K1 or CR1 visa question.

[appleblossom 5,516]

16 hours ago, Rasko said:

On paper CR1 is better, but because she will move for good and we would need to marry for CR1, possible denial of our case after xy months would deal a hefty blow to both of us and our relationship that would probably fail because it probably wouldn't be sustainable for 2+ years of long distance/different timezones etc

 

This is a bit concerning, if you think being long distance would break you? Many people on here have done it for much longer than 2 years. So I'd make sure you're sure before heading down this path. 

 

But if that's the worry, then I'd go CR-1, but marry now. Why wait until next summer? Just a simple courthouse wedding asap, then file the I-130 (you can always have a bigger celebration later on if that's what you want). You don't need to prove financials or domicile until after the I-130 is approved, so that still gives her plenty of time to move ahead of you and sort that side of things. 

[Cw1977 256]

23 hours ago, Rasko said:

Hello wonderful people, hope you're well! I'll try to keep this nice and simple because currently both my fiance and I are in tough spot and need some answers.

For background: 
She is a US citizen who moved out of US when she was 11 back to Bosnia. She's 27 now and we met in July 2024, got engaged on Valentines Day of 2025 and had made plans to move to the US due to better life there than in Bosnia as well as for the future of our kids. 

I'm 25 and I never visited US and I was never denied a Visa. I don't have any criminal records, I don't use drugs, I don't drink or smoke, I never had any issues with people in general. 

Now because of the  fact that she's been out of US for so long and her family's friends (who should've been sponsors) probably won't reach 100-125% poverty line, we decided that she could move back in July 2026 to Vancouver WA (where she was born and has place to stay at her family friends' place) and that she finds work so she can provide financial stability needed for us to move (because her address will already be the same as her parent's friends address as they own the house fully). 

We planned on her staying for a few months (maybe till December 2026) until she files the K1 process. 

Now the question/questions are:

Would marrying let's say 10-15 days before she moves back to the US make it much more difficult on us because she needs to redomicile and provide more proof of financial stability? (We planned doing this to make it easier for us once we move if we move that is and also because we want to make sure we got a safe and good chance).

Also how risky is K1 visa for us?

By the way for context, she plans on staying in the US as she figured that it's better that way either way because of life that gives you more options there in terms of work and general peace and stability, so we can't really risk getting married and wait 17 or however many months for CR1 just to be denied because we would both be "frozen in time" during 17 or so months because of the distance and life that we would live in the meantime (because of the fact that I need to plan my life here in Bosnia during that time and it's not easy living off of normal paycheck if you have to juggle between affording a car for easier transport locally or saving up money so you can use it once you reach US), same applies for her of course (she could do other things instead of saving up for something that has high probability of failing). 

So realistically what's our best bet? We plan on paying a lawyer (still figuring out who to talk to from US immigration) about our case. 

Again, I want to make sure we are on the same page, my fiance and I are and have fully agreed to move due to mutual benefit and benefit of our future kids because current climate in our country is not at all healthy for lasting relationship and kids. 

We only want to make sure we get the best chance we got because we don't know if K-1 or CR-1 is better for our case and safer. 

Also if she applies from US, does she need to fly back to US embassy here in Bosnia (located in Sarajevo) or am I the only one applicable for interview?

Thank you all! 
Best of wishes. 

P.S I just noticed I said our kids a few times here, we don't have kids right now but are planning on having once we marry.

 

Hi

 

i don’t think you answered the question on taxes. It’s really important. Has she been filing US taxes all the last years when she’s been working? She needs to be up to date when sponsoring you