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The NVC timeframes page wouldn't be relevant to K-1's, you don't get the welcome letter etc. Hopefully those with knowledge of how long it's currently taking for K-1's will be able to help, good luck.

I assume she was over 21 when you petitioned her? Has the I-130 been approved yet or are you still waiting for that? DQ is Documentary Qualified - sometimes called Documentary Complete. You'll receive a Welcome Letter from NVC once her PD is current on Table B on the Visa Bulletin You should inform NVC, but whether or not she switches to category F1 is up to you, sometimes people opt out of the conversion as it actually has a longer wait. Once you get closer to a visa becoming available to her, you can see what is happening with each category and then make a decision. Worth noting though, that if she changes from F2B to F1, she can get married and still get a visa (as the child of a LPR, she would have needed to remained unmarried to get one). So if she wishes to do that, that's one good thing from you becoming a citizen - although again it will lengthen her wait if she does.

I thought citizenship in Oz would be part of it. Three years is probably too long, but you can cross that bridge when you come to it. Just make sure that you file a tax return in 2026 (and then every year after that), you get as much sorted as possible in December, and then in June strengthen those ties further with more proof of you making the US your permanent home (even if it won't actually be for a while).

Sounds like a plan, just bear in mind you do need to show you've intended to make the US your permanent home. So get as many ties as you can, and of course, file tax returns! How long do you realistically think you need to be away from the US before you can move?

We’ve all done it, but if you apply then surely you factor that in? It doesn’t normally take several years. And really you should have delayed things at the NVC stage if you couldn’t leave yet. My concern is that you’ll end up risking your LPR status further down the line, and risking a large amount of money too. If you really have no intention of moving for several years, then I’d let the US go and reapply if you decide you’re ready to move in the future. Trying to juggle two houses, two lives, a wife in another country, multiple flights, etc, just wouldn’t be fun. And as you’re an EB applicant then any further career progression would only help any future application, so it’s not as though this is a one time thing you were eligible for.

Apologies, I think it was in the instructions for the form, rather than the form itself. But the first link o gave you is the one you need really, that’s the official info on re-entry permits.

Is this genuinely the only reason? Or are you trying to get citizenship in that country before moving? I’m just struggling to understand why you’ve applied for an employment visa, based on your skills being in the national interest of the US, yet don’t want to go and work there? Surely if you applied for an employment based GC for the US, your plan is to build your career there, not somewhere else? I’d be very careful, as your whole visa is based on your job moving to the US, so I would be wary of using ‘not wanting to abandon your career in another country’ as the reason for your re-entry permit personally. You must have given plans and evidence of your intended career in the US for your petition, so be mindful of potential misrepresentation if anybody might think any of that wasn’t true. Some applicants can have their biometrics reused, but you can’t count on that being the case. My daughter had to redo hers, even though she’d only got her GC a few months before. Honestly, it doesn’t seem as though your two plans are going to come together, if you want to be out of the US for several years then you shouldn’t have applied for the visa yet really. I think you may need to decide where you want to be rather than try and have your cake and eat it too.

**Thread moved to IR-1 forum, as you’ll be applying for IR-1/2 visas**

You don’t usually need to move ahead of your family, just to prove you intend to - proof of property/job searches (you don’t have to actually have them in place), school enquiries etc. The whole process is set out step by step here - https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/immigrate/the-immigrant-visa-process/step-1-submit-a-petition.html Read it super carefully, no need for a lawyer. That link also gives you the info you need on fees (don’t forget to add in costs of medicals, document fees etc - maybe another $500 per person as a rough guide), the required documents etc. Best of luck.

Fab, was just checking as sometimes people don’t realise they have to wait for payment to clear and wait before proceeding to the next stage. I agree with @JeanneAdil, it may be weekend maintenance so clear cookies etc and try again in the week. Best of luck!

Just to confirm, you’ve had your welcome letter and paid the fees?

