fiance or wife...which will be the best for us??

[DaveJones 0]

Hi all,

My fiance and I currently live in the UK. I am a US/UK dual citizen and we have been engaged for over two years.

We are wanting to move to the US as soon as possible however, financially, the soonest we will be able to do this is August.

I have only just started looking at the visa situation and already - my heart is sinking. If I understand it correctly, if she is to enter as my fiance, I have to file the I129F, wait a good few months for this to be approved, then file for a k1 visa and wait another few months before she can enter to United States.

OR we could get married here, then file I130, then file a K3 visa and wait for that to be processed, then she can enter the United States while the petition is processed.

Do I have this right?

So the quickest way for us to get into the US, without me having to be there and her staying here, is if we are married asap in the UK. Is this right?

Am I missing anything. It is not going to happen by August is it?

Thanks for any advice...

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

Check our "Direct Consular filing." You marry in the UK, then because you are a citizen there as well, you file through the consulate and go fast fast zoom for a spousal visa (a CR1, not a K3). Good luck.

[Pitaya 2,577]

Hi all,

My fiance and I currently live in the UK. I am a US/UK dual citizen and we have been engaged for over two years.

We are wanting to move to the US as soon as possible however, financially, the soonest we will be able to do this is August.

I have only just started looking at the visa situation and already - my heart is sinking. If I understand it correctly, if she is to enter as my fiance, I have to file the I129F, wait a good few months for this to be approved, then file for a k1 visa and wait another few months before she can enter to United States.

OR we could get married here, then file I130, then file a K3 visa and wait for that to be processed, then she can enter the United States while the petition is processed.

Do I have this right?

So the quickest way for us to get into the US, without me having to be there and her staying here, is if we are married asap in the UK. Is this right?

Am I missing anything. It is not going to happen by August is it?

Thanks for any advice...

First, welcome to the forum.

Second, I don't feel it is appropriate for me to try to tell you what is best for you and significant other. It sounds like you have pretty much outlined your options. However, forget about the K3 visa, it has largely been supplanted by the IR1/CR1 visa process. There is a wealth of great information on this site, including visa timeframes and comparisons. There are some that say the spousal visa process (IR1/CR1) is faster than the fiance(e) visa process (K1), and there are some that say just the opposite. Take the time to check out the website.

Speaking about our own visa journey (K1), the site's statistics indicate that it takes about 5 months of waiting between initial petition submission/acceptance (NOA1) and initial approval (NOA2), and that is without any RFEs (issues) along the way. So, your August date is not very likely to happen, though Harpa has a good idea about direct filing.....

Good luck on your visa journey, you aren't the first, and most likely, not the last in this process.

Edited March 5, 2012 by A&B

[HuffyTheSlayer 22]

Check our "Direct Consular filing." You marry in the UK, then because you are a citizen there as well, you file through the consulate and go fast fast zoom for a spousal visa (a CR1, not a K3). Good luck.

I agree. I don't know DCF very well, but it sounds like the best fit for you guys. But you will need to be married in order to do it. Here's the DCF guide: http://www.visajourney.com/content/dcf Check it out and ask some questions in the Direct Consular Filing forum, I think you can call the US Embassy in London too and they will advise you as to whether you qualify (I think you should once you are married) and will let you know what documents they require.

[Robert&Karen 264]

Look at the good news. March to August is FIVE MONTHS that you get to spend together during the process!