Where does exactly one have the interview, is it depending on where we get married?

[SnowColdIce 7]

Hello everyone,

 

Quick question to all of you folks that are more experienced on the CR1 side of things. My other half is Russian, she lives there. I cannot just simply go there due to the current world situation, so we just meet in 3rd countries. Our next trip will probably be in Dubai or Turkey due to the relatively ease of travel for her to be able to go there.

 

Now we are also in the process of deciding if go with K1 or CR1, for CR1 my question now is, I read somewhere that the interview is had where you get married. Example, if we go to Turkey and get married there, then our Visa interview WILL be in Turkey? Am I correct in this? I cannot marry her on Moscow for obvious reasons that is somewhat dangerous for me to go.

Another thing would be to do a Utah Zoom Marriage, which apparently it is fully recognized by USCIS and there are no issues with it whatsoever according to some posts here. Is that correct?

In the case that we marry using the Utah Zoom Marriage, where do we have our Interview? (Assigned consulate for Russia is Warsaw, Poland. Problem is that Russians cannot enter there unless they get REALLY creative, so most people doing K1 for example are having the case transferred to Turkey, or Kazakhstan.)

 

As a side question, any idea if AFTER applying to CR1, will it be ok for her to apply for B2 so we can at least meet here whenever we want while she waits for the I-130 to process?

 

Thank you all in advance!

[Timona 4,207]

Interview will be in Mosco or any country that she has legal residence, not based on where you marry

[SnowColdIce 7]

4 minutes ago, Timona said:

Interview will be in Mosco or any country that she has legal residence, not based on where you marry

Although that would be the normal route, US immigrant visa services are not going on at the moment in Moscow. They are all transferred to Warsaw, Poland by the NVC.

Edited May 17, 2023 by SnowColdIce

[Lemonslice 4,835]

K3 process had you interview where you got married, but it had been pretty much obsolete for years. 

 

This thread might help you figure out where Russian beneficiaries are interviewing these days

 

Best of luck!

[Timona 4,207]

Oooo yes. Yes. That's right. I forgot. 

 

[SnowColdIce 7]

12 minutes ago, Lemonslice said:

K3 process had you interview where you got married, but it had been pretty much obsolete for years. 

 

This thread might help you figure out where Russian beneficiaries are interviewing these days

 

Best of luck!

Lemonslice, does that mean that for CR1, usually the interview is had where she resides? Even if we get married in a 3rd country?

[TBoneTX 45,266]

50 minutes ago, SnowColdIce said:

does that mean that for CR1, usually the interview is had where she resides?

No.  It's country of citizenship or (less often) legal residence, whether for K-1 or CR-1 visas.  However, interviews in Moscow aren't occurring for obvious reasons, and Warsaw is no longer a viable option.  See the Russia/Ukraine/Belarus regional forum for places where Russians are currently interviewing.  Read the threads before asking, so that you get an idea of what's going on.

[SnowColdIce 7]

1 minute ago, TBoneTX said:

No.  It's country of citizenship or (less often) legal residence, whether for K-1 or CR-1 visas.  However, interviews in Moscow aren't occurring for obvious reasons, and Warsaw is no longer a viable option.  See the Russia/Ukraine/Belarus regional forum for places where Russians are currently interviewing.  Read the threads before asking, so that you get an idea of what's going on.

Hi @TBoneTX! Yes I have been reading quite a lot about that region since I have also been considering K1. I feel like I know you now because I have seen you in so many threads haha!

 

Yes I am aware Warsaw is no longer a safe option so most people are having it transferred if possible. As I understand, we need a marriage certificate to submit the application. In case of marriage on a 3rd country or even in the US with Utah Zoom Marriage, we take the marriage certificate of that country is that correct? For example if married on Turkey, then we need to get the Marriage Certificate from there and possibly even have it translate it?

[Lemonslice 4,835]

You can look at the guides, the USCIS instructions, and the reciprocity schedule, to see which documents would be needed. 

[SalishSea 17,819]

17 hours ago, SnowColdIce said:

Hello everyone,

 

Quick question to all of you folks that are more experienced on the CR1 side of things. My other half is Russian, she lives there. I cannot just simply go there due to the current world situation, so we just meet in 3rd countries. Our next trip will probably be in Dubai or Turkey due to the relatively ease of travel for her to be able to go there.

 

Now we are also in the process of deciding if go with K1 or CR1, for CR1 my question now is, I read somewhere that the interview is had where you get married. Example, if we go to Turkey and get married there, then our Visa interview WILL be in Turkey? Am I correct in this? I cannot marry her on Moscow for obvious reasons that is somewhat dangerous for me to go.

