CR1 "unique case" - US citizen newly married with job offer

[Cathi 5,888]

Getting a lawyer for a straightforward case is a waste of time and money. Not to mention the fact that time and again we have seen people in this forum with lawyers who do more harm than good. Seriously, do it yourself. With help from this site you can do it no problem. My husband and I had several so called "red flags" and we did the entire immigration journey on our own from start to finish without a single hiccup.

[my_gf_wants_cr1 13]

Thank you all.
 

10 hours ago, Coco8 said:

You said her citizenship is Israel. But are you living there? It wasn't clear.

 

If your residency is in another country, you can also go through that country's consulate given that you are both residents there. You could check the expedite option there as well.

 

 

Sorry for not being clear; we both live here, and have been living together for the past 4 years (both names on same apartment leases for the past 3 years).

 

8 hours ago, pushbrk said:

Do that, surely.  But, all a lawyer could do to help with getting either a DCF request or Expedite request is to help write it.  That you have a job offer, as your reason, is not difficult to explain.  You've explained it here just fine.

 

8 hours ago, Cathi said:

Getting a lawyer for a straightforward case is a waste of time and money. Not to mention the fact that time and again we have seen people in this forum with lawyers who do more harm than good. Seriously, do it yourself. With help from this site you can do it no problem. My husband and I had several so called "red flags" and we did the entire immigration journey on our own from start to finish without a single hiccup.

It appears, for lawyer, the company will have one write up the reasoning; I don't have to use their lawyer, of course.

[millefleur 5,052]

6 hours ago, my_gf_wants_cr1 said:

Sorry for not being clear; we both live here, and have been living together for the past 4 years (both names on same apartment leases for the past 3 years).

Seems like a very straightforward case. All you need to do is get married somehow and then file, you will probably have lots of evidence to include since it's been 3-4 years. I don't think you need a lawyer. For DCF, we've also seen many successful "short term job relocation" approvals where they did not have a lawyer. You can check it out in the DCF forum:

If they don't accept your DCF case, same thing: just file online or via the lockbox with USCIS. It seems like the biggest issue for you is getting married since you don't want to marry in Israel due to religious requirement, but maybe there's a 3rd country you could marry in, people do that all the time. Where you marry does not matter to USCIS/DoS.

[my_gf_wants_cr1 13]

22 minutes ago, millefleur said:

If they don't accept your DCF case, same thing: just file online or via the lockbox with USCIS. It seems like the biggest issue for you is getting married since you don't want to marry in Israel due to religious requirement, but maybe there's a 3rd country you could marry in, people do that all the time. Where you marry does not matter to USCIS/DoS.

Yes, that is our main issue right now (well not "issue", just "more hassle").

We are actively looking and moving forward with preparations for a 3rd country wedding, but we are also looking into the validity of a Utah online Zoom wedding in the eyes of USCIS/DoS.

If you have any thoughts on that, feel free to share; it's much less hassle than a 3rd country wedding, but we are cautious about its validity, specifically for the mentioned reasons (we don't care much about Israel laws).

[millefleur 5,052]

3 minutes ago, my_gf_wants_cr1 said:

We are actively looking and moving forward with preparations for a 3rd country wedding, but we are also looking into the validity of a Utah online Zoom wedding in the eyes of USCIS/DoS.

Back in 2020, someone successfully got a spousal visa with a Zoom marriage:

Since you are both together and currently live together, and that's what they care about (that the marriage is consummated), it seems like it could work? I think it's worth looking into.

[my_gf_wants_cr1 13]

1 hour ago, millefleur said:

Back in 2020, someone successfully got a spousal visa with a Zoom marriage:

Since you are both together and currently live together, and that's what they care about (that the marriage is consummated), it seems like it could work? I think it's worth looking into.

Thanks. I am aware of that specific case, but so far that's the only recorded case I am aware of.

That's why I am actively trying to find more cases like this.

Yes, 1 case is enough to say "obviously USCIS accepts it", but as we know USCIS, they could also just ignore that because of reasons.

[Bret L Smith 15]

On 12/20/2021 at 2:51 AM, my_gf_wants_cr1 said:

(Sorry for length) I have been with my GF for 5 years now, and we don't want to get married (just because we don't feel it's necessary), but if it's required for her to migrate with me, we will do it.

Me:

- US citizen.

- Been leaving abroad whole life, but have ties to US (tax returns, lived there with address for few months, bank account, credit score, family, visits). 

- Got a relocation offer from my company on relatively short notice (6-monthish).

- Making way more than the poverty line for I-134, only issue is domicile proving.

GF:

- No US visas at all, no other citizenship other than this country. This country doesn't have visa waver program as well.

- Been to US only once ±15ish years ago.

- No criminal record at all of any kind.

- BSc.

Both of us:

- First-world country (i.e not third-world or "terrorist" country).

