Travel after K1? Or do it before?

[Matthew49 2]

Ok, so we are past NOA2 and waiting on case #...

my fiancé has for two years also been waiting for citizenship from Australia, and it appears in their long delays, her ceremony for citizenship will be in September, with another 3 weeks until she receives her passport. This doesn’t affect our K1, which will be done much sooner hopefully , but it does delay her coming here a lot. She also would like to visit family before coming, who are in Russia, so my question is, when we get a K1 Visa, if she came here first, would it be possible for her to travel there to see them as well as go to australia for the citizenship, or should she stay put and wait it out?

[payxibka 10,044]

2 minutes ago, Matthew49 said:

Ok, so we are past NOA2 and waiting on case #...

my fiancé has for two years also been waiting for citizenship from Australia, and it appears in their long delays, her ceremony for citizenship will be in September, with another 3 weeks until she receives her passport. This doesn’t affect our K1, which will be done much sooner hopefully , but it does delay her coming here a lot. She also would like to visit family before coming, who are in Russia, so my question is, when we get a K1 Visa, if she came here first, would it be possible for her to travel there to see them as well as go to australia for the citizenship, or should she stay put and wait it out?

She can travel before or after the Visa is issued.   Enter the USA before the Visa expires.  Travel after entry is restricted for a period of time 

[Roel 7,191]

No.

She cannot travel until she applies and receives either Advance Parole or Green Card. 

Means at least 4 to 6 months being stuck in the US. 

 

I mean she can leave but she cannot return to the US then. 

[treppenwitz 78]

10 minutes ago, Roel said:

I mean she can leave but she cannot return to the US then...

without starting anew with the IR-1/CR-1.

[Market 16]

17 minutes ago, Matthew49 said:

Ok, so we are past NOA2 and waiting on case #...

my fiancé has for two years also been waiting for citizenship from Australia, and it appears in their long delays, her ceremony for citizenship will be in September, with another 3 weeks until she receives her passport. This doesn’t affect our K1, which will be done much sooner hopefully , but it does delay her coming here a lot. She also would like to visit family before coming, who are in Russia, so my question is, when we get a K1 Visa, if she came here first, would it be possible for her to travel there to see them as well as go to australia for the citizenship, or should she stay put and wait it out?

If I understand the question correctly, - > after entering the USA with a K1 visa, marriage follows -> then request for three more documents as soon as possible after the marriage - a green card and a combo card (which is travel permit and work permit),
and during the processing of these cards (which usually takes 5-7 months from submission - the combo card, GC even more) she really can´t leave (or she can, but ->) th usa as it would violate the entire immigration process and it would be very difficult to return to the USA. She can travel when she will get the AP CARD OR GC. 

 

But If she planns to travel before entering the USA, that's no problem. But be careful to get her to USA before the visa expires. Congratulation. 🌹
 

[Jessica Donahue 34]

8 minutes ago, Market said:

If I understand the question correctly, - > after entering the USA with a K1 visa, marriage follows -> then request for three more documents as soon as possible after the marriage - a green card and a combo card (which is travel permit and work permit),
and during the processing of these cards (which usually takes 5-7 months from submission - the combo card, GC even more) she really can´t leave (or she can, but ->) th usa as it would violate the entire immigration process and it would be very difficult to return to the USA. She can travel when she will get the AP CARD OR GC. 

 

But If she planns to travel before entering the USA, that's no problem. But be careful to get her to USA before the visa expires. Congratulation. 🌹
 

Exactly, the K-1 is a one-time entry visa, after that she will not be able to enter again until she has Advanced Parole (which she must add to the AOS application (green card), it is not automatic). The Advanced Parole (AP) and Employment Authorization (EAD) are temporary while you are waiting to finalize the green card process. It took us several months to receive the AP, but once we did my wife had no problems traveling.

 

 

[treppenwitz 78]

15 minutes ago, Market said:

If I understand the question correctly, - > after entering the USA with a K1 visa, marriage follows -> then request for three more documents as soon as possible after the marriage - a green card and a combo card (which is travel permit and work permit),
and during the processing of these cards (which usually takes 5-7 months from submission - the combo card, GC even more) she really can´t leave (or she can, but ->) th usa as it would violate the entire immigration process and it would be very difficult to return to the USA. She can travel when she will get the AP CARD OR GC.