Another thing would be to do a Utah Zoom Marriage, which apparently it is fully recognized by USCIS and there are no issues with it whatsoever according to some posts here. Is that correct?

In the case that we marry using the Utah Zoom Marriage, where do we have our Interview? (Assigned consulate for Russia is Warsaw, Poland. Problem is that Russians cannot enter there unless they get REALLY creative, so most people doing K1 for example are having the case transferred to Turkey, or Kazakhstan.)

 

As a side question, any idea if AFTER applying to CR1, will it be ok for her to apply for B2 so we can at least meet here whenever we want while she waits for the I-130 to process?

 

Thank you all in advance!

It is very unlikely she would get a B visa.   I’d say 100% no.

 

Not sure if you realize that the interview will likely not take place for up to two years after you marry, or file for a K-1, so who knows what the geopolitical situation will be then.

 

In the absence of a Schengen visa to interview in Poland, Russians seem to be going to Almaty or Ankara.   It’s not something you really need to worry about at this early stage.

 

US/Russian strained relations definitely impact visa processes.

[hopeful0811 23]

18 hours ago, SnowColdIce said:

Hello everyone,

 

Quick question to all of you folks that are more experienced on the CR1 side of things. My other half is Russian, she lives there. I cannot just simply go there due to the current world situation, so we just meet in 3rd countries. Our next trip will probably be in Dubai or Turkey due to the relatively ease of travel for her to be able to go there.

 

Now we are also in the process of deciding if go with K1 or CR1, for CR1 my question now is, I read somewhere that the interview is had where you get married. Example, if we go to Turkey and get married there, then our Visa interview WILL be in Turkey? Am I correct in this? I cannot marry her on Moscow for obvious reasons that is somewhat dangerous for me to go.

Another thing would be to do a Utah Zoom Marriage, which apparently it is fully recognized by USCIS and there are no issues with it whatsoever according to some posts here. Is that correct?

In the case that we marry using the Utah Zoom Marriage, where do we have our Interview? (Assigned consulate for Russia is Warsaw, Poland. Problem is that Russians cannot enter there unless they get REALLY creative, so most people doing K1 for example are having the case transferred to Turkey, or Kazakhstan.)

 

As a side question, any idea if AFTER applying to CR1, will it be ok for her to apply for B2 so we can at least meet here whenever we want while she waits for the I-130 to process?

 

Thank you all in advance!

I can't offer advice on most of your query but I can share my experience with the Utah Online Marriage - this is absolutely fine and recognised! My husband and I did this, we got impatient waiting for the covid restrictions to lift. We were married April 2021, and filed our petition in August. I then visited for the first time in November 2021 when I was able to travel to the US again. I just arrived in the US on an IR1 visa last Friday  (it was CR1 but we crossed the 2 year mark)

[SnowColdIce 7]

16 minutes ago, hopeful0811 said:

I can't offer advice on most of your query but I can share my experience with the Utah Online Marriage - this is absolutely fine and recognised! My husband and I did this, we got impatient waiting for the covid restrictions to lift. We were married April 2021, and filed our petition in August. I then visited for the first time in November 2021 when I was able to travel to the US again. I just arrived in the US on an IR1 visa last Friday  (it was CR1 but we crossed the 2 year mark)

Thanks! Why did you wait 4-5 months to file your petition? Was it personal choice? Or is there some wait time between when you marry and when you can submit the petition? Also, when you visited, did you do so on a B Visa or with the Visa Waiver Program?

Edited May 17, 2023 by SnowColdIce

[SnowColdIce 7]

2 hours ago, hopeful0811 said:

Personal choice - we were hoping for me to be able to visit before filing, but the US showed no signs of lifting the restrictions so we decided to file anyway.

 

I visited via an ESTA. I visited twice during our visa process

Do you happen to know if you can start the process as soon as you get married?

[Lemonslice 4,835]

1 hour ago, SnowColdIce said:

Do you happen to know if you can start the process as soon as you get married?

As soon as you've been physically together after the marriage (should you do a proxy or virtual one)

[SnowColdIce 7]

8 minutes ago, Lemonslice said:

As soon as you've been physically together after the marriage (should you do a proxy or virtual one)

So basically if we marry in person then immediately it's all ok since we are physically there. If we marry through Utah Internet Marriage, even if we have seen each other physically before, we need to see each other physically again after the marriage for the CR-1 to be valid?