Living with your fiancé while your K1 visa is being processed

[W199 351]

I would think getting married is very emotionally important to you, your Wife, and her family. You should probably strongly factor in where you and your family want you to get married.  

 

Just keep in mind, if you get married in the Philippines you will need to wait several weeks to get a marriage license, and then wait an additional 3-7 months to get the PSA marriage certificate. Only then can you apply for the CR1 visa.  But if you go the Utah wedding route, then it will be a LOT faster.

 

 

 

 

[DELTAFOXTROT 74]

14 hours ago, j&ana said:

I married My wife in the Philippines in 2014.We have been married over 10 years now. We have an 8-year-old daughter. My wife has her US citizenship and is dual citizen. She has her own car. she has a job and help pay our bills. she has own saving account and credit card. I guess nothing good came from us getting married in the Philippines

I married my wife in Las Vegas in 2015, She came to USA on K1 and took about 3 months total. We have been married 10 years as well. My wife has US Citizenship and is a dual Citizen as well, She has her own car, my wife doesn't need to work because I make bank, she is however licensed RN in both USA and Philippines, She too has her own saving account and credit cards. If she wanted to work she has that option, but really no need for her to work. 

 

No way or no how would I have gotten married in Philippines back then, jump thru all the hoops, have to do all kinds of seminars, get my name listed on a national marriage register in Philippines and have to either have parental consent or advice to make the marriage valid. 

 

But I had spent a long time in Philippines and know how it works in the Philippines.

[DELTAFOXTROT 74]

22 hours ago, Crazy Cat said:

Maybe not.  The clock for citizenship starts when she receives a Green Card.  I think your estimates for a K-1 are unrealistic. Then, you have to add a year or more for her to obtain a Green card.

 

Every couple has their own priorities, and each couple must decide which visa is better for their situation.

K-1 
  More expensive than CR-1
  Requires Adjustment of Status after marriage (expensive and requires a lot of paperwork)
  Spouse can not leave the US until she/he receives approved Advance Parole (approx 3-6 months) 
  Spouse can not work until she/he receives EAD (approx 3-6 months) 
  Some people have had problems with driver licenses, Social Security cards, leases, bank account during this period 
  Spouse will not receive Green Card for many months after Adjustment of Status is filed.
  A K-1 might be a better choice when 18-21 year old children are immigrating also
  In some situations, marriage can affect certain Home country benefits, making a K-1 a better choice 
  A denied K-1 is sent back to USCIS to expire
  K-1 entrant cannot file for citizenship until after having Green Card for 3 years.
  Once an I-129F has been approved, delaying the case is difficult to impossible if the need arises.

CR-1/IR-1
  Less expensive than K-1 
  No Adjustment of Status(I-485, I-131, I-765) required. 
  Spouse can immediately travel outside the US 
  Spouse is authorized to work immediately upon arrival. 
  Spouse receives Social Security Card and Green Card within 2 or 3 weeks after entering the US 
  Opening a bank account, getting a driver's license, etc. are very easily accomplished with GC, SS card, and passport.
  Spouse has legal permanent Resident status IMMEDIATELY upon entry to US.
  The clock for citizenship filing starts immediately upon entry to the US.
  A CR-1/IR-1 case can be delayed indefinitely at NVC if the need arises. 
   

 

 

 

You forgot to add alot of things for him

 

He would have to fly to US Embassy in Manila and get a form to get married in the Philippines if he doesn't live close.

 

They would have to do a pre-marriage counselling

 

And the worst part is he would have his name registered a national data base in Philippines showing married.

 

Nope Hard pass on that in Philippines. Stick with K1 for Philippines. 

[DELTAFOXTROT 74]

On 1/4/2025 at 6:47 PM, Golfnut said:

I am currently living in the Philippines with my fiancé and we are trying to decide between getting married in the Philippines and applying for a CR-1 visa or waiting to get married and applying for a K1 visa and get married in the US. 

 

Currently the processing time for a CR-1 visa in about 12-16 months and the processing time for a K1 visa is showing at about 4-7 months. We would like to take advantage of the shorter processing time but only if we can continue to live together in the Philippines. Looking at all the information I can find on the internet, it is not clear to us weather I need to return to US to process the K1 visa and wait for her to travel to the US after she receives the visa or if I can file for and have processed the visa while we continue to live in the Philippines. We are both retired in our respected countries so getting her a work permit upon arrival US is not an issue.

 

If anyone has had experience with this, can you please let us know. 

What visa are staying on in Philippines? SRRV or Tourist Visa with extensions?

