yddapoel

I back-read this entire thread, because you have very similar circumstances, perspectives and life goals as we do. You juggled all the same issues we considered. In our case, we also began with the assumptions that: A B2 visa was (by far) the optimal solution - but we thought it had close to 0% chance of approval A CR1 visa was heavily recommended by this forum, but we maintained our view that K1 was, when taking into account all practical factors, the best way to achieve the biggest milestones that matter most (quickest path to US travel, quickest path to citizenship) and we got in line. An online wedding and similar solutions were off the table also for obvious reasons exactly as you described. At the start of 2025, CR1 processing time was 1-2+ years, roughly. Our conclusion about K1 being the best option seems to have grown even more true in recent months when both CR1 and K1 processing (and just about all processing) has slowed down dramatically, with CR1 becoming even slower than it already was - very possible that recent CR1 filers may face much longer than a 2 year wait. However: Your success in approval for B2 comes as a major surprise and makes us reconsider giving it a go! I am not sure if having already filed an I-129F application (still at the first stage of waiting for approval) would affect the B2 application. But it makes me reconsider the viability as definitely not being impossible anymore. You mentioned the questions in the interview were mostly about you, rather than her. Perhaps with me (the sponsor) securing a stronger residency or employment visa to strengthen the case (we are in PH, not as many visa options available as Thailand), or carefully considering how to answer things in the interview and what evidences to present, might make it doable. Curious if you have any other insights about what helped the application and interview be successful?

I appreciate that, this perspective cleared it up for me. I will include the physical address stayed at in PH.

I’ve been staying primarily in the Philippines for about 1.5 years (as a visitor with visa extensions, and I’ve also made a few trips nearby countries). My original residence is in the United States where I still own my house, and have continued to file normal US tax returns. My question is this: When filling out the petitioner's address history on the K-1 petition, should I include or exclude the address I’ve stayed at in the Philippines, since I’m here as a temporary visitor and not a "resident", and list only my U.S. address as my “present” address, along with my previous 5 yrs of US addresses? Curious if any other folks who have filed a K1 Petition while living or staying for extended periods overseas have faced this dilemma.

I was able to confirm using a PO Box as the mailing address for paperwork through the process, including PO Box of a family member, seems to work fine for other cases. Seems safest. I still have the question of address history in the petition. I thought also about this: Since I've been overseas for some time (which would be explained in proof of relationship), should I include any proof of domicile upfront in the petition packet? Or perhaps that would only apply at the interview stage with affidavit of support? Regarding the spousal visa comparison: I agree in the convenience of landing with residency status already pre-approved, and the cost reduction. Most current trackers seem to be around 15-20 months for CR-1 processing though, vs. about 6-12 months for K-1 to get the visa, be able to travel (not factoring AOS) we could relocate at least 6 months sooner. That's why we lean to it as opposed to a foreign wedding and CR-1. Is $4K in K-1 costs DIY, including removal of conditions? My estimation is roughly $2630 with K-1 (675 + 265 + 250 (med exam est) + 1440) vs. around $1475 with CR-1 (675 + 325 + 250 (med exam est) + 225) (plus eventually removal of conditions at $750, with either option)

Thank you for the advice! The tip about setting up USPS Informed Delivery is very helpful, as well as this: We are opposed to the spousal visa route due to the longer timeframe to be able to relocate, our impression is K-1 is fastest (although more cumbersome). Typo on my question here, meant to say: "Is my assumption correct that address(s) 'lived' at in PH while a tourist, not a resident of the Philippines should be excluded under petitioner's address history, with my current address to 'present' being my US address?" Also, is it possible to receive the mail during the process at a P.O. Box address, or is it required to be a residential address? (I have both options...)

Hello, I am preparing to file a K1 visa petition for my fiance. I have followed some helpful guides found here and on YouTube to prepare the form and packet. A few questions remain, I thought others with similar experiences might have advice: When listing petitioner's address history: petitioner has been staying in the Philippines (mostly) for about 1.5 yrs (including full duration of the relationship with beneficiary) as a temporary visitor (tourist visa extensions), (during which made a few short trips to other nearby countries). I have a home in the US (my official 'residence') (and file taxes there the normal way, with no foreign income exclusion). Is my assumption that address(s) 'lived' at in PH while a tourist, not a resident of the Philippines should be excluded under petitioner's address history, with my current address to 'present' being my US address? When listing petitioner and beneficiary's employment history, both of us had a period of self-employment during a portion of the past 5 years. Should we list: 'Employer: Self-Employed' with 'Employer's Address' matching our personal residential addresses at the time? When utilizing G-1145 for e-notifications, do you get notified only once for the NOA1 upon case being received, or do you also receive text/email notifications when NOA2 and next steps like NVC processing starts? Since I will be staying overseas during the processing, I am planning to have the mail deliver to my US address with family able to retrieve it -- would be nice to know when a document is likely to have been delivered there. If either party has a legal name change in the past, apart from listing the former name under 'Other Names Used', is it smart and/or necessary to include a copy of the name change court order with the petition packet? Was planning on including a scanned copy. (note: all documents/IDs used in petition reflect current legal name). Any issue with initially mailing the packet from a family member's different US address (different from petitioner's address) to the USCIS Lockbox? I (petitioner) will still use my own US address in the petition itself. Thank you