Selecting a different country for CR-1 Interview

[spicynujac 23]

Philippines is taking around 1 year from NOA2 approval to interview date.

Is it possible to select another country for the visa interview?

Is residency required in that country? 

If not, I would select something close by SEA, easy to travel to.

If so, spouse may soon be working abroad, and could either select that country or we would relocate to Mexico while waiting approval.

What is the process and any issues/delays with doing this?

(Bonus is that we would avoid the troublesome TB test in Manila!)

 

Our status is filed for spousal visa last year and we are nearing NOA2 approval date (anticipated in the next couple of months).

[pushbrk 12,881]

Interviews can only be held in country of citizenship or country of actual residence.

[spicynujac 23]

What is the process for interviewing in a different country and when is the best time of the process to relocate and initiate this?

 

 

Checking the timelines here is not very encouraging... Mexico is showing around 1 year from NOA2 to interview date.  Taiwan varies a lot at 3-11 months.  It appears waiting up to a year for interview is the "new normal" of our broken immigration system.  Might be better to just stick with Manila but it's good to know the options.

[pushbrk 12,881]

3 hours ago, spicynujac said:

What is the process for interviewing in a different country and when is the best time of the process to relocate and initiate this?

 

 

Checking the timelines here is not very encouraging... Mexico is showing around 1 year from NOA2 to interview date.  Taiwan varies a lot at 3-11 months.  It appears waiting up to a year for interview is the "new normal" of our broken immigration system.  Might be better to just stick with Manila but it's good to know the options.

Already answered.  There is no Consulate shopping.  Only exceptions are there are sometimes multiple options when country of citizenship or residency does not have an immigrant visa unit.  Russia has three options.  Iran two.  Some more have a single Consulate that covers their country.

 

Otherwise, interviews are in country citizenship or residence only,

[spicynujac 23]

I'm confused.  If 1) spouse is a resident of a third country (Philippine citizen but working abroad for a cruise line in Singapore, where we are awaiting a job offer) there is no option to interview there?  She must return home to PHL?
Or 2) the other option would be us moving to Mexico now and waiting until approval.  Are you saying this isn't allowed?
I'm asking what is the process for informing the US gov't of the new residency and the best time to relocate if we chose option 2.

If Mexico grants residency and we choose to wait out the process there why wouldn't it be allowed to interview in Mexico City? 

We would be physically closer to new home, could spend more time together, and historically have a shorter wait for interview since Manila is facing a severe backlog.

I know of 2 couples who have temporarily lived in Mexico while processing US immigration docs (and one who did so using DCF filing when that was allowed).  This is a fairly common practice AFAIK.

 

[pushbrk 12,881]

1 hour ago, spicynujac said:

I'm confused.  If 1) spouse is a resident of a third country (Philippine citizen but working abroad for a cruise line in Singapore, where we are awaiting a job offer) there is no option to interview there?  She must return home to PHL?
Or 2) the other option would be us moving to Mexico now and waiting until approval.  Are you saying this isn't allowed?
I'm asking what is the process for informing the US gov't of the new residency and the best time to relocate if we chose option 2.

If Mexico grants residency and we choose to wait out the process there why wouldn't it be allowed to interview in Mexico City? 

We would be physically closer to new home, could spend more time together, and historically have a shorter wait for interview since Manila is facing a severe backlog.

I know of 2 couples who have temporarily lived in Mexico while processing US immigration docs (and one who did so using DCF filing when that was allowed).  This is a fairly common practice AFAIK.

 

Your details and the details of my answer are important in this context.  If she has a visa that allows her to live and work in Singapore, then that is her country of residence.  What's her status in Singapore?  All the details matter.  Is she working "OFW" (Ask her) on a "contract" or is she just a regular employee.

Edited April 28 by pushbrk

[spicynujac 23]

FYI to anyone considering this, after checking basically every country in the VisaJourney Timeline search, there is not a single country with a significant shorter wait time from NOA2 to visa issued vs. Philippines (I believe Japan was maybe a couple of months faster but definitely not worth relocating for).  I ignored countries like Monaco that did not have a sufficient number of cases to form an opinion.  On the bright side, that means PHL is not really any worse than any other country for immigration waits.  Or to put it another way, that all American consulates abroad are equally slow

I was surprised at how long the wait was in Mexico, which we strongly considered relocating to.