Not difficult. Just more wait time (about 14 months) and money (about $1100 more) as they would start anew with the IR-1/CR-1 process.

Edited May 9, 2019 by treppenwitz

[payxibka 10,044]

24 minutes ago, Market said:

If I understand the question correctly, - > after entering the USA with a K1 visa, marriage follows -> then request for three more documents as soon as possible after the marriage - a green card and a combo card (which is travel permit and work permit),
and during the processing of these cards (which usually takes 5-7 months from submission - the combo card, GC even more) she really can´t leave (or she can, but ->) th usa as it would violate the entire immigration process and it would be very difficult to return to the USA. She can travel when she will get the AP CARD OR GC. 

 

Not difficult but impossible, short of receiving a different visa of course. 

[Lil bear 3,831]

48 minutes ago, Matthew49 said:

Ok, so we are past NOA2 and waiting on case #...

my fiancé has for two years also been waiting for citizenship from Australia, and it appears in their long delays, her ceremony for citizenship will be in September, with another 3 weeks until she receives her passport. This doesn’t affect our K1, which will be done much sooner hopefully , but it does delay her coming here a lot. She also would like to visit family before coming, who are in Russia, so my question is, when we get a K1 Visa, if she came here first, would it be possible for her to travel there to see them as well as go to australia for the citizenship, or should she stay put and wait it out?

Assuming she is still maybe 6 to 8 weeks away from the interview.. that would give her a visa issue date in July.. valid for 6 months .. so the latest she can travel to the US would be in November.

Plenty of time to visit family either before the interview or after .. attend the citizenship ceremony...get her passport (maybe expedite it, though turn around is usually within 2 weeks rather than the quoted 3)  and enter the US in time. 

[payxibka 10,044]

4 minutes ago, Lil bear said:

Assuming she is still maybe 6 to 8 weeks away from the interview.. that would give her a visa issue date in July.. valid for 6 months .. so the latest she can travel to the US would be in November.

Plenty of time to visit family either before the interview or after .. attend the citizenship ceremony...get her passport (maybe expedite it, though turn around is usually within 2 weeks rather than the quoted 3)  and enter the US in time. 

If the medical was in June,  then November,  otherwise, if the medical was in July, the Visa will expire in sometime in December 

Edited May 9, 2019 by payxibka

[DaveAndAnastasia 2,078]

2 hours ago, Matthew49 said:

Ok, so we are past NOA2 and waiting on case #...

my fiancé has for two years also been waiting for citizenship from Australia, and it appears in their long delays, her ceremony for citizenship will be in September, with another 3 weeks until she receives her passport. This doesn’t affect our K1, which will be done much sooner hopefully , but it does delay her coming here a lot. She also would like to visit family before coming, who are in Russia, so my question is, when we get a K1 Visa, if she came here first, would it be possible for her to travel there to see them as well as go to australia for the citizenship, or should she stay put and wait it out?

As long as she

1) Doesn't enter the US (even to change planes) until she wants to stay AND

2) Does enter the US to stay before her K-1 expires (the expiration date will be printed on her visa; don't cut this too close, as flights can be delayed or canceled)

then you're fine.

[Matthew49 2]

On 5/9/2019 at 12:13 PM, Market said:

If I understand the question correctly, - > after entering the USA with a K1 visa, marriage follows -> then request for three more documents as soon as possible after the marriage - a green card and a combo card (which is travel permit and work permit),
and during the processing of these cards (which usually takes 5-7 months from submission - the combo card, GC even more) she really can´t leave (or she can, but ->) th usa as it would violate the entire immigration process and it would be very difficult to return to the USA. She can travel when she will get the AP CARD OR GC. 

 

But If she planns to travel before entering the USA, that's no problem. But be careful to get her to USA before the visa expires. Congratulation. 🌹
 

Thank you so much! We are just weighing our options, and asking questions on here is a good way to go about it. I appreciate the wisdom, thanks for the congratulations! Blessings in Jesus Name!

 

[Matthew49 2]

On 5/9/2019 at 2:19 PM, DaveAndAnastasia said:

As long as she

1) Doesn't enter the US (even to change planes) until she wants to stay AND

2) Does enter the US to stay before her K-1 expires (the expiration date will be printed on her visa; don't cut this too close, as flights can be delayed or canceled)

then you're fine.

Thanks Dave and Ana! We definitely wont be taking any chances that are unnecessary, and appreciate the advice!