Getting married in Australia and bringing spouse to US

[brittjohns15 0]

Hi I'm an American citizen and have been living in Australia the last year on a work visa to spend time with my fiancée. Next week we are getting married in Australia but I have to go back to the US by May. We're starting on his I-130 package along with a k-3 as soon as we can but I wanted to get an idea of how long the process takes. Perferably the k-3 part since that one allows to enter the country while waiting for the I-130.

Thanks

[Ryan E 10]

K3s don't seem to be issued on a regular basis anymore. They are paired with the I130 and cancelled when the I130 is approved. Exceptions exist, but they seem rare. Some think the K3 application may actually slow things down.

You're looking at about a year, plus or minus a few months.

[brittjohns15 0]

So would applying for the k3 be worth it or should I just apply for the I130?

So would applying for the k3 be worth it or should I just apply for the I130?

[Ryan E 10]

So would applying for the k3 be worth it or should I just apply for the I130?

Personally, I did not apply for the K3 and am waiting for the I130.

You're best bet would be to search the forum a bit for the K3 discussions to make your own decision. There is nothing official from USCIS or DOS one way or the other, just speculation, anecdotal evidence, and the limited data contained in the timeline database.

[brittjohns15 0]

How long have you been waiting

[Ryan E 10]

I just submitted my I-130 in Feb. I've been living abroad for the last 7 years so I'm not in such a big hurry... but I'm not convinced the K3 application would help me and I'm hoping USCIS processing times will speed up.

Since you are also abroad, you'll want to do some research on "domicile" since you need to prove you have or will establish "domicile" in the US. Also, you're foreign income will not count towards meeting the income requirements for the financial sponsorship. You'll probably need either assets or a joint sponsor.

[brittjohns15 0]

Yeah i still have domicile I've only been abrod for a year in May and my aunt is going to be a joint sponsor for my spouse

[razspaz13 30]

based on what I have read on here you could expect it to take up to a year regardless of which service centre it ends up at

cheers

[NikLR 13,227]

K3 takes just as long (petitions are adjudicated together) and costs twice as much in the long run.