IR1/CR1 vs K1 interview Discrepancy

[VaggoLena 7]

Unless they changed something, K-1s and CR-1s were being handled in the "immigrant visa" section and they had the same appoitments. There were 5 other couples/applicants when we went and two of them were CR-1s.

I am a bit confused about you saying they are still accepting K-1 appointments but not CR-1s. Maybe they changed how they do it?

Well my wife is a member of another forum, similar to visajourney but it is Russian. Over there she sees many K1 filers from Ukraine that are still receiving as we speak interview dates in Kyiv between the dates of 8 May - 15 May, which made us believe that the embassy there has not reached full capacity for the month.

[highlander08 9]

That is correct. IR-1/CR-1 does not require an adjustment of status or AOS fee, it comes with a green card. Usually they place an I-551 stamp in the passport which takes the place of the green card and the green card arrives a few weeks after your wife does, but she can work and travel internationally immediately. If you have been married LESS than two year when the visa is issued you get the CR-1 and a 2 year green card and have to do ROC in two years. If you have been married MORE than two years when you get the visa you get an IR-1 and a 10 year green card. Otherwise the two are identical.

It is a good visa for someone where the spouse being able to work is important. Or the spouse being able to travel is important. If I were to have met a woman from Quebec, just a few minutes away, I would have gone the CR route. She could visit easily in the meantime and I could not imagine her coming here and telling her..."oh, by the way, you cannot go to Canada for 4-6 months" For the 2,356 young people who every day ask "Will I be able to meet the poverty guideline for my fiancee?" The K-1 is NOT the visa to choose.

The CR-1 takes longer to process, but given the current time frames of the K-1 it is not that much different. From filing a petition to receiveing a green card, the CR-1 is usually faster.

The K-1 gets a fiancee here faster, but you are only half done.

The K-1 has one other big advantage for SOME people. A child can be issued a K-2 up to age 21. For a CR-2 the child must be under age 18 when you marry the foreign parent. If you meet a woman with children aged 17-20 and she wants the children to come along, the K-1 is your only choice.

The other advantage is you can meet someone today and file the K-1 petition later today. With a CR-1 you have to get married first, then file the petition, that also adds to the delay. However if one looks at this as one SHOULD look at this, that you are making a lifelong committment to a spouse and family, then a few weeks or months up front should make no difference.

We considered both. There was no advantage to US in doing the CR-1, it offered nothing we needed. So we went with the K-1.

When you said AOS I thought you were referring to Affidavit Of Support not Adjustment of Status. So do both Ir-1/Cr-1 and K-1 require Affidavit Of Support ??? Or does the Ir-1/Cr-1 only require tax return previous year and letter from employer. ? one other post said they also want to see three months of pay-stubs . ???

Edited May 1, 2012 by highlander08

[baron555 934]

Your employer letter and tax transcripts or copies of the full returns are supporting evidence that accompanies the Affidavit of Financial Support, both visa types require this, along with the AOS for K-1s.

[highlander08 9]

Your employer letter and tax transcripts or copies of the full returns are supporting evidence that accompanies the Affidavit of Financial Support, both visa types require this, along with the AOS for K-1s.

thanks Baron thats what I was thinking.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

When you said AOS I thought you were referring to Affidavit Of Support not Adjustment of Status. So do both Ir-1/Cr-1 and K-1 require Affidavit Of Support ??? Or does the Ir-1/Cr-1 only require tax return previous year and letter from employer. ? one other post said they also want to see three months of pay-stubs . ???

Both require it. The K-1 requires TWO affidavits of support, one for the visa (I-134)and one for AOS (I-864). The CR-1 requires only ONE Affidavit, an I-864 which is sent to NVC before your interview

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Well my wife is a member of another forum, similar to visajourney but it is Russian. Over there she sees many K1 filers from Ukraine that are still receiving as we speak interview dates in Kyiv between the dates of 8 May - 15 May, which made us believe that the embassy there has not reached full capacity for the month.

I do not go to other sites so I cannot comment. AT THE TIME we had our interview, summer 2008, K-1s and CR-1s were using the same area of the consulate (immigrant visa section) and the interviews were done at the same time, mixed together. It is a fact that K-1s usually outnumber CR-1s by 2 or 3 to 1 on any given day. It is possible they have allocated certain days for CR-1s and others for K-1s. Speculation on my part but I cannot imagine another reason if they were still doing it the same way.