[j&ana 378]

5 hours ago, DELTAFOXTROT said:

I married my wife in Las Vegas in 2015, She came to USA on K1 and took about 3 months total. We have been married 10 years as well. My wife has US Citizenship and is a dual Citizen as well, She has her own car, my wife doesn't need to work because I make bank, she is however licensed RN in both USA and Philippines, She too has her own saving account and credit cards. If she wanted to work she has that option, but really no need for her to work. 

 

No way or no how would I have gotten married in Philippines back then, jump thru all the hoops, have to do all kinds of seminars, get my name listed on a national marriage register in Philippines and have to either have parental consent or advice to make the marriage valid. 

 

But I had spent a long time in Philippines and know how it works in the Philippines.

you stated that nothing good comes from getting married in the Philippines. My point was that getting married in the Philippines can be just good as getting married in the USA. My wife does not have to work she wants to work.

It was not that hard to get married there when me and my wife decided to get marry. we were able to do it in 15 days. There was only one seminar for her to go to. There might be more for younger age girls like 21 but my wife was 30 when we married. The marriage license was easy to get. It takes about 10 days. The affidavit in lieu of marriage certificate from USA Embassy was easy to obtain

While the USA does not have a national record of marriage. The state or county of the US where the marriage takes place will have a record. I really do not see the difference between having marriage registered at national or state level. I do not see why that will really matter to someone. Unless later they would like to hide the fact, they are married. I have been to the Philippines several time and got married there I believe I know how the process of getting married there works.

both K-1 and CR-1 visa has pros and cons. There are bad and good from both type 

[OldUser 7,379]

7 minutes ago, j&ana said:

you stated that nothing good comes from getting married in the Philippines. My point was that getting married in the Philippines can be just good as getting married in the USA. My wife does not have to work she wants to work.

It was not that hard to get married there when me and my wife decided to get marry. we were able to do it in 15 days. There was only one seminar for her to go to. There might be more for younger age girls like 21 but my wife was 30 when we married. The marriage license was easy to get. It takes about 10 days. The affidavit in lieu of marriage certificate from USA Embassy was easy to obtain

While the USA does not have a national record of marriage. The state or county of the US where the marriage takes place will have a record. I really do not see the difference between having marriage registered at national or state level. I do not see why that will really matter to someone. Unless later they would like to hide the fact, they are married. I have been to the Philippines several time and got married there I believe I know how the process of getting married there works.

both K-1 and CR-1 visa has pros and cons. There are bad and good from both type 

The big plus of marrying overseas is that the significant other's family can be present at the wedding. Not everybody can get visas and travel go the US for the wedding.

[DELTAFOXTROT 74]

1 hour ago, OldUser said:

The big plus of marrying overseas is that the significant other's family can be present at the wedding. Not everybody can get visas and travel go the US for the wedding.

Why is that a big plus? Make no sense what so ever.  You won't be finding many if any whom gonna fly 24 hours to Philippines from USA and pay $1500 just for a wedding, and with the time change and crossing date line it's a beating.

 

Plus add you will have to have a cow and a couple of pigs slaughtered, Once they bring the cow you will have to pay somewhere for it to graze before you slaughter it, pig can be kept in a pen.

 

Then add all the hoopla you have to jump thru to just get married in PHilippines. Philippines is the land of different rules for different cities, nothing is uniformed. Each city will have their own rules and they make change from day to day. 

 

All the paperwork you need to bring like Birth Certificate, Divorce Decrees, CENOMAR, Legal Capicaty to Marry form from US Embassy, marriage seminars, long wait for Marriage licenses

 

Parental Consent for anyone under age 21 without that no marriage license issued, 21 to 25 needs parent advisement.

 

Have you been married in Philippines?

 

[Boiler 45,979]

Utah marry on line

 

Cows not required?

[DELTAFOXTROT 74]

1 hour ago, j&ana said:

you stated that nothing good comes from getting married in the Philippines. My point was that getting married in the Philippines can be just good as getting married in the USA. My wife does not have to work she wants to work.

It was not that hard to get married there when me and my wife decided to get marry. we were able to do it in 15 days. There was only one seminar for her to go to. There might be more for younger age girls like 21 but my wife was 30 when we married. The marriage license was easy to get. It takes about 10 days. The affidavit in lieu of marriage certificate from USA Embassy was easy to obtain

While the USA does not have a national record of marriage. The state or county of the US where the marriage takes place will have a record. I really do not see the difference between having marriage registered at national or state level. I do not see why that will really matter to someone. Unless later they would like to hide the fact, they are married. I have been to the Philippines several time and got married there I believe I know how the process of getting married there works.

both K-1 and CR-1 visa has pros and cons. There are bad and good from both type 

Just seems like too many hoops to jump thru, when I can fly to Las Vegas and get a marriage license almost anytime and married easy or have a friend marry you in USA.

