CR1 or K1?

[Kiwifruit 0]

Hello VJ!

Kiwifruit here, long time scroller-througher, first time poster and even longer-time owner of a strange sense of humour ... well seeing as how I am fuzzy foreign fruit would you expect any less?

Long story short my American girlfriend and I have decided to get married and start a fruit salad, however it's proving a bit difficult and the big question is which visa route do we choose?

We met online in June 2010, met face-to-face in Jan 11 (spent two weeks together) and got engaged. I have been doing lots of research and feel that both the K1 and CR1 visas are good options each with thier positives and negatives.

Unless I am advised otherwise, we plan to do the process ourselves, we're both fairly educated and think its DYIable.

Given recent policy changes by Immigration New Zealand its easier for me to go to the US and sponsor her for NZ permanent residence rather than doing it here.

Anyway, here is what we have come up with .....

K1 plan:

The good

- Do not have to be seperated after marrying as I can apply for AOS straight away

The bad

- Requires costly adjustment of status and application for EAD/AP which would be nice to have up my sleeve without waiting

- Means we cannot take our planned European or Carribean honeymoon as I would need to wait for AP

CR1 plan

The good

- Less expensive as no AOS/ED/AP required

- We can take our honeymoon anywhere we like (would be on VWP and not have filed I-130 yet)

The bad

- Would have to come back to NZ after getting married

Either way I have one more trip to the US (at least) in the middle of the year and Kate (Mrs Kiwifruit) is planning to come visit NZ later in the year which means we would have more airline receipts, photos etc.

The big sticking points for us are that we don't want to take our honeymoon IN the US (K1) and that if we went the CR1 route I am concerned we would be held to a higher standard of evidence (bonafide marriage vs ongoing relationship) and we would have to spend the first 5-8 months apart of our marriage apart.

Whichever route we choose, we are going to submit the following as evidence:

- Photos of us together

- Copies of our Carnival cruise cards that have the same room number and cruise date on them with both our names (on seperate cards)

- Copies of airline itineries, some boarding passes and statement from the airlines saying the tickets were flown on

- Two credit card statements with some misc charges eg hotel we both stayed at and ATM withdrawls

- My life insurance showing her as beneficiary

- My credit card showing her as an additional cardholder

- Engagement ring receipt

- Skype logs

- Phone bills

- Copies of cards and envelopes sent to each othes

- Statement from her parents that we were together for both trips

- Letters from each of us stating we are free and intend to marry (if we choose K1)

I might have one or two other bits and pieces I can throw in for good measure that I am not thinking of.

So, if you could have a look at my plan and help a strange piece of down under fruit decide which y'all think is better it would make for awesome fruit salad!

Thanks

Ben

[tooduhri 0]

According to the VJ timeline, K1 is only about 2weeks faster. CR-1 definitely makes more sense. You two can always get married on paper and do the ceremony later. If you are going to endure 6-7months to get a K-1, I would like to suggest CR-1 all the way.

[Brusik 11]

Time frame as I was told

Fiancee visa takes 3-5 months to approve and enter the USA then you have 90 days to marry.

CR1 takes 5-7 months but after visitng this forum I was told realistically it can be 8-10 months..

Financially CR1 is more cost effective

[catracha85 6]

That is a very personal decision, that I believe many of

Us has passed by. Talk to your girlfriend, what you both

Will like. Remember that in a K-1, her family could not

be presence in the wedding or at least not All of her family

(if she is very closed to Her family, if she isn't,

then no problem). CR1 is quite less expensive and if you

Present good evidence and has no RFE (and have a little

Luck by the way) it may be a straight shut. Obviously,

For both routes, there are its conts and pros. In terms

Of time k1 is one-two months "faster". I believe in realistic

Terms k1 is around 6 months and CR1 around 6 months to one

Year. All depends....!

[Amy and Nick 37]

Talk to your girlfriend, what you both

Will like. Remember that in a K-1, her family could not

be presence in the wedding or at least not All of her family

(if she is very closed to Her family, if she isn't,

then no problem).

Shes the Yank. He's the Kiwi!