K1 Visa or Spouse Visa Quicker

[IWander 583]

1 hour ago, RO_AH said:

If you request an expedite from the LCR sometimes you can get it in as fast as 2 weeks. If not 6 months would be a realistic number. The reason I chose CR1 over K1 was once she arrived here we were done and it is also less expensive. K1 once you arrive you are only half way through the immigration process.

If you are CR1 then you still have ROC, so not quite "done".  If you are IR1 then that's a different story.

[smore 19]

18 hours ago, W199 said:

Because there is a 2 week wait just to get the marriage license while you wait in the Philippines, everything is slow at best.  Google how to get a married in the Philippines for more details.

 

 

She has not mentioned a 2 week wait time, she just had a friend do this process with a foreigner and there was not such a wait time, maybe a wait time to receive it, but a wedding would not take place until months of planning later so waiting for the document is not an issue. Google is sometimes not your friend, lots of conflicting info, old info, confusing info, info that is always changing. So sometimes its difficult to learn things through doing searches.

[smore 19]

16 hours ago, RO_AH said:

Don't believe them. it takes 10 business days just to get the marriage license, counting weekends, that's already 2 weeks. Plus there are not too many, if any churches that will marry people without going through their premarital counseling and other hoops they make you jump through.

She has not mentioned a 2 week wait time, she just had a friend do this process with a foreigner and there was not such a wait time, maybe a wait time to receive it, but a wedding would not take place until months of planning later so waiting for the document is not an issue. I also have learned about some of the counseling churches require, but I have also learned they can be done virtually and its a very common practice to attend them virtually.

[RO_AH 1,623]

1 hour ago, smore said:

She has not mentioned a 2 week wait time, she just had a friend do this process with a foreigner and there was not such a wait time, maybe a wait time to receive it, but a wedding would not take place until months of planning later so waiting for the document is not an issue. I also have learned about some of the counseling churches require, but I have also learned they can be done virtually and its a very common practice to attend them virtually.

I really really try to help you, but you make it very hard sometimes. I have been there done that. You will need 3 weeks. Whenever a Pinay says "they said" or "my friend said" you can't take it as fact. Ask her to go to her Municipal/LCR and get the facts on what she needs to marry a foreigner. Write them down and then have the person that she is speaking to read what she wrote and confirm that it is all correct. Once you plan this out you cannot afford a mistake. Thinking you can do this in 2 weeks is a major mistake.

[RO_AH 1,623]

1 hour ago, smore said:

she just had a friend do this process with a foreigner and there was not such a wait time

One more attempt to help you. You might find this site helpful:

https://nomadicfire.com/marriage-license-in-the-philippines

Please note #5

 

The only way for you and her to know the requirements 100% for sure is for her to go to her Municipal building and ask. Every area has slight and subtle difference that you will not find searching the internet.

Edited October 13, 2023 by RO_AH

[RO_AH 1,623]

18 hours ago, IWander said:

If you are CR1 then you still have ROC, so not quite "done".  If you are IR1 then that's a different story.

More done than with a K1

[Redro 4,601]

12 hours ago, smore said:

She has not mentioned a 2 week wait time, she just had a friend do this process with a foreigner and there was not such a wait time, maybe a wait time to receive it, but a wedding would not take place until months of planning later so waiting for the document is not an issue. Google is sometimes not your friend, lots of conflicting info, old info, confusing info, info that is always changing. So sometimes its difficult to learn things through doing searches.

Listen to @RO_AH he has ample experience in this area. 

Have your partner research requirements before you head over to see her. Especially if you plan to do a religious wedding (get married) during your first visit. 

Friend might have been talking about Utah Marriage. So, ask your partner to get specifics on how they got married so quickly. 

I really think with all the difficulties in the past, you might be better off going the K1 visa route and hiring a service to help you with the paperwork. 

But as always, you should discuss this with your partner. Maybe even research the possibility of moving to the Philippines and living there for a few years. 

Living together in the US really isn't the only solution to being together. 

 

[smore 19]

On 10/12/2023 at 7:08 PM, RO_AH said:

I really really try to help you, but you make it very hard sometimes. I have been there done that. You will need 3 weeks. Whenever a Pinay says "they said" or "my friend said" you can't take it as fact. Ask her to go to her Municipal/LCR and get the facts on what she needs to marry a foreigner. Write them down and then have the person that she is speaking to read what she wrote and confirm that it is all correct. Once you plan this out you cannot afford a mistake. Thinking you can do this in 2 weeks is a major mistake.

