I need help on what Visa o pursue!

[Judy Ann 3]

I went to the US last year having J1 Visa.Then I met my boyfriend we stayed together for a couple of months then i returned back home before my visa expires and of course to finish my studies im on my last semester now and I will graduate on march. Me and my BF so wanna be with each other and we are on the process of deciding on what visa to pursue. I first said that I will go with internship for a year but that will make it more complicated coz I need to go back here on my country for 2 years residency. Then i have read here in VisaJourney about the K1 and CR1/IR1 visa. I was telling him to go here in my country so he could somehow learn the lifestyle and ways of living here and of course to meet my family and we can get married here and later on do the petition stuffs. Can anybody share their opinion about my case and tell me what will be the best visa that bis fitted on my situation. You will never know when and how love struck you but when it did even distance is just nothing but numbers. Thanks a lot

Edited January 13, 2013 by Judy Ann

[spn1025 38]

If you get married first, then you have to do the IR1/CR1 with form I-130 (spousal visa).

If you plan on getting married in America, he can file for K1 with form I-129F (fiancé visa), which will give you a 90 day visa to America, during which time you'll have to get married and file adjustment of status.

It all depends on your plans for marriage.

I personally liked the I-130 idea better because after my wife gets her visa and comes here, she's already a permanent resident. she can start work right away (as soon as she has her social security number). With I-129F, you need to file for work authorization if you plan on working before your adjustment of status is cleared.

[Judy Ann 3]

Thank you for that sir.So the most reliable is the IR1 visa? he will come over here and then we get married then he will come back in the US and do the petition... is it alright if we were just newlywed by the time he do the petition or we need to wait for a specific period of time until he can file the petition?

[spn1025 38]

I filed as soon as I got home from my Phil trip when I got married. Well, it was about 3 weeks after the wedding.

[Judy Ann 3]

Congratulations to you and your wife sir... And hope you had a great time visiting Philippines...

[Hank_ 9,173]

We did the K-1 route and I will add knowing what I know now, plus the fact that I am not restricted to vacation time to be in the Phils, we would have done the IR/CR-1 route. Time frame is similar for completing the process but when my wife arrived in the States she would have immediately gotten a green card instead of more hoop jumping and waiting for the AOS process to be completed.

I will note that with the K-1 process and AOS it only took a about 4 months for her to receive the green card, but during those 4 months she was restricted to what she could do.

[Tintin and Mike 127]

We went for the costly K1 route as well as we didn't like the idea of being separated after marriage. We just started our Adjustment of Status process but at least we're together now. The only downfall of that is that he just have to wait for a couple of months before he's authorized to work.

Good luck on your journey!

Edited January 13, 2013 by Tintin and Mike