miker32us

I do not think they were confused about AOS. I told them I had already paid NVC for the I-864 Fee Bill and DS-230 Immigration visa paperwork and we were just waiting for NVC. We specifically said we would be coming back to Taiwan for the interview. That is why I am surprized they said to ask NVC about interviewing in the US.

What they are referring to is adjustment of status. Both adjustment of status in the US, and, the CR-1 visa give one the same.......immigrant status.

My wife received her K-3 and is already in the US. Last Friday she sent an e-mail to the American Embassy in Taiwan with several questions about compleing the CR-1 there in Taiwan. We asked whether my wife's K-3 medical exam would suffice for the CR-1. We were surprized in their response they said we could ask NVC for an interview in the US. Has anyone heard of this?

We are doing the CR-1 also after receiving the K-3. I have the same question about needing another medical exam for the CR-1. The interview will probably be well over 3 months after my wife's K-3 medical exam.

Our K3 paperwork is at the embassy since last week, and our CR-1 paperwork is complete and at the NVC awaiting a decision since August 28.

We ultimately want the CR-1, but do not want to pass on the K3 since it is almost finished and who knows what could happen to delay or prevent the CR-1.

I have read in the past where people have gotten the CR-1 after the K-3. Does anyone have any experience with this? Do you have to get get duplicates for the police reports and do a second medical?

From the previous posts I gather that the embassy contacts the beneficiary and tells them they have a CR-1 there to pick up if they want it, after they have already been approved for the K3.

Thank you for any input.

madu11

Not sure how long it takes to schedule interviews in Peru, but chances are very high that you wont be interviewing for the K-3 because once NVC forwards your CR-1 case to the consulate the K-3 option is gone as the CR-1 over-rides it., even if the interview is scheduled. I have read of some consulates who will allow you to just switch the K-3 interview for the CR-1, retaining same interview date...and others that have just cancelled the K-3 interview and resheduled one for CR-1. If by chance you interview for the K-3 prior to the CR-1 case being forwarded to the consulate, you can have the interview for the CR-1 visa if you so choose. You will then enter the US on the CR-1 immigrant visa but you DO have to interview for it. Its not a matter of them calling and saying come pick it up just because you have already been approved the K-3. They are two seperate visas for two seperate purposes.

Yes this is exactly what I have read on the SSA website, apparently this was changed recently and now K-3 visa holders must pay an additional amount for the EAD. No longer can a K-3 get a SSN for a drivers license.

Hi miker32us,

One would assume that a K-3 would hold the same advantages as a K-1 visa. I mean the only difference is that one is for a fiancee and the other is for a spouse. Well I was very upset to find out that this is not the case. A K-1 visa gives the holder the right to a SSN and work authorization. A K-3 visa only allows your spouse into the US and that's it. It's completely ridiculous in my point of view, but unfortunately that's the way it is. You can apply for an EAD (which takes approximately 90 days) and that will give your spouse work authorization and an SSN. However that is up to you because if your immigrant visa comes around sooner than the EAD approval so it would just be a waste of money. I could go on and on forever about the unfairness of it all, but that's the fact of the matter. Hope this helps!

I just spoke with someone at the social security administration who told me she could not give my wife a social security number, that there was no basis for giving one to a K-3 visa holder. Has anyone else found this to be the case? We already have an ITNS number for taxes.

I am at the same point you are at right now. I have the IV fee bill and am wondering how long it is going to take NVC to process the I-864 and DS-230 before we have to go back to Taiwan for the CR-1 interview. I had already made plans to bring my wife back to the US on her K-3 before the CR-1 process got to NVC.

Hi Yodrak,

Thanks for your reply. I should have worded my question differently. I had previously made up my mind to pursue just the CR-1 since I was making decent progress on it. However, with news of the K3 at the embassy I'm unsure if that's the best course of action.

I guess if the K3 will beat the CR-1 by one or two months, I would prefer to wait for the CR-1. If longer, who knows... how much longer do you think it will be for each path?

Thanks!

My wife just got her K-3 also and we have decided to follow the CR-1 in Taiwan rather than file for AOS. We have to go back to Taiwan next spring and hope to get the CR-1 completed then. The CR-1 has already been approved by USCIS and is at NVC awaiting the payment of the $70 fee bill and $380 immigrant visa application bills. My logic was that AOS would involve USCIS and I wanted to avoid them at any cost. Does this make sense?

My wife just got her K-3 visa and it is stamped R K3. I assume this means resident but it could also mean something else - I thought all K-3 visas were non-resident. Does it make any difference to us that hers is stamped R instead of NR? Does anyone else have this stamped on their visa?

