Australian having trouble deciding which visa to enter USA on when ultimate goal is K-3 or CR-1 visa

[ourlifeuncharted 1]

I am a U.S. Citizen and my boyfriend and I met a year and a half ago while solo traveling Europe. We fell in love and travelled together for 9 months before returning to Australia (where he is from) I am on a working holiday visa but my year down under ends in April.

He wants to be able to attend college and work while in the U.S. And because we plan to get married at some point he obviously wants to immigrate.

Our major concern is, we don't want to be forced to separate durning the processing time.

We have been pondering options and every time we think we figured out a good visa route some road block appears. If he comes in on a F-1 visa and we get married at some point while he's on that visa we can just apply for the K-3 and he can stay in the U.S. While that processes. But wouldn't be suspicious to immigration if he came only a few months prior to our marriage? And couldn't they deny our k-3 visa because of that?

Alternately, if he enters on a K-1 wouldn't he have to leave after the wedding while we apply for the K-3 visa?

Lastly, he could enroll in university in Australia and study by extension and come to the U.S. On a J-1 visa and durning his year in America we could marry and apply for a AOS and K-3 visa.

I guess I'm just looking for input for someone who was in a similar position as we are and what you think our best option is for a GC without being separated.

Thanks so much in advance for all your thoughtful replies!

[Georgia16 2,858]

I don't think you quite understand the K-1, K-3 (which they pretty much don't do anymore) and then the CR-1.

No one wants to be separated doing any process but thats just a how it is.

Read the guides on the top tap there you can also compare the visas.

[Kastrs 723]

Read the guides on here using your computer

Since your intention is to get married and move to the US, you should either pursue a K1 visa (which will be processes the fastest) or get married and pursue a CR1 visa

Because it seems you do not want to be apart (trust me, none of us do, but most of us do not have a choice) I would suggest you completing the K1 petition NOW and sending it off ASAP in order to minimize your time apart

Also, I have no idea why you think your fiance would need to leave after you are married from a K1, the whole point of the visa is basically to come to the US get married and adjust status to LPR, it is basically an immigrant visa