Withdraw K1?

[hopefulfor2021 31]

Almost the same situation as the other member but ours is a little bit different.

 

Our NOA1 is Dec 30, 2020. At the rate of how things are going, even if we get our NOA2, it’s going to be a long wait for an interview. My fiance was supposed to come home last March, but because of numerous flight cancellations, he wasn’t able to. So it felt, at that time, that the K1 was all we could do. 
 

He’s coming home again this October - should we get married and file the I-130 instead?
 

It seems like it would be the same amount of waiting, if not less, and it just seems like immediate relatives are given more priority than fiances right now, and paperwork seems more convenient with this route too. 

[payxibka 10,047]

25 minutes ago, hopefulfor2021 said:

Almost the same situation as the other member but ours is a little bit different.

 

Our NOA1 is Dec 30, 2020. At the rate of how things are going, even if we get our NOA2, it’s going to be a long wait for an interview. My fiance was supposed to come home last March, but because of numerous flight cancellations, he wasn’t able to. So it felt, at that time, that the K1 was all we could do. 
 

He’s coming home again this October - should we get married and file the I-130 instead?
 

It seems like it would be the same amount of waiting, if not less, and it just seems like immediate relatives are given more priority than fiances right now, and paperwork seems more convenient with this route too. 

Personal choice 

[SalishSea 18,227]

29 minutes ago, hopefulfor2021 said:

Almost the same situation as the other member but ours is a little bit different.

 

Our NOA1 is Dec 30, 2020. At the rate of how things are going, even if we get our NOA2, it’s going to be a long wait for an interview. My fiance was supposed to come home last March, but because of numerous flight cancellations, he wasn’t able to. So it felt, at that time, that the K1 was all we could do. 
 

He’s coming home again this October - should we get married and file the I-130 instead?
 

It seems like it would be the same amount of waiting, if not less, and it just seems like immediate relatives are given more priority than fiances right now, and paperwork seems more convenient with this route too. 

Meaning, he's coming to the PI?

[Chancy 6,243]

1 hour ago, hopefulfor2021 said:

should we get married and file the I-130 instead?

 

It really depends on your priorities as a couple.  No one here can predict if it would be faster for you to get a visa if you stay on the K1 route, or if you start over with the CR1 after getting married and you two are able to meet again.

 

[hopefulfor2021 31]

59 minutes ago, Jorgedig said:

Meaning, he's coming to the PI?

Yes, noticed I didn’t include that, so sorry, but yep he’s coming to the PI

[hopefulfor2021 31]

5 minutes ago, Chancy said:

 

It really depends on your priorities as a couple.  No one here can predict if it would be faster for you to get a visa if you stay on the K1 route, or if you start over with the CR1 after getting married and you two are able to meet again.

 

I see! Thank you.

 

if we do decide to go the CR1 route, do we simply send an email to USCIS stating that we are withdrawing our K1? 

[Chancy 6,243]

Just now, hopefulfor2021 said:

if we do decide to go the CR1 route, do we simply send an email to USCIS stating that we are withdrawing our K1? 

 

Not required, but you may notify USCIS if you want.  But I recommend you do not send any withdrawal notification until after you get married.

 

[hopefulfor2021 31]

16 minutes ago, Chancy said:

 

Not required, but you may notify USCIS if you want.  But I recommend you do not send any withdrawal notification until after you get married.

 

Thank you! 

[SalishSea 18,227]

1 hour ago, hopefulfor2021 said:

Yes, noticed I didn’t include that, so sorry, but yep he’s coming to the PI

No worries, then you can marry and he can petition you for a CR-1 visa, which has many advantages over the K-1 anyway.  Best of luck.

[hopefulfor2021 31]

2 hours ago, Jorgedig said:

No worries, then you can marry and he can petition you for a CR-1 visa, which has many advantages over the K-1 anyway.  Best of luck.

That’s true. Kept sticking to the K-1 because it was all we could do at the moment. But looking at the current situation, if we’ll be waiting for the same amount of time, might as well go with the more cost efficient one. Thank you. Always so helpful here. 