I do appreciate your help and believe me I take the help in and process it, but also when you have various other info coming at you often its difficult to decipher which way things are. But I appreciate your help because its part of the process to get educated so I can try and decipher things. She did sent me a checklist from her recent friends wedding to a foreigner, that gave me some insight and she also talked about the delays and mistakes her friend made which costs them time. I like the idea you suggested of her going to her Municipal/LCR and get the facts on what she needs to marry a foreigner, me having that info is very important to me understanding this. That is if the CR1 is the way in which things will go. K1 to me seems a better option.

[smore 19]

On 10/13/2023 at 6:04 AM, Redro said:

Listen to @RO_AH he has ample experience in this area. 

Have your partner research requirements before you head over to see her. Especially if you plan to do a religious wedding (get married) during your first visit. 

Friend might have been talking about Utah Marriage. So, ask your partner to get specifics on how they got married so quickly. 

I really think with all the difficulties in the past, you might be better off going the K1 visa route and hiring a service to help you with the paperwork. 

But as always, you should discuss this with your partner. Maybe even research the possibility of moving to the Philippines and living there for a few years. 

Living together in the US really isn't the only solution to being together. 

 

Her friend did a PH catholic church wedding. There were hurdles they had to overcome and her friend provided her with a checklist to try and help prevent any issues they had. I agree she needs to research requirements and I am trying to do so as well, but I really cannot verify if what I find is accurate to where she is. Her friend did not get married quickly, I do not believe I mentioned that, but the actual paperwork part did not take 3 weeks, they did the paperwork, than about 4 months later he returned for marriage. But still they had issues and hurdles with requirements, her friend is trying to advice her of this so the same mistakes are not made.

 

Because of her faith she is set on marriage in PH, Me I like the K1 route better, gives a bit more time to be together, plan, etc. The end result still is marriage. But when I bring up K1 she just does not like that idea.

[Lemonslice 4,583]

5 minutes ago, smore said:

Her friend did a PH catholic church wedding. There were hurdles they had to overcome and her friend provided her with a checklist to try and help prevent any issues they had. I agree she needs to research requirements and I am trying to do so as well, but I really cannot verify if what I find is accurate to where she is. Her friend did not get married quickly, I do not believe I mentioned that, but the actual paperwork part did not take 3 weeks, they did the paperwork, than about 4 months later he returned for marriage. But still they had issues and hurdles with requirements, her friend is trying to advice her of this so the same mistakes are not made.

 

Because of her faith she is set on marriage in PH, Me I like the K1 route better, gives a bit more time to be together, plan, etc. The end result still is marriage. But when I bring up K1 she just does not like that idea.

As an immigrant, you have a LOT to lose coming on a K1.  I know it would not have been acceptable to me, and I moved less than 500 miles away!  

[IWander 583]

4 minutes ago, Lemonslice said:

As an immigrant, you have a LOT to lose coming on a K1.  I know it would not have been acceptable to me, and I moved less than 500 miles away!  

You need to explain your conclusions. We did a k1 and did not lose anything 

Edited October 19, 2023 by IWander

[Boiler 43,685]

1 minute ago, IWander said:

You need to explain your conclusions. We did a k1 and did not lose anything 

I assume it a reference to many horror stories we have seen on here.

[RO_AH 1,623]

50 minutes ago, smore said:

Her friend did not get married quickly, I do not believe I mentioned that, but the actual paperwork part did not take 3 weeks, they did the paperwork, than about 4 months later he returned for marriage.

This would have been good to know. I was trying to get you to understand that the license takes 2 weeks to get which if you were getting married on the same trip would need to be 3 weeks (to be safe). Since you said you don't plan to get married your first trip, (thank god) in might be a good idea to apply for a marriage license while you are there and it would take 2 weeks to get. You don't be there when she gets it and you have to use it. But then again if you decide to go CR1 route (which is a much better option IMO) and if you go back and use it it would mean that you could do it in a 1 week trip.

[jskibo 588]

If a big church wedding including her family is important to her then K1 would not be the choice as highly doubtful any of her family would be getting visas to attend that wedding in the US.

 

It's been 10 years for us but I went in May the year we were married and completed the paperwork, then back again in August for the wedding.  It's been awhile but I thought there was an expiration date of the license (180 days?) so plan carefully.

 

You do marry the whole family   My household size grew by two last year as now the in-laws live here.

[RO_AH 1,623]

6 hours ago, jskibo said:

It's been awhile but I thought there was an expiration date of the license (180 days?) so plan carefully.

I just looked it up. It's 120 days.