Is it better to get married first then apply for the paper work or get the finance visa then get married?

[dappollo 0]

Hi,

I am from England and am marrying a US Citizen. I have heard different stories about what is best to do. In terms of getting the finance visa or just getting married first and then doing the paper work after the marriage.

I am open to suggestions as to what is the best process?

Thanks

[Yodrak 7]

dappollo,

What's 'best' depends on your plans and priorities, and other than that you want to get married and you want to immigrate to the USA you haven't mentioned what yours are.

Yodrak

Hi,

I am from England and am marrying a US Citizen. I have heard different stories about what is best to do. In terms of getting the finance visa or just getting married first and then doing the paper work after the marriage.

I am open to suggestions as to what is the best process?

Thanks

[Silke 1]

If you are engaged, your US fiance can file for your fiancee visa --> K1

If you are already married, you have to file for a spousal visa --> K3

Take a look here:

http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/men...00045f3d6a1RCRD

http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/men...00045f3d6a1RCRD

[Yodrak 7]

silke,

No, a married person does not "have to" file for a K3 visa. They can if they want to, but it is an option not a requirement.

Yodrak

....

If you are already married, you have to file for a spousal visa --> K3

.....

[YuAndDan 153]

You may want to look here: http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.ph...mp;page=compare

If you had a solid marriage date in the UK in mind then you may consider K-3 or CR-1 visa type after marriage. If more flexible about marriage and wish to marry in the states, then the K-1 is the better option for speed of processing, it is a bit quicker than the others.

[Silke 1]

I thought you might be interested in the differences/ advantages/ disadvantages of the K1 and K3

http://www.***removed***/visas/kvisa/

[Silke 1]

Yodrak-- yes, the K3 is an option not a requirement...sorry for the confusion

[dappollo 0]

Thanks for that website it was helpful, a few questions for you....

1) Why is the K3 optional?

2)I see that it ranks Duration to entry of the U.S. between these options as shortest long longer etc, Do you have any idea what sort of time frame these equal, e.g. is longest 5 yrs or 1 yr or 7 months etc. Any ballpark figure would help.

[msu17 0]

Thanks for that website it was helpful, a few questions for you....

1) Why is the K3 optional?

2)I see that it ranks Duration to entry of the U.S. between these options as shortest long longer etc, Do you have any idea what sort of time frame these equal, e.g. is longest 5 yrs or 1 yr or 7 months etc. Any ballpark figure would help.

1) There are several options for visa's once married. However you CAN'T use the K1 if you are already married. Head on over to K3 or Cr1 forums for opinions on which of the marriage visa's is best.

2) To the UK, through the Cali service center, I think we are running around 6-7 months from start to visa in hand for the K1 (as long as you dont get stuck anywhere in the process). That's assuming that you submit everything as soon as you can from the embassy etc. Check out the timelines for those in the Uk for each different type of visa.

For us, the decision came down to being apart. We knew for us, it would be more difficult to be apart as husband and wife than as an engaged couple.

Edited April 5, 2007 by msu17

[buck501 0]

Hi,

I am from England and am marrying a US Citizen. I have heard different stories about what is best to do. In terms of getting the finance visa or just getting married first and then doing the paper work after the marriage.

I am open to suggestions as to what is the best process?

Thanks

I, we, decided on a K1 visa. My concern was that if we get married and the visa is not approved, then what? A long drawn out battle to get the visa with no gaurantee of her getting the visa. Having my wife several thousand miles away, several hundred $$$ for airfare would be very difficult. I am not sure we could make it work for the next 30 years or so. Relationships are hard enough when you are with each other. what is the point of being married if you can not have the intimacy. If things did go south then you would have to deal with the whole divorce thing too. Just getting a visa is hard enough. If the K1 does not go thru?? Well we will cross that bridge when we come to it.

On a more positive note, when you look at the timelines most seem to get approved. We have more then enough evidence to prove our relationship is real. I wish I would have found this site before we filed for the K1, I most likley would have went the K3 route. We could have had one heck of wedding in Colombia. Instead we are going to have a Justice of the Peace do a short ceramony and hopfully return someday soon and have a big bang down there.