US Citizen/Colombia boyfriend...should we try for K-3 or K-1?

[eslejugo 0]

Hi everyone! Sorry I'm not sure which forum to post this in, but we wanted to ask for some advice on our situation from people who have been through the marriage/immigration process already or are going through it now.

My boyfriend is Colombian and I am a US Citizen. I was living and working in Colombia for the past 8 months. We know we are going to get married but I wanted him to meet my family in person first. They have met on FaceTime and talked but we wanted him to visit in December. He applied for a tourist visa to come visit and meet my family in December, but he got a grouchy consular officer at the US Embassy in Bogota and it was denied last week He received the "you do not have enough ties to Colombia" letter. He is still studying and showed proof of studying until next September, but apparently it was insufficient. From what I have been reading now, he is probably in the exact demographic of people they don't believe will return to their home country - though he is planning to! We are trying to do everything the right way and go through the right process and it is really frustrating that they make it so difficult.

Given the bad news, we are seriously considering other options and trying to think more long term at this point. Since we know we want to be together, we figure we might as well start the process sooner than later. We aren't sure which would be the best route. We've been going through all the info online (overwhelming!) and have come up with the following options:

1. K1 visa - he stays in Colombia to finish studying until September 2015 while we wait, I get a job here in the US (I could possibly go visit him next year a few times)

2. K1 visa - I go to Colombia next year and get a job while he is finishing studying (Sept 2015) and we wait.

3. K3 visa - I stay in the US and get a job while he finishes studying (Sept 2015), I go down early next year to visit and we get married and I return home and then we wait.

3. K3 visa -I go to Colombia next year and get a job. We get married in Colombia and then apply for K3 and wait.

Or maybe there are other options I am missing...?

I'm wondering which visa option is faster/easier (in your opinion or from your experience)

We do not have criminal records. Neither of us have never been married before nor do we have any children. I have a bachelor's degree and a master's degree and we have enough money.

Obviously we really want to be together in one place, but we are willing to be separate for a time period if necessary.

Thank you in advance for any help! We really appreciate it.

Emily

[LoveMyTico 999]

Forget the k3. Its either cr1 or k1. The k3 will get canceled at the visa center.

[eslejugo 0]

yikes really? How come?

Forget the k3. Its either cr1 or k1. The k3 will get canceled at the visa center.

[KayDeeCee 4,893]

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

~ Moved from K-1 Process to What Visa Do I Need - OP still deciding on immigration path~

[michela21413 7]

Maybe getting married where he is, might be the right thing. The k1 being approved gives him a certain time he must come to you and get married. You said he's in school so you dont want his losing time in school. Marrying him and filing cr1, because majority of the paperwork would be completed. Also by the time he finishes school, the process should be close or maybe complete.

[eslejugo 0]

we are leaning toward getting married there right now because his family obviously can't come here, but that means I would have to go back there and get married ASAP in order to start the process...and I think the current processing times are 12-18 months for the Cr1 now?

[Ontarkie 14,227]

~~Duplicate thread merged, please do not make multiple threads from the same or similar topic~~