[Joe Kano 327]

6 hours ago, hopefulfor2021 said:

Almost the same situation as the other member but ours is a little bit different.

 

Our NOA1 is Dec 30, 2020. At the rate of how things are going, even if we get our NOA2, it’s going to be a long wait for an interview. My fiance was supposed to come home last March, but because of numerous flight cancellations, he wasn’t able to. So it felt, at that time, that the K1 was all we could do. 
 

He’s coming home again this October - should we get married and file the I-130 instead?
 

It seems like it would be the same amount of waiting, if not less, and it just seems like immediate relatives are given more priority than fiances right now, and paperwork seems more convenient with this route too. 

Can you meet him in country where you don't need visa like Costa Rica? I heard Thailand opened up this week, I don't think you need a visa from Philippines to go there.

 

Meet him there and get married

 

There is no way I would be waiting on a K1 visa interview right now in Philippines, it probably going to be at least a year until Philippines opens up for tourism and at least a year until the US Embassy goes back to routine K1 visa interveiws.

 

Then the wild card in the picture is the Presidential Election in May, and with the history of Philippines and the history of the President Duterte there is chance the country could be in riots and chaos after the elections.

[JeanneAdil 6,714]

11 hours ago, hopefulfor2021 said:

I see! Thank you.

 

if we do decide to go the CR1 route, do we simply send an email to USCIS stating that we are withdrawing our K1? 

you can include the notice of cancelling K1 with the CR1 application

and CR1 has many advantages such as getting work authorization as soon as in US

being able to have USCIS apply for SS card

being able to be added to spouse health care insurance 

not going thru the hassle of AOS,  EAD and Ap with immigration keeping you waiting again for all to happen plus those expenses 

being able to get state ID and/or driving license 

[hopefulfor2021 31]

On 7/3/2021 at 4:31 PM, Joe Kano said:

Can you meet him in country where you don't need visa like Costa Rica? I heard Thailand opened up this week, I don't think you need a visa from Philippines to go there.

 

Meet him there and get married

 

There is no way I would be waiting on a K1 visa interview right now in Philippines, it probably going to be at least a year until Philippines opens up for tourism and at least a year until the US Embassy goes back to routine K1 visa interveiws.

 

Then the wild card in the picture is the Presidential Election in May, and with the history of Philippines and the history of the President Duterte there is chance the country could be in riots and chaos after the elections.

Well - we’re looking at options. I have a B1/B2 valid til 2029, but I’m a bit hesitant to travel unvaccinated. But if I was — will that be a good idea? I don’t mind getting married and filing AOS but that would mean entering the US with the intention of getting married, still hesitant with this one. 

 

Next option is to wait for him to come home - he has dual citizenship and his only free time will be the time he’ll come home here. 
 

As for Philippine politics — lol it is what it is. I think I’ve been numb from seeing bad news since 2016 lmao

[hopefulfor2021 31]

On 7/3/2021 at 11:50 PM, JeanneAdil said:

you can include the notice of cancelling K1 with the CR1 application

and CR1 has many advantages such as getting work authorization as soon as in US

being able to have USCIS apply for SS card

being able to be added to spouse health care insurance 

not going thru the hassle of AOS,  EAD and Ap with immigration keeping you waiting again for all to happen plus those expenses 

being able to get state ID and/or driving license 

I agree. In hindsight I wish we got married before we left, our CR1 would probably be processing right now if we did. 
 

Only reason why we went with K1 was because it was what we could do at the time, and also hoped things would be better this year (hence my username hehe)

 

I HAVE heard that our embassy here is slowly getting to their backlogs. Genuinely happy for those finally getting interviewed, just wish it sped up. 🤞🏻

[Chancy 6,243]

5 hours ago, hopefulfor2021 said:

I have a B1/B2 valid til 2029, but I’m a bit hesitant to travel unvaccinated. But if I was — will that be a good idea? I don’t mind getting married and filing AOS but that would mean entering the US with the intention of getting married, still hesitant with this one.

 

Having preconceived intent to stay and adjust status when you apply for US entry with a B1/B2 visa would be a fraud.  Don't do it.

 

Edited July 4, 2021 by Chancy