Is K3 visa still available? Or IR-1/CR-1 only

[LovingYouDH 0]

Hello Experts,

 

This may be a silly question but I am still new to the forum.

Is K3 visa still available? Or only IR-1/CR-1 can be applied?

 

Thank you.

[Ben&Zian 4,397]

As most would say, CR-1 is really main spousal visa.

 

K-3 is for family members mostly, but rarely used or granted.

[Pennycat 880]

You can apply for it, but from what I understand, it really hasn't been issued in years. The story (I believe) is that they issued them at a time when the IR/CR visas were talking a really very long time (like 18+ months) and this was a way to immigrate and wait in the US. Now, your I-130 (petition for the spouse visa) will beat the I-129f (petition for K3) to the National Visa Center, and so they close the I-129f. 

[geowrian 22,335]

21 minutes ago, CatherineA said:

You can apply for it, but from what I understand, it really hasn't been issued in years. The story (I believe) is that they issued them at a time when the IR/CR visas were talking a really very long time (like 18+ months) and this was a way to immigrate and wait in the US. Now, your I-130 (petition for the spouse visa) will beat the I-129f (petition for K3) to the National Visa Center, and so they close the I-129f. 

Actually, there was somebody on here that posted about their k3 being approved just last month. That said, I agree that K-3 is basically no longer used and generally not worth investigating.

[PandO 21]

K-3 is used in particular cases. What those particulars are? IDK.

 

I applied for a K-3 visa, and somehow ended up on the CR-1 course. How this happened? no clue. Somewhere in between Submitting the I-130 petition, and NVC processing, I got my NOA2 stating CR-1 Applicant. No clue how that happened at all.

[Thegirl 224]

10 minutes ago, philliprccc said:

K-3 is used in particular cases. What those particulars are? IDK.

 

I applied for a K-3 visa, and somehow ended up on the CR-1 course. How this happened? no clue. Somewhere in between Submitting the I-130 petition, and NVC processing, I got my NOA2 stating CR-1 Applicant. No clue how that happened at all.

because your I-129F did not get approved before the I-130. That's how that happened. 

 

You must apply for the I-130 and have it's receipt notice before you can send the I-129F so people can apply for K3 its really just a matter of which one gets approved first. If the I-130 is approved first then you get a CR1.

 

It's sort of pointless though since you have to wait the same amount of time as a CR1 and then you still have to adjust status in the US it doesn't get you there any faster than the CR1 does. 

[NikLR 13,220]

You can try but less than 1% actually make it to interview.  It's also twice as expensive and takes the same amount of time. 

[Pennycat 880]

13 hours ago, philliprccc said:

K-3 is used in particular cases. What those particulars are? IDK.

 

I applied for a K-3 visa, and somehow ended up on the CR-1 course. How this happened? no clue. Somewhere in between Submitting the I-130 petition, and NVC processing, I got my NOA2 stating CR-1 Applicant. No clue how that happened at all.

Because you can't apply for a K-3 (submitting an I-129f) without also submitting an I-130. I-130 is the petition for CR-1. Your I-130 got to NVC first, as most of them do, so they processed it as a CR-1.