Just engaged, K1 (or CR1) concerns

[G & V 3]

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.

Until now, my mind has been set on K-1 just due to lack of planning and knowledge so I'm really glad you posted this. CR-1 sounds like less of a hassle and the thought of trying to plan a wedding in the U.S. under an unknown time frame either while I'm in the Philippines, or back in the U.S. and separated from her is a bit frightening. Good thing we both want a simple, small wedding. We've been together for over 2 years and physically together in the Philippines for almost 4 months (combining my visits), so I don't need those 90 days to get to know her. Heavily leaning towards the CR-1 now. Thank you for your help.

[jenniferjones101 19]

In my personal opinion, I highly recommend filing the CR-1 Visa rather than the K-1 Fiance Visa. My husband and I looked into both options and found that getting married first, then filing, is the easiest (and sometimes quicker) way of getting your loved one to the U.S. Look into both processes and I think you'll see what I mean.

For a K-1, you file for the Fiance Visa, wait 5-7 months for approval (often longer), pay fees, then your Fiance comes to the US, you marry within 90 days, file an Adjustment of Status (from a Fiance to Spouse), pay more application fees, file an Employment Authorization application so she can work (which takes around 3 more months, I think) and pay more fees again! Many K-1 filers end up waiting the same amount of time, or longer, than many CR-1 filers (K-1 visas used to be faster approval)

For a CR-1, you get married and then your foreign spouse has to go back to his/her own country while you file (small sacrifice in the long run and you can still travel and make visits while your CR-1 is in process) and pay one application fee. Once you complete the entire visa process (if you look at my timeline, my husband and I are at almost 6 months exactly since the start of our visa journey), your spouse enters the US as a Lawful Permanent Resident...no more paperwork to file. They get their Green Card in the mail automatically, can immediately get their SSN, and have the right to work in the US from the moment they arrive.

My husband and I have been at this less than 6 months and when he comes to the US at the end of the month, we are done! No more paperwork, fees, nothing! And we made a few visiting trips to see each other in between and didn't have a single issue traveling on a tourist visa while our CR-1 was in process. That's just my two cents...hopefully it gives you something to consider. Good luck on whichever path you choose!