how long of a wait for I129f

[atn2018 1]

My partner and I have lived together in his home country ( Australia) for the last two years... We plan on moving to NC,USA and are just beginning the process (  waiting on his passport to commence). I have had a look online and Dallas service center  processing dates state processing cases as of 01 june 2017 . does this mean they are behind and still working on paperwork from last june???? how long did it take some of you guys to get approval for  I129f . I know it says wait times are 5 months but i have heard conflicting accounts.  Any tips on how I can provide enough information so I dont get asked for more evidence or any errors .  Can I only mail to Dallas?  or are there other centers I can submit paperwork to from abroad. TIA 

[geowrian 22,338]

At current processing rates, expect roughly 9-12 months from I-129F filing to embassy interview.

Note that the I-129F is only the first step, and is taking ~6-7 months right now.

Just follow the guide and read the forms and their instructions carefully. Guide: http://www.visajourney.com/content/k1guide

All I-129Fs are sent to the Dallas lockbox, which are then entered into the system and sent to CSC (in California) for adjudication.

Edited January 17, 2018 by geowrian

[Little_Vixen 1,869]

If you are already living together and not in a hurry to move to the US I would advice you to look into marrying in Australia and bring him in on a IR1/CR1. It has many advantages over a K1.

You can look up the different visa's and their costs/timeline on this guide

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

 

 

[JFH 12,191]

1 hour ago, Little_Vixen said:

If you are already living together and not in a hurry to move to the US I would advice you to look into marrying in Australia and bring him in on a IR1/CR1. It has many advantages over a K1.

You can look up the different visa's and their costs/timeline on this guide

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

 

 

This!!!!! I can't understand why any couple living together already overseas would even consider a K-1. Lately it doesn't even have the advantage of being processed quicker. Your fiancée will arrive in the country with an overpriced tourist visa that allows him to stay if he marries you within 90 days. He won't be able to work for many months. He won't be able to travel internationally - not even a quick hop to Canada, Mexico or the Bahamas - for many months. The K-1 is ideal for fiances located in countries that are difficult to get tourist visas (usually developing countries) as they have no other way into the USA. 

 

Get married - and that can be anywhere...Australia, USA, a cruise ship, a beach in the Caribbean, a castle in Europe, whatever you fancy...and apply for a CR-1. Your husband will be a green card holder the minute he arrives with the full rights and privileges that this brings. He can work immediately. It's faster to citizenship (if that's his goal). He has status immediately and permanently. Under the current administration that counts for a lot. It's also cheaper. 

[KBA 542]

I agree with the others about getting married and going that route...I’m a June K1 filer still waiting for NOA2 so the whole process is much longer than it used to be and will still have to wait for green card...etc

[TNJ17 1,329]

Way too frakking long. We filed in May and just now got to NVC. And we didn’t get any RFEs. This process is horrible. Too slow and a nightmare because no one gives you answers. Get married first. Much better. 

[atn2018 1]

Thank you Everyone I didnt know getting first would be an option. How can I go about this what visa and wait times? Suggestions? Could use any advice I can get Im only 20 and this is all new to me 

[atn2018 1]

Not necessarily in a rush but not looking to wait over a year. 

[geowrian 22,338]

ETA: 12-14 months on average.

CR-1 visa.

Guide: http://www.visajourney.com/content/i130guide1

[Unlockable 7,316]

1 hour ago, Tai98 said:

Not necessarily in a rush but not looking to wait over a year. 

The way things are going you may not have a choice but to wait that long.

 

Processing times for both spousal and fiance are about a year.

[Little_Vixen 1,869]

1 hour ago, Tai98 said:

Thank you Everyone I didnt know getting first would be an option. How can I go about this what visa and wait times? Suggestions? Could use any advice I can get Im only 20 and this is all new to me 

Read the guides that have been posted by me and several others. It was new to everyone at some point and we all had to wrestle through the pages of information. All the information we can give you here will be too little and is bound to miss something important. Besides, we can't choose for you what visa to take. They are all different and some are more suitable to you than others. Go read the guides. Start with the one I gave you where it compares all the visa's. Pick the visa that best suits you and your fiancé and go from there. It's a lot, but you're young, you can do it.

Edited January 17, 2018 by Little_Vixen

[John & Rose 7,239]

Right now the CR-1 is a better option for people just heading into this.  Yes it is 10 to 14 months for approval but you will receive the green card and can work as soon as you arrive in the states.  It is also thousands of dollars cheaper.

 

The K-1, in theory, gets you and your partner together quicker but it also has AOS/EAD/SSN/GC processes that never seem to end.  It can be 3 months before the beneficiary can legally work and the temp green card can take a year while costing thousands more than the CR-1.

 

Now the timelines are very close to identical.  I will not see POE for my partner until May or June and I am a June 6 filer.  That is 12 months.  So if the CR-1 goes the expected 14 months, the time difference is really quite small compared to the benefits.

 

I would do a CR-1 if I weren't already over 7 months into my NOA2 wait.

Edited January 17, 2018 by John & Rose

[Thina 13]

Hello everyone! I want to know what’s different between k-3 and IR1/CR1? Someone can tell me. Thank for reply 

[geowrian 22,338]

11 minutes ago, Thina said:

Hello everyone! I want to know what’s different between k-3 and IR1/CR1? Someone can tell me. Thank for reply 

K-3 is not regularly issued anymore and a CR-1/IR-1 is.

A K-3 is like a K-1 for those who are married, and takes a couple less months to obtain compared to a CR-1/IR-1. But, the petition only extremely rarely makes it through the process to the embassy to even apply for the K-3. NVC normally administratively closes the I-129F by policy.

Edited January 18, 2018 by geowrian

[Thina 13]

3 hours ago, geowrian said:

K-3 is not regularly issued anymore and a CR-1/IR-1 is.

A K-3 is like a K-1 for those who are married, and takes a couple less months to obtain compared to a CR-1/IR-1. But, the petition only extremely rarely makes it through the process to the embassy to even apply for the K-3. NVC normally administratively closes the I-129F by policy.

Thanks you