I applied for a cr1 june 19 and went sent the k3 on july 12. It came back because the lawyer forgot the fee. At the time, I did not know what to do because I guess both petitions need to be sent shortly apart for it to speed things up. It seems like my cr1 is now stuck at csc and has been there 87 days. Would it make sense that if by December I dont have an answer to send a 129f following it or just wait out the Cr1. I am really frustrated . I also see alot of k3s getting turned down out of North Africa. What if they turn down my cr1 then I dont have a 129 f to fall back on. The situation gets complicated because we got married In tunisia and apparently a k3 interview needs to happen in the country we were married in. I feel personally we will have more luck interviewing inn his native country ALGERIA. I just feel like I am stuck in CSC and cannot get out.

We have had 3 visits this year so we can show that we have seen each other 3 times since December. If I can get over there in December ( pending a visa and you never know with them) it will be 4 times. Should I stop by the embassy and say hello if I go there? Is there anything I can do to increase my chances, making books, photo alblums etc? I was thinking about going on shutterfly when I get a reaally decent paycheck and making one of those photo alblums for him and labeling everything. I am so frustrated with this wait and I just dont know how long we will suffer through this wait and I want the embassy time to go as smoothly as possible. Any suggeestions? I am now at day 87 at CSC and wish things would speed along? I had a129f approved with him ( we got it too late) Do you think that will help with checks at the CSC that we already have one petition approved and he has an alien number already? Am I really more in a waiting game than anything else? Do you think that CSC will speed up soon?

It seem that I130s take longer to be approved when filed alone as compared to when filed alongside a 129f for a K3.
However, things are different now and before, when an I130 was approved it was sent to the NVC for processing regardless of whether or not the petitioner had also filed for an 129f. If you send the 129f, and that gets approved first or if they get approved together (which is what usually happens now), the 129f will be sent to the NVC for processing and the I130 will be retained in a storage facility until the beneficiary makes it to the states and files for an adjustment of status. This change in procedures, I guess, is convenient for those who want their spouse here quicker, because the K3 would normally be the quicker route as you would not have to wait about 3 more months for NVC processing.

So basically, I wouldn't worry about what would happen if they turned down the CR1 & if you'd have the K3 to turn back on...........chances are that if you file the 129f, your SO would be interviewing for the K3 as the I130 would most likely be retained.

If, however, you filed for both the I130 & the I129f and if you do not want the I130 to be retained and you wish for both petitions to be sent to the embassy abroad, then once you receive NOA2 for the I130, you'd have to file an I824 to have the I130 sent to the NVC. That transfer takes a few months by the way.

I don't want to give you false hope, but I don't think you have anything to worry about once your file gets to Algiers. The horror stories of the Case, Cairo, etc Consutes just don't apply. There are so few couples going through Algeria and it is not considered high fraud, so the process is really quite smooth. I have not seen a legit case get denied there, not seen anyone placed on AP. You get an appointment immediately (I once called and got one the same day), they answer e-mail and they remember your case as it is one of only a handful.

Waiting out CSC is the difficult part in all of this. I really think once you get to Agiers it will be easy and fast. Maybe others who have gone through Algiers can pipe in and add more reassurance.

Oh, and you should definitely go in and register with the Consulate next time you go to Algeria. They encourage Americans traveling in Algeria to do so and it is a good excuse to go in and ask any questions you might have about the process. Consulates are supposed to be there to help Americans abroad. I know the stories here about many of the Consulates make that seem like a pipe dream. But, I think Algiers is an exception. They will be quite helpful and polite if occassionally professionally abrupt. Use it!

