IR1/CR1 vs K1 interview Discrepancy

[VaggoLena 7]

I posted this in the NVC Filers April 2012 thread:

Still no interview date for me and my wife. Every time I call they keep on telling me they are done scheduling for May. I told the lady today how is it that Kyiv is still handing out interviews to K1 filers for May 8-15 and yet we who are already married, have to "wait until May 14" to get scheduled for June I just don't think that this is fair to us all who are ALREADY married. I am not taking anything away from K1 filers, but I would think and hope that couples who are married would have some sort of preference over couples that MIGHT get married.

On top of that, they are able to schedule themselves an interview date, while we have to go through NVC

Again, this is not meant to be an attack to K1 filers, because at the end of the day, we all want the same thing. That is to be with our loved ones and as soon as possible. My only complaint is, why are IR1/CR1 filers not allowed to schedule their own appointment like K1ers can, and why must we have to wait for NVC to decide when to schedule us? I can go into more detail, but I think I wrote enough in two posts.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Is there a question?

[VaggoLena 7]

Is there a question?

There are actually 2 questions there (hence the question mark), and I didn't know there was a rule that we have to ask questions when we create a topic. I thought you would be the one to know about that Gary.

I have never had anything against you, and I actually look forward to reading the stories you share with all of us here in the RUB section, so I am actually surprised to see you respond to my post like this.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

There are actually 2 questions there (hence the question mark), and I didn't know there was a rule that we have to ask questions when we create a topic. I thought you would be the one to know about that Gary.

I have never had anything against you, and I actually look forward to reading the stories you share with all of us here in the RUB section, so I am actually surprised to see you respond to my post like this.

My bad then I guess I did not underatnd the questions. Not being rude, and there is certainly no need for a question, but I was getting that you did have a question but I did not see it.

If your question is "Why are the CR-1's handled differently?" It is because they are different visas, most notably they are IMMIGRANT visas and come with a green card. K-1s are non-immigrant visas and are nothing more than tourist visas with benefits. With a K-1 when the fiancee arrives you are only half done. With a CR-1 you are done. CR-1s have many benefits K-1s do not and that is why you wait longer. I am not sure, sounds like you have "visa regret". I am presuming you chose the CR-1 for a reason in knowledge of the process.

Kiev only opens dates for interviews about 1 month at a time, usually around the middle of the month. When they are booked, that's it, they close the month and do not open the next one until later. If May is already booked then they are getting pretty busy. I would suggest calling the call center at 8am KIEV TIME on May 14th(they are now 6 hours ahead of us...no daylight saving time in Ukraine anymore) and get your appointment for June. You may also risk a call sooner in case they have any cancellations. It happens.

They have different appointment scheduling for different visas. I assure you they are doing tourist and student visas every day also.

Now, you chose a CR-1 and you are getting there and there are lots of benefits to that visa that I did not enjoy with a K-1. If it makes you feel better, I waited over 2 months for the K-1 interview. It happens.

She will be here soon.

[slim 1,525]

Now, you chose a CR-1 and you are getting there and there are lots of benefits to that visa that I did not enjoy with a K-1. If it makes you feel better, I waited over 2 months for the K-1 interview. It happens.

A quick google search or reading a few pages here on VJ would've told anyone the K-1 is faster than IR/CR-1. OP, you really have no reason to be mad at anyone but yourself.

Now, I'm also not trying to be rude but as Gary's explained - You're going to save time on the back-end. All the time that K-1 filers are going to spend doing green card-related BS, you're going to be sitting at home doing laundry with the Mrs. Additional benefits are things like getting a drivers license and/or job right away and also enrolling in school, buying a firearm, etc. None of us "fast" K-1 folks were able to take advantage of those things.

So, if anything - BE HAPPY!

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

The department of state handles ALL visas. They have chosen to do it differently for the CR-1 than for the K-1. I do not know why I do know they are different visas and you will not be one of those saying "You mean she can't get a job or go to visit her mother while we wait for a green card?"

We all have different reasons we choose the visa we do. We chose the K-1 because the advantages of the CR-1 were no advantage to US and the K-1 was faster. I would wait longer if I wanted the benefits that come with a CR-1 but they did not interest me. But in 20/20 hindsight, the AOS was a pain in the @ss and expensive. It is what it is. Remember, she is your wife. This is for life. A moment after she arrives you will forget all this nonsense, I promise. THEN when the everyday things of life (and they are compounded with a foreign wife) get to you...remember all you went through to get her here and smile. OK?

[Oksana & Max 94]

they are now 6 hours ahead of us...no daylight saving time in Ukraine anymore

Gary Actually 7, they did swith to daylight saving. We call my wife parents everyday They work at the railroad and it's been a nightmare with this time change again.

[VaggoLena 7]

Thanks everyone

We will just wait until we get scheduled. I appreciate everyone's input and feedback. @Gary, I will not call it "visa regret" but yes, before I started the whole process, I was given some bad information (before visajourney). The past is the past and we cannot change what has happened. Now I am looking toward the future and cannot wait until I see my wife again

Edited April 30, 2012 by VaggoLena

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Gary Actually 7, they did swith to daylight saving. We call my wife parents everyday They work at the railroad and it's been a nightmare with this time change again.

OK, maybe they did. Russia did not and they said Ukraine was not going to. Or they did and switched back?