How long are you thinking you’ll need to stay out of the US then? Sounds like it could be far too long and you’re almost better off letting the visa go and reapplying a few years down the line if/when you do want to move? Waiting a few months (long enough to get the GC) is a more sensible idea and will allow you to establish more ties before you leave. But your reasons for not moving immediately sound a bit vague, you do need a good reason for having permanent residency but not actually making the US your home. And no, don’t leave it a year before returning, that’s too risky. See this recent thread -

As @OldUser said, why would you trust a random YouTube video over the link I have given you, which is from USCIS and clearly states you can’t leave until you’ve had biometrics done? It also says it on the I-131 application form - “If we require biometrics, the alien must appear for any required biometric services appointment BEFORE they leave the United States.” Plus of course, even if it were allowed then from a practical point of view you may struggle to get back in time - my daughter received notice of her biometrics the day before her appointment (it had been mailed 10 days before). Remember that re-entry permits are for permanent residents who need to leave for an extended period, but you do have to establish that permanent residency first. 3 weeks may not be enough anyway (my daughters biometrics were about 6 weeks after applying for hers), so as I said in my first response I think you may need to plan to stay longer. But whatever time it takes make sure you use it to establish some ties to the US - get yourself a bank account, a phone number, a driving licence etc. Anything to show you do intend to return and have started to make the US your permanent home. You won’t have your GC anyway by that point but should have your SSN and ideally get that first. It’s too late now I know, but just for anybody else reading in the same situation, if you can’t move to the US straight away then just delay things at the NVC stage (where it can be delayed indefinitely) instead until you are in a position to move. What’s your reason for not being able to move straight away? Keep good evidence of that too in case questioned at a later date, i.e. if it’s to care for a terminally ill family member, get a letter from their doctor, if it’s for a critical work project, get evidence from your boss, if it’s to finish a course of study keep academic records, etc. Best of luck.

It would depend on the vaccinations you need. But prices are on their website - https://visamedicals.co.uk/united-states/

Why would CBP and ICE be an issue? As long as they marry, in the US, within the 90 days they've not done anything wrong, it's no different to somebody flying to Vegas for a wedding.

Follow this VJ guide - And the official one - https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/immigrate/the-immigrant-visa-process/step-1-submit-a-petition.html You can marry and file the paperwork whilst in the US but will then return to Canada for consular processing. You can visit throughout the process though. Good luck.

Oh! Then that’s far and away your easiest route (likely your only route if we’re honest). What’s his status, is he on a work visa or an American?

That’s tricky, there’s no obvious route. You could maybe look at the H2-B visa if you can find an employer with a construction type job. But really your only option is an employer based sponsored visa, so the job offer must come first. It’s going to be tough, particularly with the US having more unemployed people than jobs available, for the first time in years - and you’ll be competing with all of those out of work Americans that can start work immediately and at no cost to the employer. But make sure your LinkedIn is up to date, and just apply for as many jobs as you can. You never know, you may get lucky. Would an investment based visa be an option maybe - starting your own business in the US if you have the funds? Or any plans to continue studying and become an accountant? Just that if you were that would open up another visa route, the TN for Canadians. You’d still need a job offer but it costs employers a heck of a lot less, and takes a lot less time too so they wouldn’t need to wait as long for you to be able to start work. So it’s more appealing to employers than other visa routes.

It would depend on your education level, your skills and your occupation. For most work visas you’d need a job offer from a sponsoring employer, and therefore specialist skills that can’t be easily found in the US to warrant them going through that. My general rule has always been that if you’re good enough to be headhunted by US recruiters (i.e. on LinkedIn) you’re in with a chance. Can you give us more info about your occupation and we can try and help?

What's the Priority Date? When you say her case is pending, does that mean the I-130 hasn't been approved yet, or is it approved and waiting to be transferred to NVC?

It won’t be as early this year, as the new fee can’t take effect until 30 days have passed from the final rule being published (which was 16th Sept). So I’d guess at 16th Oct (ish) start date.

You do have to stay for biometrics, so I’d plan on longer than 3 weeks. https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/document/guides/B5en.pdf

Unusual but not unheard of. There are people on the forum who've had their I-130's adjudicated in just a few months, but it's rare - and doesn't seem to have any correlation to a K-3 app being filed. It is also very consulate dependent, some people will still have to wait over 2 years just for an interview date, but Ho Chi Minh City is one of the quickest consulates so that will have been a factor too. I still don't understand why on earth spousal apps can't have priority processing as an option just like employment based do. It's always seemed crazy to me that somebody reuniting with a spouse may have to wait so much longer than somebody applying under an EB category!

Yes, you need to schedule a biometrics appointment. I assume you're following the usual website (you're at step 10 - https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/immigrate/the-immigrant-visa-process/step-10-prepare-for-the-interview.html), but you need to make sure you read it really carefully and follow all the links. If you follow the link to the consulate specific instructions you get this page - https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/Supplements/Supplements_by_Post/BMB-Mumbai.html Good luck.

You can see that info on the OP's timeline (just click on it under their username). Yours should be fairly soon I'd think, then on to the next stage. Good luck.