Just engaged, K1 (or CR1) concerns

[G & V 3]

I just registered on this site and have received lots of helpful information so far. But I'm still uncertain/confused about a few things.

Some background on me:

I'm a US citizen and quit my job about 2 months ago and flew to the Philippines to propose to my girlfriend and stay here for several months (I'm on a tourist visa). We are now engaged as of last week! I've been here for just over a month and plan to stay 3-5 more months and then return to the US and get another job.

Ideally, I'll return with her but I'm not expecting that due to the fact that the visa process will (apparently) take longer. In hindsight, I should have done a bit more reading on the Visa/Immigration process before leaving, and it may have been best to propose remotely and start the process sooner, but oh well - I really wanted to propose in person.

My Questions

1. I don't have a birth certificate (or I do and my parents just can't find it). The says I can submit copies of my entire passport in place of this. Has anyone done this, and have you had any problems not having a birth certificate?
   
2. As I said above, I quit my job. I'm lucky enough to be in a location and industry where I'm confident I can find another well paying job soon after I return to the US. I also have substantial savings where I could support myself and my (soon to be) wife for many years with no help from the government in the unlikely case that neither of us are able to find work. Will I still need a co-sponsor for the I-134?
   
3. We'll be applying from the Philippines, using my parents' address in the US where appropriate. I read other posts indicating that this is not a problem, but please correct me if I'm wrong.
   
4. Given my situation, would anyone recommend going the CR1 route and getting married in the Philippines, rather than doing a K1? I'm reading conflicting information as to which process is faster. I want to get her over to the US quickly, however, one or two months difference won't matter so much in the grand scheme of things if one route is easier than the other.
   

Thanks for any advice you can offer!

[C-ma'am 684]

Congratulations on your engagement! If you haven't, please read this comparison chart http://www.visajourn...content/compare (disregard the K3 option, as it is an obsolete visa).

1. I don't have a birth certificate (or I do and my parents just can't find it). The says I can submit copies of my entire passport in place of this. Has anyone done this, and have you had any problems not having a birth certificate? Yes, copies of all pages of your passport will be enough to prove citizenship.
2. As I said above, I quit my job. I'm lucky enough to be in a location and industry where I'm confident I can find another well paying job soon after I return to the US. I also have substantial savings where I could support myself and my (soon to be) wife for many years with no help from the government in the unlikely case that neither of us are able to find work. Will I still need a co-sponsor for the I-134? If you find a job when you come back to the US, with a salary that would be enough to support yourself and your fiancee, you won't need a co-sponsor. For USEM Manila, accepting co sponsors, it's more the exception to the rule rather than the norm. So, just in case, I wouldn't count on it. They care about current income.
3. We'll be applying from the Philippines, using my parents' address in the US where appropriate. I read other posts indicating that this is not a problem, but please correct me if I'm wrong. Not a problem
4. Given my situation, would anyone recommend going the CR1 route and getting married in the Philippines, rather than doing a K1? I'm reading conflicting information as to which process is faster. I want to get her over to the US quickly, however, one or two months difference won't matter so much in the grand scheme of things if one route is easier than the other. I would DEFINITELY consider the CR-1 route. USEM Manila ACCEPTS co-sponsors for this type of visa. Read the chart and see the differences. You might save some money, it may (or may not) take a little longer than a K1, but you'll save yourself money and paperwork. Your spouse will be able to work as soon as she comes into the US and have her Green Card.

Edited October 12, 2012 by Celeste & C

[C-ma'am 684]

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Edited October 12, 2012 by Celeste & C

[Pitaya 2,577]

Congratulations on your engagement! If you haven't, please read this comparison chart http://www.visajourn...content/compare (disregard the K3 option, as it is an obsolete visa).

1. I don't have a birth certificate (or I do and my parents just can't find it). The says I can submit copies of my entire passport in place of this. Has anyone done this, and have you had any problems not having a birth certificate? Yes, copies of all pages of your passport will be enough to prove citizenship.
2. As I said above, I quit my job. I'm lucky enough to be in a location and industry where I'm confident I can find another well paying job soon after I return to the US. I also have substantial savings where I could support myself and my (soon to be) wife for many years with no help from the government in the unlikely case that neither of us are able to find work. Will I still need a co-sponsor for the I-134? If you find a job when you come back to the US, with a salary that would be enough to support yourself and your fiancee, you won't need a co-sponsor. For USEM Manila, accepting co sponsors, it's more the exception to the rule rather than the norm. So, just in case, I wouldn't count on it. They care about current income.
3. We'll be applying from the Philippines, using my parents' address in the US where appropriate. I read other posts indicating that this is not a problem, but please correct me if I'm wrong. Not a problem
4. Given my situation, would anyone recommend going the CR1 route and getting married in the Philippines, rather than doing a K1? I'm reading conflicting information as to which process is faster. I want to get her over to the US quickly, however, one or two months difference won't matter so much in the grand scheme of things if one route is easier than the other. I would DEFINITELY consider the CR-1 route. USEM Manila ACCEPTS co-sponsors for this type of visa. Read the chart and see the differences. You might save some money, it may (or may not) take a little longer than a K1, but you'll save yourself money and paperwork. Your spouse will be able to work as soon as she comes into the US and have her Green Card.

