Why did you file for a K-1 visa and not a spouse visa, or vice-versa? (merged)

[Shauneg 762]

*edit read the question backwards.

I'll answer anyways. My fiancée wanted to marry here in tne states instead of her country.

Edited August 10, 2015 by Shauneg

[j&ana 363]

The reasons me and my wife got married in her country are

1. so her family could attend the wedding and celebrate with us

2. we felt the benefits of the spousal visa was better( getting green card and being able to work right away)

3. Cost -the overall cost for the spousal visa is less then the cost for a fiancée visa

Edited August 10, 2015 by j&ana

[j&ana 363]

k1 much faster, is the main reason

Getting married in Philippines can be a pain in the #######, lots of BS to do first....

not really me and my wife were married there. It was fairly easy

[Shauneg 762]

My fiancée want to marry in the states. ..only reason.

[NikLR 13,220]

Because of the benefits of a marriage visa vs fiancee. There was zero chance of me not being able to jump on a plane at a moment's notice and I wanted to be able to work right away. Also had my husband ended up immigrating to Canada, it's also easier as a married couple than common-law.

Mostly because it was impossible for us to live together for the time period required to be considered common law for immigration.

[mlh 93]

Very much the same as everyone above.

1. My husband didn't want to have to sit around for a minimum of 3 months waiting for AOS before he could work.

2. Cost was less, even though time was longer.

3. We were going to have a beach wedding in the Caribbean anyway, so a K-1 would have been a simple thing at the courthouse and an actual ceremony later, so we just did the real wedding with my parents in attendance and then had small receptions in both countries.

4. I travel to the UK for work quite a bit, so we got to see each other throughout the process anyway.

[Julie+Matt 84]

We wanted to be together sooner. Honestly, if it weren't for the distance, we wouldn't have "rushed" to get married. But the only way for him to move here to be with me was the k1. And I didn't feel rushed. We just would've waited longer to marry (if he were already a U.S. citizen & not from England). It took 10 months for the total process whereas the cr1 would've taken over a year. We didn't have a wedding-we paid for the marriage permit, set up a court date, brought my parents as witnesses, & it was beautiful. Im so happy he's here now, next to me on his computer, me on mine, playing video games (while I take a break on my phone).

[Chief Mrs. Edeh 11]

My husband and I chose to get married instead of applying for the K1 visa because of timing and money mostly.

Most people on here are saying the K1 takes less time, and I guess that's true, but my husband and I were looking at the amount of time and paperwork we would have to do after he arrives in the US as opposed to all together and also looking at our finances and family planning for the future. Neither him or I make a ton of money and traveling back and forth often isn't really an option for us (which is generally what is needed to prove a K1 relationship). We also wanted him to be able to work as soon as he arrives in the US in order for us to be able to start a family (i.e., I will need to stop working to have a child and he will need to be able to provide for us).

All in all, it's a personal preference thing with many factors. Although my husband and I are technically married, I kind of consider this time to be like an engagement period. We only got to spend about a month together after being married before I came back to the US to file. Although, I view an engagement to be just as serious as marriage and see it only as a time to "get the necessary things together" to marry.

Edited August 11, 2015 by Chief Mrs. Edeh

[B-2-Z 37]

At the time we applied for the K1 we had lived together in Canada for 5 years. We didn't want to ever live separately at that point.

Edited August 11, 2015 by B-2-Z

[raven52 233]

As I read this you are asking us members, why we selected K-1.

For us my wife wanted to be married here in the USA, and even though we went through many delays, he entered here in 10 months and 4 day.

I see now here some people enter in just a very few months.

As VOL said, it is simply "usually" faster.

And since the Philippines does not have a way to divorce only annulment, which is almost impossible to do (as it was in 2012, have no idea what goes on there now) so getting married in the Philippines was out of the question.

And some people have problems with AOS, and would rather do "spousal visa" which is fine, but the AOS is very, very easy, and she had her EAD/AP in less than 90 days. GC in about 5 months.

So, AOS, was a non-event for us. But, your paper work must be very good.

If I had it to do again, it would be the same way. But, to each applicant, it is his/her choice, the guides at the top of the home page should tell you every thing you want.

[jess100 53]

We would have had to wait an extra year to marry in Mexico due to Mexican law regarding divorce and remarriage. We decided not to add another year to this (already painfully slow) process. We had to wait a few years for the divorce to be finanlized, so it's already been such a long wait. I realize there will be a lot more to do once he arrives but at least we will be doing it together.

[MeekMeek 3]

No marriage equality in Germany and since we were in a civil union in Germany, we couldn't get married in Denmark or Netherlands to fil fir a spouse visa. Therefore we had no choice but go the K-1 route!

[TBoneTX 43,058]

*** Thread moved from K-1 Process forum to the General Immigration Discussion forum. ***

[TBoneTX 43,058]

A mirror-image thread has already been moved from the K-1 Process forum to General Immigration Discussion, so this one probably belongs there, too, for consistency. Moving thread from CR-1 forum.

[mallafri76 1,012]

My husband and I initially got married by proxy, I was present, he (the USC) was not. When we were talking about me moving over, we chose between the K-1 (as proxy marriages are not acceptable for immigration purposes) or renewing our vows in a ceremony we were both present at and doing the CR-1 visa.

For us, we chose the CR-1 visa because I would then be able to work straight away after entering the US. Also, like Ryan H said, the process seemed much more straight forward. In hindsight, we probably would have gone the K-1 route, just so we wouldn't have to deal with NVC.