K1 or CR1? Covid Situation

[Bluegirl55 0]

Hi everybody.

I have some questions about visas. 

Which visa is better K1 or CR1? What is situation about COVID.? Which visa is shorter to wait K1 or CR1?

I read somewhere on internet that K1 visa has waiting time like CR1.

What are the requirements for CR1 if a person is not working, but he has a sponsorship support.

Im from Sarajevo. Thanks a lot.

[Luu 5]

K-1 usually has shorter wait times and money spread out into different forms.  It winds up costing a little more but your fiancé is in the usa quicker and the cost is spread out. You still have to do a lot of the paperwork when they get to the usa bc they don't have their green card / residence permit and you need to pay for the form for them to work.  

 

Cr-1 i think takes about a year before your fiancé is in the USA but all the money and forms are done at once so the cost is all upfront.  When they come they have their green card already.  I think they can work automatically too. 

 

Bc of Coronavirus everything is taking longer and uscis is increasing the price of all their forms.  

 

Idk about the cr-1 requirements bc I'm doing the k-1 Visa.  It's been about a year at this point and he's still not here but that's bc of coronavirus.  Unless the situation with covid 19 improves I'd suggest the cr-1. Idk how you will do it with no income though bc I think the income requirements are higher.  Please look it up and see.  

[Bluegirl55 0]

4 minutes ago, SmilingDuck said:

K-1 usually has shorter wait times and money spread out into different forms.  It winds up costing a little more but your fiancé is in the usa quicker and the cost is spread out. You still have to do a lot of the paperwork when they get to the usa bc they don't have their green card / residence permit and you need to pay for the form for them to work.  

 

Cr-1 i think takes about a year before your fiancé is in the USA but all the money and forms are done at once so the cost is all upfront.  When they come they have their green card already.  I think they can work automatically too. 

 

Bc of Coronavirus everything is taking longer and uscis is increasing the price of all their forms.  

 

Idk about the cr-1 requirements bc I'm doing the k-1 Visa.  It's been about a year at this point and he's still not here but that's bc of coronavirus.  Unless the situation with covid 19 improves I'd suggest the cr-1. Idk how you will do it with no income though bc I think the income requirements are higher.  Please look it up and see.  

Thanks a lot.

I know people who sent petition for K1 visa in November, and they didnt have any response.

I think CR1 is a much better choice than K1 its the same waiting process, about year.

I hope someone has experience related to incoming, because im student and parents would fill form (sponsor support) for me.

Do you know which office will take papers for our CR1 (texas, nebraska, potomac, california)?

 Does it depend on the location  where i live?

[Crazy Cat 41,886]

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 
    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.
    A denied K-1 is sent back to USCIS to expire
  

CR-1
    Slightly slower arrival in the US 

    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.
  �

 

[Crazy Cat 41,886]

****Topic moved to What Visa Do I Need? discussion area****

[Crazy Cat 41,886]

31 minutes ago, Bluegirl55 said:

I hope someone has experience related to incoming, because im student and parents would fill form (sponsor support) for me.

Do you know which office will take papers for our CR1 (texas, nebraska, potomac, california)?

 Does it depend on the location  where i live?

1.  The sponsor's current income requirements for a CR-1 are the same as required when the K-1 entrant applies for adjustment of status...

2.  USCIS assigns CR-1 petitions to service centers based on their internal work load.  Geographic location is not relevant.  K-1 petitions all normally go to the California service center.

For the CR-1 process, step 1 is to be married.  I suggest a thorough reading of the guides here on Visa Journey for information on each process.....good luck on your decision and your journey.

 

 

Edited August 9, 2020 by Lucky Cat

[Angela & Brendon 160]

At this moment in time I would do the CR-1 Visa. My fiancé and I decided to do the K1 back in February, as back then the processing times were slower and we thought it would less waiting time for us to live together. Then COVID-19 happened and the processing time for the K1 turned into about the same as the CR-1, except I'll now have to wait an extra 5 months to work when I do arrive in the US. My fiancé and I both agree with hindsight that the CR-1 would have been the better option. Hope that's useful, way up the comparisons and choose what is best for your situation! 

[JFH 12,190]

2 hours ago, SmilingDuck said:

K-1 usually has shorter wait times and money spread out into different forms.  It winds up costing a little more 

 

A “little more” is debatable. After the October fee increase the K-1 will cost over $2000 more than the CR-1. Adjustment of status is increasing in cost from $1225 to $2170. There is no adjustment of status for CR-1. That’s an extra $2170 the K-1 people have to pay to be in an “inferior” status for months when they arrive. 
 

