Need advice.....

Iv Billing is enrout to me. and our K3 has just arrived at the embassy in Kiev. If we choose K3 route will we be faced with new fees after my wife enters US? It was mention by NVC that if they do not finish the CR1 process fees are not refundable and you must pay again. T or F? So do we stay the course. Are CR1 appointments easy to get in the Ukraine or are they months out?

Thanks for all the help!!!

Mike

They are both running at about the same pace so it is hard to tell. There comes a time I think that you have to look at what the better visa is as opposed to the "fastest" way because the time frame is so close

Yes, there are more fees if she entered on a K3 visa. It is a non-immigrant visa, so she would have to go through adjustment of status (which will cost $1,010 as of 30 July) to obtain a green card. Work authorisation would take about three months from filing adjustment of status.

Yes, CR1 fees are not refundable. None of the fees are ever refundable no matter what - even if they mess up. It sucks but it's true.

With the CR1, the only additional fee you'll have is two years down the road when her two-year green card is about to expire. And it's not as much money as adjustment of status. Also, with the CR1, she'll have a green card as soon as she enters and be able to work basically right away. The SSN can take a couple weeks, but some employers will still hire her pending SSN.

In my personal opinion, I think you should stay the course with the 1-130/CR1. It looks like it's progressed pretty well so far, and even though it may be a bit of extra time apart, it will mean less fees and less hassle in the long run.

You haven't paid the fees for the K3 yet, right? And it's just arrived in NVC but hasn't been processed yet like the I-130 has, right?

I've just realised that your timeline on the timeline page and your timeline in your signature are very contradictory. Your signature makes it appear that the I-130 has been approved and received at the NVC. But in your timeline page, you says it's the I-129f that's been approved and forwarded to the embassy.

Mike,

If the bill for the IV has just been sent to you, recognize that your I-130 petition will be at the NVC for another 3-4 months before it will be sent to the consulate.

Yodrak

Yodrak,

from the time of IV fee bill, it should not take more than one and a half month for NVC to complete the CR-1 case provided that everything is mailed to NVC promptly and there is no RFE. After the IV Fee has been paid, NVC will send DS 230 packet. It takes about 2-4 weeks for NVC to review DS 230 packet. After that NVC completes the case and sends it to the Embassy/Consulate.

Simple

I'm feeling a bit confused by the OP's timelines, but I'm thinking that they don't really have much of a choice as it seems that the stuff for the K3 visa has already made it's way to the embassy, which means they have to pay a fee and file a form to even try to go for the CR1 at this point... right? And that would take a lot more time.

Simple,

OK, 2-3 months then. Thanks for the info.

Yodrak

I see this as a case where the best of both worlds can be achieved. I would continue the K3 case AND push the CR1 case through NVC as fast as possible, hoping it will arrive on station even one day before the K3 interview. If so, the CR1 interview can take the K3 interview date. One can play with the timing by delaying the return of P3 (on the K3) if needed. There are no more fees to pay on the K3 until the $100 visa fee is paid at or around interview time. I'm not sure of the exact procedure in Kiev for paying visa fees.

The applicant would want to go ahead and take care of any immunizations required for a CR1 visa so that doesn't delay things later.

I would go with the CR1 but also continue with the K3. Your case would probably be at the NVC for about 2 more months. But nothing is certain with NVC. My IV bill was "sent" to me on May 14 and I still haven't received it. So there are unexpected things that could slow down the process at NVC. It is basically up to you. K3 may save a little bit of time but will cost you more money and time once the beneficiary is in United States.

Thanks to everyone. I got the genral idea..ad I will continue to push the CR1 and hold back on the K3 a little bit. Mike