Choosing a K-1 Fiance or CR-1 Spouse Visa in 2021

[Caboose29 173]

8 hours ago, DaveAndAnastasia said:

CR-1s are being processed by many consulates that are not processing K-1s, but Moscow isn't processing either type for the most part as far as I know.

Well if this is the case, then they're being "equally" delayed, is it safe to assume I will get my SO here sooner with a K-1? 

[SalishSea 17,842]

6 minutes ago, Caboose29 said:

Well if this is the case, then they're being "equally" delayed, is it safe to assume I will get my SO here sooner with a K-1? 

Any opinion on that would be conjecture, since neither is being processed, and petitions filed now will be at the back of that very long queue.  Honestly, I would prepare for it to take a couple of years.

 

Like I said, neither is fast.  Historical processing times are not relevant to the current situation.

[Caboose29 173]

Let's assume the pandemic is behind us for a moment.  IF I file for a K-1, can my fiancee come to visit on a tourist visa for a couple weeks at a time?  Can she even renew a tourist visa if I've filed for a K-1?  I'm assuming I can go see her anytime during the process, yes?  So if the travel restrictions were removed, we could still see each other while we wait, just like a CR-1 allows for that now, yes?

[HRQX 4,145]

20 minutes ago, Caboose29 said:

IF I file for a K-1, can my fiancee come to visit on a tourist visa for a couple weeks at a time?  Can she even renew a tourist visa if I've filed for a K-1?

Yes. Just a reminder that each entry is at CBP's officer discretion:

 

[Orangesapples 1,954]

34 minutes ago, Caboose29 said:

Let's assume the pandemic is behind us for a moment.  IF I file for a K-1, can my fiancee come to visit on a tourist visa for a couple weeks at a time?  Can she even renew a tourist visa if I've filed for a K-1?  I'm assuming I can go see her anytime during the process, yes?  So if the travel restrictions were removed, we could still see each other while we wait, just like a CR-1 allows for that now, yes?

Does she have a tourist visa? If not, she can try to get one but she's unlikely to succeed. 

 

You can see each other as many times as you want but Covid restrictions might not be over any time soon. Spouses have rights to enter during such restrictions that fiancees don't 

[Caboose29 173]

21 minutes ago, Orangesapples said:

Does she have a tourist visa? If not, she can try to get one but she's unlikely to succeed. 

 

You can see each other as many times as you want but Covid restrictions might not be over any time soon. Spouses have rights to enter during such restrictions that fiancees don't 

She had one that expired last year.  She was in the process of extending/renewing her tourist visa when COVID hit.  Don't know if that matters.  Well for the time being I guess we'll just have to meet in 3rd countries until Russia opens it's borders.

39 minutes ago, HRQX said:

Yes. Just a reminder that each entry is at CBP's officer discretion:

 

Thank you for sharing this.  I had not seen it yet.

[zolotinka 47]

I want to share my experience about  case transferring. I was the first one who transferred my case from Moscow to Warsaw (as Strawberrymermaid told). I started to write to different embassies from the end of September because there was no sign of Moscow reopening even after all the DV inteviews. I wrote to Ukraine (they answered they had their own backlog and that the situation with coronavirus was bad), Serbia (they wrote they accepted just residents) and to Poland (who were the only one who didn't refuse me but didn't say yes either). My husband visited me in October and he actually called to the Moscow embassy out of frustration. They were not helpful at all repeating the same story about the virus but suggested to transfer the case. So in November I wrote one more time to Warsaw and they agreed to accept our case. Everything went really quickly and smoothly with transferring the case and the interview appointment. The most difficult part was to get a Schengen visa because even in the end of November it was very difficult (considering the fact that I'm from Kaliningrad and our Polish consulate is very small and helpful) and now with even more strict lockdown in Europe it is close to impossible.  

So it really depends on your circumstances and the availability of an embassy you want to transfer your case to.

[millefleur 5,046]

1 hour ago, zolotinka said:

I want to share my experience about  case transferring. I was the first one who transferred my case from Moscow to Warsaw (as Strawberrymermaid told). I started to write to different embassies from the end of September because there was no sign of Moscow reopening even after all the DV inteviews. I wrote to Ukraine (they answered they had their own backlog and that the situation with coronavirus was bad), Serbia (they wrote they accepted just residents) and to Poland (who were the only one who didn't refuse me but didn't say yes either). My husband visited me in October and he actually called to the Moscow embassy out of frustration. They were not helpful at all repeating the same story about the virus but suggested to transfer the case. So in November I wrote one more time to Warsaw and they agreed to accept our case. Everything went really quickly and smoothly with transferring the case and the interview appointment. The most difficult part was to get a Schengen visa because even in the end of November it was very difficult (considering the fact that I'm from Kaliningrad and our Polish consulate is very small and helpful) and now with even more strict lockdown in Europe it is close to impossible.  

