Cross-border couples wed in 'no man's land' - news story
Jul 3rd 2003, 3:47 am
#1
Just around the next bend
Thread Starter
Joined: Sep 2002
Location: Missouri
Posts: 2,276
Cross-border couples wed in 'no man's land' - news story
Here is a story from the LA Daily News:
http://www.dailynews.com/Stories/0,1...483559,00.html
Cross-border couples wed in 'no man's land'
By Lynn Brezosky
Associated Press
BROWNSVILLE, Texas -- It's 102 degrees on a Friday afternoon, and exhaust from trucks crossing the old B&M International bridge spanning into Mexico blends with the gentle breezes stirred up by the Rio Grande.
Justice of the Peace Oscar Tullos zips up his judge's robe as he strides toward the bridge, holding the fancy-lettered marriage license of Erasmo Galvan, 21, and Nely Alvarado, 22.
The wedding is at 3 p.m., and Tullos is not one to be late.
She is a U.S. citizen; he is from Mexico. Both are store clerks -- she in Brownsville, he in Matamoros, the city just across the river. They met at a dance about a year and a half ago and have since fallen in love.
Rather than battle the seemingly formidable paperwork to allow Galvan to cross to the United States to marry, the couple decided to do as many here have done: tie the knot in what is essentially a no man's land -- the 200-foot patch of land just north of the bridge and south of the U.S. Customs building.
Tullos isn't sure when the bridge weddings started. He only knows that his predecessor did them and he was in office more than 20 years. But Tullos does know he enjoys officiating the weddings, and takes them seriously. He's lost track of how many he's done.
"It's an honor for me to be able to marry them. I find it important to do," he said. "Love crosses all boundaries."
Some justices won't do bridge weddings, and Tullos agrees it may be because of the heat, which usually causes him to sweat clear through the shirt beneath his robe. Unlike many JPs, he always starts with a prayer, at times looking skyward.
The couples are of all ages. Some brides come dressed in gowns, others in shorts. One of the snapshots outside Tullos' office shows a woman in a full white gown, her hair curled in tendrils, marrying a gruff-looking man in a faded red T-shirt.
On this day, the bride is dressed in a simple rayon dress and black wedge sandals, her hair damp and twisted into a loose bun. The groom wears blue jeans with cream colored cowboy boots and an embroidered leather belt to match. They have brought the rings in a pretty paper box.
Tullos directs the couple and their parents to a spot below three palm trees, the only bit of shade around.
Both smile shyly as the jovial Tullos directs them in Spanish to hold hands and look into one another's eyes as they repeat their vows.
At the end, Tullos booms the declaration. "Marido y mujer!"
Tullos does little more than provide a civil service. To get the license, Alvarado, the U.S. half of the couple, has already had to provide the county clerk with documentation about her future spouse. From there, the waiting period begins for a green card.
During the six-month wait, he can't live in the United States. The couple's situation will continue much as it did in their courtship, with her walking back across the bridge to see him.
After two years of marriage, that conditional residency card (green card) can be exchanged for a permanent residency card. And after five years, the naturalization process can begin.
Many couples don't seem to grasp that the Mexican half will be allowed in the United States almost immediately if they sign a "K" visa, which is promise to get married in the United States within the next 90 days.
"They think they have to have the wedding first and then go through the whole process, which takes six months. They're almost doing it 100 degrees backward," said Art Moreno, a spokesman for the Bureau of Immigration and Citizenship Services.
Erica De la Torre, a clerk at the Cameron County courthouse, said about 60 percent of the courthouse weddings involved one person from the United States and the other from Mexico. Last year, there were 3,015 marriages.
"There hasn't been a day we don't have anyone coming in to apply," she said. "When it's a busy day, we have 25 people coming in. When it's a slow day, we're talking six or seven."
As the newlywed Galvans cross back to Matamoros for their wedding night, Tullos said they seem typical of the cross-border couples he joins.
