If you had to do it again, K1 or CR1?

[Little_Vixen 1,869]

Yes, another K1 vs CR1 thread. Sorry.

I've researched both of them and we decided to go for the K1. We gathered all the paperwork and are now ready to file everything in December. But... I see so many people 'complain' about the route they have chosen. I would like to know more about that and gather some of your experiences here.

Why have you chosen the K1 or the CR1. Are you still happy with the choice or do you regret it. If you had to do it again would you choose differently. And why? Is it just the cost, or the time. Or are there other factors involved that you hadn't fully realized when starting the process.

 

I understand each situation is different and a fiancé(e)s or spouses home country can make you choose one way or the other. I'm just really curious to hear your thoughts on this.

[Dashinka 23,330]

We did the K1 and given the same circumstances, I would probably do the same route again.  I can certainly attest that the CR1 is superior in most circumstances, and almost a requirement for those dealing with high fraud countries, but in our case the K1 was the best route.  In my opinion if a couple is younger, if working immediately upon entry is imperative, and someone is from a VWP country or already has a visitor visa where they are able to travel and visit during the process then again the CR1 would be the route to take.  Anyway, both routes work, and really it is a personal decision based on the circumstances of the couple.

[JFH 12,189]

We did CR-1 and very happy with the choice. You couldn't pay me enough to do a K-1.

 

- I started work within 2 weeks of arrival. This helped me settle and meet like-minded people. It gave me structure and routine.

- I was able to get a bank account, SSN, credit card, car loan, healthcare etc right away. I was a green card holder from day one. No grey area over my status. I've read countless stories on here with banks and DMVs not knowing what to do with K-1 people and they are left in limbo

- If I had needed to go back to the U.K. in an emergency or just because I was homesick I could 

- cheaper. No AOS process facing us soon after I arrived and before I could work. It was nice to know once I arrived that we were done with all this stuff. I had an IR-1 visa so I don't even have to remove conditions 

- I am from a VWP country and continued to visit regularly throughout the process 

- we chose the wedding date and location we wanted, not the one that the visa date and type dictated 

[NikLR 13,220]

CR1 was really the only choice for us.  I understand people have a thing where they do not want to live apart after marriage.  Yeah it sucks to spend your first holidays potentially alone. (Hopefully not though.)  But the ability to be an independent adult outweighs that for me.  I need to be able to travel.  Plus being able to be married when and where I wanted was important.  My mom is a minister but can only do weddings in her province. 

[agrabs 237]

We did K1 visa.  At the time CR1 wasn't a good option for us as my husband is from Romania and did not have VWP and was denied a tourist visa.  We would have had to get married there and at the time it just seemed more difficult.  To us the biggest downside of the K1 visa is not being able to work until your EAD is approved.  We underestimated how difficult those 5-6 months of not working and basically waiting for me to get home from work each day would be on my husband.  I was the only one he knew here, so its not like he had someone to hang out with and have fun all day.  I think it  would make the transition of coming to a new country easier if you can start work and settle into a routine -less time to think about being homesick.  Also, with the Cr1 you are done with the paper work for USCIS for 2 years until you remove conditions.  With the K1 it felt like after waiting so long to get approved, a few months later we had to start the paperwork process for AOS and dealing with the stress of USCIS all over again.  Whichever process you chose , may you guys have a happy and blessed life together

[Perfect two 💑 1,147]

I'm doing K-1 and if I need to choose again, I will still go for K-1. This is how I look at this, my country is not a high fraud country. So, either K-1 or CR-1, both are okay. In my mind, if we get married and apply for CR-1, and it got rejected (not a negative thinking, but there is always a possibility for that even when your relationship is real. Because the one whom interview you doesn't know you on a daily basis), the only option we have is applied another CR-1 and it will take another 1-1 year and a half. However, for K-1, if it is failed, we can try applying for another K-1 and if it still failed, then we can get married and apply for CR-1. 
 

[Ontarkie 13,939]

We would do the K1 again. I had 4 K2's and getting married before would have caused me all sorts of issues back in Canada.

 

Also I had a 16 yr old at the time and a spiteful ex. We didn't know how long things would take. With a K2 you have until the kid turns 21 not 18 like the CR1. 

