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Me and my Indonesian GF have been dating in long distance relationship since Oct 2023. We ve met 5 times since then and I ve met her family however she has not been able to meet mine as she was rejected for US tourist visa earlier in the year. Now considering in 2026 possible marriage plans and want to know the best plan either between these two options.

I understand some of the basics like K1 costs more and cannot work while in US for several months until adjusting status but my situation might be different

-I am us citizen by birth and have stable job here living in NJ

-she is 27 has college degree and works for Indonesian company making approximately $500 usd a month

-She says she hears bad things about US so she would like to visit first before marriage as she is worried she won t like it that s why I consider K1

-I am divorced since Nov 24 and was in separation/divorce process originally when we met, will it affect this at all?

-I hear about the timeline of k1 where recipient is not able to work, but able to come here, but being that her salary is low I m not sure it makes a difference if she can t work temporarily. Would she be able to attend any school on k1 or do odd jobs for cash like babysitting?

-if she gets k1 could she go back to Indonesia or travel to any other country during the initial 90 day period and get married there? As she wants to have family party in Indonesia

-she is Muslim so if we officially marry overseas it would have to be somewhere like Singapore i assume

-regarding my own protection, I do love her and want to marry her but I know a lot of risks are involved especially since we didn t live together long term yet and only went on vacations together, is there any legal benefit in marrying overseas vs in the US if I want to get a pre-nup or is it invalid in all cases because I signed to support her?

-approximately how much is the cost difference in K1 vs spouse visa? It might be offset by the cost of flights and me traveling to see her

-I understand the wait for k1 is around 12 months and then have to wait another 8-12 months to work whereas spouse visa is 18-24 months to get, is that correct? So basically is around the same timeline altogether just that she can work in Indonesia until getting approved for spouse visa?

I am making a return trip to The Philippines (Cagayan De Oro) this October and I need some advice please. My last trip was last year in October and I rented a vehicle to get around in and so many here advised me not to do this because of the treacherous driving conditions there and I was very glad I took the advice. Man, they are crazy over there. I have never seen anything like it. Its a free for all where road rules are thrown out the window and a total disregard for vehicle safety. Needless to say, I hired a taxi driver that is part of the not so immediate family and he was able to get us where we needed to go for the short time I was there.

I will be going this time for two weeks instead of just one and need some ideas on how to get around. This time will be a lot different as while I was there for my first trip, I ended up becoming a father and will have a 3 month old baby in tow as well as a 4 year old. I thought of renting a vehicle this time as it will be my second trip and I am aware of the driving conditions there. Who ever gets to the intersection first wins and gets to go first. If many of you think this is still not a good idea, then could you enlighten me on modes of transportation that I could use that will not break my wallet. I was thinking that I could hire a driver for the two weeks I am there but not sure how to go about doing that. I also thought about doing the Grab thing but not sure how that would work.

So please help me out and let me know what the best way would be for me to get around with my newly formed family.

Thank you all so much.

Hi everyone,

i am currently adjusting my status and I need to translate some documents (birth certificate and criminal record) from French to English. Do you guys have any recommendations of certified translators?
Thank you

My spouse and I were married for two years and a few days when we arrived at POE w/ approved visa page in passport. POE officer said the visa was going to be a CR1 and after a weak protest from myself that my wife and I were married longer than two years, the officer simply said that the visa said it was CR1 so she was stamping CR1. It was a long flight and I didn't want to add to my wife's anxiety by arguing with someone who held the keys to the kingdom.

Long story short, can I contact USCIS somehow to get the future greencard, which hasn't been mailed yet, to be under the IR1 category (or checked that it is in fact not a CR1) or do I have to wait for what is most likely an incorrect 2 year conditional greencard before submitting a N-90 form online, doing a biometrics, paying postage, waiting more, etc?

How long is the wait time from DQ until the interview is scheduled in Indonesia? Considering transferring the case from Cairo Embassy there.