In many cases, he said, the mother of the U.S. spouse had made certain to give birth in the United States, so her child would be a U.S. citizen even if life is lived mostly in Matamoros.
The pay earned at minimum wage jobs in Texas can jolt a Mexican family to a sort of middle income, he said. And by gaining citizenship, the new spouse often can get a U.S. job, even if family ties lead them to choose a permanent home in Mexico.
"The border area is so closely tied in," he said as drove back to his office, where he'll hang his robe until the next wedding. "So many threads going back and forth."
http://www.dailynews.com/Stories/0,1...483559,00.html
Cross-border couples wed in 'no man's land'
By Lynn Brezosky
Associated Press
BROWNSVILLE, Texas -- It's 102 degrees on a Friday afternoon, and exhaust from trucks crossing the old B&M International bridge spanning into Mexico blends with the gentle breezes stirred up by the Rio Grande.
Justice of the Peace Oscar Tullos zips up his judge's robe as he strides toward the bridge, holding the fancy-lettered marriage license of Erasmo Galvan, 21, and Nely Alvarado, 22.
The wedding is at 3 p.m., and Tullos is not one to be late.
She is a U.S. citizen; he is from Mexico. Both are store clerks -- she in Brownsville, he in Matamoros, the city just across the river. They met at a dance about a year and a half ago and have since fallen in love.
Rather than battle the seemingly formidable paperwork to allow Galvan to cross to the United States to marry, the couple decided to do as many here have done: tie the knot in what is essentially a no man's land -- the 200-foot patch of land just north of the bridge and south of the U.S. Customs building.
Tullos isn't sure when the bridge weddings started. He only knows that his predecessor did them and he was in office more than 20 years. But Tullos does know he enjoys officiating the weddings, and takes them seriously. He's lost track of how many he's done.
"It's an honor for me to be able to marry them. I find it important to do," he said. "Love crosses all boundaries."
Some justices won't do bridge weddings, and Tullos agrees it may be because of the heat, which usually causes him to sweat clear through the shirt beneath his robe. Unlike many JPs, he always starts with a prayer, at times looking skyward.
The couples are of all ages. Some brides come dressed in gowns, others in shorts. One of the snapshots outside Tullos' office shows a woman in a full white gown, her hair curled in tendrils, marrying a gruff-looking man in a faded red T-shirt.
On this day, the bride is dressed in a simple rayon dress and black wedge sandals, her hair damp and twisted into a loose bun. The groom wears blue jeans with cream colored cowboy boots and an embroidered leather belt to match. They have brought the rings in a pretty paper box.
Tullos directs the couple and their parents to a spot below three palm trees, the only bit of shade around.
Both smile shyly as the jovial Tullos directs them in Spanish to hold hands and look into one another's eyes as they repeat their vows.
At the end, Tullos booms the declaration. "Marido y mujer!"
Tullos does little more than provide a civil service. To get the license, Alvarado, the U.S. half of the couple, has already had to provide the county clerk with documentation about her future spouse. From there, the waiting period begins for a green card.
During the six-month wait, he can't live in the United States. The couple's situation will continue much as it did in their courtship, with her walking back across the bridge to see him.
After two years of marriage, that conditional residency card (green card) can be exchanged for a permanent residency card. And after five years, the naturalization process can begin.
Many couples don't seem to grasp that the Mexican half will be allowed in the United States almost immediately if they sign a "K" visa, which is promise to get married in the United States within the next 90 days.
"They think they have to have the wedding first and then go through the whole process, which takes six months. They're almost doing it 100 degrees backward," said Art Moreno, a spokesman for the Bureau of Immigration and Citizenship Services.
Erica De la Torre, a clerk at the Cameron County courthouse, said about 60 percent of the courthouse weddings involved one person from the United States and the other from Mexico. Last year, there were 3,015 marriages.
"There hasn't been a day we don't have anyone coming in to apply," she said. "When it's a busy day, we have 25 people coming in. When it's a slow day, we're talking six or seven."