 

 

[RJandHamid 1,128]

If I were starting the process today, I would have chosen the CR1 route over the K1 route. This is mainly due to current processing times. K1s are taking 5-6 months for NOA2 now, putting visa in hand at anywhere from 6-9 months depending on the embassy. The Casablanca consulate is one of the slower consulates in terms of scheduling the interview, so my K1 process (started in December 2016) took 7 months overall and our NOA2 arrived in 4 months, which would be considered rather quick these days. We filed for AOS in September and my husband is still waiting for his EAD/AP so that he can work and travel. He's bored at home all day and wants to work, but can't. The CR1 process is only taking a few months more than the K1 process at this point, so yes if I had to do things over again at this point in time, I would go the CR1 route not only to save money since the filing fees are cheaper, but also my husband would have been able to have a green card and work right away. 

 

Our K1 process was relatively smooth and I'm grateful for that, and I'm grateful that my husband and I at least get to wait for the EAD/AP and green card together, but still at this point I do feel like the CR1 visa is a better option. The only real advantage to a K1 is shorter processing times, so if we see K1 processing times go back down to 3-5 months, then I would say it would be a good option. 

[trudi 1,317]

In the same circumstances I'd go the K1 route again, but if finances are an issue or you need/want to work anytime soon after arriving then I'd do the CR1.

[Unlockable 7,306]

Would absolutely not do a K1 again. In fact, when asked for advice about which to do, I always advocate for spousal visa.

 

The K1 is more hype than anything. People are just excited about having their baby-boo with them much sooner than other visas that they overlook the negatives of it. Every time I see a new thread where a K1 applicant is here and is inquiring about how to expedite the EAD so they can finally work, or how they can obtain a driver's license without a green card, or how much longer they have to wait until they receive authorization to travel because they are homesick, I just shake my head.

[little immigrant 800]

Definitely CR1 again. 

[Unlockable 7,306]

24 minutes ago, NuestraUnion said:

Would absolutely not do a K1 again. In fact, when asked for advice about which to do, I always advocate for spousal visa.

 

The K1 is more hype than anything. People are just excited about having their baby-boo with them much sooner than other visas that they overlook the negatives of it. Every time I see a new thread where a K1 applicant is here and is inquiring about how to expedite the EAD so they can finally work, or how they can obtain a driver's license without a green card, or how much longer they have to wait until they receive authorization to travel because they are homesick, I just shake my head.

I feel I have to clarify something in regards to my previous post. It is based on my circumstances and my opinion of the K1 visa. It does not mean a K1 would not be a better option for others. But those that I personally know who have asked for my opinion on the K1 were ONLY interested in the speed of the process. Once I explained the limitations of the K1, it definitely gave them food for thought. If I were to personally come across a couple whose circumstances warranted a K1, I would definitely advise them accordingly. 

[Redheadguy03 505]

I am currently in the AOS process with my wife. Looking back I'd probably do the cr1, the waiting right now is just annoying. My wife gets bored because she can't work, but it's good having her here. 

[Orangesapples 1,954]

I think I would choose CR-1 but it's complicated. Honestly, not being able to work in the beginning was really hard on me, being in a new country and everything. I was super bored and I hated the US. On the other hand, me not working allowed me and my husband to travel around the country quite a bit and this was a big positive. Still, the hardest part for me was that at the end of the day, my husband was exhausted from work and wanted to rest while I was bored and full of energy. This changed when we moved to a more walkable area (I hate suburbs) but staying at home when you're at a new place and know nobody is hard. Not working in my own country would feel totally different and might be even enjoyable. 

[Dutchster 1,106]

I find the choice still difficult. Part of me regrets the K-1 route but part of me couldn't do the CR-1 route, but would still recommend it more. My husband and I went the K-1 route because it seemed the 'easiest' for us. We kept telling ourselves we could not be married and apart from each other and I still can't but after all, I am regretting the K-1 route for the most part.  If I only knew beforehand how much impact sitting at home for over nine months would have on my mental health! It's only since the last months where I am truly unhappy with how we quickly wed and how our quick courthouse wedding was set up. My husband asked me over and over again if I was really ok with sitting at home all day while he was at work. And I was the first month but I could not drive, nor work. We kept saying, "Oh, it's just going to be for three months!" which was very naive thinking. I sat home from Juli 2016 until May 2017. Going from a social butterfly to having none close, repeating days, prisoner of my own home. And that might sound dramatic to those living in the city or a town that has public transportation but in all honesty, we live in the middle of nowhere. No neighbors, 13+ miles from the nearest Walmart, no access to public transportation. It sucked, honestly.