Fiancee joining the US military, can you get the CR1 process expedited?

[campinginalaska 3]

Hello all! 

 

I'm a 19 year old British citizen and my fiancee is joining the US military. She was originally going to wait until she finished university but she's wanted this for a while, this has kind of tossed our plans up because we were going to get married in March but we read online that there's a good chance they'll think we're frauding the system and her father (Who is a navy veteran) said that people do this regularly. I guess I'm asking another question in that if it's bad or not that we're mentioning that we're intending to get married cause maybe they don't want to take married people right now? She's joining the Air Force btw. If not we'd just get married following BMT.

 

Anyway, a big reason for her joining is that aside from her own aspirations and the benefits is the possible expedition we've read about online (but haven't been explained to us.) I can't find much on it aside from the UCSIS London website saying you're allowed to file it directly to the Department of State but that didn't make much sense. Sorry I'm still learning this visa stuff 😂 I've read that the military will help you with the process and make it a lot faster as well as try to get your spouse into the USA and this seems really appealing considering the process, from what I've read, can take from 6 to a year and a half considering where you're from (The UK isn't a high fraud country, I'd imagine), is this true and what is the process?

 

Thanks for all your responses 😄

Edited January 5, 2019 by campinginalaska

[Roel 7,191]

No.

Military wont help you with the process and it won't make it any easier. Sorry. No privilage. They dont care about immigration of spouses. 

 

Only way the process would be expedited if if the US sponsor had DEPLOYMENT orders in hand. 

 

It's her choice to join the military now and USCIS wont care about it. She can wait until you're there. 

 

Also k1 takes about 10 months. Spouse visa about 12 to 14 months. 

 

Not 6 years. 

 

Also if her biggest reason to join military is to expedite the immigration process, she absolutely should not join. 

Edited January 5, 2019 by Roel

[Wuozopo 4,285]

Your 19 yr old logic is failing. It's not obvious to you but to somebody with a lot more life experience, you aren't fooling anybody. You are searching for a way to speed up the system. You can't wait 10 months, and think a military path would be instant. Or a marriage. 

All your ideas are basically not well thought out. You lack knowledge. Keep learning. Skip a military commitment because it doesn't help and just separates you again, right?  Start with the I-129F and begin the process now without all the shenanigans.

 

Make sure you have enough money for the process and your fiancé makes about $20k per year or you have another financial sponsor like her dad. 

K1 fiancé basic fees

$535 Fiancé Petition (USCIS)

£45 police certificate (ACRO)

£330 medical (Knightsbridge) pay at the appointment

$265 visa fee (Dept of State/Embassy) pay online 

$30 or $0 (Courier) home delivery or pick up at depot

-Enter USA and marry-

$1225 AOS/EAD/AP (USCIS)

 

Edit to add: And enough money to live on in the US for six months because you won't be allowed to get a job at first.

 

Edited January 5, 2019 by Wuozopo

[Crazy Cat 39,218]

You have much to learn about US immigration.  I would start in the guides section of this web site....and I would encourage your fiance to do the same.  The Air Force is a good career, but I suggest she not rush into it, especially if there are perceived benefits for your immigration.....because there aren't any..........her remaining in university an then joining will pay huge dividends....Good Luck. 

[JFH 12,189]

6 hours ago, campinginalaska said:

 

 

Anyway, a big reason for her joining is that aside from her own aspirations and the benefits is the possible expedition we've read about online 

 

Have I read that right? She wants to join the military just to get you into the country quicker? I’ve hever heard anything so crazy before. Being in the military is a massive personal commitment and sacrifice for the benefit of the nation - some even sacrifice their own lives. It doesn’t sound like she’s right for the military if this is one of her reasons for joining. She’s missed the bigger picture here. 

 

And at 19 what’s the rush? It’s not as if it takes years anyway. The whole process is about a year for a spousal visa. It’s not like it takes 20 years. But it sounds like you’re not ready for marriage anyway. Sounds like you just want to achieve your “dream” of living in the US and there are no visas for those who are just bored of where they are and think the US will be an exciting place to live. When you are ready for marriage, the process is very straightforward and there is a clear path to immigration for bona fide spouses. But the key is to be ready for marriage first. 