 

There is some guy named Gio who has a Youtube channel and he is living in Philippines last few years, for some reason he married there.  Now him and his girl split up, now he will have to jump thru a bunch of hoops and lots of extra money just to file for a divorce, and she will probably be married the rest of her life in PHilippines and never get to marry again since getting the divorce recognized in PHilippines for her is gonna take years and probably a years salary.  If she date he can have her arrested and brought up on charges of bigamy.

 

[DELTAFOXTROT 74]

2 minutes ago, Boiler said:

Utah marry on line

 

Cows not required?

OP states is he living in Philippines. 

 

If he does Utah online, then he can encounter problems getting a 13a visa in Philippines.  

 

They would just laugh at you if you tried to get 13a visa in Philippines to stay there if you bring a Utah online marriage to them, works for US immigration but not for living in Philippines.

 

Philippines isn't the USA, they don't recognise same sex marriage, muslims can have upto 4 wives, and only muslims can divorce.

 

Different country different rules.

[j&ana 378]

1 hour ago, DELTAFOXTROT said:

Just seems like too many hoops to jump thru, when I can fly to Las Vegas and get a marriage license almost anytime and married easy or have a friend marry you in USA.

 

There is some guy named Gio who has a Youtube channel and he is living in Philippines last few years, for some reason he married there.  Now him and his girl split up, now he will have to jump thru a bunch of hoops and lots of extra money just to file for a divorce, and she will probably be married the rest of her life in PHilippines and never get to marry again since getting the divorce recognized in PHilippines for her is gonna take years and probably a years salary.  If she date he can have her arrested and brought up on charges of bigamy.

 

As I mention in my comment there is good and bad for both. There are also very messy divorces in the USA. Also, if a Filipina comes on a K-1 visa and get a divorce. only will she be able to remarry in the Philippines is if the foreign spouse asks for the divorce. even then it might be hard. The marriage will probably have to be a null

 

Art. 26. All marriages solemnized outside the Philippines, in accordance with the laws in force in the country where they were solemnized, and valid there as such, shall also be valid in this country, except those prohibited under Articles 35 (1), (4), (5) and (6), 3637 and 38. (17a)

Where a marriage between a Filipino citizen and a foreigner is validly celebrated and a divorce is thereafter validly obtained abroad by the alien spouse capacitating him or her to remarry, the Filipino spouse shall have capacity to remarry under Philippine law. (As amended by Executive Order 227)

 

Las Vegas is probably the only place where you can get a marriage license same day. while the wait is not as long as the Philippines. a lot of states there is a 2- or 3-day waiting period

In the Philippines after you get the Marriage license you can get marry anywhere in the Philippines. IN US you have to get married in the state or county that issue the marriage license

Our Marriage was easy there. We actually got married at my wife parents' house by the mayor

Again, there was not that many hoops to jump to. Since the op mention that him and his wife are older, she will probably not even have to do seminar. I am pretty sure she will not need parent consent or advice  

[j&ana 378]

18 hours ago, W199 said:

I would think getting married is very emotionally important to you, your Wife, and her family. You should probably strongly factor in where you and your family want you to get married.  

 

Just keep in mind, if you get married in the Philippines you will need to wait several weeks to get a marriage license, and then wait an additional 3-7 months to get the PSA marriage certificate. Only then can you apply for the CR1 visa.  But if you go the Utah wedding route, then it will be a LOT faster.

 

 

 

 

It is 10 days waiting period for marriage license. Also, it does not take 3 to 7months to get marriage certificate

[j&ana 378]

4 hours ago, OldUser said:

The big plus of marrying overseas is that the significant other's family can be present at the wedding. Not everybody can get visas and travel go the US for the wedding.

That is the main reason. I decided to marry my wife in the Philippines. I know how close my wife is to her family. I felt it was very important for her dad and mom and rest of her family to be at the wedding. I am not that close to my family, I do care about them, but I lived most of my life away from them

[j&ana 378]

3 hours ago, Boiler said:

Utah marry on line

 

Cows not required?

we need more cowbells

[Edward and Jaycel 458]

11 minutes ago, j&ana said:

That is the main reason. I decided to marry my wife in the Philippines. I know how close my wife is to her family. I felt it was very important for her dad and mom and rest of her family to be at the wedding. I am not that close to my family, I do care about them, but I lived most of my life away from them

 

This is another big reason I wish Jaycel and I had got married in the Philippines 😢