Fiance Visa vs Marriage Visa

[Dying Goddess 0]

My fiance and I were originally planning to file a fiance visa but within the past week, we have decided it might be faster for me to travel down there once more and get married, and then file a spousal visa upon my return in the United States. Does anyone know which is generally faster and easier - the fiance visa, or the spousal visa? Any help would be much appreciated!

[kitkat1 5]

Take a look at the guides here: http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.ph...mp;page=compare

[Dying Goddess 0]

That was really helpful! Now I am thinking it might be faster just to do the fiance visa. I'm so confused. I just sent an e-mail to the US embassy in Uruguay to see if they do the direct consular filing, and if that's the case, we will certainly do that! I've never even heard of that before. I'm so depressed and stressed out. I think I'm going to end up pulling my hair out before this process is over.

Edited November 9, 2006 by Dying Goddess

[Joel Halfwassen 0]

This is personal opinion, but I am a BIG fan of DCF. Not all embassies offer it though. And if they do they might not offer it for all of the visas. The down side it the money involved in flying to and fro. The up side is that you get to see your sweetie a bit more then waiting Stateside.

Joel

[dalegg 143]

I only found 2 timelines for Uruguay- one K1 and one I think is a K3. They both went pretty smooth according to the timelines.

lizroxy24 K1

Dmikos K3?

[lucyrich 20]

Be aware that the timelines do change rapidly and constantly. When we faced that decision, looking at the timelines available, the K-3 definitely looked faster than the K-1. So we married first and filed for the visa. While our paperwork was in the system, the K-3 ground to a dead stop, with no petitions approved for many months. In hindsight, if we had gone the K-1 route, we would have been reunited about four months earlier than it actually took us. We don't regret the decision we made; it was the best one we could have made at the time, but still...

It's unlikely that those events will repeat to that extreme, but it's definitely possible for things to speed up, slow down, and flip-flop while your paperwork is in the system. So if there's a strong concern about where you want to be married, or whether you want to go through the separation as a married couple or as fiancees, and if the timelines don't seem too widely different, then choose the manner in which you want to do this, and let the timeline fall where it will.

Oh, and if DCF is available to you, it probably is the fastest route. It's not available in all countries, and usually, where it's available, it's only available to US Citizens who have some sort of permanent residence or status with the foreign country; a simple tourist stay normally won't qualify you for DCF. But check with the consulate.

[Alhamdulillah 0]

This is personal opinion, but I am a BIG fan of DCF. Not all embassies offer it though. And if they do they might not offer it for all of the visas. The down side it the money involved in flying to and fro. The up side is that you get to see your sweetie a bit more then waiting Stateside.

Joel

Agreed. If you can do DCF while you're still in his country I believe it could be a lot faster for you.

[desert_fox 32]

check out the web site for the Consulate, It should explain all their local rules.

[Dying Goddess 0]

I received an e-mail from the US embassy in Uruguay and they told me they do not do the direct filing and I need to pursue a fiance visa. Figures. I'm going to get started on that before the end of this month.

[GaryC 7]

I received an e-mail from the US embassy in Uruguay and they told me they do not do the direct filing and I need to pursue a fiance visa. Figures. I'm going to get started on that before the end of this month.

Good luck to you. Things are starting to move a lot faster now through the USCIS so hears hoping that you wait is a short one.

[1HappyGuy 45]

Generally, the fiancee visa (K-1) has been faster than the married spouse visa (K-3) and it is anyone's guess as to why. But, know one thing. The entire process is slow, frustrating and agonizing. You will find many here will be quite helpful with support and advice. You should review the various timelines for each step so you have a good understanding of the process.

The time for the application through the USCIS for a K-1 can be from 3 to 6 months, usually with it being closer to the three month period. Then the National Visa Center (NVC) can be from one week to four weeks but some have experienced incredible delays here. Once leaving the NVC your case is sent to the U.S. embassy in the country of your fiance. Each embassy has a different processing period. Review the guides on yours.

I would say you should consider six months from filing to his arrival as a good guess of time. It can go faster which is great but every step of the way takes a little time. Gathering documents just for filing can eat up a month or more. If there is anything missing or they need additional evidence (RFE's) that can eat another month. So try to be patient, keep in good contact with your fiance and recognize that you are planning a marriage that hopefully will last for a very long time. A few months additional time in perspective to your lives together is relatively small.

One thing is to be very thorough on all of your paperwork. Don't let a small item slow it down.

[aussiewench 9]

I received an e-mail from the US embassy in Uruguay and they told me they do not do the direct filing and I need to pursue a fiance visa. Figures. I'm going to get started on that before the end of this month.

I just did a search of the US Embassy in Uruguay's website and could find no mention of immigrant or fiance visas, so it seems they do not have an immigrant visa issuing post. I am unsure as to which is the nearest to Uruguay and there is no indication from the two links that dalegg posted.

When seeking a response from a consulate in relation to DCF, always remember that this is not an official term and may be misunderstood by consular staff as to its meaning. You would be best served to ask 'What is the process for filing the I-130 for a spouse with your consulate' or something similar.

[Dying Goddess 0]

Well, here is the e-mail response.

Thank you for your email. It is the policy of this Post that american citizens filing for immigrant visas for future spouses do so at their country of residence. If you reside in the United States, the petition must be filed in the US. You also have the option of filing for a "fiance visa", which is a non immigrant visa that once filed, and approved after interview, would enable your fiance to fly to the US to marry within a period of three months.

For more information on the subject I recommend you look into: www.uscis.gov. You could also redirect your query to the following email address: montevideoiv@state.gov

The person in charge of immigration in the office will eventually be able to assist you further.

In the meantime I hope you find this information helpful.

Respectfully,

Elisa M. Henderson, Consular Assistant

Embassy of the United States of America

[aussiewench 9]

Well, here is the e-mail response.

Thank you for your email. It is the policy of this Post that american citizens filing for immigrant visas for future spouses do so at their country of residence. If you reside in the United States, the petition must be filed in the US. You also have the option of filing for a "fiance visa", which is a non immigrant visa that once filed, and approved after interview, would enable your fiance to fly to the US to marry within a period of three months.

For more information on the subject I recommend you look into: www.uscis.gov. You could also redirect your query to the following email address: montevideoiv@state.gov

The person in charge of immigration in the office will eventually be able to assist you further.

In the meantime I hope you find this information helpful.

Respectfully,

Elisa M. Henderson, Consular Assistant

Embassy of the United States of America

Send another email to montevideoiv@state.gov as per directed and see what response you get. Don't mention fiance, just request information about filing an I-130 for a spouse with the consulate. You may or may not get a different answer, but worth a shot if there is any chance at all to file directly with them.

[meauxna 15]

I looked yesterday, too, AW. While there is no helpful fiance/spouse info there, they do have a batch for DV filings, which led me to believe they'd do IV processing there.

It's certainly not the most helpful website.

Edited November 10, 2006 by meauxna