Is it good to include sending each other money as evidence?

[BeauH 9]

I have been told that you do not want to mention any money being transferred to each other. They might ask you in the end interview, and it’s a red flag if you guys have.  Pics, receipts of you guys being in the same place, trip itineraries are good proof.  I would file for the K1 visa IMMEDIATELY!  It took us 11 months to get the first part(NOA1) to pass.  They haven’t asked anything about my finances yet. In that time I have had 2 jobs, and am in between jobs now.  I would recommend using the course I did to help file called [link removed].  You pay for the online course and he prepares you for the application process. I did it and we passed!  
good luck

Edited April 25, 2022 by TBoneTX
outside link removed

[SalishSea 17,818]

52 minutes ago, BeauH said:

I have been told that you do not want to mention any money being transferred to each other. They might ask you in the end interview, and it’s a red flag if you guys have.  Pics, receipts of you guys being in the same place, trip itineraries are good proof.  I would file for the K1 visa IMMEDIATELY!  It took us 11 months to get the first part(NOA1) to pass.  They haven’t asked anything about my finances yet. In that time I have had 2 jobs, and am in between jobs now.  I would recommend using the course I did to help file called [removed].  You pay for the online course and he prepares you for the application process. I did it and we passed!  
good luck

No one needs to pay for any service to get a petition approved.  The criteria for I-129F approval is very, very low.

Edited April 25, 2022 by TBoneTX
outside link removed from quote

[BeauH 9]

4 minutes ago, Jorgedig said:

No one needs to pay for any service to get a petition approved.  The criteria for I-129F approval is very, very low.

You do not pay for the service to get approved.  You can do the process by yourself but something this big, I was happy to pay for a online course on how to put together an application. I got approved!  Well worth it for us

[Redro 4,611]

19 minutes ago, BeauH said:

You do not pay for the service to get approved.  You can do the process by yourself but something this big, I was happy to pay for a online course on how to put together an application. I got approved!  Well worth it for us

VJ is a mostly a DIY site... 

You could have also read the guides:

and/or asked questions in the forums. 

 

No need to pay for an online course. But, if you makes you feel more comfortable then have at it...

 

One should also remember, your partner has not received their visa yet. Approval of petition is the easy part.

Visa issuance is country and consulate dependent and sometimes it is better to ask questions in the country forums for more targeted advice as opposed to relying on a 1 size fits all paid service... 

 

The site you linked also says:

"Please note Visa Tutor is not a law firm and cannot provide legal help. We can only help you prepare your forms as per New York State laws. For legal assistance, please seek a professional. We can help you get in touch with a lawyer if need be."

 

So, I wonder if it would be helpful/give correct instructions and required documents for those currently not living in New York State... 

 

 

Edited April 25, 2022 by ROK2USA

[TBoneTX 45,266]

An outside link has been removed from a post and a quote of it.

[trixxi 8]

6 hours ago, BeauH said:

I would file for the K1 visa IMMEDIATELY!  It took us 11 months to get the first part(NOA1) to pass.

Thanks for the reply! 11 months sounds like a long time, I mostly saw people getting it after a couple months. Do you think there's a reason behind that or is it just random?

[Redro 4,611]

3 minutes ago, trixxi said:

Thanks for the reply! 11 months sounds like a long time, I mostly saw people getting it after a couple months. Do you think there's a reason behind that or is it just random?

Read through this thread. People who filed last March are still waiting for the NOA2. 

And check processing times on uscis: 10-13months. K1 is not a priority for USCIS at the moment. 

If you can meet and marry you might want to consider the spousal visa route. 

 

Edited April 25, 2022 by ROK2USA

[trixxi 8]

4 minutes ago, ROK2USA said:

Read through this thread. People who filed last March are still waiting for the NOA2. 

And check processing times on uscis: 10-13months. K1 is not a priority for USCIS at the moment. 

If you can meet and marry you might want to consider the spousal visa route. 

 

 

Ahhh I guess I had selective reading. We'll look into spousal visa. Thanks for the info, I appreciate it!

[Redro 4,611]

1 minute ago, trixxi said:

 

Ahhh I guess I had selective reading. We'll look into spousal visa. Thanks for the info, I appreciate it!

It has slowed down over the last few months... and it looks like the processing times are getting longer. So, if you plan on filing after your next meeting consider the spousal route. 

@Crazy Cat has a K1 vs CR1 list as a mini primer... 

[Crazy Cat 41,836]

2 hours ago, trixxi said:

Thanks for the reply! 11 months sounds like a long time, I mostly saw people getting it after a couple months. Do you think there's a reason behind that or is it just random?

