Stick with K1 or Start New CR1

[EdwardSnowden 13]

I'm living here in PH with my Filipina fiancé. We submitted our initial K1 docs on March 27 2021. There's lots of talk, and I've seen the stats, shows CR1 visa interviews moving along much faster than the K1's. 

 

Can anybody give advise on this? 

 

A few other potential benefits of marriage now are easier tourist/digital nomad style visa's to other countries in the world. If this Delta thing doesn't get over the top crazy everywhere, we could at least do some traveling while waiting to enter the USA together later on.

 

I realize there are a few other question on this forum similar to my questions, however, usually the couple is not living together or able to marry in-person which really changes the dynamic of the question.

 

Thanks in advance.

 

 

Edited August 4, 2021 by EdwardSnowden
typos

[Joe Kano 327]

If I was in your shoes I was switch to CR1 in a heartbeat

[Adventine 3,187]

I'd say go get married. I am someone who also lived with her fiancé in the PH last year. In hindsight, I received wise advice to get married last year, but didn't push through with it, thinking that the Manila K1 backlog would resolve itself in 6 months to a year. Well, we all know what happened there.

 

The spousal visa is cheaper in the long run, you won't have to deal with the AOS process like you would with the K1, and as you say, if you decide to travel anywhere else in the world while waiting for the US spousal visa to be approved, it'll be easier for her to get visas as your wife, compared to if she was only your fiancée.

Edited August 4, 2021 by Adventine

[Ed&Midori1031 330]

17 minutes ago, EdwardSnowden said:

I'm living here in PH with my Filipina fiancé. We submitted our initial K1 docs on March 27 2021. There's lots of talk, and I've seen the stats, shows CR1 visa interviews moving along much faster than the K1's. 

 

Can anybody give advise on this? 

 

A few other potential benefits of marriage now are easier tourist/digital nomad style visa's to other countries in the world. If this Delta thing doesn't get over the top crazy everywhere, we could at least do some traveling while waiting to enter the USA together later on.

 

I realize there are a few other question on this forum similar to my questions, however, usually the couple is not living together or able to marry in-person which really changes the dynamic of the question.

 

Thanks in advance.

 

 

It really all depends on each couple's situation.  Realistically, CR1 are moving faster than K1 at this moment, so if it's something you thi k will benefit you, then go for it!  Plus, it's more beneficial.

[flicks1998 1,044]

As others have said, if your living with your fiance now, just get married and do the CR1.  It will be much faster.  Also, it appears that USCIS is telling some K1 applicants who have been waiting a long time for their file to get to the correct Consulate, that they are cancelling their applications and telling them to restart the K1 or do the CR1.  Its their way of clearing out the backlog.  You only filed a few months ago, you are waaaayyyyyyyyyyyy in the back of the line.  You'll be out the $500+ but so what.  Plus the long weight you have for an interview, youll probably have an equally long wait to adjust status once in the US, a process that is not needed for the CR1.

[flicks1998 1,044]

2 minutes ago, Ed&Midori1031 said:

It really all depends on each couple's situation.  Realistically, CR1 are moving faster than K1 at this moment, so if it's something you thi k will benefit you, then go for it!  Plus, it's more beneficial.

They are in the Philippines and there has hardly been any processing of K1s since March 2020.  In fact, the Embassy is only working on those cases at this time.  The backlog is massive for K1s, something between 5-8K of applications. 

[Ed&Midori1031 330]

7 minutes ago, flicks1998 said:

They are in the Philippines and there has hardly been any processing of K1s since March 2020.  In fact, the Embassy is only working on those cases at this time.  The backlog is massive for K1s, something between 5-8K of applications. 

That is massive!  I can understand why though, but I hope everything works out for everyone. 

[Crazy Cat 39,869]

39 minutes ago, EdwardSnowden said:

I'm living here in PH with my Filipina fiancé. We submitted our initial K1 docs on March 27 2021. There's lots of talk, and I've seen the stats, shows CR1 visa interviews moving along much faster than the K1's. 

 

Can anybody give advise on this? 