Edited January 5, 2019 by JFH

[NikLR 13,220]

There is a major benefit to be married before she enlists.  As a spouse you are instantly entiled and she can have off base housing etc... unmarried its a bigger process to change over. 

 

However the only immigration benefit comes if she is deployed.  Theres no expedite for spouses or fiances of military members unless the USC is being deployed.  Since going through basic and tech school will take a year or two, chances of her being deployed anytime soon is slim. 

 

So regardless, the K1 process will take about 10 months plus another 6 months until you can work and another year (depending on local office) after filing AOS after marriage.  

Cr1 is about 12-16 months after marriage. 

 

[aaron2020 11,651]

Your fiancee joining the military will no speed up your immigration to the US.  If she gets deployed overseas, then your case may be expedited.  She would have to sign up, go through basic training, etc. which would take around half a year.

 

It's about a year for a K-1 fiancee visa. 

 

It's about a year for a CR-1 spousal visa.  

 

Joining the military is not going to speed anything up.

[campinginalaska 3]

4 hours ago, JFH said:

Have I read that right? She wants to join the military just to get you into the country quicker? I’ve hever heard anything so crazy before. Being in the military is a massive personal commitment and sacrifice for the benefit of the nation - some even sacrifice their own lives. It doesn’t sound like she’s right for the military if this is one of her reasons for joining. She’s missed the bigger picture here. 

 

And at 19 what’s the rush? It’s not as if it takes years anyway. The whole process is about a year for a spousal visa. It’s not like it takes 20 years. But it sounds like you’re not ready for marriage anyway. Sounds like you just want to achieve your “dream” of living in the US and there are no visas for those who are just bored of where they are and think the US will be an exciting place to live. When you are ready for marriage, the process is very straightforward and there is a clear path to immigration for bona fide spouses. But the key is to be ready for marriage first. 

Yo chill. She doesn't want to join the military for that reason she's wanted that most her life. We were gonna file for a k1 previously but we honestly don't know what we're gonna do because obviously we're both pretty young and the wait stuff is pretty frustrating, especially visiting each other continously. We also don't have a way to provide. She doesn't like her current surroundings and she's always wanted to enlist but she only decided a year or so ago to join the air force, she was waiting to get the necessary college credits for the role she wants to enlist in. I literally specified that in my post and said that a secondary reason was the possible expedition.

 

What's the rush? Nothing really. I'm not bored of where I live whatsoever and that's a pretty big accusation to pin upon me and it's also like, incredibly rude, lmfao. I don't even know what idea I gave you that I'm not ready for marriage either or atleast made you come off as so rude considering I was so friendly in my initial post. The US doesn't sound like an exciting place to live either (or atleast where she is, it's too warm, we were already talking about moving somewhere cooler) and we were considering bringing her over here originally but she had her commitments with college and she wanted to join the military. I couldn't have possibly put all these personal things in the original post because it was uncalled for and really doesn't matter but I can guarantee that it's bona fide, lol. I thank you for your concerns but don't worry it's my life and I can live it as I want, I'm sure I'm not making a mistake.

[campinginalaska 3]

All this replies are, are accusations 🤦‍♂️ I was just looking for the most simple help because I thought there may have been a way to expedite if she joined but instead I got people pretending they were looking out for me without knowing me or her. It's nice to hear your concerns but trust me, it's fine. If she wasn't enlisting she would come over here anyway but she's wanted since before she met me and she wanted the benefits when it came to the GI bill.

 

I can guarantee if I wasn't 19, the posts replies would just be. "Oh yeah you don't know anything about immigration even though im sure this is a simple question because someone in the military would only be able to answer it"

 

come on guys 

Edited January 5, 2019 by campinginalaska

[Roel 7,191]

I don't care for your age. I've answered your questions that the military won't help you nor it won't expedite any visa processing just because your fiance wants to join.

