Should I stay or should I go now?

[Lrsafari 0]

OK...

Getting ready to decide which route to go..

My GF is in Russia. Clean record. I was there with her for 2 weeks in October.

So I have the option of moving here for maybe 6 month in late Feb/Mar 2016. Or possibly both of us living in Costa Rica, getting married there and handling the K3 while living there. The Idea would be to get married there then start her Spouse Visa Immediately.

Questions or your experience regarding this process?

Is it quicker, same, longer?

I read that some instances if the US citizen is living with spouse in their native country, often the State Dept will forward the application back to Moscow to handle since the return address is in their jurisdiction. Anyone shed light on their experience?

Now my daughter's cousin just got his Filipino fiance into US and took less than 6 months from first application to her setting foot in US... But he was told if he got married there would take over a year. This contradicts what I have read.

And is 6 months typical of both K1 and K3 now?

Sorry for run on post.. But I am about researched and read out.. A lot of info and much of it conflicts each other.

Edited January 6, 2016 by Lrsafari

[Darnell 8,478]

stuff for the PI gets autoexpedited because of Typhoon Haiyan. unsure when that will stop, at USCIS.

as to the autoexpedited queue , when petitioner files from abroad - that's still an option !

as to a general question of timelines for a K-1 visa chaser vs CR-1 - all depends on caseload balancing, queues, and which service center gets the casefile.

on the K-3, I suggest you not chase it. It's a waste of time.

Edited January 6, 2016 by Darnell

[NikLR 13,220]

She can interview wherever she is legally residing (IE not on a visitor visa.)