennessee)

[hikergirl 277]

If you look at the guides at the top of the page, you will find a comparison chart. When you are looking you will see that The CR-1 Visa (married) is significantly cheaper and gives her a green card right away and the ability to travel out of the US. The K-1 Visa (fiancé) costs a lot more and she won't be able to travel or work until she receives an EAD/AP card.

Welcome to VJ!

[Zen Den 18]

Greetings from the middle of middle of America (Kentucky),

I just registered on this site because my fiancee and I are deciding how to go forward in life. The first big question from the stand point of legal reality appears to be do we get married in her home country of Slovakia or does she fly here and we get married here. Although we dream of returning to Europe later in life our immediate plan is to start our family here in the United States so the marriage would be followed by her immigration to the United States.

So my first question is (and I am sorry if it is an obvious one): which makes more sense in terms of speed, red tape and money: marriage here (the I-129 route) or marriage there (the I-130 route). I have asked several lawyers and several friends with relevant experience and so far what I have heard is either A) marry in the USA!!! or B) it does not matter in the case of Slovakia; if you do all the paperwork right and are telling the truth you are looking at 3-6 months either way if all goes as it should.

Please, I would be very appreciative for any responses and shared experiences.

thanks!!

you ash yourself first if you're priority is to save money or to have her over as soon as possible.

if you don't want to wait too long (and assuming there are no problems w/your application) then K1 is no doubt faster (w/lesser requirements).

if you want to save a little bit, then CR1 is for you =)

[vincatimatt 0]

Thanks for the response! I am in Louisville so not too distant. I have a follow up question: is there any way to get a sense of wait times out of Slovakia? Good luck with your CR-1

Fiance Visa is slightly faster if everything goes right, but more expensive in the end. Ours didn't go right; because we had an idiot of an attorney, when our K-1 was denied because I made below poverty level for a family of 6, he never told us we could get a joint-sponsor. We paid him almost 2 grand for nothing. The only advice he gave after the denial was 'get married and combine assets'. Total idiot. I then found this site and we are in the middle of our CR-1 visa, and have done it on our own with help from all the wonderful people here!

CR-1 spousal visa takes longer, but less expensive because she will have a Green Card as soon as she arrives.

It varies from country to country but for CR-1 you're looking at an average of about 9 months.

Greetings from your southern border! (Tennessee)

[vincatimatt 0]

Thanks for your reply! What a cute little one!! I will share this information with my fiancee and see what she wants to do. It looks like you got your visa rapidly, nice to see.

[vincatimatt 0]

Thanks so much for pointing that guide out! Lots of information there.

[sheeshkabelle 153]

Thanks for the response! I am in Louisville so not too distant. I have a follow up question: is there any way to get a sense of wait times out of Slovakia? Good luck with your CR-1

Look in regional forums for Slovakia, you can get an idea from other members time lines on how long each visa will take.http://www.visajourney.com/forums/forum/95-europe-eurasia-except-the-uk-and-russia/

Edited November 12, 2011 by sheeshkabelle