K1 Visa (Fiancee versus Wife)

[Adil & Jeanne 296]

A lot depends on the country of the beneficary also as high fraud countries have little chance when it comes to K 1

Many who applyfinancee visa from these countries (list of these countries can be found online) end up going back to marry adding to the timeline and expenses

[visaqueries 111]

We chose the K-1 visa, but if we had it to do again we'd probably have chosen the CR-1/IR-1 route. We applied for the K-1 in August 2012, and due to a delay on their end, we didn't get approved until February 2014 (our AP was just December 2013 to February 2014). When he arrived in May 2014, we were married and submitted our AOS paperwork within 10 days of his arrival. He didn't receive his green card until June 2015, so he'd been in the country over a year before his actual residency began. Had we applied for the marriage visa instead, I imagine our timeline for green card and his residency would have begun earlier than with the route we took. It would have been nice for us to have been able to apply for his citizenship in March of 2017, rather than his 10 year green card...

[soulstriker 274]

both have cons and pros , and depending on your current situation defines what route to take my situation perfect fits in with the k1 so im going that route

[Pennycat 880]

We chose K1 and while I really underestimated what a pain AOS is and how dragging out the *overall* process to permanent residency really stinks (it does), I'd still do it again. Our circumstances were such that we wanted to be together as soon as we could and we'd just gotten engaged and didn't want to run right to the courthouse and get married, especially before he'd met my family and we'd had an engagement period. So if we'd wanted to choose the longer CR1 process, we'd have also tacked on 3 or so more months for personal reasons. So K1 just made sense from that standpoint.

From a practical standpoint, we can handle the pain of AOS and while annoying, dragging out the process isn't as much as a negative as it can be for some. That's because even if we did CR1 and he landed with a green card, there is no way I'd have expected or wanted him to work right away-- he needed to adjust and and take some language classes, and I can afford to give him that and so that lag time is time we'd have done anyway. Not the case with other people whose fiances have visited many times, speak the language, know their way around and are just ready to move on with life already. Totally different story. Highly individual. Best thing you can do is read up on the options and really try to picture what the downsides to both would mean for you and where the priority lies.

[JenniferNangel 137]

I married my husband aboard I had to translate and apostillas my birth certificate and needed to have a affidavit saying I was able to marry translated and apostillas as well. It cost a lot for that but since I'm still in his country I'm able to dcf which is the fastest route to bring him to America with me. Not all countries dcf so you'd have to check on that and also what would qualify you to dcf (file at counsel or embassy)

Good luck