Deciding between K1 and CR1

[MayAnh 0]

My boyfriend and I want to get married but because we live in two different countries (I am the US citizen) we want to choose the option that lets us be together the fastest with the least amount of potential difficulties. He is living/working in Vietnam and has the option to go with an H-1 (his company will sponsor him) or I can apply for the K-1 or CR-1 to sponsor him. I am a graduate student so timing isn't as flexible as we'd like, and I am graduating in June 2016 (with no income until until I begin working in late August 2016). Does anyone have any advice or experience with applying for a K-1 or a CR-1 with Vietnam and how long/how complicated it was?

Some background: My boyfriend, although lives/works in Vietnam went to high school in the US and got his BA in the US. Traveling on a B1/2 visa has never been a problem.

Options:

H1-B (He applies now and finds out in late April before I graduate, but there is a 2/3 chance he won't get this because of the visa lottery)

K-1 (We apply now and have to wait for him to obtain the visa in September/October)

CR-1 (We get married in Vietnam in July and could live together for a year there potentially--however this could be difficult with my work because of the timing) However I have heard that establishing domicile with this option is a gray area, so does anyone have any experience with this?

-Which option is fastest and most importantly the least likely to give us trouble?

[Penguin_ie 5,986]

K1 is fastest, if you can get someone to be co-sponsor. He could still try for the H1B even while the K1 is in process.

My question would be what your plan is for after you graduate? From what you are writing, would you like to move abroad for a while? If so, getting married in Vietnam and living abroad for however long you want, and applying for the CR-1 a year before you are ready to move back, will be best, as the K1 would mean no travelling for him for several months.

[WandY 430]

Do nothing until you graduate and have an income. K-1 is rough and tough, but quick (we did it in four months beginning to end). You need an income.

[zeta054 111]

K1 and yes u need a co sponsor, We filed last year in Sept 2014, Approved in Oct 2014, She arrived in the States March 2015, Got her green card in Oct 2015 through AOS process.

[aaron2020 11,651]

My boyfriend and I want to get married but because we live in two different countries (I am the US citizen) we want to choose the option that lets us be together the fastest with the least amount of potential difficulties. He is living/working in Vietnam and has the option to go with an H-1 (his company will sponsor him) or I can apply for the K-1 or CR-1 to sponsor him. I am a graduate student so timing isn't as flexible as we'd like, and I am graduating in June 2016 (with no income until until I begin working in late August 2016). Does anyone have any advice or experience with applying for a K-1 or a CR-1 with Vietnam and how long/how complicated it was?

Some background: My boyfriend, although lives/works in Vietnam went to high school in the US and got his BA in the US. Traveling on a B1/2 visa has never been a problem.

Options:

H1-B (He applies now and finds out in late April before I graduate, but there is a 2/3 chance he won't get this because of the visa lottery)

K-1 (We apply now and have to wait for him to obtain the visa in September/October)

CR-1 (We get married in Vietnam in July and could live together for a year there potentially--however this could be difficult with my work because of the timing) However I have heard that establishing domicile with this option is a gray area, so does anyone have any experience with this?

-Which option is fastest and most importantly the least likely to give us trouble?

Em oi,

Where do you want to live and work? If you don't want to go live in VN and give up your work, then don't.

Let the company apply for the H1-b. You apply for the K-1. You can do both. You are not limited to one or the other. If he gets either visa, then your life together is here in the US. If he doesn't get either, then you can go and marry in VN, return home to your work and apply for the CR-1 visa.

[MayAnh 0]

Thank you all! To follow up: I would prefer to start in the US and finding a co-sponsor wouldn't be a problem if we started the paperwork before I begin working.

For those of you who say K-1 is better, how were you able to complete the process to get the K-1 (not the actual green card, but I mean from the initial filing until the fiance is granted entry)--how were you able to complete the process so quickly? We were told it would take 9 months to get a K-1 visa.

Still, it is helpful to know we can have both H-1 and K-1 open at the same time.

[zeta054 111]

Its not a matter how quickly the process is but front loading your petition and getting all you paperwork ready without any RFEs and of course if your boyfriend as all his paperwork in VN ready with coffee money does help. If your lucky in Ca the CSC processing is very quick then goes to NVC then to VN Embassy and the interview. Each case varies but the important thing is passing the interview and granting the K1 visa.