A couple of questions

[KevinA74 2]

Hello all. Long story short. I have a girlfriend in Venezuela. I've known her for a really long time and we've been on several trips together. I would like to get married and since we're both getting older it's either now or never. Getting married to a foreigner is really complicated and I could use some advice and a starting point.

 

I really don't want to marry in Venezuela because of all the problems they are having and the hassle of getting a visa to go there. So that leaves me with two options, either marry abroad or apply for a K1 visa and marry in the US. So here are my thoughts and questions:

 

I could marry abroad. I've thought about Colombia since it is close to her and I could meet the parents. The problem is I've heard it's a pain to marry in Colombia because of all the paperwork and runaround, plus I'm not sure how it would work to marry someone whose not Colombian or if that is even possible? Would there be a better country in Latin America to marry with the least amount of problems and paperwork? I'm all about simplicity.

 

Second, I could apply for the K1 Visa but I would have to do that before next August otherwise I would need to visit her again first. Between the CR-1/IR-1 and K1 Visa what would be the better option? And by better I mean least expensive, quickest, and less of a headache in terms of paperwork?

 

I would really appreciate any advice from someone who knows more about this me as it is all a bit overwhelming. Thanks in advance!

 

 

[Ontarkie 13,904]

~~Moved to What Visa DO I Need, from IR1/CR1 P&P - The OP is researching his options.~~

[Russ&Caro 1,548]

I married a citizen of Colombia in Colombia. I think I have an idea about what you're saying in regards to paperwork but I didn't think it was too burdensome. My wife had to go back and forth to some administration offices a couple of times to register the marriage and get a copy of the certificate. One nice thing about the experience was she was able to do all the marriage paperwork in her home town of Palmira instead of having to travel to another city. The immigration process had to be all done through Bogota which was more logistically difficult.

 

Are you thinking of her moving to Colombia and doing the immigration process through Bogota, or merely getting married in Colombia? Because I don't deem the latter to be all that much of a problem.

 

I'm a big proponent of going the CR1/IR1 route as it worked out ideal for us, despite the extra months of waiting. However, in your situation where your wife is in Venezuela, I would probably think seriously of a K1 so that she can get out of the country as soon as possible. You might search threads here, or browse threads in the Latin America sub-forum to see what others did when filing from Venezuela.

[Crazy Cat 39,192]

1 hour ago, KevinA74 said:

Between the CR-1/IR-1 and K1 Visa what would be the better option? And by better I mean least expensive, quickest, and less of a headache in terms of paperwork?

Every couple has their own priorities, and each couple must decide which visa is better for their situation.

K-1
    Slightly faster arrival in the US 
    More expensive than CR-1    
    Requires Adjustment of Status after marriage (expensive and requires a lot of paperwork)    
    Spouse can not leave the US until she/he receives approved Advance Parole (approx 5-6 months)    
    Spouse can not work until she/he receives EAD (approx 5-6 months)    
    Some people have had problems with driver licenses, Social Security cards, leases, bank account during this period    
    Spouse will not receive Green Card for many months after Adjustment of Status is filed.

  

CR-1
    Slightly slower arrival in the US 

    Less expensive than K-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 status IMMEDIATELY upon entry to US.
  �

 

[KevinA74 2]

On 10/7/2019 at 6:26 PM, Ontarkie said:

~~Moved to What Visa DO I Need, from IR1/CR1 P&P - The OP is researching his options.~~

On 10/7/2019 at 6:27 PM, Russ&Caro said:

Are you thinking of her moving to Colombia and doing the immigration process through Bogota, or merely getting married in Colombia? Because I don't deem the latter to be all that much of a problem.

 

Russ&Caro, thanks so much for responding. One of my ideas was to only marry in Colombia, not to stay. So you don't think that marrying in Colombia with someone whose not a citizen of Colombia would not be a problem as far as the legalities go? Could she complete the immigration process in her own country or would she have to do that in Bogota? Thanks again.

 

Missleman, thank you for the info also. From what you have posted, CR-1 does sound like the better option. I'll continue to weigh my options.

Edited October 9, 2019 by KevinA74

[Russ&Caro 1,548]

I would contact local city administration from wherever you are considering getting married within Colombia. They should be able to answer questions about requirements of marriage. And it's well reported here in VJ that you can get married anywhere in the world and apply for immigration benefits from another place in the world and your marriage is still legal from that other place. So marrying in Colombia should have no adverse effect on applying for immigration benefits from Venezuela.

[KevinA74 2]

That answered my question. Thanks again Russ&Caro.