K-1, K-3, or Cr-1?

[contrapuntal62 1]

she lives in West Africa. We met on an obscure special shared interest dating website. (We both deleted our accounts within a couple days of meeting).

I live in Texas. We want to meet in person so my original plan is to visit her in January, then file K-1 immediately upon return. Or should we marry there? Or just what is best? I am a newbie and did not even know of the Tourist Visa Cr-1 option until today. She is graduating from nursing school this year. opinions and advice much appreciated.

Peace

[milimelo 4,486]

Forget about K-3 s it’s rarely given (~38 total given last year). Either K-1 or CR-1 but decide only after going to visit her - face time is important. 

 

Which West African country is she from? 

Edited June 26, 2018 by milimelo

[geowrian 22,337]

K-3 is obsolete so don't bother with that.

For the K-1, you can meet then file.

For a CR-1. you can met then marry and file. Generally, I would suggest a CR-1 over a K-1. The only advantage (assuming no near-adult children) is the K-1 takes a couple months less time to process. Otherwise, the CR-1 is superior in every way (cheaper, faster green card, can work and travel right away, ability to reaffirm a petition, etc.).

 

That said...getting engaged or married on the first visit is a red flag. Time spent in person is important, especially if they are from a high fraud country (not sure which country she is from).

Either way, more visits and face time during the processing is highly recommended.

 

K-1: ~8-12 months form filing to interview, on average

CR-1: ~12-16 months from filing to interview, on average.

[contrapuntal62 1]

6 minutes ago, milimelo said:

Forget about K-3 s it’s rarely given (~38 total given last year). Either K-1 or CR-1 but decide only after going to visit her - face time is important. 

 

Which West African country is she from? 

Ghana. I cannot afford travel there until January. She is a college student on a very tight budget.

[milimelo 4,486]

4 minutes ago, contrapuntal62 said:

Ghana. I cannot afford travel there until January. She is a college student on a very tight budget.

Well then you can’t start anything until you meet. If money is tight get a second job (or a better paying one) and think about your prospective partner - she’ll expect to send money to family when she’s in the US. 

[contrapuntal62 1]

5 minutes ago, geowrian said:

K-3 is obsolete so don't bother with that.

For the K-1, you can meet then file.

For a CR-1. you can met then marry and file. Generally, I would suggest a CR-1 over a K-1. The only advantage (assuming no near-adult children) is the K-1 takes a couple months less time to process. Otherwise, the CR-1 is superior in every way (cheaper, faster green card, can work and travel right away, ability to reaffirm a petition, etc.).

 

That said...getting engaged or married on the first visit is a red flag. Time spent in person is important, especially if they are from a high fraud country (not sure which country she is from).

Either way, more visits and face time during the processing is highly recommended.

 

K-1: ~8-12 months form filing to interview, on average

CR-1: ~12-16 months from filing to interview, on average.

I do not know what countries are considered "high fraud" or by whom. She lives in Ghana.

 

I am liking my original idea of getting married in the USA after she arrives within 90 days after these 2 initial replies. I will be able to afford to support her at that point--no problem at all until she gets green card.

 

And I do think there are medical orgs that hunt for overseas talent and assisting with immigration. Does anybody know of such organizations in the USA?

 

Starting in January we will be able to meet about very 3 months if I can continue to fly there or she gets a tourist visa just for a visit.

 

I am seeing the CR-1 as maybe too risky as I do not completely understand it and the implications. The K-1 is pretty cut and dried and I have read thru all of the forms as well as the things needed for CYA documentation.

 

(I have 10 years of tech writing experience--so the written word--professionally speaking--and persuasion in speech/written word is at least one little arrow in my quiver.)

[geowrian 22,337]

Just now, contrapuntal62 said:

I do not know what countries are considered "high fraud" or by whom. She lives in Ghana.

Eek...Ghana is one of the highest fraud countries for a US visa. They are notoriously difficult. Note that this isn't to discourage you at all, and many people do get a K-1 or CR-1 visa from Ghana, but you really need to focus on presenting a strong case.

