If you had to do it again, K1 or CR1?

[N-o-l-a 7,168]

We initially filed for a K1 and filed for a CR1 around the time I-129F was approved from the first application.  

 

CR1 all the way and to the moon and back.  My husband had a job within days of stepping foot in America and could start driving and integrating right away.  We didn't need to worry about anymore paperwork for the next 2 years (ROC), etc.  

 

CR1s are by far the better choice for most immigrants as they can't get into sticky pickles with USCs who don't file for their AOS after a K1.

[Unlockable 7,315]

 

2 hours ago, Bill & Katya said:

I tend to agree with you and often times I will also advise couples to pursue the CR1 as opposed to the K1, but I think there are other reasons other than speed that drive a K1.  Often times it is difficult to have a legal wedding in a fiance’s Country, or even in a third country.  I know when I researched it I would have had to be in Russia for 32+ days to have a wedding there.  Having it in another country was also out for us for various reasons.  I think the thing that most people that take the K1 route is how best to help their now spouse adjust to their new life.  When my fiancé got her visa, she did not jump on the first plane here, rather we took about five months to plan a nice wedding, and to plan the adjustment period for when she arrived.  Upon arrival, we took two weeks (which of course is not a lot of time) for her to get her sea legs so-to-speak, and decide if this was right for her.  She was able to meet her future family and get to know them, we also set up some friendships even before she arrived, and we set up some Community College courses for her to take.  When I went back to work after the wedding, we also decided to get a puppy so she didn’t feel so alone while we were AOSing.  I think the biggest thing that annoys me is the amount of people that do not take the time to research immigration when they embark on any visa, but I guess that is why we have VJ, and I guess there will always be questions that seem repetitive.

I agree. Especially dealing with countries where same sex marriage is not allowed so they unfortunately have no choice.

 

Yes, there are obviously circumstances where the K1 is the way to go. And I also agree that too many people don't put enough time researching the visa before applying. 

 

Guess that's why VJ is such a gem.

[JoannaV 174]

We chose CR1 and don't regret it at all. Fewer steps in the process, cheaper overall for us. Some of the downsides of the K1 would not have affected us: I wasn't working or driving anyway, and we would have known to avoid things such as needing to get vaccinations in the US.

CR1 meant we could start our married life sooner; I was able to spend a lot of the waiting time in the US using the VWP.

At the time that I applied the CR1 was the quicker option. And then I was extraordinarily lucky and had my I-130 approved super quickly.

[Amy_and_Victor 159]

I don't think there is the best choice that will work for everyone between CR-1 and K-1, it depends on the situation and priorities. We did K-1 and I would go the same route again myself in my situation. I feel like CR-1 is better in a way that you're more set up to start your life in the US from the day you arrive but you walk out of the plane with a lot of strings already attached, it's more complicated to do and most of the complicated stuff has to be done while you're still across the ocean from each other. I had no issues with SSN, driver's license (I had an international one) etc. when I came in and tbh I wasn't ready to jump to work right away. US and Russia are not dramatically different countries but it was different enough that I appreciate few months I got before my working permit arrived to understand what's going around me and how culture is different. Another reason, K-1 left me more chances to go back with no strings like GC attached in case if I would feel after arrival that I really hate it here and don't want to stay, or something goes terribly wrong. As a backup plan, me and Amy considered variant of us living in Russia in this case. I can't say doing AOS was easy being in the US, but being together it certainly was easier and less stressful than doing any paperwork living across the ocean from each other. The only bummer was that our K-1 took a very long time because we fell into the very beginning of CSC "dead" time and then our file stayed untouched despite service requests in some kind of black hole while we were nagging USCIS about it in all possible ways, so while many people who filed just a few weeks before us got NOA2 within 70-90 days of NOA1, we had to wait 6 months for it.

 

I would say that if I would have to start any job right away and wouldn't have some savings cushion, if I would already have been in the US before and would be sure that I'm going to stay and live here no matter what, or if I would be coming from a high fraud country with very slim chances get approval for K-1, very likely I would decide that CR-1 is the best way to go, but since none of these statements apply to my situation in the past, I believe that K-1 was the best and easiest choice in this case.

 

- Victor from Russia

[Amy_and_Victor 159]

3 hours ago, N-o-l-a said:

CR1s are by far the better choice for most immigrants as they can't get into sticky pickles with USCs who don't file for their AOS after a K1.

This is a good reason but in my opinion it applies only to the immigrants who want to stay in the US no matter what and have immigration as one of their main priorities in the whole process.

Speaking for myself, I didn't have an intent to grow the roots in the US no matter what, but we discussed together pros and cons of living in both countries for us both and decided that summary for us both living together is in favor of the US. There, in Russia, I had my father, friends, familiar culture, owned apartment to live in, local degree and many other advantages while here I would have nothing except piece of paper called Green Card in this situation even if we would do CR-1 and some money in the bank I could easily take back to Russia. So what for to stay if Amy wouldn't want to file for AOS and would be shady about our relationship and life? May be if I would be coming from some kind of war zone of starving country, but myself I didn't even consider staying in the US if our family would fall apart in the first year. Back then I would be better by myself in Russia than here.

