Apply for Colombia residency after filing IR-1/CR-1

[au58 0]

I need advise on whether I should wait to apply for residency in Colombia until AFTER my wife receives her green card. I am also not sure whether it is advisable that I return to the U.S. to continue with her residency application. I have heard conflicting reports about this. I'm assuming the inportance has to do with demonstrating to the U.S. government my/our intent to live in the U.S.

I have been living in Medellin for the past year while studying spanish at the university. We're getting married 31 March in Colombia. Our intention is to return to the U.S. once she receives permission, but I would prefer to wait with her her in Colombia until that time and a Colombian spousal residency visa would enable me to do this.

Please help......

[Penguin_ie 5,993]

I am not sure I understand, your statements seem contradictory?

I need advise on whether I should wait to apply for residency in Colombia until AFTER my wife receives her green card....

Our intention is to return to the U.S. once she receives permission, but I would prefer to wait with her her in Colombia until that time and a Colombian spousal residency visa would enable me to do this.

If you intend to move to the USA once she receives her visa (greencard will only be received once she is in the USA), then why apply for Colombian residency after she gets it?

You can absolutely apply for Colombian residency now and/or wait for her in her country until she gets the visa. The only problem with that is you will need to prove you intend to re-establish residency by the time she moves to the USA, and the affidavit of support- ie you will likely need a co-sponsor.

[au58 0]

Yes, you are correct. The first part of my statement was not real clear. Basically, I want to apply for residency in Colombia so I can remain here with my wife until she gets her visa to travel to the U.S.

You state "The only problem with that is you will need to prove you intend to re-establish residency by the time she moves to the USA, and the affidavit of support- ie you will likely need a co-sponsor."......Can you tell me how significant this is and whether it would create a delay? I believe I have sufficient financial means, but is a co-sponsor always required? One a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 the most likely, how likely would remaining in Colombia result in a delay?

Thanks so much...

I am not sure I understand, your statements seem contradictory?

If you intend to move to the USA once she receives her visa (greencard will only be received once she is in the USA), then why apply for Colombian residency after she gets it?

You can absolutely apply for Colombian residency now and/or wait for her in her country until she gets the visa. The only problem with that is you will need to prove you intend to re-establish residency by the time she moves to the USA, and the affidavit of support- ie you will likely need a co-sponsor.

[Penguin_ie 5,993]

Remaining in Colombia will not result in a delay, in fact it may get you into the "fast" queue at USCIS if you use your foreign address on everything.

A co-sponsor is not required if you have enough assets (3x the 125% poverty limit)- that is how we sponsored me too.

What proof do you have that you either never abandoned domicile in the USA (valid drivers license, bills, lease to home, furniture in storage etc), or intent to re-establish domicile at the same time or before your wife (buying a home, looking for jobs, enrolling kids at school etc)?