K1 visa second time

[hplusj 135]

There's been a lot of great advice in this thread and I wanted to add my two cents, given I'm in the latter stages of a K-1 through Joberg:

 

Ultimately, I get the OP's sentimentality.  It was a big driver to get married in as traditional a sense as possible which, to me, felt like we needed to get engaged and get him permission to move here SO we could get married.  Online guides alluded to a spousal visa being more timely (as has been questioned a lot in this very thread) as well as, personally, less romantic a timeline.

 

That being said, if I had discovered these forums last summer I think my fiance and I would've taken an entirely different path.  Ultimately, the certificate itself is a process separate from a majority of the wedding rites in all cultures, and so being able to get paperwork done while focusing on having that ceremony after the visa would've made all the other pieces needed to put our life together, so much cleaner.  Once he can work we'll be in a good position, but it'll still be a long road to citizenship which I wish we could shortcut.  It is what it is.  And, if things DO happen to fall through, it might actually still be our contingent path.

 

my thoughts to you OP, is ultimately to do what is in the best interests of what both you AND your fiance want to do.  But if you are early on, like in the I-129 petition part of your journey, I'd have a long talk with your fiance about how to make traditions work alongside the spousal visa pathway, as listed prior to my post.  Because no matter how much money you have and how much love you have, there is always a sliver of a chance that the K1 petition will be rejected and then you have to start over.  Might happen to us too, even this late in the game.  Being open to that possibility means owning a flexibility that allows you two to be together and flourishing sooner than my fiance and me.

 

One thing money can't buy, is time.  And if you have the worry that this prior K1 might have a negative impact and others on this thread are considering it might too, it might be worth giving the spousal option another good, honest look: and to cut people some slack for telling you things you didn't want to hear, because it's all with good intentions.  You're not in a sunk-cost fallacy situation yet, no need to double down on your choices.

 

Best of luck.

 

 

[KateriandKurt1 0]

To those who were so negative in these comments 

we got approved after 45 days,our case is at nvc transit stage.

id like to thank you for the inspiration in trying to know what was best but I went my route and it worked out.

 

all the best to everyone in their journey 

Edited July 16 by KateriandKurt1