 

- Victor from Russia

[N-o-l-a 7,168]

1 hour ago, Amy_and_Victor said:

This is a good reason but in my opinion it applies only to the immigrants who want to stay in the US no matter what and have immigration as one of their main priorities in the whole process.

Speaking for myself, I didn't have an intent to grow the roots in the US no matter what, but we discussed together pros and cons of living in both countries for us both and decided that summary for us both living together is in favor of the US. There, in Russia, I had my father, friends, familiar culture, owned apartment to live in, local degree and many other advantages while here I would have nothing except piece of paper called Green Card in this situation even if we would do CR-1 and some money in the bank I could easily take back to Russia. So what for to stay if Amy wouldn't want to file for AOS and would be shady about our relationship and life? May be if I would be coming from some kind of war zone of starving country, but myself I didn't even consider staying in the US if our family would fall apart in the first year. Back then I would be better by myself in Russia than here.

 

- Victor from Russia

 

Well, there is the issue of money that often comes up that has nothing to do with whether an immigrant's intent was for a greencard or love.  I often see that on VJ - something comes up or they just can't seem to manage to put aside the money for AOS and then the immigrant is stuck with no legal status regardless the status of their relationship.

 

It is also rather unfair to have someone give up their job/career, home, perhaps cars, etc.  move to another country and not have a recourse if something goes wrong.  Scammers tend to pull some VAWA game anyway.

[jlc201 47]

I also did CR1 and would do the same again. My husband and I were living together in his country for several years and were happy continuing our lives there together until the CR1 was approved. He had a tourist visa, so we got married in the US while on vacation and then went back to Lima to apply for the CR1 and wait for approval.(And, the time spent waiting for approval allowed me to travel back to the US periodically to get a home and set up for the family when they arrived.) The biggest advantage of the CR1 was that my husband had freedom to travel as soon as he arrived. Although we didn't plan it, his father got sick and died shortly before the CR1 was granted, and so he was able to be at home with his family during that difficult time rather than suffering in isolation in the US, waiting for AP to be approved. After he moved to the US, his mother became ill and he spent a lot of time traveling back home to care for her, which would not have been an option if he had arrived on a K1. No one plans on a loved one getting sick or passing away, but it happens, and if you need to leave the US to be with family while you are in the middle of AOS, it can be tough having to decide between waiting out your AP or abandoning the K1 altogether and starting over from scratch.

[Scandi 4,173]

17 hours ago, Little_Vixen said:

Yes, another K1 vs CR1 thread. Sorry.

I've researched both of them and we decided to go for the K1. We gathered all the paperwork and are now ready to file everything in December. But... I see so many people 'complain' about the route they have chosen. I would like to know more about that and gather some of your experiences here.

Why have you chosen the K1 or the CR1. Are you still happy with the choice or do you regret it. If you had to do it again would you choose differently. And why? Is it just the cost, or the time. Or are there other factors involved that you hadn't fully realized when starting the process.

 

I understand each situation is different and a fiancé(e)s or spouses home country can make you choose one way or the other. I'm just really curious to hear your thoughts on this.

We chose the K-1 because we thought it would be faster and because we didn't want to be separated after getting married. Turned out that the K-1 took much longer than expected.

 

If I had to do it all over again today I would go for the CR-1. The whole idea of not being separated after the wedding just wasn't worth the struggle with the K-1, the AOS and then the wait to even be able to work and drive and travel abroad on top of that. I'm obviously so grateful that me and my husband didn't have to be apart after the wedding, that we could start our life together immediately as married, not on opposite sides of the world. But yeah, I still wouldn't go the K-1+AOS route again.

[Andsco 89]

I would go K1 again without any doubts. I came here and I had to file for AOS, Authorization to work and so on but still, the authorization had it ready in around 3 months (which means i could already contribute economically) and I am getting the AOS interview soon (hopefully). In the meantime, as I said, I can work and I can do anything as if I had my GC. 

I have to say that the other way takes longer and yes, you might get the GC or whatever much quicker (i think asap you get here) but I heard of people having trouble on the interviews (much more than with K1 visa) and on top of that, no way I would stay away from my now husband for like a year..it took me around 4/5 months to get the K1 and it was already crazy because of how much I missed him. 

[CM&KV 72]

I'm going to be starting the CR-1 route hopefully this month, waiting on some documents.... Personslly I wanted to kidnap my husband while he was here on a B1, he knew that, and do AOS, but in my area it would have taken the same legnth in time as a CR-1, plus his career requires him to work on a green card (Itar clearance) over an EAD. Seeing as this is his 3nd marriage, and this would be my 2nd, red flags! We thought this would have been a better choice. He also agreed to if this is the route we take we must visit at least once during the process, explained why and  here we are....... Also another pro is we are able to save money, he can see his kids (not petitioning but will be petitioning one of his kids in a few years. The mother has given us a blessing.)

