K-1 vs CR-1, considering the backlog

[DominiqueL 0]

Hello everyone!

I am currently weighing the pros and cons of each option and one thing that kind of remains a question mark is the TSC backlog. Am I right in thinking that due to that issue, K-1s are taking longer, and are, in fact, not that much more efficient time wise than the CR-1? From what I've bear reading in these forums, there just seems to be a lot of uncertainty when it comes to the K-1. (Or maybe I'm totally wrong.)

Any thoughts are appreciated!

[Marco&Bettina 502]

Hello everyone!

I am currently weighing the pros and cons of each option and one thing that kind of remains a question mark is the TSC backlog. Am I right in thinking that due to that issue, K-1s are taking longer, and are, in fact, not that much more efficient time wise than the CR-1? From what I've bear reading in these forums, there just seems to be a lot of uncertainty when it comes to the K-1. (Or maybe I'm totally wrong.)

Any thoughts are appreciated!

I-129Fs (the seed of a K-1) routed through TSC right now are trash. The research you have concluded that led you to the conclusion that there is a lot of uncertainty is not unfounded. That said, some petitions that would normally have been routed to TSC seem to be being routed to CSC once they leave the Dallas Lockbox for some reason.

[Pennycat 880]

I-130s (the petition for CR-1s) are also experiencing a significant delay at the NVC (National Visa Center---where all petitions are sent before being forwarded to consulates abroad):

http://www.visajourney.com/content/ir1cr1historical

So it appears (and CR-1 filers would need to confirm this, and I apologize if I'm reading it incorrectly), that even if you get through a USCIS service center faster with an I-130 than you would get through TSC with an I-129f (which is right now true for all service centers), you'd still be looking at a 5ish month wait at NVC before being ready for the next step, whereas I-129fs get through NVC in an average of 10 days (as of now). K-1s are still faster than CR-1s (because CR-1s come with a green card essentially automatically, which I believe is what the holdup is about. K-1s don't, but that visa essentially allows you to wait for the green card in the US rather than overseas)

Plus, you'd have to add in the time to travel to get married, wait for the marriage certificate etc, whereas the I-129f you could pretty much file today if you're a heck of a lot more organized and have a more cooperative fiance than I do (the man hates paperwork, and until recently seems to have thought that if he ignored it, it would go away. Heh. Our very first "real" fight was over the G-325a. Lol. How romantic).

Edited April 7, 2015 by CatherineA

[DominiqueL 0]

Ooh thanks for the historical processing times link, I had yet to discover this!

Travel time to get married is not an issue for us (we are very lucky) and getting the certificate in NYC (where we will get married either way) doesn't seem too difficult, so I really am leaning toward the CR-1. I guess I was just looking for one more thing to add to the pro column.

There just seems to be less stress with the CR-1. When you apply for that, you're expecting a bit of a wait whereas K-1 these days seems to be extremely random.

[DeAnna and Jorge 7]

I do not know if the current NVC processing times have increased or not. My husbands CR-1 was sent from the USCIS to the NVC in August 2014 and he had his interview in January 2015 and received his visa in February 2015.

[NikLR 13,227]

CR1 have a lot of bonuses especially for Canadians who live on the eastern side of Canada.

[DominiqueL 0]

CR1 have a lot of bonuses especially for Canadians who live on the eastern side of Canada.

Really? Please elaborate!

[NikLR 13,227]

Well you don't have so far to travel for an interview, unlike us married couples on the western side.

You get a green card right away which means you can travel outside the USA, work, claim EI right away instead of waiting 90 days for those things. That makes it easier to get a driver's licence, SSN, etc... Because you also get your green card right away you can apply for citizenship sooner if that's your wish.

[DominiqueL 0]

And I already have an SSN!

Alright, seems like CR-1 is best for me.

[wbeem 568]

The problem with taking the information and processing times at the time of filing is that things can change after you file, so the element of uncertainty is always a threat.

We used the guidelines at the time of filing: TSC was just under 5 months on average. Then they transferred a batch of petitions and we thought it would shorten the time. it didn't. We had been getting quotes and plans in draft for a February/March wedding, but it took us nearly 8 months to get our NOA2 and we still have to go through the consular process before we get our visas.

The point is, for some reason with USCIS, you can't use the logic that if the line gets longer behind you, you wait less. Anything can happen. You just have to make the best decision you can with the information you have available at the time and be prepared that there may be hiccups or nice surprises along the way.

[DominiqueL 0]

Yeah, that's kind of the logic that's leading me to pick the CR-1. With that, you know you're getting a long wait no matter what and there's time to get one's things in order, no 90 day rush to organize a wedding and no waiting to work. As my significant other and I live in the same time zone just a 6 hour drive away, this really is the most logical choice.