As the newlywed Galvans cross back to Matamoros for their wedding night, Tullos said they seem typical of the cross-border couples he joins.
In many cases, he said, the mother of the U.S. spouse had made certain to give birth in the United States, so her child would be a U.S. citizen even if life is lived mostly in Matamoros.
The pay earned at minimum wage jobs in Texas can jolt a Mexican family to a sort of middle income, he said. And by gaining citizenship, the new spouse often can get a U.S. job, even if family ties lead them to choose a permanent home in Mexico.
"The border area is so closely tied in," he said as drove back to his office, where he'll hang his robe until the next wedding. "So many threads going back and forth."
Jul 3rd 2003, 3:59 am
#2
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 368
Re: Cross-border couples wed in 'no man's land' - news story
"100 degrees backward"
lol. well, I guess... hope... he implied that it was not totally backwards, b/c as we well know it takes 180 degrees to do that!
Go BCIS! (chuckle)
lol. well, I guess... hope... he implied that it was not totally backwards, b/c as we well know it takes 180 degrees to do that!
Go BCIS! (chuckle)
Jul 3rd 2003, 4:03 am
#3
Howling at the Moon
Joined: Oct 2002
Location: Incline Village, NV
Posts: 3,742
Re: Cross-border couples wed in 'no man's land' - news story
Originally posted by dbark
Here is a story from the LA Daily News:
http://www.dailynews.com/Stories/0,1...483559,00.html
Cross-border couples wed in 'no man's land'
By Lynn Brezosky
Associated Press
BROWNSVILLE, Texas -- It's 102 degrees on a Friday afternoon, and exhaust from trucks crossing the old B&M International bridge spanning into Mexico blends with the gentle breezes stirred up by the Rio Grande.
Justice of the Peace Oscar Tullos zips up his judge's robe as he strides toward the bridge, holding the fancy-lettered marriage license of Erasmo Galvan, 21, and Nely Alvarado, 22.
The wedding is at 3 p.m., and Tullos is not one to be late.
She is a U.S. citizen; he is from Mexico. Both are store clerks -- she in Brownsville, he in Matamoros, the city just across the river. They met at a dance about a year and a half ago and have since fallen in love.
Rather than battle the seemingly formidable paperwork to allow Galvan to cross to the United States to marry, the couple decided to do as many here have done: tie the knot in what is essentially a no man's land -- the 200-foot patch of land just north of the bridge and south of the U.S. Customs building.
Tullos isn't sure when the bridge weddings started. He only knows that his predecessor did them and he was in office more than 20 years. But Tullos does know he enjoys officiating the weddings, and takes them seriously. He's lost track of how many he's done.
"It's an honor for me to be able to marry them. I find it important to do," he said. "Love crosses all boundaries."
Some justices won't do bridge weddings, and Tullos agrees it may be because of the heat, which usually causes him to sweat clear through the shirt beneath his robe. Unlike many JPs, he always starts with a prayer, at times looking skyward.
The couples are of all ages. Some brides come dressed in gowns, others in shorts. One of the snapshots outside Tullos' office shows a woman in a full white gown, her hair curled in tendrils, marrying a gruff-looking man in a faded red T-shirt.
On this day, the bride is dressed in a simple rayon dress and black wedge sandals, her hair damp and twisted into a loose bun. The groom wears blue jeans with cream colored cowboy boots and an embroidered leather belt to match. They have brought the rings in a pretty paper box.
Tullos directs the couple and their parents to a spot below three palm trees, the only bit of shade around.
Both smile shyly as the jovial Tullos directs them in Spanish to hold hands and look into one another's eyes as they repeat their vows.
At the end, Tullos booms the declaration. "Marido y mujer!"
Tullos does little more than provide a civil service. To get the license, Alvarado, the U.S. half of the couple, has already had to provide the county clerk with documentation about her future spouse. From there, the waiting period begins for a green card.