I am completing the I-485 for my K-3 spouse, should I check (a) under Part 2 where is asks what type of adjustmenr we are applying for? None of the choices seem to fit K-3's.

My wife is Taiwanese and has just received her K-3 multiple entry visa. We have friends in Toronto and want to visit there in 2 weeks. Will we have a problem crossing into Canada from the US since my wife does not have a Canadian visa? Does this K-3 give my wife the same travel privileges as I have or do we have to apply for a tourist visa for her as if she were still in Taiwan?

Who told you that you did not need an I-864 or 134? Sometimes the clerks who review the applications get confused. My guess is when you get P-3 or P-4 both the I-864 and I-134 will be required.

We are in the same place. I have been speaking with the consulate here in Costa Rica and they have told me i need the following:

1. Certified Police records from every country you have lived since the age of 16. Also, court or prision records

2. Certified Copy of Birth Certificate

(get 2 copies of the above, you may need them for the I-130 interviw also)

3. They said the medical will have to wait until they receive the case here in Costa Rica

4. Two copies of form DS-230

5. Two copies of form DS-156 (***this form must be filled out and printed from the internet. I found a link to this online form from the Costa Rican embassy web site*****)

6. They told me that I did not need an affidavid of support (I-864 or I-134) only pay stubbs and tax returns, but I am going to fill both of these out just in case along with bringing tax returns and pay stubbs.

7. Passport photos (5cm x 5cm white background)

8. Marriage certificates

9. I am also prepared to bring Wedding pics etc.

This is everything that I have compiled trough searching this website and talking to embassy in Costa Rica. My attorney is still trying to figure all this out...waist of money.

If anyone has anything to add please post. I hope this helps

Good Luck

Chris and Mariana

My wife sent in her e-mail assigning me as her agent the day after NVC assigned us a number and they accepted it. We did not wait until the DS-3032 was mailed.

I've been reading several posts over the last week weeks regarding spouses/fiances emailing NVC choice of agent info when the DS-3032 form is printed and mailed out. I've never seen any info listing the email address to submit this. I'm a few weeks away from reaching this point, but I'm preparing my spouse early for this step. Thanks for the help.

I have the P-4 packet from the consulate identifying our K-3 visa application as an immigrant visa and telling us we have to pay $335 visa fee plus $45 security surchange tomorrow before the interview. The letter also states "if not already prepaid at NVC in the United States". Last week I received the $70 fee bill from NVC and the next day received the $380 immigrant visa application processing fee bill from NVC. Both of these bills reference out CR-1 case number while the P-3 and P-4 from the embassy reference our K-3 case number. Since our interview is tomorrow and I am still in the US can I simply send a copy of the receipt my wife gets tomorrow for the $380 visa procesing bill to NVC to show them this has been paid? Has anyone else had this happen to them? Clearly something is not right here. If my wife gets an immigrant visa there will be no need for AOS when she gets here next month....right?

You will get 2 letters from the consulate, the first one will have the medical forms in it and the second one will have the final instructions and the interview date. In our 1st package (P-3) the consulate told my wife to fill out the I-134 and DS-156. She took both of these in and had them checked. They then told her these were only for non-immigrant visa and told her to complete a DS-230 and I-864. The second package (P-4) very clearly identifies our visa as K-3 immigrant visa requiring DS-230 and I-864. So just wait for instructions, I am not sure if these long established rules are changing presently. I had to Fed Ex the I-864 to her at the last minute....

I have an approved K-3 Visa. Both the I-130 and the I-129 are approved and we are waiting for the interview at the consulate. I have 2 questions:

1. Which form will I need at or befor the interview, the I-864 or the I-134 or both; and is there any other form that should accompany these forms (in ref to the affidavits of support)

2. I moved to Costa Rica to be with my wife during this process and have not worked at all in the last year. We are living off of savings that is about gone. I have had a succesful Real Estate business and have also been employed as a fire fighter in Houston Texas for teh last five years. Will I have to have a sponsor since I quit working to be with my wife. I can return home and get rehired by the Fire dept. asap, but will that be enough since I haven't been employed this year.

Thanks to everyone for all the advice and good luck with your journey.

Chris and Mariana

In the letter your wife received from the Embassy did it state that there might be a delay between the interview and delivery of the visa? Some embassies take awhle to review the case file after the interview and have the visa delivered via courier service and some have the visa waiting for the applicant. Good luck, hope you didnt jump the gun too much.

As soon as you get the visa you can book your airline flight and come Home,

Rob and Melinda

We might be jumping the gun a little, but she already has her tickets. All the paperwork is in order, the interview is just a formality.

