CR1 Visa or K1 Visa

[Lovelysierra87 1]

Hello all I decided to join because I come to see random discussions a lot and find myself needing answers🙂 my boyfriend currently resides in Morocco 🇲🇦 We met online and I went to visit in January 2021. I know with the K1 visa I’d have to visit again in order to “prove our relationship” however now we’re deciding if it would just be a good idea to go ahead and get married when I visit this summer. I guess I’m just wondering from those who have gone through this process should I try to bring him to the US on a K1 visa or just get married and file for the CR1 visa what would the time frame be after we get married? Could he even get approved for the other option (k1) thanks in advance ❤️

[Boiler 45,670]

CR 1

 

Timeline tricky say 2 years? Hopefully quicker

[JFH 12,190]

*~*~*moved from “K-1 fiancé visa progress reports” to “what visa do I need” - OP is assessing the options*~*~*

[JFH 12,190]

This sounds like a good question for @JeanneAdil

[TedsGirl 193]

17 hours ago, Lovelysierra87 said:

Hello all I decided to join because I come to see random discussions a lot and find myself needing answers🙂 my boyfriend currently resides in Morocco 🇲🇦 We met online and I went to visit in January 2021. I know with the K1 visa I’d have to visit again in order to “prove our relationship” however now we’re deciding if it would just be a good idea to go ahead and get married when I visit this summer. I guess I’m just wondering from those who have gone through this process should I try to bring him to the US on a K1 visa or just get married and file for the CR1 visa what would the time frame be after we get married? Could he even get approved for the other option (k1) thanks in advance ❤️

Hello! Looks like we’re in similar situations as I too, met my fiancé online and visited him in Texas in January 2021(he proposed the day before I left to return home to Canada)
 

We discussed both visa options and the more we looked at them, we knew the CR1/IR1 will be best for us. We’re older. I’m 51 and I don’t want to wait around, knowing that as soon as I step foot on American soil at the end of the process, I become a legal permanent resident and can travel and work immediately are great motivators despite the waiting period. Canada has since imposed very expensive and stricter restrictions, so I’m thankful I went to visit him when I did. Trying to decide on a May wedding, however our Prime Minister may not lift the ridiculous hotel quarantine he has in place by then. 
 

I hope whatever decision you make it’s the best one for you and your boyfriend🌻

[JeanneAdil 6,561]

You stand a better chance of getting a spouse visa approved  in the Casa embassy

there's a lot of paperwork to marry in Morocco (expense is small except the translations of your documents into Arabic)

this site has all the information you need to marry plus the Department of State warnings about marriage fraud 

Advantages outweigh the disadvantages when it comes to getting SS card , abiliity to work as soon as in the US, and  bring able to add person to health care insurance.

there's a lot more to know so message anyone in the group or ask here

 

https://ma.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen-services/local-resources-of-u-s-citizens/marriage-information/

 

your visa approval will depend on 

1. time spent together

2. ages of both of you with emphasis on age differences

3. religion of both

4.  approval of his family

5. the dowry he pays you

6. income to be sufficent (125% of poverty guidelines - Casa seems to look at taxable income)

7, English language of the Moroccan

8. education and work experience of the Moroccan (work skills if no job)

 

another well informed couple went the K1 visa route/ she will chime in 

[Lovelysierra87 1]

8 hours ago, TedsGirl said:

Hello! Looks like we’re in similar situations as I too, met my fiancé online and visited him in Texas in January 2021(he proposed the day before I left to return home to Canada)
 

We discussed both visa options and the more we looked at them, we knew the CR1/IR1 will be best for us. We’re older. I’m 51 and I don’t want to wait around, knowing that as soon as I step foot on American soil at the end of the process, I become a legal permanent resident and can travel and work immediately are great motivators despite the waiting period. Canada has since imposed very expensive and stricter restrictions, so I’m thankful I went to visit him when I did. Trying to decide on a May wedding, however our Prime Minister may not lift the ridiculous hotel quarantine he has in place by then. 
 

I hope whatever decision you make it’s the best one for you and your boyfriend🌻

Thank you for your response ❤️ Congratulations and good luck to you both 😁

[Lovelysierra87 1]

8 hours ago, JeanneAdil said:

You stand a better chance of getting a spouse visa approved  in the Casa embassy

there's a lot of paperwork to marry in Morocco (expense is small except the translations of your documents into Arabic)

this site has all the information you need to marry plus the Department of State warnings about marriage fraud 

Advantages outweigh the disadvantages when it comes to getting SS card , abiliity to work as soon as in the US, and  bring able to add person to health care insurance.

there's a lot more to know so message anyone in the group or ask here

 

https://ma.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen-services/local-resources-of-u-s-citizens/marriage-information/

 

your visa approval will depend on 

1. time spent together

2. ages of both of you with emphasis on age differences

3. religion of both

4.  approval of his family

5. the dowry he pays you

6. income to be sufficent (125% of poverty guidelines - Casa seems to look at taxable income)

7, English language of the Moroccan

8. education and work experience of the Moroccan (work skills if no job)

 

another well informed couple went the K1 visa route/ she will chime in 

Thanks for your response I had read about a lot of things including the age difference we are 10 years apart which doesn’t matter to either one of us it seems these rules are so ridiculous to me. I’m worried most about time spent together how would I even show that when we’ll only have been together maybe a total of a month by the time I file for his visa idk 🤷🏾‍♀️ Every situation is different I guess we’ll just have to see what happens this whole process is so overwhelming 😕

