What are the steps?

[Blackhawks_Fan97 0]

Could someone please help explain step by step the CR1 process for my Canadian Boyfriend to visit me, in the U.S., and then us get married. What would he need to bring/do and would would I need to do? We have determined that CR1 will work best for us, I would just like more information and clarity on what exactly we need to do. 

Thank you all SOO much for your help and time. We appreciate it! ❤️ 

[britishandusa 446]

Hi, congratulations.

 

First thing is that you guys need to get married either in the US or Canada. Either country is fine.

 

The CR-1 visa will take around 13-15 months to process. Your Canadian boyfriend is free to visit you in the US anytime but he cannot live with you during the time the visa is processing. There is also no guarantee that he will be granted admission for a visit.

 

This is a link for a step by step process on how to file: https://www.visajourney.com/content/i130guide1

 

Best of luck. 

 

x

[SalishSea 16,745]

Its all in the guides here at VJ as well as on the USCIS website.

[Blackhawks_Fan97 0]

22 minutes ago, britishandusa said:

Hi, congratulations.

 

First thing is that you guys need to get married either in the US or Canada. Either country is fine.

 

The CR-1 visa will take around 13-15 months to process. Your Canadian boyfriend is free to visit you in the US anytime but he cannot live with you during the time the visa is processing. There is also no guarantee that he will be granted admission for a visit.

 

This is a link for a step by step process on how to file: https://www.visajourney.com/content/i130guide1

 

Best of luck. 

 

x

Thank you!! Do you know exactly what he would need to bring with him to allow us to get married at the courthouse? Birth Certificate? 

[Ashhh 17]

As Britishandusa said, for CR1 step 1 is getting married. Make sure you have lots of evidence of the legitimacy of your relationship and subsequent marriage—photos, plane tickets, etc. He cannot live in the US with you during the CR1 process. 

 

The first step of actual filing is preparing the i130 package which is a petition that you will send to USCIS with all of your evidence and the proper forms. See the links above for specifics. The USCIS step takes 8 to 14 months—longer if they request more evidence or if your paperwork isn’t complete. 

 

Once you get USCIS approval (again, many many months of waiting later) your case will be sent the the National Visa Center for consulate preprocessing. For us it took another 2+ months after our USCIS approval before we had a case number assigned so we could begin the NVC step. Canadian cases require electronic processing so when you get your NVC case number you will upload a new round of forms and your financial information that proves that you can support your spouse when he arrives in the US. Once you have all of that submitted you wait again for processing and then for an interview date to be assigned. Expect 2 months or more from NVC case complete to Interview. 

 

The interview is the final step and will require your then-spouse to travel to the US Consulate in Montreal for an in-person interview. We are awaiting our interview date now but many people say that the interview is the easiest part of the whole process. If all goes well, he will be approved and will be able to enter the US with provisional resident status and can then live and work in the US. 

 

Basically buckle in for a long wait!

Edited January 10, 2019 by Ashhh

[Ashhh 17]

12 minutes ago, Blackhawks_Fan97 said:

Thank you!! Do you know exactly what he would need to bring with him to allow us to get married at the courthouse? Birth Certificate? 

This will depend on where you’re getting married. Usually your city or county municipal office will have their own requirements for marriage licenses. Ours required birth certificates from both of us plus photo ID.

[John & Rose 7,237]

17 hours ago, Blackhawks_Fan97 said:

Thank you!! Do you know exactly what he would need to bring with him to allow us to get married at the courthouse? Birth Certificate? 

Go Hawks!!!!

 

Here is the lowdown on the federal side of things.  The marriage side should just be a birth certificate.

 

CR-1    

No Adjustment of Status  (I-485, I-131, I-765) required.    

Spouse can immediately travel outside the US    

Spouse is authorized to work immediately upon arrival.    

Spouse receives Social Security Card and Green Card within 2 or 3 weeks after entering the US    

Opening a bank account, getting a driver's license, etc. are very easily accomplished with GC, SS card, and passport.

Spouse has Legal Permanent Resident (LPR) status IMMEDIATELY upon entry to US. 

You can appeal a denied CR-1 but if you are truly concerned about a denial, the K-1 may be a better place to start.

Estimated timeline is 10 to 12 months (NOA1 to Interview) This is officially quoted at 12 to 14 months.

 

CR-1 Fees

$535 - USCIS Filing Fee

$120 - Affidavit of Support Fee

$325 - DS-260 (Visa Application)

$200 to $400 - Medical Fee

$220 - USCIS Immigrant Fee

$680 - ROC (if married less than 2 years when filing)

 

$1,200 plus medical (per person if married more than 2 years when filing)

$1,880 plus medical (per person if married less than 2 years when filing)

[Ryan H 3,790]

Moved from Progress Reports to Process & Procedures.

[accumbyte 148]

7 hours ago, John & Rose said:

$680 - ROC (if married less than 2 years when filing)

 

$1,200 plus medical (per person if married more than 2 years when filing)

$1,880 plus medical (per person if married less than 2 years when filing)

Correction: it should be "at POE" instead of "when filing"

[John & Rose 7,237]

21 minutes ago, accumbyte said:

Correction: it should be "at POE" instead of "when filing"

Correct!  Thank you. I will fix that.