K1 or CR-1?

[Zapookie]

I was going to post this in the engagements, marriage sub forum but then I realised this is also about visas lol.

My SO and I are planning for me to try and get residency in the US as its cheaper than trying to in Australia. We can apply for either the k1 (fiancée visa) or the cr-1(spousal visa).

I want an engagement, I want to be proposed to, I wanted to have a nice small intimate wedding, all that good stuff. We can do that if we choose the k1 visa, but it's much more expensive than the spousal, I will have still have more paperwork todo after the wedding, will have restrictions on my working conditions and will only get a temporary green card.

If we do the cr-1, we can get married and I can live and work in the US almost straight away without any limitations. It's also about a thousand dollars less than the k1. I just won't get the proposal/wedding I've always wanted.

I don't know which to choose. Either option means going LD again which I'm dreading. I've also read on visa journey, but I wanted to see what the members of LFAD thought first.

[Kristin91]

Oh I'm not sure how to tell you which to choose... All I can say is good luck and yay! You're getting married

[Dezface]

If it were me, I would take the cheaper, easier option. I understand how it could feel like you're being cheated though. I guess it just comes down to what you're more likely to regret, not having the wedding/proposal, or having a harder time of it in the States.

[lucybelle]

Obviously we thought the CR1 visa was the better option. For the exact reasons you listed- it's cheaper and you can work and travel immediately after entering the USA with the visa.

Again- I still had a proposal and a small, intimate wedding. I kept thinking I would want another bigger one later, but it was perfect and wonderful and I don't feel like I missed out on anything. I even kept my "engagement" a secret from most of my family and friends. I didn't get an engagement ring, my SO proposed with my wedding band. I just wanted a proposal.

But that might not be good enough for you. Weddings are important and you shouldn't skimp on something for technicalities. If you want a ring, a proposal, a wedding, etc. in that order do the K1 so you can have those things. If you're okay with something a little less orthodox, get hitched then have a proposal and wedding later and file CR1. (though you should have some sort of ceremony because visa peeps like to see that)

My wedding was much, much different than I ever imagined it would be. I thought all my friends would be there, that I would have big white dress and have the whole dress shopping experience. I thought I would have a bouquet of lilies and be married outdoors in the spring. I thought I would have an open bar and a great band. I thought I would be proposed to by a man on one knee and be completely shocked and happy. I thought I would joyfully call all my friends and show off my ring. I didn't have any of those things, and I wouldn't change anything. I'm just trying to say that perhaps compromising won't be the end of the world. Maybe it'll be just the thing to make your story special

[ChibiFelicia]

we thought about this long and hard before and after he proposed to me last year in December (2011). We decided to go the CR1 route and got married in august because i want to be able to work as soon as i get there. We had a small ceremony and we are thinking about having a bigger wedding later but i don't think i will. You have to weigh up what you want. You only get married once and you have to do what you want : )

[Louise_B]

I don't know which to choose. Either option means going LD again which I'm dreading. I've also read on visa journey, but I wanted to see what the members of LFAD thought first.

I'm so glad someone has brought this up, The Whole Visas and stuff confuse the hell out of me! i get lost reading it and also i'm not 100% on what you can do with what visa! i was going to go for the K1 route, but i wasnt aware of the CR-1 but now you mentioned it, that sounds pretty good! my SO hasnt proposed YET. but we have started to discuss what we would do, where, who to invite all that malarkey.

But then again i do wanna be engaged for atleast a year so i could plan stuff for the wedding, we want to be married by 2015 .. so would the K1 be better for me?

[mllebamako]

My story is pretty similar to lucybelle's on this subject. My SO and I were originally going to apply for the K1 visa and I even completed most of the paperwork. Then, for the reasons you listed- being able to work right away and not going through as much adjustment of status BS, we decided to get married and then later, we'll apply for the CR-1 visa.

We got married in an elopement style, which is not what I had imagined (like LB), but I don't regret it. I loved our wedding, it was private and intimate and I still felt loved and beautiful. It was a little sad not having our families there but we made sure to skype with them on that day and share videos/pictures so they felt included.
We haven't started the application for the CR-1 yet (doing that this summer), but I am still happy with our decision.

