My Dilemma, is CR-1 the best way?

[TSC Blackhole 11]

Hi There,

I am a US citizen and have been with my Canadian partner since our last year in high school. He went to high school in the US because he was a hockey player, so that's how we met. That was over 11 years ago. I moved up to Canada to go to college in 2003 and was there until October, 2010 when I was offered a good job in the US, so I took it. Now we're at least a 6 hour drive apart. We lived together for 7 years and this whole living apart thing now is getting really lame and we just want to be together, get married, do all that stuff, the sooner the better.

We figure the quickest way is to get married(courthouse style, and have another wedding later) and file the CR-1 in our respective countries, hoping that while the paperwork is being filed we can still visit each other. We initially thought that because he had a geography degree he could find a job as part of NAFTA, for which you don't need a visa, but no luck, the unemployment rate is pretty high where I am.

Just wondering if anyone out there has any advice as to what would be the easiest/quickest way to bring him here, to the US. It's so irritating that our countries are so close yet its SO difficult to be together. THanks in advance!

[Darnell 8,478]

There is 'faster', then there is 'better'.

IMO - K-1 is faster, but

CR-1 is better. It's a bit more paperwork before the visa is granted, but cuts out a lot of silliness (compared to the K-1) regarding Adjustment of Status to file for a GreenCard.

Caveat - if 'partner' implies same-gender situation, there is no USA immigration process. Better to be married in Canada, USC person moves to Canada, applies for Canadian residency based on marriage.

Edited June 5, 2010 by Darnell

[TSC Blackhole 11]

Thanks Darnell. We're in a hetero relationship so I think we'll just get married in the US asap, the next time he's down here. Now, when he goes across the border, he should probably say that he's marrying his girlfriend, right? Or will they give him a hard time? We'll get married, then he'll go back to Canada in a few days...

[Darnell 8,478]

For 'that' border crossing, he'll have to hand-carry his evidence of 'strong ties to Canada', in case they want to deny his entry (come to USA to marry US Citizen).

A denial at POE rarely happens, but it's best to be fore-warned, fore-armed.