Engagement Ceremony and Attending interview

[daniel_and_lily 45]

Hi,

 

I've been to Vietnam 3 times to see my fiancé spending a total of 7 weeks there with her.  We've decided to get married and I have the following questions.

 

1. Should I go back there again just to have the engagement ceremony to increase the chances of approval ? What are the experiences with this ?

2. Should I also go back attend the interview ?  Will that help ?

I don't mind traveling to Vietnam to see her, but because of work, I can't really keep going back and forth an unlimited amount of times.  We also want to travel back to VN after we marry in the US to have the real wedding ceremony there.

 

Edited May 25, 2019 by daniel_and_lily

[Crazy Cat 41,857]

Why not just have a proper wedding in VN, then file for CR-1?   

Every couple has their own priorities, and each couple must decide which visa is better for their situation.

K-1
    Slightly faster arrival in the US (currently about 5 months sooner)    
    More expensive than CR-1    
    Requires Adjustment of Status after marriage (expensive and requires a lot of paperwork)    
    Spouse can not leave the US until she/he receives approved Advance Parole (approx 5-6 months)    
    Spouse can not work until she/he receives EAD (approx 5-6 months)    
    Some people have had problems with driver licenses, Social Security cards, leases, bank account during this period    
    Spouse will not receive Green Card for many months after Adjustment of Status is filed.

  

CR-1
    Slightly slower arrival in the US (currently about 5 months later)

    Less expensive than K-1    
    No Adjustment of Status(I-485, I-131, I-765) required.    
    Spouse can immediately travel outside the US    
    Spouse is authorized to work immediately upon arrival.    
    Spouse receives Social Security Card and Green Card within 2 or 3 weeks after entering the US    
    Opening a bank account, getting a driver's license, etc. are very easily accomplished with GC, SS card, and passport.

    Spouse has legal permanent Resident status IMMEDIATELY upon entry to US.
   

 

Edited May 25, 2019 by missileman

[daniel_and_lily 45]

4 minutes ago, missileman said:

Why not just have a proper wedding in VN, then file for CR-1?   

 

 

Well, to be honest, I will reconsider due to your post. How much more expensive are we talking about for K1 ?  Is it more likely we will be approved if she gets a CR1 instead ?

[Crazy Cat 41,857]

3 minutes ago, daniel_and_lily said:

 

Well, to be honest, I will reconsider due to your post. How much more expensive are we talking about for K1 ?  Is it more likely we will be approved if she gets a CR1 instead ?

The adjustment of status fee itself is $1225.00 and it has generated a lot of misery for many posters here on VJ because the new spouse is stuck in limbo........I have seen a lot of posters who filed a K-1, but later said they should filed a CR-1.  I have yet to see a CR-1 filer state that they should have filed a K-1 instead.......In my opinion, the CR-1 is superior.

Edited May 25, 2019 by missileman

[daniel_and_lily 45]

1 minute ago, missileman said:

The adjustment of status fee itself is $1225.00 and it has generated a lot of misery for many posters here on VJ because the new spouse is stuck in limbo........I have seen a lot of posters who filed a K-1, but later said they should filed a CR-1.  I have yet to see a CR-1 filer state that they should have filed a K-1 instead.......In my opinion, the CR-1 is superior.

that's awesome. Thank you! 

 

I'd be interested in hearing what others feel about this too

[Crazy Cat 41,857]

3 minutes ago, daniel_and_lily said:

that's awesome. Thank you! 

 

I'd be interested in hearing what others feel about this too

You could post the question in the "What visa do I need" forum......that would get the attention of quite a few members.......

[JasonGG 280]

1 minute ago, daniel_and_lily said:

Hi,

 

I've been to Vietnam 3 times to see my fiancé spending a total of 7 weeks there with her.  We've decided to get married and I have the following questions.

 

1. Should I go back there again just to have the engagement ceremony to increase the chances of approval ? What are the experiences with this ?

2. Should I also go back attend the interview ?  Will that help ?

I don't mind traveling to Vietnam to see her, but because of work, I can't really keep going back and forth an unlimited amount of times.  We also want to travel back to VN after we marry in the US to have the real wedding ceremony there.

 

I don't think the engagement ceremony is as important as it once was, especially if you have pictures showing you and her family together.  The engagement ceremony was fun and an opportunity for me to meet her extended family and friends.  It was important for her family and it also allowed me to tell them that I was committed to my fiance and her children. 