During the six-month wait, he can't live in the United States. The couple's situation will continue much as it did in their courtship, with her walking back across the bridge to see him.
After two years of marriage, that conditional residency card (green card) can be exchanged for a permanent residency card. And after five years, the naturalization process can begin.
Many couples don't seem to grasp that the Mexican half will be allowed in the United States almost immediately if they sign a "K" visa, which is promise to get married in the United States within the next 90 days.
"They think they have to have the wedding first and then go through the whole process, which takes six months. They're almost doing it 100 degrees backward," said Art Moreno, a spokesman for the Bureau of Immigration and Citizenship Services.
Erica De la Torre, a clerk at the Cameron County courthouse, said about 60 percent of the courthouse weddings involved one person from the United States and the other from Mexico. Last year, there were 3,015 marriages.
"There hasn't been a day we don't have anyone coming in to apply," she said. "When it's a busy day, we have 25 people coming in. When it's a slow day, we're talking six or seven."
As the newlywed Galvans cross back to Matamoros for their wedding night, Tullos said they seem typical of the cross-border couples he joins.
In many cases, he said, the mother of the U.S. spouse had made certain to give birth in the United States, so her child would be a U.S. citizen even if life is lived mostly in Matamoros.
The pay earned at minimum wage jobs in Texas can jolt a Mexican family to a sort of middle income, he said. And by gaining citizenship, the new spouse often can get a U.S. job, even if family ties lead them to choose a permanent home in Mexico.
"The border area is so closely tied in," he said as drove back to his office, where he'll hang his robe until the next wedding. "So many threads going back and forth."
Here is a story from the LA Daily News:
http://www.dailynews.com/Stories/0,1...483559,00.html
Cross-border couples wed in 'no man's land'
By Lynn Brezosky
Associated Press
BROWNSVILLE, Texas -- It's 102 degrees on a Friday afternoon, and exhaust from trucks crossing the old B&M International bridge spanning into Mexico blends with the gentle breezes stirred up by the Rio Grande.
Justice of the Peace Oscar Tullos zips up his judge's robe as he strides toward the bridge, holding the fancy-lettered marriage license of Erasmo Galvan, 21, and Nely Alvarado, 22.
The wedding is at 3 p.m., and Tullos is not one to be late.
She is a U.S. citizen; he is from Mexico. Both are store clerks -- she in Brownsville, he in Matamoros, the city just across the river. They met at a dance about a year and a half ago and have since fallen in love.
Rather than battle the seemingly formidable paperwork to allow Galvan to cross to the United States to marry, the couple decided to do as many here have done: tie the knot in what is essentially a no man's land -- the 200-foot patch of land just north of the bridge and south of the U.S. Customs building.
Tullos isn't sure when the bridge weddings started. He only knows that his predecessor did them and he was in office more than 20 years. But Tullos does know he enjoys officiating the weddings, and takes them seriously. He's lost track of how many he's done.
"It's an honor for me to be able to marry them. I find it important to do," he said. "Love crosses all boundaries."
Some justices won't do bridge weddings, and Tullos agrees it may be because of the heat, which usually causes him to sweat clear through the shirt beneath his robe. Unlike many JPs, he always starts with a prayer, at times looking skyward.
The couples are of all ages. Some brides come dressed in gowns, others in shorts. One of the snapshots outside Tullos' office shows a woman in a full white gown, her hair curled in tendrils, marrying a gruff-looking man in a faded red T-shirt.
On this day, the bride is dressed in a simple rayon dress and black wedge sandals, her hair damp and twisted into a loose bun. The groom wears blue jeans with cream colored cowboy boots and an embroidered leather belt to match. They have brought the rings in a pretty paper box.
Tullos directs the couple and their parents to a spot below three palm trees, the only bit of shade around.
Both smile shyly as the jovial Tullos directs them in Spanish to hold hands and look into one another's eyes as they repeat their vows.
At the end, Tullos booms the declaration. "Marido y mujer!"