- Can supply ample evidence for relationship over last 5 years - mostly Facebook photos + chats, and other types of chats (whatsapp/telegram).

- Vacation tickets together.

- Joint rent leases multiple times.

- If helps, I can write her down as my life insurance beneficiary.

The scenario is that I want to accept job relocation offer, and want to bring her with me - but the process appears to be super long for CR1 visa. 

I also don't want to move there and be without her for months, but K-1 isn't an option because I don't want her to be there doing nothing for what appears to be 6 months until she gets AOS.

What could be the quickest course of action for her to get a visa + employment in US?

Other than that, assuming we get married within the next month, what are the odds of getting a CR1 at all? Do they reject it for being a new married couple, or because we have ample evidence for a long relationship it should be OK?

 

- We are also looking into an online ceremony with Utah, seeing that this will not be a proxy wedding I assume it's viable for immigration?

I will emphasise the marriage is pure bona-fide, we have no intention of an online ceremony as means to "bypass" immigration laws, we just don't like the idea of marriage (and again, we are 5 years together).

 

Thanks for any tips. (Sorry for length again)

Since you have been together five years already, being married for only one month before you file for the CR1 will not be a problem at all. 

Online marriages are not a problem as long as they are consummated before you apply.

Sounds like you have ample evidence of a bona fide relationship, but I don’t know of any way to expedite the process.

[Good2Know 2]

Hi . 
1- I don’t see any uniqueness in your case . Being US citizen working overseas will not make you unique ( just another joe ) 
2- there is no 3rd world country or terrorist country 

( a country can’t be terrorist ) a person can be .

3 - Your GF is looking for a permanent resident Card .it means she must have an intention to reside in the US .
(Tax or storage unit  doesn’t mean you have ties to US ).

if you are not willing to move back stateside . It will never work unless you are military personnel on orders which is you are not . 

[Mr Genuis 91]

On 12/20/2021 at 4:51 AM, my_gf_wants_cr1 said:

(Sorry for length) I have been with my GF for 5 years now, and we don't want to get married (just because we don't feel it's necessary), but if it's required for her to migrate with me, we will do it.

Me:

- US citizen.

- Been leaving abroad whole life, but have ties to US (tax returns, lived there with address for few months, bank account, credit score, family, visits). 

- Got a relocation offer from my company on relatively short notice (6-monthish).

- Making way more than the poverty line for I-134, only issue is domicile proving.

GF:

- No US visas at all, no other citizenship other than this country. This country doesn't have visa waver program as well.

- Been to US only once ±15ish years ago.

- No criminal record at all of any kind.

- BSc.

Both of us:

- First-world country (i.e not third-world or "terrorist" country).

- Can supply ample evidence for relationship over last 5 years - mostly Facebook photos + chats, and other types of chats (whatsapp/telegram).

- Vacation tickets together.

- Joint rent leases multiple times.

- If helps, I can write her down as my life insurance beneficiary.

The scenario is that I want to accept job relocation offer, and want to bring her with me - but the process appears to be super long for CR1 visa. 

I also don't want to move there and be without her for months, but K-1 isn't an option because I don't want her to be there doing nothing for what appears to be 6 months until she gets AOS.

What could be the quickest course of action for her to get a visa + employment in US?

Other than that, assuming we get married within the next month, what are the odds of getting a CR1 at all? Do they reject it for being a new married couple, or because we have ample evidence for a long relationship it should be OK?

 

- We are also looking into an online ceremony with Utah, seeing that this will not be a proxy wedding I assume it's viable for immigration?

I will emphasise the marriage is pure bona-fide, we have no intention of an online ceremony as means to "bypass" immigration laws, we just don't like the idea of marriage (and again, we are 5 years together).

 

Thanks for any tips. (Sorry for length again)

 

Edited December 28, 2021 by Mr Genuis

[my_gf_wants_cr1 13]

4 hours ago, Good2Know said:

Hi . 
1- I don’t see any uniqueness in your case . Being US citizen working overseas will not make you unique ( just another joe ) 
2- there is no 3rd world country or terrorist country 

( a country can’t be terrorist ) a person can be .

3 - Your GF is looking for a permanent resident Card .it means she must have an intention to reside in the US .
(Tax or storage unit  doesn’t mean you have ties to US ).

if you are not willing to move back stateside . It will never work unless you are military personnel on orders which is you are not . 

Either you didn't read or half-read my posts.

Obviously she is looking into having residency, with me, her partner for the past 5 years.

[SalishSea 18,624]

16 hours ago, Good2Know said:

2- there is no 3rd world country or terrorist country 

( a country can’t be terrorist ) a person can be .

Not exactly.  There are developing countries, and countries that are considered to be state sponsors of terrorism.

Edited December 28, 2021 by Jorgedig