 

Just now, contrapuntal62 said:

And I do think there are medical orgs that hunt for overseas talent and assisting with immigration. Does anybody know of such organizations in the USA?

There are services like RapidVisa, but but they basically just help with the paperwork. The guides section here and the instructions explain the process pretty well....many people here DIY.

Note that they can help with the paperwork, but the facts remain facts and that's really what it will end up coming down to.

 

Just now, contrapuntal62 said:

I am seeing the CR-1 as maybe too risky as I do not completely understand it and the implications. The K-1 is pretty cut and dried and I have read thru all of the forms as well as the things needed for CYA documentation.

CR-1 is less risky and much fewer steps overall. There's a few extra steps at NVC with a CR-1, but it avoid all the paperwork involved with doing AOS after arrival in the US on the K-1 (I-485, I-131, I-765, I-864), avoids another biometrics appointment, avoid another interview where they go over your case, another 7-18+ months of waiting for the green card, etc.

 

Also, as noted, if there's an issue and the visa gets denied and petition sent back to the US, a K-1 dies and you have to start all over. A CR-1 can be reaffirmed.

[contrapuntal62 1]

8 minutes ago, milimelo said:

Well then you can’t start anything until you meet. If money is tight get a second job (or a better paying one) and think about your prospective partner - she’ll expect to send money to family when she’s in the US. 

Respectfully, I do not need employment, career , or investment advice and certainly not relationship/money advice--I need immigration advice. You make some assumptions of our situation using insufficient info.

 

However you are absolutely correct about "starting something" only when I can afford the visit. My other question is ----do the visits we have after I submit the initial paperwork--is that beneficial too, or is it only visitation before starting the process that counts?

[geowrian 22,337]

2 minutes ago, contrapuntal62 said:

My other question is ----do the visits we have after I submit the initial paperwork--is that beneficial too, or is it only visitation before starting the process that counts?

Provide evidence at the time of filing, more/ new evidence at the NVC stage, then more/new evidence at the interview.

In short, all the evidence counts, but the more you put upfront, the more the CO will see before the interview. Ghana COs are often suspected of making a decision (or at least form a very strong opinion) before the interview, so putting the best foot forward is critical.

[contrapuntal62 1]

4 minutes ago, geowrian said:

Eek...Ghana is one of the highest fraud countries for a US visa. They are notoriously difficult. Note that this isn't to discourage you at all, and many people do get a K-1 or CR-1 visa from Ghana, but you really need to focus on presenting a strong case.

 

There are services like RapidVisa, but but they basically just help with the paperwork. The guides section here and the instructions explain the process pretty well....many people here DIY.

Note that they can help with the paperwork, but the facts remain facts and that's really what it will end up coming down to.

 

CR-1 is less risky and much fewer steps overall. There's a few extra steps at NVC with a CR-1, but it avoid all the paperwork involved with doing AOS after arrival in the US on the K-1 (I-485, I-131, I-765, I-864), avoids another biometrics appointment, avoid another interview where they go over your case, another 7-18+ months of waiting for the green card, etc.

 

Also, as noted, if there's an issue and the visa gets denied and petition sent back to the US, a K-1 dies and you have to start all over. A CR-1 can be reaffirmed.

Thank you so much for clarifying the details. So now my question becomes, if I go Cr-1 and first visit marriages are highly suspect. I still do not understand the insanity of the "fraud assumption" but I feel that I am right at home in Brazil feeling now (the movie of a totalitarian society that outlaws love). SO how many visits before we can marry, or should she get a travel visa and we get married in USA and she returns--which is safest? most likely to get approved?

[contrapuntal62 1]

3 minutes ago, geowrian said:

Provide evidence at the time of filing, more/ new evidence at the NVC stage, then more/new evidence at the interview.

In short, all the evidence counts, but the more you put upfront, the more the CO will see before the interview. Ghana COs are often suspected of making a decision (or at least form a very strong opinion) before the interview, so putting the best foot forward is critical.

Sincere thanks. The note about Ghana CO's is interesting. They assume every female there is a grifter? that also happens to have a Bachelors in Nursing? This is not a 19 year old girl--this is a mature lady--over the age of 30.