[LilyChiba]

Keep in mind though, you can always have that wedding you wanted after. Just do a really small thing now and the proposal and have the fancy wedding when you have time/can afford it. It's honestly the option I would choose. If its cheaper, definitely and the added advantage of working off the bat!

[nicole]

I went through the K1 and kind of regret it. I filed March last year and finally got my green card accepted 3rd April this year- still haven't recieved it yet but I've been told it's being produced and sent to me soon. I had to wait months for a work permit, and social security, then had to wait to learn to drive because I couldn't get my learner's permit without my work permit. It is a lot of faffing around and waiting for endless papers to clear. I had to go through and pay for another set of medicals because of my TB screening, which cost more money. K1s are also tricky because you never know how long it's going to take to go through, so wedding plans can go completely askew if they don't process it on time. We just went to city hall to get papers signed, and having the big wedding with our families in June.

Not to mention, I had to drive to Detroit to get fingerprints done, and I'm one of the lucky ones who didn't have to go through secondary interviews, but that would cost money and prolong your Green card too if you did have to go. With the CR-1 you go through 1 set of medicals and interviews, then when you enter you're ready to go once they enter the country. I wish we'd done it that way, it's so much easier in the end.

[Zapookie]

Thank you everyone for your replies.

Nicole, I'm so sorry that your application has taken so long.

That's what I'm nervous about too - how long it will take and will it screw up our wedding plans? It has made me re-think doing the K-1 and have me leaning more towards the CR-1. If I can have a lovely wedding later on, I don't mind that. We just don't have a lot of money right now to afford all the costs that come with the fiancee visa so the cheaper option is what I feel we should go with.

I am worried though. I'm going to the USA in May, it is supposed to be for a visit so I can finally meet his family. I'm not sure whether we should do a small wedding then, because I have read on visajourney that this can be considered fraud and a breach of the tourist visa conditions - but some people have done it and successfully been able to get around that, but they had to say it was a shotgun wedding and not planned (sort of like a vegas wedding I'm guessing). I'd love to do that but I don't want to risk screwing up any future applications if I do.

[nicole]

Thank you everyone for your replies.

Nicole, I'm so sorry that your application has taken so long.

That's what I'm nervous about too - how long it will take and will it screw up our wedding plans? It has made me re-think doing the K-1 and have me leaning more towards the CR-1. If I can have a lovely wedding later on, I don't mind that. We just don't have a lot of money right now to afford all the costs that come with the fiancee visa so the cheaper option is what I feel we should go with.

I am worried though. I'm going to the USA in May, it is supposed to be for a visit so I can finally meet his family. I'm not sure whether we should do a small wedding then, because I have read on visajourney that this can be considered fraud and a breach of the tourist visa conditions - but some people have done it and successfully been able to get around that, but they had to say it was a shotgun wedding and not planned (sort of like a vegas wedding I'm guessing). I'd love to do that but I don't want to risk screwing up any future applications if I do.

I don't think it's fraud if you leave when you said you would; I think it's fraud if you enter, marry, and try and stay in the US. How else is the CR-1 there if you can't get married first? We thought about getting married in that month I visited my SO and got engaged; but my parents would have never forgiven me because they couldn't come over at that time. So long as you marry, then leave, I think it's fine. There's no law that foreigners can't marry whilst visiting, it's like a destination wedding right? Don't take my word for it though, I'm not the expert, but it doesn't make sense that you wouldn't be able to get married and leave. I would do your research on the uscis website for this, or even consult an immigration lawyer, because whilst visajourney is useful, people can just say anything on there and sometimes they have no idea what they are talking about.

[lucybelle]

Nicole is right. It's only fraud if you go to the USA with intentions of "visiting" then get married and stay. People go to the USA (Vegas! Hawaii!) all the time to get married. But then they leave.

My SO and I just went up to the USA to get married. Then we both came back to CR where we are applying for our visa. Perfectly legal.

[Tooki]

My GF and I are contemplating (albeit unlikely) to get married in Hawaii. Neither of us are US nationals.