Yeah we missed out on DCF and we could have managed marriage in Jan but by then they were stopping DCf so we got trapped in this long CSC wait. Its been hard and hell on me and we are now in our 10th month of immigration even though my timeline only shows July its actually been since January. I want this over with so bad and I cant see any end in sight with these huge waits at CSC and from what I can see I am looking at 3 more months there and then these is NVC... its a long haul and we got really unlucky with the whole missing the DCF thing... then a messed up 129f from January... I just want this over with... Even native born Algerians will be facing this too ( the ones that live in the US and cant move over there for 6 months. Its just so hard being so far apart and I cry alot and I am tired but there is nothing I can do. Only wait wait wait and hope hope hope I get through CSC before long

Don't kick yourself over the DCF thing. DCF through Algeria was just a lucky break for those who managed to get through. It was, as far as I know, at the time the only Consulate that would allow DCF without residency. They told me they could do it because they had so few cases. I realize the wait is hell, but you should still think yourself lucky to be going through Algeria. So long as nothing changes between now and when you go through, it is a breeze by all comparisons. Just hope CSC speeds itself up.

And,let me tell you what a pure joy it is to finally enter with a green card rather than a non-immigrant visa. You are just finished. Period. (OK, accept for a removal of conditions and naturalization.) The CR1 route is fabulous that way. And, as a conciliation prize should CSC take too long...If you have been married for two years by the time you get your visa interview he will get the IR1 and be truly home free. This is what happened to us. the process dargged on long enough so that what was a CR1 application morphed into an IR1.

I have only been legally married since May and the thought of another 110 days at CSC and then another 3 months at NVC and who knows how long that wil take is killing me. I guess you are right. Algeria has GOT to be a better bet than Morocco or Egypt for sure. I am just really glad I wont have to go through Tunis. Hell on earth and very hard on Algerians thats for sure. I have friend after friend messed up in Tunis for one reason or another. Now if I can just get through CSC.

u are very right. Its a long nasty wait through CSC and its taking forever. Plus my lawyer messed up my case by messing up the 129f and now he doesnt even answer emails or update me ( but then again there is nothing to tell me. I am just sitting at CSC waiting and waiting and waiting with no one touching me... it sucks

From what I hear, K3 sucks. Don't worry bout it.

And that lawyer sucks too. Toss the jerk or get a new one.

I'm confused....why didn't you go with the K-1 since it had been approved already?

because the lawyer told me it wouldnt be

Wahrania:

Once our CR1 case was completed at NVC things went relatively quickly. Our case was completed on Dec. 14th - Algiers received our file Jan 24th - my husband's interview was Feb. 1st. Both my husband and I found the consulate to be very courteous, helpful and they responded to all emails. At that time there was no additional fees to pay - everything had been paid thru NVC. After the interview my husband had to resubmit his birth certificate to reflect that it showed he was married and the Visa was issued 3 days later.

My best wishes to you that CSC will pick up soon.

thats great to know... Its just getting through csc that I think will be very hard. I dont think the interview will be too bad... I have been to Algeria soon it will be 4 times and we know each other real well.. its more to me the embassy. You at least have been through actually waiting stateside for the process. Its a whole different story for people who DCF'd and they cant possibly understand this huge horrible seperation and wait. I have a friend of mine who went k3 through tunis. they gave her a 221 ( he husband that is) and this was Feb last year and he spent 5 months in Ap. This was after their k1 got turned down over a year and a half before. She was really persistant asnd went back and married him but I have seen very very very little success through Tunis for Algeirans. This long nasty stateside wait.. coupled with a k1 that I did that would have been aproved but I got an RFE and the lawyer told me we would not most likely get the 129f so we went ahead and got married only to turn around and find out we were approved AFTER we got married and had to start all over. Then CSC slowed to a crawl and OUA LA... here I am 10 months later STILL NOT WITH ANY APPROVED PETITION and 90 days into a CR! that could take ANOTHER 100 days due to the timeline. Or with CSC WHO KNOWS. I am looking at these timelines coming out of CSC breaking into an asthma attack. I am 90 days into this petititon thinking I have another 4 months of this there because of the backlogs there. Your petition was at vermont like 3 or 4 months which was slow for Vermont now so it looks like we will run a similar timeline if I can get out of CSC soon. It is nice that they move quickly once they get the file though