 

I also attended the interview.  In Vietnam, the consulate officers do notice if you are there.  You'll both be sworn in and you'll then probably be asked to sit down while they interview your fiance.  As many have said in the forums, Vietnam (and many other consulates) will have made a decision on your case before the interview, which is why you should front load your 129F application. When we attended the interview, I think maybe half the interviews were couples.  It may not help the consulate make their decision, but my wife was very happy to have me there.  I would have been a nervous wreck waiting to hear from her from her, too!

 

Could you plan a trip that combines both the engagement ceremony and the interview?  You could bring photos of the ceremony to show if asked at the visa interview and they are nice to have at the AOS interview as well. 

 

Jason

[daniel_and_lily 45]

1 minute ago, JasonGG said:

 

Could you plan a trip that combines both the engagement ceremony and the interview?  You could bring photos of the ceremony to show if asked at the visa interview and they are nice to have at the AOS interview as well. 

 

Is that possible given that I don't know when the interview would be taking place ? How much time in advance to they give ?

[JasonGG 280]

25 minutes ago, missileman said:

Why not just have a proper wedding in VN, then file for CR-1?   

Every couple has their own priorities, and each couple must decide which visa is better for their situation.

K-1
    Slightly faster arrival in the US (currently about 5 months sooner)    
    More expensive than CR-1    
    Requires Adjustment of Status after marriage (expensive and requires a lot of paperwork)    
    Spouse can not leave the US until she/he receives approved Advance Parole (approx 5-6 months)    
    Spouse can not work until she/he receives EAD (approx 5-6 months)    
    Some people have had problems with driver licenses, Social Security cards, leases, bank account during this period    
    Spouse will not receive Green Card for many months after Adjustment of Status is filed.

  

CR-1
    Slightly slower arrival in the US (currently about 5 months later)

    Less expensive than K-1    
    No Adjustment of Status(I-485, I-131, I-765) required.    
    Spouse can immediately travel outside the US    
    Spouse is authorized to work immediately upon arrival.    
    Spouse receives Social Security Card and Green Card within 2 or 3 weeks after entering the US    
    Opening a bank account, getting a driver's license, etc. are very easily accomplished with GC, SS card, and passport.

    Spouse has legal permanent Resident status IMMEDIATELY upon entry to US.
   

 

The benefits of the CR-1 are definitely something to consider.  We went with the K1 because we thought it would be MUCH faster.  My wife had an acquaintance who waited 2 years for a CR1.  That is not the norm now.  I think we would apply for a CR1 if we had to do it again.

 

Jason

[JasonGG 280]

4 minutes ago, daniel_and_lily said:

Is that possible given that I don't know when the interview would be taking place ? How much time in advance to they give ?

We had about 4 weeks between scheduling our interview and the interview date.  For K1, you schedule the interview yourself.  I believe for the CR1 (in Vietnam), the consulate schedules your interview for you. - Jason

[Redheadguy03 505]

We went k1 route. Looking back CR1 is better. The adjustment part is stressful and expensive. With the way timelines are now I don't see many reasons to choose k1 over CR1. Remember some wait a very long time for the green card after AOS (adjustment of Status) which means they can't work and the "clock" isn't ticking if you wanted to get citizenship which takes 3 years after receiving the green card. 

 

I'm from Montana, which has one of the fastest processing times and I still wish we had gone CR1. Hope this helped! 

[carmel34 3,632]

Definitely CR-1 is superior, especially if your future spouse has a desire or need to work in the US.  I can't imagine sitting around for six months all day while my husband was at work, waiting for EAD.  Plus K-1 delays citizenship too.  My husband and I are doing CR-1, and his interview was recently scheduled, less than 11 months after we filed the I-130.  If you have your ducks in a row CR-1 is almost as fast to interview as K-1 right now (unless you get Nebraska Service Center), and being able to work or go back home if necessary is a huge advantage, not to mention the extra cost and additional paperwork.  Some prefer K-1 because they don't want to live apart for a year while married, but I really don't see the difference--if you really love each other it will be hard either way.  We found it was easier to stay committed and patient through the long process while married.  Looking at my wedding ring on my finger every day somehow has given me strength and patience I didn't think I had.  Good luck!

[daniel_and_lily 45]

Thank you so much everyone

[daniel_and_lily 45]

So let's say we go with the CR1.  So then it becomes a matter of two choices:
 

1. we arrange and plan for the marriage and take a time to arrange it, have the marriage and then file for CR1. This could take awhile since it's an international marriage.

2. We go ahead and marry on paper, get her the VISA so we can be together, and then do the marriage at a date where everyone gets enough time to attend.

 

If we go with option 2, is there going to be a problem to prove the marriage is legit without having a big wedding party ?

[NikLR 13,227]

On option 2, no there's no issues.  You're confusing a wedding ceremony with a marriage.  You can have a marriage without a wedding ceremony.