I think he meant the 2nd NOA for approval.  11 months sounds about right.

1 hour ago, trixxi said:

 

Ahhh I guess I had selective reading. We'll look into spousal visa. Thanks for the info, I appreciate it!

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

K-1        
    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 6-8 months)    
    Spouse can not work until she/he receives EAD (approx 6-8 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
    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.
   

 

[trixxi 8]

14 minutes ago, Crazy Cat said:

K-1        

    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 6-8 months)    
    Spouse can not work until she/he receives EAD (approx 6-8 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
    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.
   

 

Hmm sounds like CR1 has more benefits. I wonder why not everyone does CR1. A matter of personal preference / situation of course, it just seems like it's worth it more (that's just my first impressions though).

 

[Redro 4,611]

30 minutes ago, trixxi said:

Hmm sounds like CR1 has more benefits. I wonder why not everyone does CR1. A matter of personal preference / situation of course, it just seems like it's worth it more (that's just my first impressions though).

 

K1 used to be very speedy.

And some people priortise being able to live together in the US over the foreign national being able to travel, work or drive. And in some cases it is difficult for a USC to marry their partner in the home country (think same sex marriage...). 

 

 

But, fiances aren't immediate relatives so they aren't prioritized during covid times...

You can see historic processing times for the I-129f and the I-130 since 2017.

Be aware I-130s have an extra step between USCIS and consulate. But, some consulates have a bigger backlog than others and in some countries K1 is still faster than spousal visa. So these timelines aren't for the entire process but just the first step. 

(You should prepare for a 1+ year wait before you can move to the US. Neither visa is really faster these days). 

 

Edited April 25, 2022 by ROK2USA

[BeauH 9]

From what I was told/researched there is a way higher approval rate in the K1.  When I applied it took 11 months. I have a friend who went the spousal and it took them 2 years.  Talk to a professional and see what one is best for you.  Either way apply asap.  

Edited April 25, 2022 by BeauH

[slavaskii 886]

6 hours ago, trixxi said:

Hmm sounds like CR1 has more benefits. I wonder why not everyone does CR1. A matter of personal preference / situation of course, it just seems like it's worth it more (that's just my first impressions though).

 

As said previously, K1 used to be notably faster. March 2021 filers were arguably the first 'group' for which there is less of a difference between speeds (as processing times plummeted December last year). But there are some advantages still with K1. My fiancee and I appreciate being able to have a wedding in the US and not having to live apart as husband/wife. Speed was also very important, and I still do maintain that, for us, K1 was/is faster. 

 

2 hours ago, BeauH said:

From what I was told/researched there is a way higher approval rate in the K1.  When I applied it took 11 months. I have a friend who went the spousal and it took them 2 years.  Talk to a professional and see what one is best for you.  Either way apply asap.  

In the last several years, we saw K1 approvals collapse; perhaps someone can post the statistics here, but I recall seeing them go from like 90% to 60%. This was also around the time of the San Bernardino shootings, where the fiancee (I believe) came on K1. I don't think anyone should choose between IR1/CR1 and K1 based on approval rate alone, you should be confident applying for the visa no matter what route you choose. But I agree, sooner rather than later here.  

[Redro 4,611]

6 hours ago, BeauH said:

From what I was told/researched there is a way higher approval rate in the K1.  When I applied it took 11 months. I have a friend who went the spousal and it took them 2 years.  Talk to a professional and see what one is best for you.  Either way apply asap.  

1. Your partner does not have her visa yet. The petition was approved after 11 months but she still has to go to her interview. 

 

2. I would be interested in seeing where you obtained your information about K1 having a higher approval rate. 

 

@slavaskii this is the best I can do.

 

I decided to concentrate on  petitions and entries for 2019. 

 

One is able to see how many people apply for the K1 in the the Quarterly All Years Reports 

For FY2019,

You can see 45,274 I-129Fs petitions were received and  50,381 I-129Fs were approved.

Unfortunately, I cannot find that data for IR1/CR1 as Immediate Relatives and Family Relatives are reported under the same heading.

But, 

When it comes to entering the USA during FY2019:

 

86,888 IR1/CR1s entered the country for the first time (if I'm reading the chart correctly). 

34,581 K1s entered the country. 

 

I got my numbers here: https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/document/data/Quarterly_All_Forms_FY19Q4.pdf

and here: https://www.dhs.gov/immigration-statistics/readingroom/special/LIASR