[JeanneAdil 6,561]

Don't be overwhelmed by the immigration process/  it really is a DIY

Paperwork now can be submitted by scanning it instead of in the past when they wanted originals for even the petition

Be  sure you have originals for your files of his birth and the marriage

 

and yes, spending a month and more than one visit is great

and good that you did not marry the 1st visit

 

10 years may raise an eyebrow but is not going to deter the visa process  / our age difference is bigger

 

the marriage in Morocco requires a trip to Casa US embassy to get "Affadivit of eligibility to marry" 

take that to Rabat to the Office of Foreign Minister 

to a translator for the English documents into Arabic

back to his town for medical exam and

2 passport photos (cheaper to get them in Morocco)

then meetings with police and judge

papers are all sent out for approval

then you meet in clerk's office to sign marriage papers / married now

 

I am married now 11 years on the 15th of March 

there are some who have done the K1 with success

and some who were used for a green card

so, this is a "use your head"  not your heart time

and the best to you both

 

allah yekbel (learn it means God hear my prayers)

and let God guide you

 

family will arrange a wedding celebration (one or more days) 

the dresses they arrange are beautiful 

 

 

[SydneyfMaghrib 69]

On 3/7/2021 at 12:09 AM, Lovelysierra87 said:

Thanks for your response I had read about a lot of things including the age difference we are 10 years apart which doesn’t matter to either one of us it seems these rules are so ridiculous to me. I’m worried most about time spent together how would I even show that when we’ll only have been together maybe a total of a month by the time I file for his visa idk 🤷🏾‍♀️ Every situation is different I guess we’ll just have to see what happens this whole process is so overwhelming 😕

As a K-1 couple, I agree with Jeanne. Overall the CR-1 is a better visa. Right now the CR-1 in Casablanca is taking the same time (if not faster) than the K-1. Plus you get the added benefit of being able to work and travel right away with a green card on arrival. 
 

A K-1 is a good option for couples who previously have spent a lot of time together, have limited red flags, but can’t take a lot of time off work to go to Morocco and get married (it can take 2-3 weeks). 

[Lovelysierra87 1]

27 minutes ago, SydneyfMaghrib said:

As a K-1 couple, I agree with Jeanne. Overall the CR-1 is a better visa. Right now the CR-1 in Casablanca is taking the same time (if not faster) than the K-1. Plus you get the added benefit of being able to work and travel right away with a green card on arrival. 
 

A K-1 is a good option for couples who previously have spent a lot of time together, have limited red flags, but can’t take a lot of time off work to go to Morocco and get married (it can take 2-3 weeks). 

Ok thanks for your recommendation 😊 I wasn’t sure what route to take because either way we won’t have a lot of time to spend together and I would prefer taking time off and just get married than only being able to visit again and possibly getting k1 denied because we don’t have a lot of proof of time together I mean we have lots of pictures together and this next time I was planning on meeting his family and we just thought we should just get married while everyone is together also because we’re married he’d most likely be approved for CR1 visa. Hopefully everything goes smooth with your process 😊❤️

[Lovelysierra87 1]

On 3/6/2021 at 2:47 PM, JeanneAdil said:

You stand a better chance of getting a spouse visa approved  in the Casa embassy

there's a lot of paperwork to marry in Morocco (expense is small except the translations of your documents into Arabic)

this site has all the information you need to marry plus the Department of State warnings about marriage fraud 

Advantages outweigh the disadvantages when it comes to getting SS card , abiliity to work as soon as in the US, and  bring able to add person to health care insurance.

there's a lot more to know so message anyone in the group or ask here

 

https://ma.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen-services/local-resources-of-u-s-citizens/marriage-information/

 

your visa approval will depend on 

1. time spent together

2. ages of both of you with emphasis on age differences

3. religion of both

4.  approval of his family

5. the dowry he pays you

6. income to be sufficent (125% of poverty guidelines - Casa seems to look at taxable income)

7, English language of the Moroccan

8. education and work experience of the Moroccan (work skills if no job)

 

another well informed couple went the K1 visa route/ she will chime in 

As far as the income. I’m currently working full time and school part time and wanting to go to school full-time but that wouldn’t look good right? Do people get approved visas just as a student?

[Boiler 45,670]

They use a Joint Sponsor

[Crazy Cat 41,981]

On 3/5/2021 at 8:41 PM, Lovelysierra87 said:

I guess I’m just wondering from those who have gone through this process should I try to bring him to the US on a K1 visa or just get married and file for the CR1 visa

I am just going to throw this in here for your review:

 

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

K-1    
    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 6-8 months)    
    Spouse can not work until she/he receives EAD (approx 6-8 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.
    A denied K-1 is sent back to USCIS to expire
  

CR-1   

    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.
  �

 

[nharris3428 5]

My now husband and I went the K-1 route. We filed for K-1 in May of 2018. It was received in December of 2018. He had his interview in May of 2019 (so yes, one year since filing). His first interview he was put in AP (Administrative Processing). We provided the documents (even though they already had them) and finally rescheduled for a second interview in September of 2019. He was approved and came to the US in October of 2019. Married November of 2019 and filed the I-485 also in November of 2019. He didn't receive his work authorization and SSN until August of 2020. We finally got his greencard interview on 2/9/21, was approved, and Green Card in hand 2/12/21.

 

So in essence, from K-1 to Green Card in hand took 2 years, 9 months. With the new administration, the timeline might be quicker, just sharing my experience.