ivy88

I know that if you haven't been married for more than two years you get a conditional residence and then after two years you have to remove conditions but when do the two years start counting? Is it from the day you get approved (which would be at the interview), or is it from the port of entry?

congratulations!

Hello everyone!

We got approved on the 22 so I'll be joining this thread!

Hello everyone,

I just got approved for the 130 petition and also the 129, but I chose to go with CR1. I was reading the shortcuts and I noticed that i need to send the original police certificate with the ds 230, but I also need it for the interview. For those who have already done this or are familiar with how this works in Colombia, can i take out 2 police certificates from the DAS office one for the package I need to send and another one for the interview. I already have one and I was planning on making a copy of it but I noticed we need originals. So can i just go to the DAS office and tqke out another original?

Thank you

so how does that work? Will they ask me to send documents for both petitions? Should I just send the documents for the cr1 and ignore the k3? Can someone please guide me through this I don't know what the next step is?

Both of my petitions (I 129 and I 130) got approved yesterday. My question is which path should I take now? Should I go with the CR1 or continue with the K3

Hello everyone, I haven't been on the forum for a while because I didn't have internet until now. I just got an email saying that my 129 and 130 got approved!!! I still can't believe it!

I've never been to Medellin, I've only been to Barranquilla, and Cartagena. I was born in Colombia and lived here until I was about 9 or 10 yrs old, I've lived most of my life in the U.S. So I don't even know my way around here, and all my family is in U.S

Been there and sadly no there isn't

I been to Medellin once

I'm from Barraquilla, Colombia....

OMG i'm feeling so down today and I just started this process. I wish there was something we could do to make this process faster.

I want to join the party! I'm new in this forum and I miss my other half too!!! This is my first weekend without him and I miss him so much. I hope this process doesn't take too long

Welcome ivy88

From what part of Colombia may I ask??

Hello everyone!

I filed the i-130 in January 02, and my husband just sent in the i-129 a couple of days ago so I'm also a January filer. Let's keep in touch!

I want to join the party! I'm new in this forum and I miss my other half too!!! This is my first weekend without him and I miss him so much. I hope this process doesn't take too long

I agree with you and thats why I considering going the k3 route

K3 was originally intended to reunite husbands and wives faster, much faster. Under current procedures (with rare exceptions) there is no timeline advantage to speak of and the costs have become significantly higher to take the K3 route instead of the CR1 or IR1, with little if any time savings. It's the most frequently discussed subject in the K3 forum. Check it out.

Respectfully disagree on the bold statements above.

Looking at the data here on VJ, it still appears that a K-3 is 2 to 4 months 'faster' than a CR-1/IR-1 ("NOA2 to interview" for the past three months is 86 days for K-3s and 209 days for CR-1s in the "immigration timelines" stats). For some, those 2 to 4 months would be deemed a timeline advantage. The additional cost of going the K-3 route vs. CR-1 route is between $126 to $671 depending on when EAD and AOS are filed.

Factors to consider before making the decision:

1) How long have you been married? If you go for the immigrant visa and it is less than two years, your spouse will get a conditional GC. More than two years and your spouse will get a 10 year GC.

2) Will your spouse want to work in the USA (within the first two years of arrival)? With the CR-1/IR-1 they can work right away. With the K-3, they will have to file for an EAD. This can be done either before adjusting status (for a price), or along with adjusting status (EAD fee waived).

With regards to cost, it depends on your answers to 1) and 2) above):

A K3 costs $355 for the I-130, $0 for the I-129F, and $131 for the visa (at the embassy); $486 total. The IR-1/CR-1 costs $355 for I-130 plus $70 for AOS bill plus $400 for IV bill ; $825 total.

With the CR-1 your spouse can get a SSN and work upon arrival in the USA. With a K3, no SSN or EAD. To get them for the K-3, you would have to file either the EAD ($340) or AOS, $1,010 cost (EAD $0 when filed concurrently or subsequent to AOS). However, if your spouse will not work, then the costs between the two are not substantially different.

If you file for IR-1/CR-1, then two years after your spouses arrival you would have to file I-751 to lift conditions at a cost of $545 (assumes the original GC was a 2-yr conditional card). Total cost from start to 10 yr GC would be $1,370.

If you can get the K-3 and wait until your second wedding anniversary, you avoid receiving a conditional green card and lifting conditions. That means only $1,010 for AOS resulting in a ten year GC. The total for I-130 filing to 10 yr GC would be $1,496. ($126 - well worth it to most people for the potential to be reunited 2 to 4 months sooner).

If the K3 route is chosen plus AOS upon arrival (to get SSN and EAD) then the total would be $486 plus $1,010 plus $545 (for lifting conditions); a total of $2,041. An alternative would be to file K-3 ($486), then EAD ($340), then AOS ($1,010) around second wedding anniversary - total of $1,836. These options are $671 and $466 more, respectively, than the CR-1. Again, potentially worth it for the 2 to 4 month time savings to some applicants.

Thank you for your fast replies

Is this information posted somewhere or maybe on the immigration website? I read the same thing somewhere but i dont remember where and now my lawyer is telling me i have to file within 90 days.

Once i receive the k3 visa and enter the United States, how long do i to file for adjustment of status? Is it 90 days like the k1 visa or can I wait about 5 or 6 months to file? And can I work using the k3 visa or do I have to wait until I file for adjustment of status to apply for EAD? I know I still have a long way to go but I like to plan ahead since there's more fees coming our way. Thank you

Hello everyone, I have a quick question My husband filed both the i-130 and the i-129 and we're still deciding if we want to go through the cr1 or the k3 process. I read somewhere that all K-3 cases must be adjudicated in the country where the marriage took place. I am currently living in Barranquilla, Colombia which is where I was born, but we got married in Miami, Florida, so how would that work?

Hello everyone!

I filed the i-130 on Jan 2, 2009 and I am sending in the i-129 tomorrow. I was wondering which visa is faster to get approved? and also is it possible to continue the process on both visas once both petitions get approved and how would that work?

Sorry for taking so long to reply, I received my NOA 1 yesterday! So I guess now I just have to wait patiently.

I know it is still early to be thinking about the inverview since we just filed the 130 petition about 1 wk ago but I'm a little curious. Does the petitioner have to go to the interview at the embassy with the beneficiary? I'm doing the cr1 process btw. Someone told me both the petitioner and the beneficiary have to go, but I've been reading here and it seems like only the beneficiary has to go.

Thank you!

Congratulations and good luck!

Ooppps I think I posted on the wrong thread lol. Well I'll post on this one too. Me and my husband sent our petitions on jan 2 and we haven't received anything either. I was hoping we would get NOA1 before I leave but who knows If we'll get it before. How long does it usually take?

I sent mine on Jan 2 and I haven't received anything either

No I don't think it did

Thanks for the quick response. I entered the U.S with a visitor's visa for 6 months. After 2 months of being here I filed for Asylum. The Assylum case was pending for about 9 to ten years and it was denied Nov. 25 and they granted me voluntary departure. I've never been out of status.

Hello everyone,

My husband recently sent the I-130 petition for me (Jan 2, 2009). I was granted voluntary departure because my Assylum case was denied, the voluntary departure period expires Jan 25, 2009. Me and my husband got married Dec 21, 2008. If I return to my home country before Jan. 25 and continue the visa process there (cr1) would I need a waiver?

Thank you in advance