 

A few other potential benefits of marriage now are easier tourist/digital nomad style visa's to other countries in the world. If this Delta thing doesn't get over the top crazy everywhere, we could at least do some traveling while waiting to enter the USA together later on.

 

I realize there are a few other question on this forum similar to my questions, however, usually the couple is not living together or able to marry in-person which really changes the dynamic of the question.

 

Thanks in advance.

 

 

Ultimately, this is a personal decision.  I can think of only a couple reasons why a couple living together would choose a K1 in the first place.  Usually, it is some emotional decision vs logic, imo.  Many of us consider the spousal visa to be far superior.  Good luck.  

[Joe Kano 327]

1 hour ago, Lucky Cat said:

Ultimately, this is a personal decision.  I can think of only a couple reasons why a couple living together would choose a K1 in the first place.  Usually, it is some emotional decision vs logic, imo.  Many of us consider the spousal visa to be far superior.  Good luck.  

She could have a huge family in Philippines and they want a large wedding, you would have to slaughter a cow and couple of pigs.  Last I heard they bring the cows alive you feed them until slaughter time. Red meat ain't cheap in the Philippines, but the cows are very skinny over there.  

 

Spousal vs K1 being far superior is dependent upon the petitioner,  I found the K1 to be far superior due to the quickness I was approved like in 21 days for Philippines.  Cost was minimum and didn't care if she had a greencard or EAD or AP.

 

Normally in the Philippines you can get a K1 approved about 10 times faster than you can Spousal Visa. Plus you don't have to go thru all the hassle of getting paperwork to get married in the Philippines, and with  K1 you get a 90 trail to see if things are going to work out.  

 

So in the Philippines I would say most of us find the K1 to be far superior..........

[Crazy Cat 39,869]

1 hour ago, Joe Kano said:

She could have a huge family in Philippines and they want a large wedding, you would have to slaughter a cow and couple of pigs.  Last I heard they bring the cows alive you feed them until slaughter time. Red meat ain't cheap in the Philippines, but the cows are very skinny over there.  

 

Spousal vs K1 being far superior is dependent upon the petitioner,  I found the K1 to be far superior due to the quickness I was approved like in 21 days for Philippines.  Cost was minimum and didn't care if she had a greencard or EAD or AP.

 

Normally in the Philippines you can get a K1 approved about 10 times faster than you can Spousal Visa. Plus you don't have to go thru all the hassle of getting paperwork to get married in the Philippines, and with  K1 you get a 90 trail to see if things are going to work out.  

 

So in the Philippines I would say most of us find the K1 to be far superior..........

I was referring to visas for the US.  You are referring to Philippines visas....two completely different worlds and no comparison.

[Adventine 3,187]

The 90 day "trial period" that people seem to like about the K1 visa isn't applicable in this case either, as the OP and fiancee are already living together.

[RO_AH 1,627]

In your situation I would say CR=1 for sure. They only just started processing the backlog a few weeks ago and prior to that were only processing expedites. Now with a new lock down in Manila you can expect K-1's to stop again.

[RO_AH 1,627]

2 hours ago, Joe Kano said:

So in the Philippines I would say most of us find the K1 to be far superior..........

I would say most if not all people that filed k-1'a and have not seen any movement in 1 1/2 years would disagree.

[Joe Kano 327]

2 hours ago, RO_AH said:

I would say most if not all people that filed k-1'a and have not seen any movement in 1 1/2 years would disagree.

No doubt, but no all on here have recently filed.

 

US Embassy in Manila has been processing K1 for decades, not just the last 1 1/2

[Joe Kano 327]

2 hours ago, RO_AH said:

I would say most if not all people that filed k-1'a and have not seen any movement in 1 1/2 years would disagree.

When I did my  K1 in 2015 they were approving petition at a rapid pace for Philippines.  I was sent to Texas Service Center and it seems like the one going to California Service Center was getting approved faster than I have ever seen, one of my chat buddies got approved in 7 days, we were both shocked, I think mine was like 31 days.  They were smoking them approvals back then.