K-1 or CR-1?

[bakphx1 789]

The K1 Visa has a built-in potential to kill your relationship or self-sabotage the process. 

 

More than one recipient has gone home and abandoned the green card and relationship for a combination of: 1) inability to work, 2) inability to study (where cost prohibitive), 3) depression and isolation, 4) family emergencies come up before the status is adjusted and the beneficiary must travel home and abandon the process as they can't re-enter on the K1. 

 

For a few months' savings in processing, I personally say it's a horrible deal and many who came in on a K1 say they'd do it over again with a CR1 /IR1.  No one ever wishes they'd done a K1 instead.  

 

I would tell anyone to not even consider a K1 as a personal opinion. 

[MrHanky 1,377]

1 hour ago, bakphx1@aol.com said:

The K1 Visa has a built-in potential to kill your relationship or self-sabotage the process. 

 

More than one recipient has gone home and abandoned the green card and relationship for a combination of: 1) inability to work, 2) inability to study (where cost prohibitive), 3) depression and isolation, 4) family emergencies come up before the status is adjusted and the beneficiary must travel home and abandon the process as they can't re-enter on the K1. 

 

For a few months' savings in processing, I personally say it's a horrible deal and many who came in on a K1 say they'd do it over again with a CR1 /IR1.  No one ever wishes they'd done a K1 instead.  

 

I would tell anyone to not even consider a K1 as a personal opinion. 

That's a great post!

 

We did CR1 cause there was worry about going crazy with not being able to do anything for 3 months or longer.

 

[caliliving 606]

If you are from the UK and have a good job then the cr1 is a no brainer!

You can still travel on VWP. You can still work and once you enter You will have a green card and able to work right away!!

 

It's much better in my opinion for people from Canada and vwp countries. 

 

K1 expect to not work for 5 to 6 months! 

[bakphx1 789]

I was a bit tempted with the K1 too, but we actually got married before knowing as much about it.  When you begin the process, the thought of being together months sooner sounds great, but for many, they become unhappy months anyway.  Getting a SS# and Green Card right away was so nice. 

[Wuozopo 4,293]

I was happy with K1 because we could start the paperwork immediately. We weren't ready to get married for about six months. So six months delay, then a year for the visa would have been an 18 month delay. 

As it turned out, we married and started married life together a year sooner than CR1. I got my SSN the first week, drove on my U.K. license until I could get my EAD as proof of being legally in US, and got on with day to day living, albeit without a greencard. It just worked out for us.  Yes, it is an awkward period for many in that three months waiting for EAD so you can work and get a driver license. Many get bored. But it would have been worse for me personally spending that extra time in the U.K. I found plenty to do with my time, had a car so I didn't feel housebound or emprisoned, and it worked perfectly. 

[jordanmorris1 0]

17 minutes ago, Wuozopo said:

I was happy with K1 because we could start the paperwork immediately. We weren't ready to get married for about six months. So six months delay, then a year for the visa would have been an 18 month delay. 

As it turned out, we married and started married life together a year sooner than CR1. I got my SSN the first week, drove on my U.K. license until I could get my EAD as proof of being legally in US, and got on with day to day living, albeit without a greencard. It just worked out for us.  Yes, it is an awkward period for many in that three months waiting for EAD so you can work and get a driver license. Many get bored. But it would have been worse for me personally spending that extra time in the U.K. I found plenty to do with my time, had a car so I didn't feel housebound or emprisoned, and it worked perfectly. 

thanks for sharing your experience! can you inform me on how the process goes of getting a SSN? i guess it happens after the marriage (after k1 visa allows entry)? is it before/after/during Adjustment of status?

[payxibka 10,045]

1 hour ago, jordanmorris1 said:

thanks for sharing your experience! can you inform me on how the process goes of getting a SSN? i guess it happens after the marriage (after k1 visa allows entry)? is it before/after/during Adjustment of status?

K-1 is eligible for SSN immediately upon arrival.  The sooner you do it the better 

[Wuozopo 4,293]

4 hours ago, jordanmorris1 said:

thanks for sharing your experience! can you inform me on how the process goes of getting a SSN? i guess it happens after the marriage (after k1 visa allows entry)? is it before/after/during Adjustment of status?

A K1 is eligible immediately to have a SSN. I think it's best to go apply before marriage and in the maiden name as it appears on your passport and I-94 entry record (if applicable even if you already married). Change the name later when you get the greencard in your married name. The number is yours for life and is what counts. So if all goes well and you don't get a dummy processing you, the card arrives in about a week or so. NOTE: a SSN is not going to allow you to work until you have an EAD card or greencard to go along with it.  But it is helpful to get that number early to give at the bank, for leases, health insurance, etc. Everybody wants your SSN.