Tullos does little more than provide a civil service. To get the license, Alvarado, the U.S. half of the couple, has already had to provide the county clerk with documentation about her future spouse. From there, the waiting period begins for a green card.
During the six-month wait, he can't live in the United States. The couple's situation will continue much as it did in their courtship, with her walking back across the bridge to see him.
After two years of marriage, that conditional residency card (green card) can be exchanged for a permanent residency card. And after five years, the naturalization process can begin.
Many couples don't seem to grasp that the Mexican half will be allowed in the United States almost immediately if they sign a "K" visa, which is promise to get married in the United States within the next 90 days.
"They think they have to have the wedding first and then go through the whole process, which takes six months. They're almost doing it 100 degrees backward," said Art Moreno, a spokesman for the Bureau of Immigration and Citizenship Services.
Erica De la Torre, a clerk at the Cameron County courthouse, said about 60 percent of the courthouse weddings involved one person from the United States and the other from Mexico. Last year, there were 3,015 marriages.
"There hasn't been a day we don't have anyone coming in to apply," she said. "When it's a busy day, we have 25 people coming in. When it's a slow day, we're talking six or seven."
As the newlywed Galvans cross back to Matamoros for their wedding night, Tullos said they seem typical of the cross-border couples he joins.
In many cases, he said, the mother of the U.S. spouse had made certain to give birth in the United States, so her child would be a U.S. citizen even if life is lived mostly in Matamoros.
The pay earned at minimum wage jobs in Texas can jolt a Mexican family to a sort of middle income, he said. And by gaining citizenship, the new spouse often can get a U.S. job, even if family ties lead them to choose a permanent home in Mexico.
"The border area is so closely tied in," he said as drove back to his office, where he'll hang his robe until the next wedding. "So many threads going back and forth."
The reporter needs to check her facts though. 5 years for Citizenship with LPR through a USC?
This one cracked me up.......
"Many couples don't seem to grasp that the Mexican half will be allowed in the United States almost immediately if they sign a "K" visa, which is promise to get married in the United States within the next 90 days.
"They think they have to have the wedding first and then go through the whole process, which takes six months. They're almost doing it 100 degrees backward," said Art Moreno, a spokesman for the Bureau of Immigration and Citizenship Services."
WHICH PLANET IS THIS GUY ON?
Jul 3rd 2003, 4:04 am
#4
jingling
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 18,123
Interesting story. And sweet how they meet at the bridge to be together. 
The only thing I wondered about was this quote...
"Many couples don't seem to grasp that the Mexican half will be allowed in the United States almost immediately if they sign a "K" visa..."
Not sure what the writer meant about that? Isn't it more like 6 months or so on average? Or did I misread a part of that?
Juliet
The only thing I wondered about was this quote...
"Many couples don't seem to grasp that the Mexican half will be allowed in the United States almost immediately if they sign a "K" visa..."
Not sure what the writer meant about that? Isn't it more like 6 months or so on average? Or did I misread a part of that?
Juliet
Jul 3rd 2003, 4:05 am
#5
Go RedSox!
Joined: Feb 2003
Location: London
Posts: 681
That's funny. K1 is 'almost immediate!'
Jul 3rd 2003, 4:07 am
#6
foxy little minx
Joined: Jan 2003
Location: Mexicana in Chicago
Posts: 770
yeah i wish i could just "sign" my k1 visa and get over this!
Jul 3rd 2003, 4:07 am
#7
Howling at the Moon
Joined: Oct 2002
Location: Incline Village, NV
Posts: 3,742
Re: Cross-border couples wed in 'no man's land' - news story
Originally posted by lairdside
I thought it was a touching article.
The reporter needs to check her facts though. 5 years for Citizenship with LPR through a USC?
This one cracked me up.......
"Many couples don't seem to grasp that the Mexican half will be allowed in the United States almost immediately if they sign a "K" visa, which is promise to get married in the United States within the next 90 days.