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Thanks everyone

We will just wait until we get scheduled. I appreciate everyone's input and feedback. @Gary, I will not call it "visa regret" but yes, before I started the whole process, I was given some bad information (before visajourney). The past is the past and we cannot change what has happened. Now I am looking toward the future and cannot wait until I see my wife again

Unless they changed something, K-1s and CR-1s were being handled in the "immigrant visa" section and they had the same appoitments. There were 5 other couples/applicants when we went and two of them were CR-1s.

I am a bit confused about you saying they are still accepting K-1 appointments but not CR-1s. Maybe they changed how they do it?

[highlander08 9]

The department of state handles ALL visas. They have chosen to do it differently for the CR-1 than for the K-1. I do not know why I do know they are different visas and you will not be one of those saying "You mean she can't get a job or go to visit her mother while we wait for a green card?"

We all have different reasons we choose the visa we do. We chose the K-1 because the advantages of the CR-1 were no advantage to US and the K-1 was faster. I would wait longer if I wanted the benefits that come with a CR-1 but they did not interest me. But in 20/20 hindsight, the AOS was a pain in the @ss and expensive. It is what it is. Remember, she is your wife. This is for life. A moment after she arrives you will forget all this nonsense, I promise. THEN when the everyday things of life (and they are compounded with a foreign wife) get to you...remember all you went through to get her here and smile. OK?

:unsure: I thought both visa's require AOS ? both Ir-1/Cr-1 and k-1. ? the way you stated this it SOUNDS like it is only required for K-1 visa.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

:unsure: I thought both visa's require AOS ? both Ir-1/Cr-1 and k-1. ? the way you stated this it SOUNDS like it is only required for K-1 visa.

That is correct. IR-1/CR-1 does not require an adjustment of status or AOS fee, it comes with a green card. Usually they place an I-551 stamp in the passport which takes the place of the green card and the green card arrives a few weeks after your wife does, but she can work and travel internationally immediately. If you have been married LESS than two year when the visa is issued you get the CR-1 and a 2 year green card and have to do ROC in two years. If you have been married MORE than two years when you get the visa you get an IR-1 and a 10 year green card. Otherwise the two are identical.

It is a good visa for someone where the spouse being able to work is important. Or the spouse being able to travel is important. If I were to have met a woman from Quebec, just a few minutes away, I would have gone the CR route. She could visit easily in the meantime and I could not imagine her coming here and telling her..."oh, by the way, you cannot go to Canada for 4-6 months" For the 2,356 young people who every day ask "Will I be able to meet the poverty guideline for my fiancee?" The K-1 is NOT the visa to choose.

The CR-1 takes longer to process, but given the current time frames of the K-1 it is not that much different. From filing a petition to receiveing a green card, the CR-1 is usually faster.

The K-1 gets a fiancee here faster, but you are only half done.

The K-1 has one other big advantage for SOME people. A child can be issued a K-2 up to age 21. For a CR-2 the child must be under age 18 when you marry the foreign parent. If you meet a woman with children aged 17-20 and she wants the children to come along, the K-1 is your only choice.

The other advantage is you can meet someone today and file the K-1 petition later today. With a CR-1 you have to get married first, then file the petition, that also adds to the delay. However if one looks at this as one SHOULD look at this, that you are making a lifelong committment to a spouse and family, then a few weeks or months up front should make no difference.

We considered both. There was no advantage to US in doing the CR-1, it offered nothing we needed. So we went with the K-1.

[highlander08 9]

That is correct. IR-1/CR-1 does not require an adjustment of status or AOS fee, it comes with a green card. Usually they place an I-551 stamp in the passport which takes the place of the green card and the green card arrives a few weeks after your wife does, but she can work and travel internationally immediately. If you have been married LESS than two year when the visa is issued you get the CR-1 and a 2 year green card and have to do ROC in two years. If you have been married MORE than two years when you get the visa you get an IR-1 and a 10 year green card. Otherwise the two are identical.

It is a good visa for someone where the spouse being able to work is important. Or the spouse being able to travel is important. If I were to have met a woman from Quebec, just a few minutes away, I would have gone the CR route. She could visit easily in the meantime and I could not imagine her coming here and telling her..."oh, by the way, you cannot go to Canada for 4-6 months" For the 2,356 young people who every day ask "Will I be able to meet the poverty guideline for my fiancee?" The K-1 is NOT the visa to choose.

The CR-1 takes longer to process, but given the current time frames of the K-1 it is not that much different. From filing a petition to receiveing a green card, the CR-1 is usually faster.

The K-1 gets a fiancee here faster, but you are only half done.

The K-1 has one other big advantage for SOME people. A child can be issued a K-2 up to age 21. For a CR-2 the child must be under age 18 when you marry the foreign parent. If you meet a woman with children aged 17-20 and she wants the children to come along, the K-1 is your only choice.

The other advantage is you can meet someone today and file the K-1 petition later today. With a CR-1 you have to get married first, then file the petition, that also adds to the delay. However if one looks at this as one SHOULD look at this, that you are making a lifelong committment to a spouse and family, then a few weeks or months up front should make no difference.

We considered both. There was no advantage to US in doing the CR-1, it offered nothing we needed. So we went with the K-1.

what is ROC . ?

[baron555 934]

what is ROC . ?

Removal of Conditions.....Read the Guides

[highlander08 9]

Removal of Conditions.....Read the Guides

O.K. O.K.