OP: a lot depends on which course of action you want to pursue, as it relates to #2, 3, 4.

[G & V 3]

Congratulations on your engagement! If you haven't, please read this comparison chart http://www.visajourn...content/compare (disregard the K3 option, as it is an obsolete visa).

1. I don't have a birth certificate (or I do and my parents just can't find it). The says I can submit copies of my entire passport in place of this. Has anyone done this, and have you had any problems not having a birth certificate? Yes, copies of all pages of your passport will be enough to prove citizenship.
2. As I said above, I quit my job. I'm lucky enough to be in a location and industry where I'm confident I can find another well paying job soon after I return to the US. I also have substantial savings where I could support myself and my (soon to be) wife for many years with no help from the government in the unlikely case that neither of us are able to find work. Will I still need a co-sponsor for the I-134? If you find a job when you come back to the US, with a salary that would be enough to support yourself and your fiancee, you won't need a co-sponsor. For USEM Manila, accepting co sponsors, it's more the exception to the rule rather than the norm. So, just in case, I wouldn't count on it. They care about current income.
3. We'll be applying from the Philippines, using my parents' address in the US where appropriate. I read other posts indicating that this is not a problem, but please correct me if I'm wrong. Not a problem
4. Given my situation, would anyone recommend going the CR1 route and getting married in the Philippines, rather than doing a K1? I'm reading conflicting information as to which process is faster. I want to get her over to the US quickly, however, one or two months difference won't matter so much in the grand scheme of things if one route is easier than the other. I would DEFINITELY consider the CR-1 route. USEM Manila ACCEPTS co-sponsors for this type of visa. Read the chart and see the differences. You might save some money, it may (or may not) take a little longer than a K1, but you'll save yourself money and paperwork. Your spouse will be able to work as soon as she comes into the US and have her Green Card.

Thanks so much for the quick response! Almost bedtime here and I'll sleep easier now having those answered. I've now started to read about the process to get married here in the Philippines since it sounds like applying for a K1 without a job is too risky - and I'm not yet ready to return to the U.S. and start working.

[C-ma'am 684]

Thanks so much for the quick response! Almost bedtime here and I'll sleep easier now having those answered. I've now started to read about the process to get married here in the Philippines since it sounds like applying for a K1 without a job is too risky - and I'm not yet ready to return to the U.S. and start working.

Sleep well, and tomorrow you can read more about it all. You also have a regional forum here on VJ, where you'll be able to speak to others that can assist you better on the Consulate Specifics. http://www.visajourn...29-philippines/

Oh and I know you understood what I meant, but I should have worded the co sponsor part differently. In summation:

@USEM Manila Co-sponsors for K1 visas: Rarely accepted

@USEM Manila Co-sponsors for CR1 visas: Accepted

I'm sorry about that.

Edited October 12, 2012 by Celeste & C

[G & V 3]

OP: a lot depends on which course of action you want to pursue, as it relates to #2, 3, 4.

If we marry in the Philippines and go the CR1 route then, do any of the answers provided by Celeste change? Thanks!

[C-ma'am 684]

If we marry in the Philippines and go the CR1 route then, do any of the answers provided by Celeste change? Thanks!

No, the only thing that would change is the possibility to use a co-sponsor (if needed) because they accept them for CR-1s.

Edited October 12, 2012 by Celeste & C

[Pitaya 2,577]

I believe that Celeste's responses are correct as it relates toCR-1. However, since each interviewing embassy/consulate can have varying requirements, it is recommended to check their specific website (google for the site address), AND check-in at the Philippine regional forum for specific info.

Good luck on your visa journey.

[Tahoma 2,292]

I don't have a birth certificate (or I do and my parents just can't find it). The says I can submit copies of my entire passport in place of this. Has anyone done this, and have you had any problems not having a birth certificate?

I'll approach your questions assuming you will be filing a K-1 fiancée visa petition. For the I-129F (fiancé(e) visa petition), you can submit a copy of all pages of your passport. However, you must have a valid passport with at least five years validity remaining before it expires. Also, it's possible that the CFO (Commission on Filipinos Overseas) will require your fiancée to submit a copy of your birth certificate. Your fiancée will be required to have a CFO sticker in her passport before she is allowed to board a flight to the U.S. To get the sticker, she must attend the CFO seminar. She will attend the seminar either shortly before her Embassy interview or shortly afterward. Your parents can get your official birth certificate for you.