"They think they have to have the wedding first and then go through the whole process, which takes six months. They're almost doing it 100 degrees backward," said Art Moreno, a spokesman for the Bureau of Immigration and Citizenship Services."
WHICH PLANET IS THIS GUY ON?
I thought it was a touching article.
The reporter needs to check her facts though. 5 years for Citizenship with LPR through a USC?
This one cracked me up.......
"Many couples don't seem to grasp that the Mexican half will be allowed in the United States almost immediately if they sign a "K" visa, which is promise to get married in the United States within the next 90 days.
"They think they have to have the wedding first and then go through the whole process, which takes six months. They're almost doing it 100 degrees backward," said Art Moreno, a spokesman for the Bureau of Immigration and Citizenship Services."
WHICH PLANET IS THIS GUY ON?
I think I am going to write to the lady that wrote the article......
Jul 3rd 2003, 4:09 am
#8
Howling at the Moon
Joined: Oct 2002
Location: Incline Village, NV
Posts: 3,742
Re: Cross-border couples wed in 'no man's land' - news story
Originally posted by lairdside
Not just me that though the statement was a joke (if it was actually FUNNY that is).
I think I am going to write to the lady that wrote the article......
Not just me that though the statement was a joke (if it was actually FUNNY that is).
I think I am going to write to the lady that wrote the article......
In which case by current standards a K-3 would indeed most probably be faster than a K-1.....
I really have to write to this woman......!
Jul 3rd 2003, 4:21 am
#9
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Jan 2003
Location: Huntsville, AL
Posts: 568
Yes. Brownsville is in Texas
Jul 3rd 2003, 4:27 am
#10
Howling at the Moon
Joined: Oct 2002
Location: Incline Village, NV
Posts: 3,742
Originally posted by NevAnna
Yes. Brownsville is in Texas
Yes. Brownsville is in Texas
- I later realised that's in the first line of the article (duh).Still at least it shows that my US geography may be improving..lol
Last edited by lairdside; Jul 3rd 2003 at 4:34 am.
Jul 3rd 2003, 4:31 am
#11
Howling at the Moon
Joined: Oct 2002
Location: Incline Village, NV
Posts: 3,742
Originally posted by lairdside
Thanks - I later realised that's in the first line of the article (duh).
Still at least I shows my US geography may be improving..lol
Thanks
- I later realised that's in the first line of the article (duh).Still at least I shows my US geography may be improving..lol
I was going to outline my objections to the quote in the article. Show the relative JIT times for the service centers. A comparison of K-1 and K-3 for TX.
Any other suggestions apart from my initial reaction of "This is a load of BS?"
For anyone who would like to write themselves go to:
http://www.dailynews.com/Stories/0,1...6%257E,00.html
Perhaps we can get someone to do a follow-up article if we are lucky...lol
I don't think I'm being reactionary.
Jul 3rd 2003, 4:45 am
#12
Concierge
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 46,474
Why can't or doesn't the media leave about BCIS visas and procedures before writing half-ass articles. This is the second one in two days that talk about "signing" a K visa. As if it were that simple.
Rete
Rete
Jul 3rd 2003, 4:48 am
#13
Howling at the Moon
Joined: Oct 2002
Location: Incline Village, NV
Posts: 3,742
Originally posted by Rete
Why can't or doesn't the media leave about BCIS visas and procedures before writing half-ass articles. This is the second one in two days that talk about "signing" a K visa. As if it were that simple.
Rete
Why can't or doesn't the media leave about BCIS visas and procedures before writing half-ass articles. This is the second one in two days that talk about "signing" a K visa. As if it were that simple.
Rete
(Typing as I speak).
Jul 3rd 2003, 4:50 am
#14
Sursum corda
Joined: Sep 2002
Location: Richmond Hill, GA USA
Posts: 38,860
Originally posted by lairdside
I found an email address to contact the paper.
