K1 Visa - need general help, Russia, joint sponsor

[OldUser 7,317]

@SpaceCat while K-1 was faster than CR-1 in 2024 (when you only measure time to enter the US, not time to GC), nobody can guarantee it will remain the same in 2025.

 

Here's an example of people hoping their K-1 were approved faster, but USCIS decided to "skip" batch of cases:

Of course, this can happen to CR-1 too. All I'm saying, you can never know for sure how long case will take and whether K-1 will be faster than CR-1.

 

 

 

Edited Wednesday at 09:16 PM by OldUser

[SnowColdIce 14]

2 hours ago, SpaceCat said:

Thank you for lengthy reply. It helps. I know everyone is saying the spouse visa is better, but we are not living together and I would need to gather more documentation and go through more steps, have a wedding in a foreign country with less help, and we don't want to part after the wedding. I am already hoping to live in Russia with him soon, but I can start the K1 process now and would need to wait months to even start the Spouse visa. (Applying for Russian visa, assuming that gets accepted, getting there and buying rings, dress, ets) We are less concerned with the total time it will take and more with how soon he will be in the US with me. Certainly in this case, K1 is what I am after?

In a way if you do not have the possibility of getting married soon, or doing the UTAH online marriage and seeing him on a Visitor visa in Russia (they get approved very quickly, and they last a couple of years) then K1 is better for you yes. Specially if you really do not want to be separate after the wedding. (You don't have to under CR1 either if you stay in Russia with him for a while).

On a side note, are you planning on living in Russia for a while with him? Not to intrude or anything but have you researched your possibilities for work, etc...? I have been there multiple times, and I still could not see myself living there momentarily UNLESS I can work remote or staying there forever. Or if I knew the language well. Russians are not like Americans, they are will always prefer to hire one of their own and you might have slight difficulties as a foreigner. Nothing rude, they are just a more nationalist country and people. Nothing wrong with that either, its just part of who they are. I have been there for months in multiple occasions but I am able to do that due to the nature of my work. Met many Russians and I never had a bad experience with anyone and once they became acquainted with me, they became very very warm people (initially very cold, they are not at all like the western culture)

Edited Wednesday at 11:09 PM by SnowColdIce

[SpaceCat 0]

@SnowColdIce
I am planning on quitting my job or taking a leave to live in Russia with him and just not working. I don't speak Russian, but he speaks English "alright". 
I haven't applied for the visa yet into Russia and I am nervous because of the political situation there and things that are legal here not being legal there. I know that some Americans have been arrested there.
The amount of time I would stay would depend on how much time I get with that 3-year visa, assuming I even get approved for it. It will take a few months just for me to prepare the documents and everything I need in order to live overseas, then to prepare a tiny wedding in Russia (with no help from his relatives, but we want to make it special) will take a month, I assume. I've been so stressed about all of this that I thought I'd have better luck applying this month rather than waiting maybe 5 months to even start the process. He is also not prepared for me to arrive yet.
If you've gone through this process (especially with Russia), I'd really appreciate hearing even more about it. Even the Russian visa is confusing for me. (Like can I stay for 6 months uninterrupted, leave for one day, and then take another 6 months and do it all again over and over?)
Then  I don't know how to get my K1 or Spouse documents processed from Russia either. I know there is a packet that is supposed to be mailed to me that I am supposed to give to him, but if that will take a year and I'll be in Russia, and mail seems to go incredibly slow....

[OldUser 7,317]

59 minutes ago, SpaceCat said:

Then  I don't know how to get my K1 or Spouse documents processed from Russia either. I know there is a packet that is supposed to be mailed to me that I am supposed to give to him, but if that will take a year and I'll be in Russia, and mail seems to go incredibly slow....

Use stable US address for your correspondence.

You need to maintain US domicile to be successful with visa for your significant other too.

[SpaceCat 0]

6 hours ago, OldUser said:

Use stable US address for your correspondence.

You need to maintain US domicile to be successful with visa for your significant other too.

Good point. I live with my mom, so she will be here to receive any mail for me and forward it.

[SnowColdIce 14]

13 hours ago, SpaceCat said:

@SnowColdIce
I am planning on quitting my job or taking a leave to live in Russia with him and just not working. I don't speak Russian, but he speaks English "alright". 
I haven't applied for the visa yet into Russia and I am nervous because of the political situation there and things that are legal here not being legal there. I know that some Americans have been arrested there.
The amount of time I would stay would depend on how much time I get with that 3-year visa, assuming I even get approved for it. It will take a few months just for me to prepare the documents and everything I need in order to live overseas, then to prepare a tiny wedding in Russia (with no help from his relatives, but we want to make it special) will take a month, I assume. I've been so stressed about all of this that I thought I'd have better luck applying this month rather than waiting maybe 5 months to even start the process. He is also not prepared for me to arrive yet.
If you've gone through this process (especially with Russia), I'd really appreciate hearing even more about it. Even the Russian visa is confusing for me. (Like can I stay for 6 months uninterrupted, leave for one day, and then take another 6 months and do it all again over and over?)
Then  I don't know how to get my K1 or Spouse documents processed from Russia either. I know there is a packet that is supposed to be mailed to me that I am supposed to give to him, but if that will take a year and I'll be in Russia, and mail seems to go incredibly slow....

 

The Russian Visa was very simple for me, just get an invitation, filling the form online, then going to the consulate. I think you can technically leave for one day and then come back but in all honesty I do not know how they would react to that. If you have officially married, you can try to see if you can get an extended stay so you do not have to leave after the 6 months mark.

