While applying for a CR-1 Visa, can my wife come visit me in the US?

[Yoko and Michael 1]

Hi Friends! Long time reader, first-time posting. Hopefully this can help others and provide my wife and I with some answers as well.

 

Question: While applying for a CR-1 Visa, can my wife come visit me in the US?

 

I’ve read conflicting information.

1. Some people say if she is on ESTA, then she can come visit as long as she has a round-trip ticket.
2. I’ve read places where it says she could be denied entry because she will have an existing immigration visa application processing (I-130)

 

We just want to be together, so if that involves going back and forth between the US and Japan, that’s fine.

 

I want her to stay with me for 60 days, we go back to Japan for a month, and then come back for another 60 days. We will do this until her visa is ready to live in the US.

 

Basic Facts about us:

Wife: Japanese Citizen living in Japan

Myself: American Citizen living in New Jersey, USA

 

Living Situation: I am currently in Japan, visiting my wife as we just got married. I leave in December. Hopefully she can come visit me in January or February.

Status: Married (within the last 30 days)

Desire: CR-1 Visa

 

 

Visa Decision:

• We were deciding between the K-1 (fiancée) visa or getting married and filing out the I-130/I-129 to go for the CR-1 visa.
• From many stories and suggestions on this site, we figured what would be best for us is to get married in Japan, and apply for the CR-1 visa.
• We decided to get married in Japan this year instead of waiting until next year, so we can start the visa process.
  • The process to get a Japanese spousal visa seems to be a bit easier and less time. So we figured we should start the US process earlier than later.

 

EDIT: I think I posted this in the wrong section .. sigh ..

 

Edited October 6, 2022 by dahotz
I think I posted this in the wrong section .. sigh ..

[Yoko and Michael 1]

Of course I found the answer after I decide to type out a post (in the wrong section)

 

US immigration, it’s based off of the discretion of the CBP officer, but as long as she is doing shorter, infrequent stays then we should be ok. It just means I’ll have to spend more time in Japan. Thanks!

[Chancy 6,239]

*** Moved from IR1/CR1 Progress Reports to IR1/CR1 Process & Procedures ***