I was going to outline my objections to the quote in the article. Show the relative JIT times for the service centers. A comparison of K-1 and K-3 for TX.
Any other suggestions apart from my initial reaction of "This is a load of BS?"
For anyone who would like to write themselves go to:
http://www.dailynews.com/Stories/0,1...6%257E,00.html
Perhaps we can get someone to do a follow-up article if we are lucky...lol
I don't think I'm being reactionary.
I found an email address to contact the paper.
I was going to outline my objections to the quote in the article. Show the relative JIT times for the service centers. A comparison of K-1 and K-3 for TX.
Any other suggestions apart from my initial reaction of "This is a load of BS?"
For anyone who would like to write themselves go to:
http://www.dailynews.com/Stories/0,1...6%257E,00.html
Perhaps we can get someone to do a follow-up article if we are lucky...lol
I don't think I'm being reactionary.
You go girlfriend, :0
Jul 3rd 2003, 5:19 am
#15
Howling at the Moon
Joined: Oct 2002
Location: Incline Village, NV
Posts: 3,742
Originally posted by lairdside
Where is the other one Rete - I'll write to them too
(Typing as I speak).
Where is the other one Rete - I'll write to them too
(Typing as I speak).
Dear Sir/Madam,
I am writing to you regarding the article published in your paper entitled "Cross-border couples wed in 'no man's land'" By Lynn Brezosky
Associated Press.
There was one error in the article, regarding the time which someone must be a LPR before becoming eligible to apply for US Citizenship if they are married to a USC. The time stated is five years, actually yuou must be married for three years at the time of application and must have been a LPR for three years less ninety days (although someone may not Naturalize before they have been an LPR for at least three years). As the Naturalization process takes six months plus this is not a problem.
My main objection is to the following portion of the article, which includes a quote from a BCIS spokesman:
"Many couples don't seem to grasp that the Mexican half will be allowed in the United States almost immediately if they sign a "K" visa, which is promise to get married in the United States within the next 90 days.
"They think they have to have the wedding first and then go through the whole process, which takes six months. They're almost doing it 100 degrees backward," said Art Moreno, a spokesman for the Bureau of Immigration and Citizenship Services."
K-1 (Fiancé(e) ) visas are far from "immediate"!
In fact for the couple in question, as the Service Center through which they would have to apply is the Texas Service Center filing the I-130 at TSC, followed by the K-3(spousal visa), which would instead be filed through the Missouri Service Center which processes all K-3's, would presently take longer for the K-1 than the K-3.
My basis for this assumption comes from the Just In Time (JIT) reports issued by the Service Centers themselves. Even the Service Center which currently processes K-1 visas the fastest, Vermont (VSC) would require allowing three plus months for the visa to be "in hand" at the Foreign Consulate - hardly immediate- and this is with the remainder of the processing post VSC being done by a "fast" Consulate, such as London, UK and with the alien fiancé(e) not being subject to additional security checks due to an IBIS hit or the country of origin or residence.
Texas on the other hand currently shows the following processing times for K-1's (I-129F(Fiancé(e)) petitions:
TSC Report as of 06/17/03
I-129F(Fiancé(e)) : 12/30/2002
To file for a K-3 an I-130 must first be filed with the Service Center having jurisdiction over the USC's place of residence in the US. Once the I-130 filing receipt (I-797)is received by the petitioner, which takes approximately one month, they may then file for the K-3 visa for their alien spouse at the Missouri Service Center (MSC). The most current JIT report for Missouri shows a processing time as follows:
MSC Report as of 06/15/03
I-129F :05/06/2003
After being approved by the Service Center both types of petitions must be forwarded to the National Visa Center and then on to the Consulate abroad to complete processing. This processing, as mentioned above, takes anywhere upwards of two and a half months in addition to the service center processing time and this is a VERY fast processing time as many cases are subject to Requests for Further Evidence, further security checks at any stage of processing and many Consulates are slower than others.
It's not sent yet - I was hoping that you guys would critique it for me?
