Newbie Questions, sorry! US citizen, Canadian spouse, living in South Korea

[mrss13 2]

Hi everyone. Sorry if I ask noobie questions.. I've been reading quite a bit and trying to get information. Here's the story. My fiance and I met while we were both living in Canada and preparing to move to South Korea to teach English. We started a relationship then that carried over here to Asia. We are now living together and engaged. We have decided to have a civil marriage ceremony in Korea, file for the spousal visa and then return next February and live in the United States. I have a few questions after reading several things on this website:

1. If I file through the Seoul Embassy, can I choose which service center to use? It seems that there is a backlog in the Vermont center, so I'd like to choose another if possible. From what I've read, it's my understanding that Seoul will send our file to one of the service centers in the US to be processed, and when that is approved we bring our additional documents to Seoul, have the interview and get the visa shortly after (fingers crossed! ). We plan on marrying and filing by the end of May.. I know cases can vary, but does that seem to be a reasonable time to get a visa by February?

2. My fiance has a Canadian background check from about a year ago. Is that valid, or will he have to order a new one? I know he will have to obtain a Korean one.

3. As I said, we both currently live and work in South Korea. As foreign English teachers, we are not allowed to own property and it's extremely difficult to even get a credit card! Other than emails and letters and photos and evidence of trips and time spent together here in Korea and Canada, what else can we work on obtaining in order to prove our relationship? Part of why I want to file in Seoul is that I know they will likely have an understanding of how things work here for foreign teachers (our schools provide our housing, so no shared leases, etc). Any other suggestions?

Thanks so much for the advice.. I went through this process for myself a few years ago when I moved to Canada and it's crazy that I'm having to do it again from the other side of the world

[oohpartiv 484]

Hi everyone. Sorry if I ask noobie questions.. I've been reading quite a bit and trying to get information. Here's the story. My fiance and I met while we were both living in Canada and preparing to move to South Korea to teach English. We started a relationship then that carried over here to Asia. We are now living together and engaged. We have decided to have a civil marriage ceremony in Korea, file for the spousal visa and then return next February and live in the United States. I have a few questions after reading several things on this website:

1. If I file through the Seoul Embassy, can I choose which service center to use? It seems that there is a backlog in the Vermont center, so I'd like to choose another if possible. From what I've read, it's my understanding that Seoul will send our file to one of the service centers in the US to be processed, and when that is approved we bring our additional documents to Seoul, have the interview and get the visa shortly after (fingers crossed! ). We plan on marrying and filing by the end of May.. I know cases can vary, but does that seem to be a reasonable time to get a visa by February?

2. My fiance has a Canadian background check from about a year ago. Is that valid, or will he have to order a new one? I know he will have to obtain a Korean one.

3. As I said, we both currently live and work in South Korea. As foreign English teachers, we are not allowed to own property and it's extremely difficult to even get a credit card! Other than emails and letters and photos and evidence of trips and time spent together here in Korea and Canada, what else can we work on obtaining in order to prove our relationship? Part of why I want to file in Seoul is that I know they will likely have an understanding of how things work here for foreign teachers (our schools provide our housing, so no shared leases, etc). Any other suggestions?

Thanks so much for the advice.. I went through this process for myself a few years ago when I moved to Canada and it's crazy that I'm having to do it again from the other side of the world

1. First of all, no, you can't choose which service center to use. When you file, since both of you are living abroad, your case will go directly to NBC and will stay there for processing. Assuming all goes well, February isn't too bad of an estimation - but keep in mind it could easily spill over into more time.

2. While I don't know how long the Canadian police records last, I can't imagine it's valid for more than a year, so I would wager on him having to get a new one. I'd wait, though - he won't need that until your case arrives at NVC.

3. Read up on this guide, where there are other suggestions for evidence.

http://www.visajourney.com/content/i130guide1

Lots of luck!

[mrss13 2]

Thank you so much for the info! From what I've been able to gather from other postings here, the NBC seems to process a bit faster than the other offices.. so that's not bad news We'll get on ordering a new background check ASAP. He will only need it after the NOA2, right? I'm trying to put things together from what I've read on here.

[oohpartiv 484]

Assuming your husband is the beneficiary, yes, he'll need the police record after NOA2. NBC's processing times vary, but typically cases where the USC is abroad with the beneficiary get approved fairly quickly (around two months). This is no guarantee, though, so be prepared for a long wait, regardless.

[NikLR 13,231]

Canadian police certificates last as long as the person needing it deems them to last (according to the RCMP officer that I asked when I obtained mine.) Basically if the embassy says his police certificate is still good because he hasn't lived there since he got it, it's still good.

Edited April 2, 2013 by NikiR

[Ryan H 3,819]

1. If I file through the Seoul Embassy, can I choose which service center to use? It seems that there is a backlog in the Vermont center, so I'd like to choose another if possible. From what I've read, it's my understanding that Seoul will send our file to one of the service centers in the US to be processed,

You have understood incorrectly, if you file a petition at the USCIS field office in Seoul, the file remains in Seoul the entire time from submission of paperwork to visa interview. It will never see the inside walls of a USCIS service center in the US or the inside walls of the NVC. Filing at the field office is Seoul would be faster than the NBC, CSC, VSC, or a local field office.

1. First of all, no, you can't choose which service center to use. When you file, since both of you are living abroad, your case will go directly to NBC and will stay there for processing. Assuming all goes well, February isn't too bad of an estimation - but keep in mind it could easily spill over into more time.

USCIS has a field office in Seoul and the OP can file there. None of this is applicable.

***Moving from IR-1/CR-1 Process & Procedures to DCF Discussion. OP lives in a country that has a USCIS field office which results in DCF being available to the OP.***

[NikLR 13,231]

oo OO!! DCF!! Lucky!!

[mrss13 2]

You have understood incorrectly, if you file a petition at the USCIS field office in Seoul, the file remains in Seoul the entire time from submission of paperwork to visa interview. It will never see the inside walls of a USCIS service center in the US or the inside walls of the NVC. Filing at the field office is Seoul would be faster than the NBC, CSC, VSC, or a local field office.

USCIS has a field office in Seoul and the OP can file there. None of this is applicable.

***Moving from IR-1/CR-1 Process & Procedures to DCF Discussion. OP lives in a country that has a USCIS field office which results in DCF being available to the OP.***

Sorry for the misunderstanding... thanks for the information.

So it seems I'm on a new board.. is anyone else here applying directly through the Seoul consulate?