Query on K3 vs IR1 and timelines

[John1976 0]

Hi everyone,

I've been doing some reading up on this forum and been interested to read about the K3 effectively being a 'dead' visa and actually delaying you from getting a real CR1/IR1 visa, so I just wanted to check up on this and how it applies to my circumstances.

I am a US citizen living in Australia, and I have been married to my wife here for two years now. I have just been offered a job in the US and am keen to take it as soon as possible. However I did not realise how difficult it would be to get my wife over. Adding to this complication is that she is pregnant, and would not be able to fly anytime after 4.5 months from now.

My original thought was to apply for the K3 visa, because it was marketed as a 'faster' visa and I seemed to find some people completing it in 2-3 months, although now that doesn't seem to be the case? So if I do file an I-129F, will that slow down my IR1 if the K3 is closed?

Also reading up on here it looks like most timelines are in the order of 9 months, although I know people locally who filed for CR1 and K1 visas who got theirs in 2 months and 4 months respectively. Are we completely out of time on this?

If we're not out of time - is it worth hiring an immigration lawyer or anything to help or is it fine to just apply for everything ourselves?

Finally does anyone know how we're meant to pay for this in Australia? The Melbourne US Consulate lists AUD payment information, but it seems that was for when you could file locally and it is now out of date (many of the phone numbers on their website seem to be out of date now too). Is it possible to get a money order or something from Western Union or some other mechanism?

Thanks very much for any help.

John.

[Darnell 8,478]

1. no more dcf for OZ, sorry, but

1.a. Petitioners who file from overseas, from those places that used to have DCF available, get into a special queue at USCIS, where the I-130 petition is approved within 30 days or less - when it's clear that the Petitioner is living overseas by the way the paperwork is filled in. Keep this is mind when yer prepping yer I-130 to send off to the lockbox address in Chicago. There's further action to do at NVC after, but I think you can go fast at NVC, if'n you study LingChe in the wiki space here.

2. Although you claim to have read and done research about the K-3 - you are still asking the basic questions that everyone has had about it; can you read through about 90 topics in the K-3 forum, for a bit? The answer for you, today, is the same answer for the other fellas within the last 2 years.

Good Luck !

[John1976 0]

1. no more dcf for OZ, sorry, but

1.a. Petitioners who file from overseas, from those places that used to have DCF available, get into a special queue at USCIS, where the I-130 petition is approved within 30 days or less - when it's clear that the Petitioner is living overseas by the way the paperwork is filled in. Keep this is mind when yer prepping yer I-130 to send off to the lockbox address in Chicago. There's further action to do at NVC after, but I think you can go fast at NVC, if'n you study LingChe in the wiki space here.

2. Although you claim to have read and done research about the K-3 - you are still asking the basic questions that everyone has had about it; can you read through about 90 topics in the K-3 forum, for a bit? The answer for you, today, is the same answer for the other fellas within the last 2 years.

Good Luck !

Thanks Darnell. Looking at the LingChe wiki it looks like it might be doable if we do everything just right. We are going to apply for special permission to file locally with our consulate and see how that goes.

Everyone here seems to recommend avoiding trying to get the K3 at all. Sorry for the newbie questions - we are just learning and it's information overload, we only found out this was in the pipeline a few days ago! So we should definitely just skip the K3 then?

Thanks for all your help, the LingChe link was very helpful. Will keep reading through the forum!

Cheers,

John

[canadian_wife 1,822]

Since the I129F will not result in any sort of visa, but will certainly delay your petition at USCIS why are you even considering it?

Good luck

[John1976 0]

I thought it would be faster - if not will definitely give it a miss. Thanks for the help!

[canadian_wife 1,822]

Not only is it NOT faster, but it can significantly slow down your petition. Stop thinking about it

Good luck

[sjmg 0]

1. no more dcf for OZ, sorry, but

1.a. Petitioners who file from overseas, from those places that used to have DCF available, get into a special queue at USCIS, where the I-130 petition is approved within 30 days or less - when it's clear that the Petitioner is living overseas by the way the paperwork is filled in. Keep this is mind when yer prepping yer I-130 to send off to the lockbox address in Chicago. There's further action to do at NVC after, but I think you can go fast at NVC, if'n you study LingChe in the wiki space here.

2. Although you claim to have read and done research about the K-3 - you are still asking the basic questions that everyone has had about it; can you read through about 90 topics in the K-3 forum, for a bit? The answer for you, today, is the same answer for the other fellas within the last 2 years.

Good Luck !

I don't know about this, I am in the exact same position, except I am not pregnant. We filed the I-130 for my husband and we sent proof of a rent agreement overseas, my work contract here, and joint bank account info, and marriage certificate from here, and still we've been waiting over 4 months, no special queue for us.... Do you know anything else about this "special queue" that maybe I could ask about? Thanks

[Darnell 8,478]

The 'turn off date' was in August, I believe, for DCF ...

Sorry..