 

 

[NikLR 13,220]

Op i think you'd be surprised at how many times people comment on an age, age difference, or relationship length.  Personally i couldnt care less about any of those. My relationship before marriage was short. The relationship before this one was long but no marriage.  Length of time before  marriage has no bearing on longevity of the marriage imo, but it does look better to immigration who has some traditional values.

My husband was in the USAF right after high school. It was the best way for him to get out of his hometown and do something with his life.  If your fiance wants to join, be supportive. Try learn to ignore nay sayers vs trying to change everyones opinion, just a word of advice.  

[mushroomspore 3,043]

1 hour ago, campinginalaska said:

All this replies are, are accusations 🤦‍♂️ I was just looking for the most simple help because I thought there may have been a way to expedite if she joined but instead I got people pretending they were looking out for me without knowing me or her. It's nice to hear your concerns but trust me, it's fine. If she wasn't enlisting she would come over here anyway but she's wanted since before she met me and she wanted the benefits when it came to the GI bill.

 

I can guarantee if I wasn't 19, the posts replies would just be. "Oh yeah you don't know anything about immigration even though im sure this is a simple question because someone in the military would only be able to answer it"

 

come on guys 

Well of course your age is a factor. 19 years old is very young to be getting married, even if the immigration process was not involved. For some couples and families, immigration can take DECADES and they handle it very well. Your comments clearly indicate you and your significant other want to speed up a process that will only take 1-2 years, depending which visa you go for. In the face of what is supposed to be a LIFETIME of love, what is 1-2 years? It is a drop in the bucket. But even still, there have been lots of older people who come here and have zero clue about how this works. Trust me, their misconceptions get shot down too.

 

The facts are these:

1. JOINING the military is not grounds for expedite. Only deployment is.

2. There are guides to K1 and CR1 on this very website.

3. Prepare to spend money, time and a lot of energy getting through this process.

[JFH 12,189]

OP, the thing is we've lost count of the number of times we've seen on here "the wait is too much/we can't bear to be apart/etc" and they are looking for ways to make it go quicker. If there was a way, it would be advertised at the top of each page and USCIS would also provide the info on it on their home page. We have all been through or are going through the wait. My husband and I were long distance for 4.5 years before I got my visa. And I can promise you I don't love him any less than you love your girlfriend. But we survived. The right decision and path isn't always the quickest one. 

 

If you have the the opportunity to bring her to the U.K. instead - you should consider it. You don't have to be married or almost-married. The U.K. was our first choice too but sadly my husband was denied. I have epilepsy and the US is not a good place to have a lifelong medical issue. We are in the Cascade mountains in Washington - we have cooler weather. There are some very temperate parts of the country. 

[WandY 430]

12 hours ago, campinginalaska said:

Y. I couldn't have possibly put all these personal things in the original post because it was uncalled for and really doesn't matter but I can guarantee that it's bona fide, lol. I thank you for your concerns but don't worry it's my life and I can live it as I want, I'm sure I'm not making a mistake.

A little bit of college is worthless for her - military or not. She needs a degree and then she can become a commissioned officer (if accepted). That's a great future. It sounds like you two will be financially challenged - you will need a sponsor. Slow down and think it out.

[HonoraryCitizen 179]

Some of the answers here were too belittling of age even if ultimately they answered her question. Yes 19 is very young to get married however we all know of have heard of a lot of people happily married for fifty, sixty years who got married in their teens. Many people also get married in their forties and fifties and are divorced in five years.

 

Additionally if a one year immigration process is reasonably short for some of you, well for others that’s one year of life together that’s been wasted so no need to continue emphasizing to OP that he/she is being unreasonable for trying to expedite the process. Finally it was clear to me that OPs fiancée has always wanted to join the armed forces and is joining a little early because they hoped it would expedite the process. She’s not joining the military because she hopes it would expedite their process.

 

Having got that out of the way, my $0.02 to OP is that the advice you got here in general is good, and the explanation of the immigration process is on point. I’d advise you listen to it while ignoring the unnecessary condescending parts.

Edited January 9, 2019 by HonoraryCitizen