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

[Ksenia_O 696]

1 hour ago, NuestraUnion said:

I feel I have to clarify something in regards to my previous post. It is based on my circumstances and my opinion of the K1 visa. It does not mean a K1 would not be a better option for others. But those that I personally know who have asked for my opinion on the K1 were ONLY interested in the speed of the process. Once I explained the limitations of the K1, it definitely gave them food for thought. If I were to personally come across a couple whose circumstances warranted a K1, I would definitely advise them accordingly. 

I believe it's not always about the speeding up the process... If children over 18 but under 21 are involved, a K1/K2 seems like  the only option. 

[AshMarty 360]

We are in our early 30s and went through the K1.

 

Although not recommended we actually did plan a wedding about 10 months out and had all of our friends and family there (our visa luckily went smoothly). My husband had lived in Baltimore for 4 years prior to moving back so he had a social network and friends to keep him busy during the AOS. We also both saved up for about 2 years prior to the immigration process. I own my house and we knew we could get by with just my income for a while so it all worked for us.

 

If you don't have the financial setup to do so and no social network it can be a long process. But both have their downfalls so def choose what works for you  

Edited December 11, 2017 by AshMarty

[hm139 55]

I'm really happy with CR1. We were living together in his country when we decided to start the process and it was important to me to be married before I moved back to the US alone, to sort of "nail it down" as it were. It's hard to be separated but it was also good for me to come here first to get settled so that the adjustment period for my spouse isn't as rough when he finally does come, and then he'll be able to work basically as soon as he gets here. For couples who have been living together abroad I think the spousal visa is a better option. I can see wanting to get married in the US, but you can always have a symbolic ceremony/vow renewal later.

[mysticdolphin95 431]

100% would go for CR1 over K1.  AOS is going to be a bit of a nightmare as we're at the field office that seems to have the longest wait times in the country, and it will probably push back my fiance's chance of naturalizing by at least a year.  Hindsight is 20/20.

[yuna628 9,677]

Hard to say:

 

Getting married in his country wasn't a legal possibility, so K1 seemed like the best option. The K1 certainly worked for us, even if it took so long from the backlog. In a way the length of time gave us an opportunity to plan the wedding we wanted, and save additional finances we'd need later on.

Not being able to work straight away was hindering, but I'm not honestly sure if it made much of an impact, as when he received the EAD - still no employers took interest. It wasn't until he received his green card, did people start biting. So if it did have something to do with it... then a spousal visa would have been better in the long run, but only in terms of employment if that was a factor.

We didn't have issues like others with being cooped up at home or an inability to travel either.

Another bad aspect was that we were unable to attend funerals back home of his grandma and aunt that suddenly passed away. That was the hardest thing.

 

I feel the K1 worked better for us overall, but wasn't without sacrifice.

 

[Sarah&Facundo 595]

My fiance and I debated between the two as well. Ultimately, we made the choice to go for the K1. It made more sense at the time of applying. Realistically, we should have gone for the CR1 for a multitude of reasons. We even realized that before we went to the interview. We considered changing and refiling, but the K1 process went so quickly for us that we decided to suck it up and keep going. My fiance will move to the USA in March and we will get married in April. Either way, we will be here which is nice to know. But I would highly recommend the CR1 to anyone going forward.

[corvusheart 163]

We did K-1 and if we had to do it again we'd still choose K-1. Being together asap was top priority for us. Sure there's extra work going this route but it was worth it to be together sooner. Also prior to K-1 whenever he came over on VWP he'd get pulled into secondary each time and I had to argue with customs officers each time to let him through. He was given a hard time because he was unemployed a lot of the time when he lived in the UK.

[YecaCruz 379]

Hard to say. I think circumstances behind the couple very much determine the route they ultimately choose to take.

Knowing what I know now and if our own circumstances were still the same back then I think we still would have done the K1.