 

Cons were I would have to dig into the american money for saving to pay for child supprt, we woud have to wait nearly a year  to see him back into his career. And possibily missing out some major projects for his career, that could have expanded his career more for when he is looking for work in his field, compared to being unable to work for nearly a year.

 

So the CR-1 was picked because of his career....he only knows how to do th work he is doing now and nothing else. 

[visaqueries 111]

If we were to do it again, I still would want to do the K1.  At the time of our filing we knew we wanted to start the process (because we knew it would take a long time), but we weren't 100% sure we were ready to marry.  We filed in August 2012, and things were slow.  It was the perfect time to deepen our relationship (met 2009, officially together after my visit in May 2012).  After filing I was able to visit 3 more times, and that really helped.  Our approval came February 2014, and by the time he arrived in May, we were ready...married 5 days after he arrived.  Yes, it was a gamble on our part to file prior to our unmovable decision to marry, but it worked for us.

 

My husband would probably agree that we would do the K1 again, but he did not like NOT working.  That was the hardest part for him.  Other than that, we were pleased with the process.

[Little_Vixen 1,869]

Oh wow, you guys are amazing! I never anticipated this many replies.

It's really good reading about your experiences. I know it helps me wrap my mind around the other things besides the obvious differences. I'm sure it will help other decide what to do too. Thank you so much!

 

From what I gather is that most people who went with the CR1 have no regrets and would do it again. People who went the K1 route lean both ways. Most would go the CR1 if going again, mostly because the wait for the AOS (and/or work permit/travel permit).

 

To let you know our story. We decided on the K1 cause at the time we were researching our options the K1 was still faster than the CR1. We haven't known each other for a very long time yet and I think it would shock both our parents if we decided to get married right away in stead of going the traditional engagement route. I'd hate for it to come across as being a rash spur of the moment thing cause this is going to be a big ordeal for both of us and we need our parents support.

Edited December 12, 2017 by Little_Vixen

[LionessDeon 2,060]

First know that everyone's situation and circumstances are different and what works best for one may not work well for another.  It really boils down to personal preference.  We chose K1 because we didn't want to be separated after marriage waiting for his visa and thought the process would be quicker.  .  Yet our K1 proved a difficult journey, much more expensive, and more hassle.  Our journey would've been difficult either way but I'm glad we didn't have to be apart after marriage.  I think looking back I would've toughed it out to have a destination wedding and less hassle and less expensive.  My husband says the same.

 

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

^^ this is a good reference but needs a cost update.  Take a look at the AOS fees now.  https://www.uscis.gov/forms/our-fees

[Little_Vixen 1,869]

5 minutes ago, LionessDeon said:

 

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

^^ this is a good reference but needs a cost update.  Take a look at the AOS fees now.  https://www.uscis.gov/forms/our-fees

Thank you. I have read the guides extensively and they are a huge help in deciding what route to take. I already had the new fees added to my own cost sheet.

The whole K1 would cost us a total of 2288 dollar (incl getting copies and pictures and things).

[CM&KV 72]

13 hours ago, CM&KV said:

I'm going to be starting the CR-1 route hopefully this month, waiting on some documents.... Personslly I wanted to kidnap my husband while he was here on a B1, he knew that, and do AOS, but in my area it would have taken the same legnth in time as a CR-1, plus his career requires him to work on a green card (Itar clearance) over an EAD. Seeing as this is his 3nd marriage, and this would be my 2nd, red flags! We thought this would have been a better choice. He also agreed to if this is the route we take we must visit at least once during the process, explained why and  here we are....... Also another pro is we are able to save money, he can see his kids (not petitioning but will be petitioning one of his kids in a few years. The mother has given us a blessing.)

 

Cons were I would have to dig into the american money for saving to pay for child supprt, we woud have to wait nearly a year  to see him back into his career. And possibily missing out some major projects for his career, that could have expanded his career more for when he is looking for work in his field, compared to being unable to work for nearly a year.

 

So the CR-1 was picked because of his career....he only knows how to do th work he is doing now and nothing else. 

Ugh sorry for the spelling errors etc, was a long day dealing with the DOL yesterday,  and lack of sleep... but this is his 3rd marriage, my 2nd. But him and I talk at least 2 times a day, via text messaging and days off via voice. Another reason why we didn't do AOS was because if something went wrong and the processing time took forever, he would be out of the game for his career too long that someone might not hire him. He felt that since he has to pay for child support back at his home country, he would need to be able to find work right away, or before he moves off fully. According to the government I make enough money to support him and another, but where I live, its not enough for a 1 bedroom apartment etc, for 200 more a month you can get a 2 bedroom apartment, so I have a housemate, him and I been friends for nearly 7+ years and has known my husbands and my situation, and has met each other a few times.