Spouse Visa or Fiance Visa?

[Tee and Megan 10]

Hello all!

My name is Casper and my fiance's name is Bros. We met in January 2012 while we were studying at the same school in Hong Kong. I am an American citizen and my fiance is a Cambodian national. We got engaged in Cambodia in May a few days before I left for the States. Now we are trying to decide where to get married. Both options are viable, but we want to know which would give us the greatest chance of success. Does the spouse visa seem to have a higher success rate than the fiance visa? Or is it about the same?

Also, what is everyone's opinion on hiring a licensed immigration attorney to oversee the process? We applied for a visitor's visa twice because we wanted Bros to be able to meet my family in the States before we got engaged, but were denied. That is why we are intent on getting this visa the first time; our relationship is too precious to take any chances. Any advice anyone could offer would be greatlyappreciated!

Thank you all so much!

Blessings

Casper and Bros

[X Factor 1,112]

To see the time involved for either fiancee or marriage visa check the following link that gives a comparison.

http://www.visajourney.com/content/compare

[Que Saudade 284]

Here is a link with information for you Comparison guide The K3 is esentially dead, so don't worry about it.

This is a do-it-yourself process. No lawyer necessary, unless something strange in your background.

Since you want to do this right the first time, take the time to read which Visa you want.

Then, read over the instructions for the forms needed. Etc.... The more research you put into the front end, the less chance of a simple mistake or forgetting something...which causes you problems and more time down the road.

Good Luck

K1 Visa guide

CR1 Visa guide

Link to Cambodia Portal <---lots of good information there. Consulate reviews, info, other people going through this process in Cambodia etc.......

[Tee and Megan 10]

Thank you so much everyone! I understand the process for both; I guess I am just wondering if one has a better chance of success than the other?

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

Nope; the same chance for success. Spouse visa is cheaper and the immigrant becomes a resident upon entry, instead of waiting around on the sofa for months.

Edited August 9, 2012 by Harpa Timsah

[Que Saudade 284]

Nope; the same chance for success. Spouse visa is cheaper and the immigrant becomes a resident upon entry, instead of waiting around on the sofa for months.

100% agree... I wish we could have gone this route, but getting married in Brazil was proving to be difficult for me as we had to wait 30days after applying for marriage license before we could marry. So we went the K1 route. Looking back, I wish we would have applied for license and I went back to get married then filed CR1. The cost of my ticket = cost of Adjustment of Status

She wold have her green card now.

[Tee and Megan 10]

100% agree... I wish we could have gone this route, but getting married in Brazil was proving to be difficult for me as we had to wait 30days after applying for marriage license before we could marry. So we went the K1 route. Looking back, I wish we would have applied for license and I went back to get married then filed CR1. The cost of my ticket = cost of Adjustment of Status

She wold have her green card now.

Thanks so much! This really helps and is an excellent point! We're just super nervous. I am so grateful for this site. It helps us to feel that we are not alone. Say, with her being from Brazil, did you have to have any of your documents verified by a translator? If so, did they sign the documents they verified? Thanks again to you all and to you, Que Saudade.

[Que Saudade 284]

Personally, we used a certified translation agency here in US once we here. They sent the translation with a seal and a certificate certifying it. I think we paid about $75.00USD

The only document we had to get translated was her birth certificate. Of course, there were no divorce decrees or anything like that to be translated.

Edited August 9, 2012 by Que Saudade

[Tee and Megan 10]

Personally, we used a certified translation agency here in US once we here. They sent the translation with a seal and a certificate certifying it. I think we paid about $75.00USD

The only document we had to get translated was her birth certificate. Of course, there were no divorce decrees or anything like that to be translated.

Sorry, one more question! Would you recommend I bring our marriage certificate and his birth certificate back to the States to have them translated? I am not sure there are too many translators in the States that know Khmer.

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

Sorry, one more question! Would you recommend I bring our marriage certificate and his birth certificate back to the States to have them translated? I am not sure there are too many translators in the States that know Khmer.

Google can probably answer that you for you As my father always says, let your fingers do the walking (which I believe was a phonebook slogan).

Edited August 10, 2012 by Harpa Timsah

[Que Saudade 284]

The agency we used indeed translates Khmer. Here is the link for their website Translation service

You can scan your document instead of sending it in. They do work for USCIS documents all the time. We had no problem with them.

Just an option for you.

[Tee and Megan 10]

The agency we used indeed translates Khmer. Here is the link for their website Translation service

You can scan your document instead of sending it in. They do work for USCIS documents all the time. We had no problem with them.

Just an option for you.

Thank you so much! this looks perfect! We are so grateful!

[ChetT 9]

Listen to this. I just did/help this for my friend. They are in the USCIS stage right now.

CR-1 is cheaper but not in this corrupted country. I say so because I know how the whole process work.

It's kind of sad, but what else you can do.

To get a marriage certificate you need a whole 30 days,really ? yes ( Can reduce to 2 weeks, but you have to have contact and start the process before you are on the flight. IF you need connection, PM me ).

To get a marriage certificate you need a whooping $900 - $1,100, otherwise your application won't see any light.

To get a marriage certificate you need to make quite a bit of money and show them $2,400/month.

So all of these trouble, I suggested my friend to go K-1.

- To get K-1 you need nothing. Really nothing.

Just follow the instruction here.

- Translation: Go to Ministry of Foreign Affair. $15/document.

Evident:

Photos of various places, with friend and relatives.

Photos of engagement party, with friend and relatives.

E-mails, once a week e-mails. 20 emails are good.

Skype video snap shot.

Chat logs.

Receipt of hotel, tickets...etc.

Rebtel call log. I use this service.

That's all for now I can think of.

[Tee and Megan 10]

Wow! Thank you so much. That is so much money. I guess, though we would spend a similar amount to file his adjustment of status if he should get the fiance visa. I think it is over 1,000 USD to adjust his status. However, I did not know they had an income requirement to get a marriage certificate in Cambodia. If you don't mind my asking, Do you live in Cambodia, ChetT? When did you and your friend have this trouble with their certificate? What did they end up doing? Sorry, I know this is a lot of questions. Any information you can give us would be so helpful and we would be so grateful. Akun nas, bong.

[ChetT 9]

Used to live there. Just came back to the state last year. My friend is going with K-1 on May 2012.

This laws started around March 2011, they gave me a hard time to obtain a marriage certificate (that's my case). At that time I still had my valid Cambodian passport, I had to #### off those officials and withdrew all my English documents.

I had to teach them about laws, seriously. I am a Cambodian and my wife is too. So give me my marriage certificate.

BTW, initially I agreed to give them several hundreds dollars so I could get it on time. But hell broke loose, and 3 days before I took off I still didn't have it.

If you go K-1, easier in Cambodia, but harder in U.S (AOS).

If you go CR-1, harder in Cambodia, and all set when he step in the U.S.

You mentioned you already met him personally, you should not wait. you can file K-1 tomorrow.

http://cambodia.usembassy.gov/getting_married_in_cambodia.html

It's free, but trust me. You will get no where if you don't have a grand for them.