Spain to US - Fiancé or Spouse Visa?

[SusieQQQ 11,586]

52 minutes ago, Beegirl said:

Yes it’s about 6 months now. It’s grueling but at least you will be together as opposed to that 6 months being rolled into the processing for CR1 when you’ll be apart. Either together and wait or apart and wait. It’s an easy choice for me. 
 

You can get a SSN easily though once arrived with K1 and depending on the state you could get a drivers license and can definitely open a bank account. Not sure about leases however. 

If one partner is unable to work presumably the other partner definitely has to. We see lots of posts from people who find it terribly difficult being stuck at home alone all day for months on end especially if (as is often the case) they have no local circle of friends or support network. Maybe for you, the evenings make up for it, but for many others it leads to terrible strains. People should understand their own personalities and what works best for them.

[Crazy Cat 41,899]

The decision between a K-1 and a CR-1/IR-1 is a personal choice....but I have yet to see anyone who entered via a CR-1/IR-1 say they wish they had chosen a K-1.  However, there are a LOT of members who wish they had chosen a spousal visa instead.  

[Chancy 6,241]

2 hours ago, Beegirl said:

The only benefit to K1 is that you can at least do the waiting together for the green card together since the process is a bit faster.

 

In many countries, getting a K1 visa could actually take longer than getting a CR1/IR1 spouse visa (assuming no impediment to marrying soon).  IF the couple is willing and able to get married asap, there really is not much benefit to pursuing a K1 visa nowadays.

 

This is because many embassies/consulates (including those in the Schengen area) still have not resumed routine K1 processing, even though they have been processing routine CR1/IR1 cases.  When routine K1 processing does resume, there will be a backlog of at least a year's worth of K1 cases ahead of those who just filed their I-129F petitions in 2021.

 

By the way, the US embassy in Madrid issued slightly more CR1/IR1 visas in Jan & Feb 2021 than pre-COVID visa issuance levels. -- https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/legal/visa-law0/visa-statistics.html

 

[Beegirl 21]

3 hours ago, SusieQQQ said:

If one partner is unable to work presumably the other partner definitely has to. We see lots of posts from people who find it terribly difficult being stuck at home alone all day for months on end especially if (as is often the case) they have no local circle of friends or support network. Maybe for you, the evenings make up for it, but for many others it leads to terrible strains. People should understand their own personalities and what works best for them.

Yeah and despite that I, personally, find the strain and frustration of being apart more unbearable. You can lean on each other for support, make friends, do online courses, volunteer etc. Everyone’s mileage varies so. 

[Beegirl 21]

2 hours ago, Chancy said:

 

In many countries, getting a K1 visa could actually take longer than getting a CR1/IR1 spouse visa (assuming no impediment to marrying soon).  IF the couple is willing and able to get married asap, there really is not much benefit to pursuing a K1 visa nowadays.

 

This is because many embassies/consulates (including those in the Schengen area) still have not resumed routine K1 processing, even though they have been processing routine CR1/IR1 cases.  When routine K1 processing does resume, there will be a backlog of at least a year's worth of K1 cases ahead of those who just filed their I-129F petitions in 2021.

 

By the way, the US embassy in Madrid issued slightly more CR1/IR1 visas in Jan & Feb 2021 than pre-COVID visa issuance levels. -- https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/legal/visa-law0/visa-statistics.html

 

In the case of Spain this may be more preferable for the OP then. Wish it was the same for my fiancé’s country. 

Edited April 4, 2021 by Beegirl

[SusieQQQ 11,586]

2 hours ago, Beegirl said:

Yeah and despite that I, personally, find the strain and frustration of being apart more unbearable. You can lean on each other for support, make friends, do online courses, volunteer etc. Everyone’s mileage varies so. 

 

2 hours ago, Beegirl said:

Wish it was the same for my fiancé’s country. 

Ah, so you are the USC? Presumably your fiancé feels the same as you. Bear in mind that what sounds easy isn’t always, assuming one partner is at work all day you are not there for the other to “lean on” for support, especially if you are a productive person who enjoys work and/or do not like being financially dependent on someone else.  Making friends, well unfortunately there have been so many posts on VJ about how hard this is to do when you are basically parachuted into  a new country with no roots or connections other than your spouse, and possibly a language barrier. Yes sure maybe some people can meet others at clubs or churches but it is not always so easy, especially when you are looking for people to hang out with while most others are working (mostly these are going to be parents of smaller kids who meet each other through schools). Online courses, sure, but millions of school and college kids will tell you after the last year how terribly isolating even zoom classes with some interaction are, much less doing it all online. Can it be done? Of course. Is it smooth sailing for everyone? Not by a long shot, judging by so many posts on VJ. Unless you’ve actually moved countries like this, I don’t think you have any idea how difficult it can be. Not trying to be Debbie downer here but immigration is a huge thing and eyes should be wide open every step of the way. Sometimes delayed gratification is the better route in the long term.