[geowrian 22,337]

5 minutes ago, contrapuntal62 said:

Thank you so much for clarifying the details. So now my question becomes, if I go Cr-1 and first visit marriages are highly suspect. I still do not understand the insanity of the "fraud assumption" but I feel that I am right at home in Brazil feeling now (the movie of a totalitarian society that outlaws love). SO how many visits before we can marry, or should she get a travel visa and we get married in USA and she returns--which is safest? most likely to get approved?

I don't have a hard answer on how many visits or how long they should be, sorry. Every case is unique and they will look at the totality of the circumstances. I would really have to defer to people that have more intimate knowledge of Ghana for best recommendations.

One visit is a red flag, but a red flag is by no means a reason to deny a visa in itself.

 

If she can obtain a tourist visa (56.18% refusal rate last fiscal year from Ghana), then she can visit and you can marry and start the visa process fine that way, too.

 

2 minutes ago, contrapuntal62 said:

Sincere thanks. The note about Ghana CO's is interesting. They assume every female there is a grifter? that also happens to have a Bachelors in Nursing? This is not a 19 year old girl--this is a mature lady--over the age of 30.

I don't know the local culture, sorry, but my limited understanding is that the fraud concerns are more common with older female USCs with younger males from Ghana. So that does sound like a positive in your case, but please don't take just my word on it either.

 

Best wishes!

[contrapuntal62 1]

29 minutes ago, geowrian said:

Provide evidence at the time of filing, more/ new evidence at the NVC stage, then more/new evidence at the interview.

In short, all the evidence counts, but the more you put upfront, the more the CO will see before the interview. Ghana COs are often suspected of making a decision (or at least form a very strong opinion) before the interview, so putting the best foot forward is critical.

Thank you--I already tried an advanced search on the word spontaneous with little result. How is this spontaneous marriage supposed to happen? Or does it need to be spontaneous? And where is this requirement in writing on an official document? Or is this just myth, or only so if we get married in the states via her travel visa or what? I am totally confused on this spontaneous meeting/marriage issue.

[geowrian 22,337]

10 minutes ago, contrapuntal62 said:

Thank you--I already tried an advanced search on the word spontaneous with little result. How is this spontaneous marriage supposed to happen? Or does it need to be spontaneous? And where is this requirement in writing on an official document? Or is this just myth, or only so if we get married in the states via her travel visa or what? I am totally confused on this spontaneous meeting/marriage issue.

Spontaneous marriages do certainly happen. And couples who engage in them absolutely can get a visa. I'm just pointing out that a marriage on a first visit is a red flag in determining if a relationship or marriage is real or just for immigration benefits.

 

I suggest looking around the posts on the Ghana portal (http://www.visajourney.com/portals/index.php?country=Ghana). There's 3 posts since Thursday about denials due to suspected fraud. That should shed at least some light on what types of evidence one should have / what circumstances cause additional scrutiny.

Note that any time you see "reaffirmed", it means the visa was denied the first time (almost always due to a lack of a bona fide marriage), sent back to USCIS, then reviewed again and being sent back to the embassy for another interview.

Edited June 26, 2018 by geowrian

[contrapuntal62 1]

5 minutes ago, geowrian said:

Spontaneous marriages do certainly happen. And couples who engage in them absolutely can get a visa. I'm just pointing out that a marriage on a first visit is a red flag in determining if a relationship or marriage is real or just for immigration benefits.

 

I suggest looking around the posts on the Ghana portal (http://www.visajourney.com/portals/index.php?country=Ghana). There's 3 posts since Thursday about denials due to suspected fraud. That should shed at least some light on what types of evidence one should have / what circumstances cause additional scrutiny.

Note that any time you see "reaffirmed", it means the visa was denied the first time (almost always due to a lack of a bona fide marriage), sent back to USCIS, then reviewed again and being sent back to the embassy for another interview.

Thank you very much. And is there an acronyms def. or faq page here somewhere ?-as there are an awful lot floating around and even for a techie person.