When to start K1 for late 2019 Wedding?

[DrewCinWA 4]

I just got engaged to a lovely Ecuadorian woman in Ecuador. I live in Vancouver, WA. We have been dating for 1.5 years with several trips back and forth. We are planning the wedding for Sep/Oct of 2019 in Washington. When should we start the K1 process? My concern is that the approval will come too soon before she can move to the USA. She is currently finishing a medical degree program in Ecuador.

[Roel 7,193]

Do not plan anything and don't book anything or make any reservation. Golden rule of immigration.

 

I'd say if you even want a shot at those dates, you need to file now.

[DrewCinWA 4]

Umm I am talking about a wedding in September of 2019, 16 months from now. If i apply now and it approves in 6 to 9 months what I do to delay  the process until she graduates in August of 2019?

 

She has a 5 year tourist visa to visit the USA.

Edited July 10, 2018 by DrewCinWA

[LydiaP 215]

It took me and my fiance 13 months. I know people who filed at the same time who are still waiting.

[Roel 7,193]

It's actually about 13 months until September 2019.

6 to 9 months is very optimistic. People are waiting over 10 months right now. Or longer. Not to mention the possibility of AP that can take weeks or months.

 

 

[Ben&Zian 4,398]

5 minutes ago, DrewCinWA said:

Umm I am talking about a wedding in September of 2019, 16 months from now. If i apply now and it approves in 6 to 9 months what I do to delay  the process until she graduates in August of 2019?

 

She has a 5 year tourist visa to visit the USA.

 

As @Roel said. Golden rule is never make firm plans or spend money on things before visa is in hand. It's a precaution because what if you spend $1k on renting a place, then visa got denied? What if you lost that money? Wat happens if visa is approved but then she sits in AP(administrative processing) for 3-4 months? Nothing in immigration is a guarantee.

 

Best option is get the visa. Courthouse wedding. Then months later plan for a nice ceremony.

 

Plus, K-1 visa timelines fluctuate. Right now it's 6-7(USCIS phase that is) months... 5 months from now it might be 12 months wait or drop to 3-4 months. It's hard to predict.

 

 

Edited July 10, 2018 by Ben&Zian

[DrewCinWA 4]

Ok so what happens if it approves in 6 months - can we delay it for 10 months?

[Unlockable 7,315]

10 minutes ago, DrewCinWA said:

Umm I am talking about a wedding in September of 2019, 16 months from now. If i apply now and it approves in 6 to 9 months what I do to delay  the process until she graduates in August of 2019?

 

She has a 5 year tourist visa to visit the USA.

Currently, timelines are taking longer than usual. We frequently here of K1's taking a year now.

 

Also, you have the option of stretching out the process rather than trying to rush it. For example, you can schedule the interview date for your fiance as far out as possible. Also, the K1 visa doesn't expire for 4 months after it is approved plus she will have 90 days after entering the US to get married. That is roughly 7 months of leeway.

 

Edited to add: Even if you plan everything accordingly, you should still not make any plans that can't be changed or canceled until her visa is in her hands.

Edited July 10, 2018 by NuestraUnion

[Ben&Zian 4,398]

3 minutes ago, DrewCinWA said:

Ok so what happens if it approves in 6 months - can we delay it for 10 months?

 

10 months is a long time to delay it... some people kind of postpone it for maybe couple months...

 

Haven't seen one delayed that long before myself... but, perhaps it's possible to keep rescheduling the interview... 

 

Whether worth the risk of the embassy letting the petition expire though, that's the main issue.

Edited July 10, 2018 by Ben&Zian

[Unlockable 7,315]

16 minutes ago, DrewCinWA said:

Ok so what happens if it approves in 6 months - can we delay it for 10 months?

Look at my timeline. My petition for my then fiance (now wife) was approved (August 2014) but she didn't have her interview until more than a year later (December 2015). Like I said before, it can be delayed.

 

File now. Trust us, you will have more success delaying the process than to try to speed it up.

Edited July 10, 2018 by NuestraUnion

[Unidentified 2,930]

23 minutes ago, DrewCinWA said:

I just got engaged to a lovely Ecuadorian woman in Ecuador. I live in Vancouver, WA. We have been dating for 1.5 years with several trips back and forth. We are planning the wedding for Sep/Oct of 2019 in Washington. When should we start the K1 process? My concern is that the approval will come too soon before she can move to the USA. She is currently finishing a medical degree program in Ecuador.

File now but definitely don't book anything until visa is in hand. 

[DrewCinWA 4]

1 minute ago, Ben&Zian said:

 

10 months is a long time to delay it... some people kind of postpone it for maybe couple months...

 

Haven't seen one delayed that long before myself... but, perhaps it's possible to keep rescheduling the interview... 

 

Whether worth the risk of the embassy letting the petition expire though, that's the main issue.

 

She completes her final year of residency for her MD degree in August of 2019. There is absolutely no way for her to leave Ecuador before then. As said above we have  4 months to use the visa. Worst case would be for he to fly here on her tourist visa in August and then return to Ecuador and fly back to the USA with her K1 visa when it is approved.

 

[Ben&Zian 4,398]

4 minutes ago, DrewCinWA said:

 

She completes her final year of residency for her MD degree in August of 2019. There is absolutely no way for her to leave Ecuador before then. As said above we have  4 months to use the visa. Worst case would be for he to fly here on her tourist visa in August and then return to Ecuador and fly back to the USA with her K1 visa when it is approved.

 

 

Wrong. She can fly to you and get married and return; but she then is not eligible for a K-1 visa. She will be married, and K1 is for fiances'. And don't ask "How will they know", because they can find out.And when they do and she lied about it, that's misrepresentation which can carry up to a lifetime ban.

 

If you want her to fly and marry and then file for a CR-1 visa, that is fine. She also cannot fly to you to marry and plan to stay, that is misuse of a tourist visa fraud.

Edited July 10, 2018 by Ben&Zian

[Unlockable 7,315]

6 minutes ago, DrewCinWA said:

 

She completes her final year of residency for her MD degree in August of 2019. There is absolutely no way for her to leave Ecuador before then. As said above we have  4 months to use the visa. Worst case would be for he to fly here on her tourist visa in August and then return to Ecuador and fly back to the USA with her K1 visa when it is approved.

 

If she comes to the US on a tourist visa and gets married, the K1 will get denied. 

[DrewCinWA 4]

1 minute ago, Ben&Zian said:

 

Wrong. She can fly to you and get married and return; but she then is not eligible for a K-1 visa. She will be married, and K1 is for fiances'.

 

If you want her to fly and marry and then file for a CR-1 visa, that is fine. She also cannot fly to you to marry and plan to stay, that is misuse of a tourist visa fraud.

 

I fully understand that we can not marry under her tourist visa.  What I meant to say is that she can"visit" in August for up to six months. Once the K1 visa is granted she would leave the country and then renter using the K1 and than we would marry.