So it really depends on your circumstances and the availability of an embassy you want to transfer your case to.

Whoa, that's great news. I know it may not be possible for everyone, but it really shows how much this depends on each Embassy and everyone's exact, unique situation, which was my suspicion from the beginning.

 

It probably helped that you were from Kaliningrad, which is much closer to Poland than the rest of Russia, I mean it literally borders Poland so that was probably a huge factor considering going all the way to Moscow would've been even farther for you.

[millefleur 5,046]

**One hijack and replies removed.**

 

VJ Moderation

[Strawberrymermaid 346]

On 1/5/2021 at 3:19 PM, Chauncey said:

What are the requirements that you've found for the marriage in mexico?

So heres what is needed:

• Bride and groom to arrive at least 3 business days before wedding to prepare documents
• You can get married with passports only, don't have to have apostille birth cert
• Blood test done at resort, back in 24 hours. Checks for communicable diseases.
• Bride and Groom 18+
• 4 witnesses over the age of 18, must also be there for 3 business days before wedding (you can pay for them at the resort)
• Marriage certificate is issued in Spanish, can be translated for a fee at resort
• Russians need e-visa, can easily get online.

 

[Chauncey 138]

30 minutes ago, Strawberrymermaid said:

So heres what is needed:

• Bride and groom to arrive at least 3 business days before wedding to prepare documents
• You can get married with passports only, don't have to have apostille birth cert
• Blood test done at resort, back in 24 hours. Checks for communicable diseases.
• Bride and Groom 18+
• 4 witnesses over the age of 18, must also be there for 3 business days before wedding (you can pay for them at the resort)
• Marriage certificate is issued in Spanish, can be translated for a fee at resort
• Russians need e-visa, can easily get online.

 

Sounds incredibly expensive. Do you have to do that through a resort?

[zolotinka 47]

On 1/7/2021 at 10:09 PM, millefleur said:

Whoa, that's great news. I know it may not be possible for everyone, but it really shows how much this depends on each Embassy and everyone's exact, unique situation, which was my suspicion from the beginning.

 

It probably helped that you were from Kaliningrad, which is much closer to Poland than the rest of Russia, I mean it literally borders Poland so that was probably a huge factor considering going all the way to Moscow would've been even farther for you.

I can tell now that it doesn't depend on the being close to Poland. Others who live in different parts of Russia were also granted the possibility to transfer their case. Still the most challenging part is to get Schengen visa. So it does depend on the embassy resources and willingness to help in the end.

[Chauncey 138]

4 minutes ago, zolotinka said:

I can tell now that it doesn't depend on the being close to Poland. Others who live in different parts of Russia were also granted the possibility to transfer their case. Still the most challenging part is to get Schengen visa. So it does depend on the embassy resources and willingness to help in the end.

Too bad it's only spousal visas they are willing to accept. What are all the k1 supposed to do?

[millefleur 5,046]

5 minutes ago, zolotinka said:

I can tell now that it doesn't depend on the being close to Poland. Others who live in different parts of Russia were also granted the possibility to transfer their case. Still the most challenging part is to get Schengen visa. So it does depend on the embassy resources and willingness to help in the end.

That's really, really good to know. How was it getting the Schengen visa? Could you make a post in the RUB forum about your experience with this? I think people would be really appreciate to know all the steps you went through.

[zolotinka 47]

5 minutes ago, Chauncey said:

Too bad it's only spousal visas they are willing to accept. What are all the k1 supposed to do?

As far as I know Europe is the worst with issuing K1. I've read that people had their interviews there just after the lawsuit. Unfortunately there is no other way but to wait.

5 minutes ago, millefleur said:

That's really, really good to know. How was it getting the Schengen visa? Could you make a post in the RUB forum about your experience with this? I think people would be really appreciate to know all the steps you went through.

The thing is now it is much worse then it was back in November with all the new restrictions. I got Polish Schengen with a lot of struggles and even this was just by mere luck as I can see now from experience of others. Polish consulates just refused to help in December and January because of lockdown and new restrictions.