As I said above, I quit my job. I'm lucky enough to be in a location and industry where I'm confident I can find another well paying job soon after I return to the US. I also have substantial savings where I could support myself and my (soon to be) wife for many years with no help from the government in the unlikely case that neither of us are able to find work. Will I still need a co-sponsor for the I-134?

It is unlikely that you will need a joint sponsor. If you proceed according to your plan, you will be working by the time your fiancée has her Embassy interview and your current sustained income will put you over 125% of the poverty level on an annualized basis. Your then-current paycheck stubs will show that your income will surpass the poverty guidelines. Also, even if you are not working by the time of your fiancée's interview, you may have enough liquid assets to offset the lacking income. If you had no income at all, and had about $60,000 in liquid assets, you would fulfill the requirements. Either way, I would plan on attending your fiancée's interview with her just to make sure the Consular Officer gets an accurate picture of your financial position. If you feel you need a joint sponsor, keep in mind that it's a 50/50 proposition on whether the USEM will allow the joint sponsor. I would strongly recommend that you attend her interview if you are planning to use a joint sponsor.

We'll be applying from the Philippines, using my parents' address in the US where appropriate. I read other posts indicating that this is not a problem, but please correct me if I'm wrong.

I think it will be okay.

Given my situation, would anyone recommend going the CR1 route and getting married in the Philippines, rather than doing a K1? I'm reading conflicting information as to which process is faster. I want to get her over to the US quickly, however, one or two months difference won't matter so much in the grand scheme of things if one route is easier than the other.

A K-1 will be a couple/few months faster. I found the K-1 route to be fairly easy.

Thanks for any advice you can offer!

Welcome to VJ and good luck on your visa journey.

[del-2-5-2014 1,339]

IMHO, for any petitiioner that is in the beneficiarys country for a length of time, the non K1 visa is really the way to go.

Despite all the inconvenience of the K1 (having to AOS at extra fee, another grilling interview on occassion) I still went that route because I have no time to plan a wedding in Nigeria as I live here in the USA.

The time difference is negligible in my opinion in the grand scheme of things.

PS: You're in luck as the Philippine portal has a robust membership and many have been there done that on most any issue that you may face.

Edited October 12, 2012 by Gowon

[bestofboston 36]

If you marry in the Philippines, you will need to get an Avadavit from the US consulate in Cebu or Manila embassy for elibility of marriage. You then need to submit it to the town government in which you plan on marrying in and wait 10 days and attend some marriage counseling classes. Then you can get married there.

If you have been divorced before, which it does not sound like the case, then you must have certified copies of your divorce decree to submitt to the consulate and town in which you are getting married in. I have heard since then, that some towns want more than what I had to obtain from the US consulate. I heard that it depends on where you are getting married in the Philippines.

[Tintin and Mike 127]

Congrats and good luck to your journey! :dance:

[Grant PDX 183]

Many people who have done the K-1 route wish they had gone with the CR option. I haven't heard any that went CR say they should have done a K-1. I had the opportunity to weigh both but went with the K-1 as it was really the only option that fit my schedule and needs. Had I been able to have a schedule similar to yours I would absolutely have gone the CR-1 route, without question. There are a number of benefits to the CR while really the only benefits to the K-1 are that it can be faster (generally 1-3 months faster, roughly), the additional time to get to know each other before the marriage commitment, and the fact that getting married in the Philippines requires that you be there at least 2 weeks minimum due to the 10 day marriage license wait. It doesn't seem that those 3 K-1 "benefits" would be of significance to you, I'd go with the CR-1.

[G & V 3]

If you marry in the Philippines, you will need to get an Avadavit from the US consulate in Cebu or Manila embassy for elibility of marriage. You then need to submit it to the town government in which you plan on marrying in and wait 10 days and attend some marriage counseling classes. Then you can get married there.

If you have been divorced before, which it does not sound like the case, then you must have certified copies of your divorce decree to submitt to the consulate and town in which you are getting married in. I have heard since then, that some towns want more than what I had to obtain from the US consulate. I heard that it depends on where you are getting married in the Philippines.

Thanks for the information. I'm 32, she's 31 and it will be the first marriage for both of us. I noticed this site http://manila.usembassy.gov/marriage.html says that some cities in the Philippines are not accepting the Affidavit. She lives in Pasay and her family is in Isabela. Hopefully one of those places will accept. I'll look around the Philippines forum.