I never saw the benefits of a K-1 before the fee increase but even those who previously thought the K-1 was a good idea must now be re-thinking that. 

[Bluegirl55 0]

How much time do you think we need to take CR1 visa and can I send immediately 7 days after the wedding?

I wonder if anyone has experience with sponsor support for people who dont have a job but they want bring a wife in USA?

Can we submit a petition in Sarajevo, if the wedding takes place in Sarajevo?

And what determines where the papers will be sent, which office?

Is the possible to get visitor visa while we are in process for CR1?

[NikLR 13,227]

14 minutes ago, JFH said:

A “little more” is debatable. After the October fee increase the K-1 will cost over $2000 more than the CR-1. Adjustment of status is increasing in cost from $1225 to $2170. There is no adjustment of status for CR-1. That’s an extra $2170 the K-1 people have to pay to be in an “inferior” status for months when they arrive. 
 

I never saw the benefits of a K-1 before the fee increase but even those who previously thought the K-1 was a good idea must now be re-thinking that. 

Yup they're increasing the costs of the K2 as well. There are a few instances when the K1 is the better or only option, but they're more rare than people think. 

[NikLR 13,227]

Just now, Bluegirl55 said:

How much time do you think we need to take CR1 visa and can I send immediately 7 days after the wedding?

I wonder if anyone has experience with sponsor support for people who dont have a job but they want bring a wife in USA?

Can we submit a petition in Sarajevo, if the wedding takes place in Sarajevo?

And what determines where the papers will be sent, which office?

Is the possible to get visitor visa while we are in process for CR1?

IR1/CR1 takes 12-24 months.  It depends on the service center speed, the NVC speed, and then the embassy or consulate speed.  You could send it right away but there is some marriage evidence that needs to be sent as well, including but not limited to the marriage certificate.  What that evidence entails varies from couple to couple but there is suggestions in the guides and wikis. 

The USA allows for joint sponsors for those who don't make the poverty guidelines.  It also allows for use of assets.  However, understand there is a public charge to overcome, and regardless of joint sponsor, a consular officer could deny a visa because of public charge reasons. 

You submit the petition to the USCIS in the USA.  And which service center is random. 

Since you show immigrant intent after marriage to a USC, chances of a visitor visa after marriage is very very very slim.

[Luu 5]

33 minutes ago, JFH said:

A “little more” is debatable. After the October fee increase the K-1 will cost over $2000 more than the CR-1. Adjustment of status is increasing in cost from $1225 to $2170. There is no adjustment of status for CR-1. That’s an extra $2170 the K-1 people have to pay to be in an “inferior” status for months when they arrive. 
 

I never saw the benefits of a K-1 before the fee increase but even those who previously thought the K-1 was a good idea must now be re-thinking that. 

For us, cr-1 was too expensive upfront, we wanted to get married in the usa bc I want my family there, the wait was much less before he got to the usa, and k1 was not that much more expensive last year when we filed.  The fees hadn't gone up and there wasn't yet any talk about fees going up.  

[Bluegirl55 0]

We can prove that we have been in a relationship for almost 4 years. I think we'll send for CR1 visa. I read somewhere that it has to be sent for a petition to the embassy where the wedding took place?

 

[Duke & Marie 1,389]

51 minutes ago, JFH said:

A “little more” is debatable. After the October fee increase the K-1 will cost over $2000 more than the CR-1. Adjustment of status is increasing in cost from $1225 to $2170. There is no adjustment of status for CR-1. That’s an extra $2170 the K-1 people have to pay to be in an “inferior” status for months when they arrive. 
 

I never saw the benefits of a K-1 before the fee increase but even those who previously thought the K-1 was a good idea must now be re-thinking that. 

I agree... the significant increase in AOS costs makes k1 a bad visa choice these days.. yeah it might be slightly faster to get here but the extra costs and restrictions simply aren’t worth it.. 

[Bluegirl55 0]

8 minutes ago, SmilingDuck said:

For us, cr-1 was too expensive upfront, we wanted to get married in the usa bc I want my family there, the wait was much less before he got to the usa, and k1 was not that much more expensive last year when we filed.  The fees hadn't gone up and there wasn't yet any talk about fees going up.  

When did you submit the petition for K1 and where is the office?

Where are CR1 cases usually sent?