 

1. Very difficult to get a tourist visa in Nicaragua so he wouldn't be able to come visit

2. I don't make enough to be able to freely travel to his country to visit nor do I live in a part of the country where tickets are relatively inexpensive like California, Texas or even Minneapolis. I would not have been okay to be separated from what would have been my husband for a year or more nor he with I. Together is the best place to be and starting a marriage out separated is not for us personally :-)

3. Having to chase down additional documents just because you're married and translate them AND possibly notarize (which in Nicaragua is if it's not notarized it's not acceptable for any official use)of which involve long lines all day...thanks, no thanks

4. Timing was on our side. Super fast processing for both of these steps in the path to citizenship.

5. The time between arrival and green card was a great time for him to rest and unwind; a blessing in disguise. He was an associate pastor of a large church in Nicaragua, at least 12 hours a day  & 7 days a week with ministry. It was the first vacation from work that he had ever had since 2012.  

6. With enough organization and planning it is totally possible to plan a wedding ceremony. I started planning as soon as he proposed in November, had everything down by April/May and coasted along until September.

7. His position had no salary in Nicaragua. People were often kind and would bring him a meal or give him an offering without him ever asking or begging anyone for any of that. Long story behind all that. Getting him here where I could provide for him, feed him etc and he could establish a salary job was priority. Longest time he went without food was 3 days

8. If they wouldn't approve the K1, we could always do the CR1 later. We had 6 years of relationship so we were very confident that they would approve us with the years of evidence I provided.

 

These are some of the reasons we went with the K1 and would do it that way again

[audacieux89 256]

I did k1. I am now in the process of aos, waiting for ead/ap. If i would give advice, i would suggest cr1 as the better option. It is hard to stay unemployed for such a long time and all the barriers and limitations of being out of status after the i94 expires. And it's also hard to get around without a driver's license. A lot of states in the US isn't commuter friendly. It's also hard to depend on someone (specially financially).... takes out the independence from you. :/

 

No harm in waiting just a couple more months for a cr1. I believe it's not that long to wait to get one compared to a k1.

[swalker 137]

We did K1, but definitely the CR-1 would have been the better option for us. We didn’t do enough research ahead of time, but are over the K1 hump now so it’s all good!

Edited December 11, 2017 by swalker

[Dashinka 24,522]

4 hours ago, NuestraUnion said:

Would absolutely not do a K1 again. In fact, when asked for advice about which to do, I always advocate for spousal visa.

 

The K1 is more hype than anything. People are just excited about having their baby-boo with them much sooner than other visas that they overlook the negatives of it. Every time I see a new thread where a K1 applicant is here and is inquiring about how to expedite the EAD so they can finally work, or how they can obtain a driver's license without a green card, or how much longer they have to wait until they receive authorization to travel because they are homesick, I just shake my head.

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.

[laurak29 19]

If I had to do it again, I would probably still go for the K1. It was already hard enough being apart, we both agreed that it would be even harder being married and being apart! It was tough on both of us waiting for the work authorization, I felt very alone and secluded for the 6 months that I couldn’t work. Not to mention the lack of funds. Before going through the visa process, we didn’t do much research, the K1 visa was the first one that popped up so we just went for it! No regrets through this whole thing  Now we’ve been blissfully married for 2 years and are currently going through ROC. 

[millefleur 5,046]

I don't know anyone personally who has gone through K-1, just CR-1/IR-1's. My sister is currently in the IR-1 process and let me tell you, having to wait for the Nebraska Service Center is the pits! I can't believe how slow it is, especially compared to my situation with DCF, I feel so lucky to have had that option.

 

I know that for my sister, having that lull period of not being able to work would've been a no-go for them. I can see how the K-1 might be a good option for people who have the funds to deal with the waiting period. I guess it really comes down to time vs. money.

[JackandRed 16]

Hi everyone.  I  would have to say definitely the CR1 route. My spouse and I both reviewed each route and it was more important for us to pursue the spouse visa. My husband wanted to have the option to gain employment and the freedom to travel. In all  it is definitely worth the sacrifice.  

[WandY 430]

K-1 because we wanted to live together before committing to marriage. And if she didn't want to live in America, she had the option to go home without the need to divorce. Also, if we were denied a CR-1, the ramifications would be far more catastrophic. The K-1 process is not difficult, but it does take some patience and emotional stamina. I have never understood why people say the K-1 is "so difficult" and "hard." It wasn't for us. But we didn't need sponsors, had tax info ready to go, studied the rules, and were generally organized. I think a lot of people have trouble following directions, and maybe don't understand that immigration is not designed to be easy - or cheap. Watching 90 Day Fiance is not realistic - or even worth the time.