Adeezl

9 hours ago, Yannary said:

We did exactly what you're planning on doing. They didn't even ask for my husband's passport for the wedding. We got married in Maryland. He's visited in the US 4 times on esta since we started the CR1 process with no issues. 

Excellent, appreciated. I am glad to know this info. Thanks for the quick response. It should be a pretty easy transition.

8 hours ago, Randyandyuni said:

My wife and I used RapidVisa, in my opinion, they did not improve our petition, offered little to no "advice" and "value", they organized my work in a format I would have done had I used the suggestions from here. The one or two times I had actual questions for them I got very soft answers not useful information. They did not hinder the process but they did not help it at all. YMMV

Understood, YMMV indeed. I haven't started the process yet, so I appreciate the experience and info you've given on rapidvisa. There's not a lot they can do to make it go faster, besides set it up in an easy to read format, and make sure all the info is provided before filing with the FED. Most of the cost is for filling out the forms so we don't have to, and making sure there is nothing left out. The US government is notoriously slow on everything, especially immigration with the current admin. I will do further research as we have lots of time. Thanks for your assistance.

8 hours ago, cculbertson81 said:

First off, welcome to the VJ community!

 

Your plan and the advice everyone has here is solid. You're looking to do it all by the book and I see no issues either.

 

Speaking as a fellow JP-US marriage with CR-1 status the visa process is relatively straightforward, especially if neither of you have been previously married. Japan is a very low-risk country when it comes to US immigration and things move very quickly once your case is complete at the NVC, but unfortunately that doesn't have any bearing on the wait times with USCIS and NVC. We filed our case by ourselves; the use of a service like RapidVisa or an immigration lawyer would have been a waste for us, though it is ultimately up to you to decide how confident you are in assembling the petition. I would also recommend consulting the All Japan Filers megathread as well for a little more targeted advice. My wife and I just completed the entire CR-1 process a few months ago so we'd be happy to answer any Japan-specific questions you might have as well.

 

Welcome again, don't forget to start your timeline, and good luck!

Cool, thanks for the link to the JP specifically. I appreciate the willingness to help out since you went through the same process with the same country. I'll keep that in mind. Neither of us have been married before, no kids or criminal records. It should be an easy process for us. I would imagine that Japan may get slightly expedited after NVC because of relations, low-risk, and low emigration into the USA. Cheers

6 minutes ago, missileman said:

Yes, she can visit........She just needs to be prepared to convince the CBP officer that she will return to her country at the end of her visit.  Many people visit their spouses in the US during the CR-1 process.

 

NOTE:  Every visit is at the discretion of the CBP officer.

Really, I was not aware. I didn't think she could enter the USA while the process was pending. Thanks for the heads up. Customs and Border Protection officer eh.. so just one person gets to decide her entrance depending on how they feel that day? Interesting. I guess i'll have to read more into it. Cheers.

1 hour ago, LilyJ said:

All my husband needed was his passport, but I would check with your local county

34 minutes ago, missileman said:

I see nothing wrong with your plan.  Many people do that.  To get married here, she probably only needs her passport, but as noted above by @LilyJ, check your county requirements.  The CR-1 has several benefits imo.  Upon entry into the US, a CR-1 visa holder immediately becomes a legal resident with work authorization, and the ability to immediately exit the country if needed.....good luck.......

Thanks guys, yes I agree. I'm not sure why many people do a K-1. She just can't visit here while the CR-1 is pending of course, but I can go there. I will check for sure. We are using rapidvisa for the process as well. I feel like it's definitely worth the money for how important it is. I know Japan is a lot emigration country although I doubt that matters. She is fluent and teaches English, Japanese, Mandarin, and Shanghainese. 

I appreciate the comments

My fiance is from Japan, I am American. We are 35/36. She has an ESTA visa, and is coming back here in December for the 3rd time. We would like to get married here this time, and then she would return back to Japan after 15 days. I am curious what type of paperwork would she need from Japan to get married here in December? We plan on applying for a CR-1 next Spring after we get married. If this is in the wrong section, feel free to direct me. This is my first post. I did some reading but ultimately just hoped someone with experience could help me out real quick. Thanks for your time.