mark_adders

Well done for being so quick and consistent with your comments. However you have missed the nuance of our question. Can you contribute something helpful to answer the specific question of this seperate thread? We are doing the CR1 process. We need to know if getting married in america, on a visitors visa, then me leaving again, to start working on our CR1, will work against our CR1 visa application in any way. We want some hard data or information that helps us understand. There is information online that is worded and suggests that this is uncommon or possible wrong. But we cannot ascertain anything legally wrong with it.

Thanks for the reassuring comment. We will be in Montana and I believe it's fairly efficient.

Feel free to point out where that information is I am curious why you think that Ok good to know! Thank you. When did you get married?

Hi All, Wondering the pros and cons of where to get married, country wise? Seen recently flags against getting married in USA, then seeking CR1. Seeking to establish the truths of the matter, as this seems odd to me. My fiance and I want to get married and do the CR1 visa process. I live in Canada, she lives in America (citizen). To marry I would be in america on a visitor visa. Same for her in Canada. -Is there pros and cons of the place of marriage? -Does an american wedding work against the visa process? Is it all legal? -How do the USA visa centers view a marraige in america? -Can I continue to visit? -what kind of marriage certificate or otherwise do the US Gov want to see? Has anyone had authenticity issues? I've had a port of entry officer and other resources make me second guess this so any information of this would be great. What I know is its quicker in USA, you can do a 'wedding' it in one day and get the certificate in a week. Canada you need a registration from service bc, then organise a commissioner, then wait up to 1 month on certificate . Any comments would be appreciated, Mark

It is important to me to be able to work as soon as I get to the US but not essential. (I know now there are many other benefits to arriving with a Green Card and all my liberties intact). Frankly it might be nice to get some guilt free time off during the process. If i knew I could get to the US in 9-12 months on a K1 and have 3-4 months off before I can work then I would not care for a slighter larger fee and a few more forms and paperwork. I know now in reality it would be more stress, moving goal posts and constant work. And based on most comments here, my original basic understanding of the K1, this is absolutely not the case and that you are strongly recommend the CR1 with all things considered. I respect that! I appreciate the insights of all. CR 1 is just a big step, quickly, on a personal level. Hence the desire to explore options, and the K1 as a alternative 'naturally paced' option.

Fair comment - everyones thoughts point toward that but doesn't make it easier to accept that there are no real timelines and its a lottery. Its unsettling but in it for the long haul now. Better get moving.

Thank you for sharing your story, very insightful and helpful for us to discuss and compare. Im sorry if you have any regrets but Im glad you now have your GC and are settled. Must be very frustrating with the banks and health insurance - I had a similar issue when I immigrated to Canada and was in between visas on my impending status visa - they manage to take away your bureaucratic rights and severely impede your life.

Based on our experience with the company Boundless, they do indeed treat this like process aggressive car sales. They cold called my partner and tried to scare and intimidate her into signing up with them onto K1 visa. Very pushy and insulting. ie. 'you will make a mistake and go back years without our lawyer'

I found a link on this website the other night that had processing times for the consulates in each country. I wish I could find it again . I take it the numbers you quoted are anecdotal? And what exactly is DQ? I will try to follow those posts thanks for the links!! And good insight to have on the location, I had no idea how that works. Moving it around seems like it will be problematic.

copy that, I did some more digging and I understand the reason and use for it now. And yes fully agree.

Why do you think DCF not applicable? Nothing I have read is definitive. Have you explored this?

So the wait times of approx 300+ days for an interview are incorrect? I had a consultant tell me it could be 2 years before I get a response on the K1 fiance, which checks out with the wait times of 600 + days on this website. What exactly is the P3+P4 process I cant find any info on that. Thanks for the lawyer outlook. Why could you not do the 1-130 route? Did you not go Canada to US too? What was your take on the process? Surprises and challenges?

Cant argue that. just trying to make the most sense of it I can. No stones left unturned and all!

Okay this is good to know. Reading the data then they are both 600 days from submittal of petition to interview with the consulate. Which seems like such a long time. What might change? What might get quicker if things trend toward a normal period of time? I am about to become eligible for Canadian citizenship. I will likely apply as it seems logical to do so while i wait. The reason for US is purely because of my partner. Moving to Canada was for me and now US plans are for my lady. What is your story and how did you come to gain experience in all these processes?

I agree with finding those same numbers on this website. I just want to fact check they are truly accurate before I make a decision! I cant fathom having to wait 1 year longer than i need to be with my partner if I dont check everything. I dont want another Covid 2,0 to hit and I am not living with my partner when I could have been with better knowledge!

appreciate this. what is your experience with the process?

Yes, in reading the data on this website the wait time for Canadian is 300 days where as the uk is 150 days so I could cut 150 days off a 600 day process according to all the numbers available. Which checks out with your 18 months

Okay so need input/ data/ anecdotes/ advice to help deciding a route. I am a British citizen living and residing in BC Canada on permanent residency, 1 month short of being a citizen of Canada. Partner is US citizen and lives permanently in MT USA. We live two hours away by car. We are not yet married. Nor engaged. But we would do both in an instant. Pending visa requirements. We want to have our lives together and do not know the best option, balancing efficiency, security, ease and time apart. My understanding is we are 1.5 - 2 years away from any closure on this. And this is hurtful. Family based options, source: 1- Fiancé(e) Visa (K1) 2- Spousal Visa (K3) 3- Spousal Visa (IR1 / CR1) 4- Direct Consular Filing All seem possible, with 1 & 3 being the obvious choices and the other 2, 4 being side door options that we found recently. Do not know the credibility of choosing these. We have done a lot of reading and the more I read the less I am sure of the way to proceed. We desperately need advise, falling into a wormhole. We want to start out on the right foot and not choose an option that is going to extend being apart more than it needs to. Or extend the inability to work as is often the case, how does that benefit a new family starting out in a new country? Im not sure being dependent on resources really helps anyone. I had a lawyer/ consultant from Visa Place tell me to disregard the fiancé visa (mostly due to Canadian consulate wait times) and focus on spousal visa or one other side door option, involving being a Canadian citizen. Do the lawyers and consultants tend to have an ulterior motive behind advice? Are they skewed toward revenue generating options? Processing times: I find every website has different information for processing times making my understanding worse and worse. Does both the fiancé K1 and spousal CR1 have to go through the Canadian consulate? Is the wait times here as bad as they say? Are both options the same wait times? Can the Canadian consulate be avoided? What are realistic expectations of processes - start to finish? Can I lean on my British citizenship and go home to get a faster consulate time? Direct Consular Filing: the key word in the descriptions here are 'typically'. Has anyone had any luck short cutting any process by going direct to consulate? Do they serve to help out people for any circumstances. Consultants or lawyers: can anyone advise or suggest someone that can help? What experience have people had? Thanks ya'll