There should be a VIP line for K1 processing

[Andie 147]

But it does NOT require 8, 9, 10 months to prepare. This argument is flawed.

And as difficult as AOS might be, who cares??? You are together at that point. You are doing it together. Apples and oranges.

[rin and john 71]

Your math is flawed. It completely discounts spousal visas, which is a LOT of people. (you say it's hardly anyone... ha!) Your links are dead, too.

And to whoever else, John and Yoko had to go to immigration court, a bit worse than a "marriage" interview. The rules were totally different then, but they did fight deportation for years.

Here is the most recent immigration yearbook:

http://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/publications/immigration-statistics/yearbook/2011/ois_yb_2011.pdf

In 2011, 1,062,040 people obtained legal permanent resident status. Of these 258,320 were spouses of USC. Of these 79,452 were new arrivals (43,421 IR1, 35,610 CR1, plus another 400 miscellaneous - self petition spouses, widows of USC, etc). I do not see a break down of how many of these 79,452 were filed first in the USA versus filed at the consulate (DCF). DCF is faster (go check the time from NOA1 to NOA2 on this site for IR1/CR1 - DCF). This left 178,868 AOS spouses from within the USA. Of these, 107,394 were CR6, 42,605 were IR6, and 23,292 were CF1 (CF1 is for K1 visa entrants). The remaining few thousand were a mixed bag.

My point is a majority of the people enter the USA and become LPRs by entering by means other than via a spouse or fiance visa. I agree with the suggestion earlier that a spouse or fiance should apply at the consulate with the State Department for a visa first and if approved enter the USA and file AOS with the Department of Homeland Security (USCIS). There were 158,500,000 admissions to the US in 2011. Granted, many of these were one person admitted several times. Many did as suggested above; apply at consulate and then are vetted for entry again by DHS at the POE. Total student visas were 1,788,962. How many of these do you think will end up as LPRs through either employment or marriage to a USC? I would bet more than the 23,292 that were CF1s.

The process for spouses and fiances is broken and could be much more efficient. It won't be fixed because it is too small of a voting block for politicians to worry about.

[pachacuti 154]

Heck, we have a lot of stress about the whole process and we are living together. The not knowing when we'll be moving and trying to coordinate everything is stressful. An expedite fee is probably not the answer, though. Allowing everyone to AOS would make a million times more sense, no? Then there will be a lot less stress for everyone.

If that gets me together with my fiancee and my son, it has my vote.

[pachacuti 154]

How would you differentiate between people who are not from Canada and the US, then? Or is it okay if people from other countries also have free movement?

Look. I have strong STRONG ties to Latin America. That being said, Canada is different. Canada is different from every other foreign country in the world IMHO. I would not be opposed to a stronger sharing between our two countries. The two of us, as sovereign nations, could very well enter into an arrangement. All the other countries? They continue as usual? What's the problem there? The EU did it. Why can't we?

[EmelyNJoel 43]

I understand and respect everyone's comments on this, and both sides have merit. However, life isn't fair.

It doesn't kill me this wasn't an option for myself and Emely, and like others, if a way to do it quicker was available I'd have probably done that.

But as we see from some of the train-wreck postings, dragging things out a little might help weed out some of the less well thought out matches.

Just saying....

joelb

[GandD 5,966]

Look. I have strong STRONG ties to Latin America. That being said, Canada is different. Canada is different from every other foreign country in the world IMHO. I would not be opposed to a stronger sharing between our two countries. The two of us, as sovereign nations, could very well enter into an arrangement. All the other countries? They continue as usual? What's the problem there? The EU did it. Why can't we?

Isn't that the way it was pre-911? Never traveled to Canada before that but you didn't have to have passports back then.

[pachacuti 154]

Isn't that the way it was pre-911? Never traveled to Canada before that but you didn't have to have passports back then.

Not exactly. We have never had the freedom to just go to Canada and live and work, nor have Canadians had that ability with us. The two countries certainly "could" enter into an arrangement where such movement would be possible (pie in the sky, surely). At least then it would get all the Canadians out of the K1 line

[Blob18 111]

Isn't that the way it was pre-911? Never traveled to Canada before that but you didn't have to have passports back then.

Sorta. I remember back when I was in Middle school, the foreign language class I was in was going to go visit Quebec. All you needed was your birth certificate and I "think" another form of ID (could be passport, or something else).