Once you get to Russia, you WILL be checked when going through passport control. They have even become much stricter now. They won't deny you entry, but they will tell you to wait in an area and they will keep your passport. You will probably have to wait sometime there. It can be 15 mins, or it can be 2 hrs. Then they will call you and most likely question you about why you are there, for how long, and can even ask you personal details about your relationship with your Russian partner. I was even asked if I work out and what I do in my day to day one time (they were implying if I was military or special forces or something). Be prepared to hand over your phone (unlocked). You might be taken to a small room or not. In my opinion just be honest about what you will do there. If it makes you feel better, they are doing that not only to you, but pretty much a lot of foreigners INCLUDING Russians that are living outside of Russia and are just coming back to see family or something. I was nervous but I can understand why. And before anyone goes crazy here, we do the same thing here in America, I know multiple people who were taken to a room, questioned and even had their text messages checked, here in the land of the free. Just remember the current political situation and that they have had incidents lately so the security is tight and that is understandable.

 

Eastern Europe culture is not like western one. They do not smile at random nor when greeting someone. If you randomly smile at someone they will either know you are not from there or think you are silly or deceitful. However, once you get to actually know them they become very happy and warm people. I honestly have not had a single bad experience with anyone there. Even random people I met on tours were awesome. And no one cares that you are American honestly, they might just be curious and ask you a couple of questions but actually many are happy you are visiting their country.

 

As far as your documents go, I am not sure with 129F, but with 130 you can do pretty much anything online except any official documents you may need to get here but then you upload them online either way. You only take the physical ones to Interview. But in all honesty as what @OldUser said, you need to have a stable address here in the US, don't count on mailing stuff back and forth as it can take a long time and I don't even know if its reliable. It looks like you haven't studied the 129F enough. Go through all the steps in the USCIS and travel.state.gov sites and become well acquainted with them in what you can and what you cannot do.

 

Feel free to ask any questions you have.

[SpaceCat 0]

@SnowColdIce
They do not complete an extensive background check or anything before giving the visa?
Passport control in Russia sounds a bit scary 🙃 Thanks for the heads up. I wonder if they are looking for anything they can incriminate you on. I've heard of people being arrested for something as small as donations to broad humanitarian efforts. 
Glad you found it nice to visit there. I don't have any real worries about the Russian people in general and think I will like it there.
I know that in the very beginning of starting this process, I read about how the cases could be checked online. I've been researching for months (the entire list of FAQs on the gov website, the steps, youtube, this forum, etc). But when I saved links to documentation on how to file, the forms themselves didn't link me to  any place to fill anything out online. And I guess that's what threw me off. There comes a point when all of this is overwhelming, especially when I choose a path and end up second guessing it over and over (K1 vs CR-1..). Did you feel like you needed a lawyer with your process? My fiancé thinks they would help (particularly with bypassing Poland somehow).

[SnowColdIce 14]

10 hours ago, SpaceCat said:

@SnowColdIce
They do not complete an extensive background check or anything before giving the visa?
Passport control in Russia sounds a bit scary 🙃 Thanks for the heads up. I wonder if they are looking for anything they can incriminate you on. I've heard of people being arrested for something as small as donations to broad humanitarian efforts. 
Glad you found it nice to visit there. I don't have any real worries about the Russian people in general and think I will like it there.
I know that in the very beginning of starting this process, I read about how the cases could be checked online. I've been researching for months (the entire list of FAQs on the gov website, the steps, youtube, this forum, etc). But when I saved links to documentation on how to file, the forms themselves didn't link me to  any place to fill anything out online. And I guess that's what threw me off. There comes a point when all of this is overwhelming, especially when I choose a path and end up second guessing it over and over (K1 vs CR-1..). Did you feel like you needed a lawyer with your process? My fiancé thinks they would help (particularly with bypassing Poland somehow).

 

They do complete a background check but in all honesty seeing how simple it was, I doubt that they care.

 

I don't think they are looking for anything they can incriminate you on. But I mean...just be smart and don't do anything that you think could piss them off. The people getting arrested for donations are those who did it to organizations involved in the conflict going on. But in all honesty I do not see how anyone would want to go there if you are doing stuff like that. It's the sort of situation of "if you got nothing to hide, you shouldn't worry". Yeah it is a little scary and funny enough instead of getting easier every time I go, it just gets even more stricter. I am kinda used to it by now although it is always a pain to have to go through it. Again, just be smart, it is not America, and the more I travel anywhere, the more I realize that we cannot behave the same as we behave here everywhere else.

 

Yes, I understand why you think it is overwhelming. The 129f doesn't seem to be available to be submitted online unlike other forms like the 130. You have to submit it by mail. And from what I read, any evidence you send should be just copies. What you CAN do is once you submit it and you get your first NOA, then you get your confirmation number and put it in your USCIS account and you can track the progress of your case there. I did not choose a lawyer because I felt confident I could do it independently. Having a lawyer is not a bad idea if you are unsure of everything and don't want to deal with investigating and doing everything yourself. The lawyer WILL NOT help you with the matter regarding Poland, the only way they might have some input is if they have experience with Russian cases like yours. But a lawyer is just there to help you with the paperwork or for people with very complicated cases that involve a lot more than what you have. The lawyer won't be of much help with the Poland matter, its either you get there by the Schengen means (do not go directly there from Russia, only from the Schengen area), or by transferring to another consulate in another country which is a very hard thing to do and only a few lucky ones get that approval.