My wife faxed me the entire package received from the embassy. It clearly in several places has K-3 Immigrant visa and our K-3 I-129 NVC number, not the NVC CR-1 number. The fees clearly state this is for an immigrant visa. "You are expected to pay $335 for the immigrant visa and $45 for security surcharge (if not already pre-paid at NVC in the Uniter States) so maybe this is a new procedure because they know we have filed both CR-1 and K-3 already. In a pre-interview review of our documents the reviewer did tell my wife she could get a green card right away, but this reviewer was not the embassy immigration officer who she will see Tuesday. I am wondering if they are doing something like DCF. They clearly ask for DS-230 and I-864 Immigrant forms. Our CR-1 is just sitting at NVC awaiting my payment of the $335 plus $45 which I clearly will not pay

Yes, the K3 is a non-immigrant visa. If you can go for the CR-1 do it saves the hassle of filing for AOS in the USA.

What is the case number on the package she received CR-1 and K-3 should have different numbers. YOou should be able to tell by that.

The embassy told my wife they would give her an immigrant visa, so that is the cost for it, is that what everyone gets when they get a K-3?

I think it's for CR-1 and not the K3. There were no fees like that for my K3. Package 4 for me was just a letter stating the interview date and time.

Those is my thoughts exactly, however, the CR-1 was approved by USCIS and sent to NVC where it is awaiting my submission of the $70 AOS fee bill and $335 + $45 immigrant visa bill. So is it possible the Embassy sees this and knows the CR-1 has been approved and is doing all these for the CR-1 immigrant visa and not K-3 non-immigrant visa? Both the embassy and NVC are department of state so they could possibly see this in their system although I have not read of this happening elsewhere!!!!

What did you pay?

K-3's don't pay the biometrics fee, I didn't in Montreal on Aug.8/06.

Sorry everyone, the $45 is a security surcharge and the $335 is the Immigrant Visa Processing fee. There is no biometrics fee.

are you sure this is for the k3 and not the cr1. I only paid $100 . This sounds more like the cr1 fees

What did you pay?

K-3's don't pay the biometrics fee, I didn't in Montreal on Aug.8/06.

Sorry everyone, the $45 is a security surcharge and the $335 is the Immigrant Visa Processing fee. There is no biometrics fee.

My wife just sent me a copy of the P-4 instructions and interview letter. They are asking her to complete a DS-230, and I-864 AND pay them $335 plus $45 biometrics. I just received the fee bill for the CR-1 which is at NVC now and these are the same fees for the CR-1. From other posts I have read I thought the K-3 only paid the biometrics fee of $45 at the foreign embassy.

My wife received the Packet 4 from the Embassy today with her interview date of Aug 29. It asks her for DS-1743. Does anyone know what this is?

Married, filing single....now that's a new one on me, perhaps married filing separately is what you meant....

My hubby hasn't worked in US either but I applied for an ITIN (social sec # for tax purposes only) and we did married filing joint. (check irs site, search for ITIN, it is explained there)

Thanks, MML. If you had decided to go with "Married, Filing Single", would you still have had to get an ITIN for your Hubs?

Peace,

Bob

Cellphones are usually not allowed at Department of State offices. In Taiwan they specifically have storage bins for each visitor to put their cellphone in and they give you a tag for it.

David is taking the train to Frankfurt for his interview and we know that he won't be able to bring a rucksack or cell phone in with him... He could leave his cell at home and use a public pay phone ($$) to tell me the results of the interview, but if he does bring his cell, does anyone have any suggestions for him as to where he can leave it? Does the Frankfurt train station have lockers for storage? Any other suggestions?? No one will be accompanying him to the Consulate.

Funny... the little things we obsess about now....

Jen

I know exactly how you feel, a good friend of mine married a Chinese woman 2 years ago and she came here and left him as soon as she could. He contacted USCIS and they have done nothing to deport her, it is more work for them than it is worth. How many illegal aliens are there in the US right now, 20 million???

For the more knowledgeable among us. My wife came to the States under a K-3. She has been here a little over 1 year now. At the 6 month mark she decided to up and leave me. I have now been able to recieve a Divorce from her home country as well as the country where we were married. (No waiting period for divorce)

Since she entered this country based on her marriage to me, K-3...and now that we are divorced, does this divorce put her out of status or in any other way change her rights here in the States. I did not have the chance to file any Adjustment of Status paperwork before she decided to leave me, so I don't have to deal with that.

As far as I know, she is still here in the States and I believe working illegally..but not positive.

I do know I will be sending copies of the divorce and translation to the USCIS local office to be placed in her file.

So anyone who may have a bit more experience with this, I'd appreciate to feedback.

But you filed I-485 to do the AOS in the US and not the I-130????

I entered in ona K3 visa and did my AOS after I was here