 

There's detailed guides on this website for SSN. See the menu bar Guides, then look over on the right side of the guide page.

[dentsflogged 352]

10 hours ago, Wuozopo said:

I was happy with K1 because we could start the paperwork immediately. We weren't ready to get married for about six months. So six months delay, then a year for the visa would have been an 18 month delay. 

As it turned out, we married and started married life together a year sooner than CR1. I got my SSN the first week, drove on my U.K. license until I could get my EAD as proof of being legally in US, and got on with day to day living, albeit without a greencard. It just worked out for us.  Yes, it is an awkward period for many in that three months waiting for EAD so you can work and get a driver license. Many get bored. But it would have been worse for me personally spending that extra time in the U.K. I found plenty to do with my time, had a car so I didn't feel housebound or emprisoned, and it worked perfectly. 

This is probably the most positive post I've seen about K-1 in many weeks.   So often people who are already married and living with their partner (and mostly seem to have had a much shorter wait than current processing times) immediately disregard personal circumstances and seem to insist that CR1 is the superior visa in every situation and for every couple. 

K1 is actually a great visa option and I don't get why so many people are so against it, unless it's because they didn't have the fore-knowledge of how it works.  It can absolutely be seen as the "quick" option, but it's not just that.  It's the "options" option.   It gives you the option to make actual plans on your own general timeline.   Say it's currently January and you want to marry the following December because of whatever reason - family commitments, work commitments, budget constraints, preference for cold weather or anything else. Current K-1 processing times would give a pretty good chance of that working out.   You can apply for the K1 and be reasonably confident (RFEs, difficult Embassy or huge unexpected backlog aside of course) that you'll be able to be married on or close to your timeline, be with your partner and start your married life.    With the CR1, you'd be apart for that time.  You may get married in one country or the other (or a third one) in December as you wanted.  Then you split up and wait another ~12 months to start your actual married life. 

So anyhow, my point is this for the OP (and anyone else who is questioning it) - no one can tell you which visa option is going to be best for your personal situation.   People can give you their opinions of which is preferable based on THEIR experience. They can explain the process of each type and pros and cons as they see them, but only the people who are going to be lodging the petition and visa application can actually decide what the real pros and cons are and what they're willing to accept or give up during this process. 

 

 

[MrHanky 1,377]

38 minutes ago, dentsflogged said:

This is probably the most positive post I've seen about K-1 in many weeks.   So often people who are already married and living with their partner (and mostly seem to have had a much shorter wait than current processing times) immediately disregard personal circumstances and seem to insist that CR1 is the superior visa in every situation and for every couple. 

K1 is actually a great visa option and I don't get why so many people are so against it, unless it's because they didn't have the fore-knowledge of how it works.  It can absolutely be seen as the "quick" option, but it's not just that.  It's the "options" option.   It gives you the option to make actual plans on your own general timeline.   Say it's currently January and you want to marry the following December because of whatever reason - family commitments, work commitments, budget constraints, preference for cold weather or anything else. Current K-1 processing times would give a pretty good chance of that working out.   You can apply for the K1 and be reasonably confident (RFEs, difficult Embassy or huge unexpected backlog aside of course) that you'll be able to be married on or close to your timeline, be with your partner and start your married life.    With the CR1, you'd be apart for that time.  You may get married in one country or the other (or a third one) in December as you wanted.  Then you split up and wait another ~12 months to start your actual married life. 

So anyhow, my point is this for the OP (and anyone else who is questioning it) - no one can tell you which visa option is going to be best for your personal situation.   People can give you their opinions of which is preferable based on THEIR experience. They can explain the process of each type and pros and cons as they see them, but only the people who are going to be lodging the petition and visa application can actually decide what the real pros and cons are and what they're willing to accept or give up during this process. 

 

 

Well I think that's the point of asking others, they don't have to take what any one says as an absolute answer, they're going to read through the comments and reflect on it and make their own decision.

[Wuozopo 4,293]

I think in all blunt honesty, K1 works better for those who have saved up a good amount of money, are self-starters, know how to drive and have a car to use while the spouse is at work or public transportation readily available, their own place to live other than the in-laws, and a fiance who can afford the extra person.  But there are many who don't have two pennies to rub together, and are stuck in somebody else's house all day with no shops in walking distance and no transportation. They do suffer with boredom and homesickness. It's difficult to live on love alone. They might do better to wait it out in their home country, both save up some money to get out of Dad's house, and be able to take a job in the US sooner. There are so many personal situations that I don't think anybody can say one visa or the other is a "no brainer" that fits everybody.