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

Here is the most recent immigration yearbook:

http://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/publications/immigration-statistics/yearbook/2011/ois_yb_2011.pdf

In 2011, 1,062,040 people obtained legal permanent resident status. Of these 258,320 were spouses of USC. Of these 79,452 were new arrivals (43,421 IR1, 35,610 CR1, plus another 400 miscellaneous - self petition spouses, widows of USC, etc). I do not see a break down of how many of these 79,452 were filed first in the USA versus filed at the consulate (DCF). DCF is faster (go check the time from NOA1 to NOA2 on this site for IR1/CR1 - DCF). This left 178,868 AOS spouses from within the USA. Of these, 107,394 were CR6, 42,605 were IR6, and 23,292 were CF1 (CF1 is for K1 visa entrants). The remaining few thousand were a mixed bag.

My point is a majority of the people enter the USA and become LPRs by entering by means other than via a spouse or fiance visa. I agree with the suggestion earlier that a spouse or fiance should apply at the consulate with the State Department for a visa first and if approved enter the USA and file AOS with the Department of Homeland Security (USCIS). There were 158,500,000 admissions to the US in 2011. Granted, many of these were one person admitted several times. Many did as suggested above; apply at consulate and then are vetted for entry again by DHS at the POE. Total student visas were 1,788,962. How many of these do you think will end up as LPRs through either employment or marriage to a USC? I would bet more than the 23,292 that were CF1s.

The process for spouses and fiances is broken and could be much more efficient. It won't be fixed because it is too small of a voting block for politicians to worry about.

This data is more complete.

1. DCF hardly exists anymore; it is only available in a few countries now. It still results in an immigrant visa, so I don't see the need to differentiate.

2. It is true that people move here for work, then meet someone years later and get married and AOS. It is true that people come here to go to college or grad school - at an age where people tend to get married, and meet someone in college and get married. It's not a short line - it's life. That counts for a lot of your numbers.

A k-1 visa IS a visa you apply for at the consulate and come to the US and then file AOS. That's what it is...

I think we can all agree that the process should be faster.

[bestofboston 36]

They already have a VIP service for the Military. Its called expedited.

You can also get your application expedited if you know a Senator or Congressman or can get one to expedite your K1 visa.

I was able to get my CR1 visa expedited through my senator. I am not sure if it helped but it was mentioned at my wifes interview at the embassy.

[Krikit 1,164]

Look. I have strong STRONG ties to Latin America. That being said, Canada is different. Canada is different from every other foreign country in the world IMHO. I would not be opposed to a stronger sharing between our two countries. The two of us, as sovereign nations, could very well enter into an arrangement. All the other countries? They continue as usual? What's the problem there? The EU did it. Why can't we?

I believe you missed my point.

In any event, the US and Canada already have a special relationship. Citizens of both countries do not require a visa to enter the other. There is the NAFTA agreement. There are special work permits. It's fairly easy to travel back and forth between the two countries. And if you get a NEXUS pass you don't even have to wait in a queue to be processed. Canadians can even get a Florida drivers license! I think there already is a strong sharing between the two countries. The POE process has definitely tightened up since 9/11, though.

[HannahP 119]

Look, my partner and I feel a lot of stress due to this process. Are we going to break over it? I doubt it very seriously. But the stress is there, and it is unnecessary in my opinion. This stress is being applied on my relationship arbitrarily because I chose to fall in love with someone who did not meet the geographic requirements of an easy relationship.

Oh honey, wait until you're actually living together...

[pachacuti 154]

Oh honey, wait until you're actually living together...

I don't wanna wait I thought that was what we have been saying all along.

[N-o-l-a 7,167]

They already have a VIP service for the Military. Its called expedited.

You can also get your application expedited if you know a Senator or Congressman or can get one to expedite your K1 visa.

I was able to get my CR1 visa expedited through my senator. I am not sure if it helped but it was mentioned at my wifes interview at the embassy.

We have had now 5 senatorial inquiries....let me tell you how that has gone.

Senator's involvement won't expedite a case unless USCIS wants to expedite it.

[His karma 20]

The stress is part of the process. Those who can't handle it should never consider marrying a foreigner or should instead move to the country of residence of their loved ones. I don't mean it callously. IMHO people need to understand, evaluate and ponder the consequences of their decisions before they make them. Those whom the stress of the wait is enough to break up a relationship should never consider marrying a foreigner.

moving to live with your loved one isn't always an option either. We looked at him moving here instead but due to a small mark on his criminal record nearly 10 years ago, we would be looking at a 2 year process. An American can not just move to Canada. They have to have a Job offer, An LMO, a work permit or be married, or common law to be sponsored for PR. The wait for PR in Canada is 14 months give or take which route you take. To get Rehabilitated status and clear his record is also a 12 month process. There is no such thing as a Fiance Visa in Canada. It is PR or nothing. They can visit for up to 6 months but have to have strong ties to the US or risk being denied. So for me, a 6-9 month wait to get there and get married is preferable to a 26 month wait for him to be able to come here.