chris23

Tracy, "he put his foot down" so too speak!!

Well good for you!!! i hope me and my gf will come to a mutual desicion that is best for us!!!!! maybe a bit of evaluation with all the evidence when i see her at xmas is in need!!!

p.s not sure if it worked but i put up a picture as my profile picture of me and my gf if you want to see us

Take Care

chris23

Thanks Rene,

I was talking aout the CR-1 for 8-10months then i see people taking upto 2 years to get to the same stage using K-1 visa. what i mean is gettin to the greencard stage it seems CR-1 takes 8-10months where as the research tends to show that K-1 takes 2-3 years to get to the same stage plus more spending money and more forms

Tracym

It depends - we got to the green card stage very quickly.

I wouldn't think 2-3 years would be the norm for a K-1 - I'm more guess 18 months.

You are spot on with more money and more forms. And maybe more interviews and more trauma and worry.

chris23

Ahhhh its so difficult!! but we have plenty of time to sort everything out and i have got plenty of time to wait anyway

I think CR-1 seems more the way. maybe get engadged this time next year and set date for marriage august 2011 (inbetween my gf's junior and senior year of college) then file the papers september 10' then should be all ready by her graduation in april/may of 2012 + i will come home for the Olympics sounds like a kinda good plan to me what you reckon???

Thanks guys

p.s i think i managed to get the pic working (didnt realise the difference between the picture for profiles and an avatar :s

p.p.s Off to sleep as its gone 2am here but will reply to all posts in the morning thank you in advance to any replies!!! sleep well

Tracym

Nighty night, sleep tight

Pic is fine btw, you two are a cute couple

Ray

Personally I would not even bother with all this until you 12 months away from the event ...Everything may change by then

Noorah101

I"m confused by your dates here. I thought you wanted to make your final move to the USA in 2010. That means you have to get married in 2009. But in your post here you say you want to get married in 2011 (which means you'll immigrate sometime in 2012).

Anyway, just wanted to point out that your dates seem a little off here, maybe you made a typo.

Rene

chris23

Good morning everyone!!

Rene, thanks for the post!! No I have the dates right! I may have confused you because I do remember saying what you said!! Sorry about this! But my gf still has 4years of Uni left so she will be done by spring 12' so considering this do you think my timeline would work??

Thanks Rene

chris23

sorry guys typo on my part!! I meant file papers summer 11' then be ready spring 2012 for my gf's graduation!!

Sorry guys

BritishGuy36

In that case you have THREE years to think about it.....don't rush into anything now will you!?

chris23

Thanks for the reply mate,

No not at all!! I have 2 more years at Uni here and I want to get me degree so it gives me better chance of getting a higher paid job than dropping out now!! Need to be able to support the lady and myself with car and house!! Also the 2 years I will have off to work fulltime between finishing my Uni in 2010 to my gf finishing in 2012 will be spent saving money for a house and putting savings away (hopefully being able to get a mortgage won't be so hard in 4years time !)

Sound like a good idea??

Cheers guys

chris23

Ok guys,

Been doing more research this morning and i have a couple more questions...

I read people's experiences at the US Embassy in London and they were really great i got butterflys in my stomache just readin them and i still have 3 years before all this wierd i know!!! but............. the CR-1, if we were to go that route and for some unknown reason what ever it may be.... it is denied, then as i understand now there is no grounds for appeal???

Question 2......... is, the idea of all these forms etc.... its gettin my noggin in a twist!!! any like ideas of condensed info on all the forms and what they mean as the lengthy process of going through the USCIS website seems very long winded however if this is the best option to fully understand it then thats not a problem..

Any of you guys heard of people being denied on wierd grounds???? i think i ma probably one of the most paranoid people :S

Also, reading the stories of other people was a great insight!!! + i dont know how i would be able to cope!!! its practically one of the most important days in your life NERVOUS!!!!!

Thanks again for the help guys

Tracym

Good morning

I believe one advantage of AOS in the US (after a K-1) rather than the CR-1 is that if denied you can appeal.

But if you have no criminal past, no medical problems, keep evidence of your relationship over the next few years, and arrange for a joint sponsor if needed - I really can't see why you would be denied. More than likely, they will think you're a cute young couple and send you happily on your way.

I've never heard of a denial on "weird" grounds - criminal problems generally. Make SURE you don't overstay the VWP on any of your visits and don't evern lie to immigration.

But those sorts of things would be a problem for a K-1 or a CR-1 - so the lack of being able to appeal isn't really a big deal in a case such as yours I wouldn't think.

As far as the forms - don't worry about it now. They aren't that difficult, and people here will help you with it when the time comes. You'll just make yourself crazy worrying about them years in advance - heck, they could even change by then

LynannC

Chris

You'll drive yourself mad if you keep stressing like this for another 3 years or more.

My suggestion would be to just download a copy of the forms and instructions for each route. Then take your time and go through each set of forms. That will help you understand what information USCIS is looking for from you and your girlfriend.

Next suggestion, take a deep breath. If your not looking to even start the process for another 3 years too much research at this stage may over complicate the process. Whatever our current time lines are like right now may be no reflection of time lines in 3 years. The processes do change over time. Several years ago the interview and medical were the same day. Now they are usually done about a week apart. This year also saw a change in the CR1 route for those processing stateside as the NVC now make the appointments, not the consulate.

You asked last night if I thought the route we had taken was the best for us. I'll be honest with you, no. If I had known all the ins and outs when we first got engaged I would have chosen the K1. Working is not an issue for me, I'm not planning to work outside the home. We naively thought it would only take a few months to get through the entire process, as I had only known of couples who had done it in the other direction and they all managed to get through UK immigration in days or weeks. We never even contemplated the CR1 taking a year. (We had our 1st anniversary last week.) However my husband was keen for us to get married in Scotland, so I didn't really do enough research in advance.

The CR1 is less paperwork/money than the K1 and it does qualify you for citizenship quicker, but it really depends on what is important to you. If you want to be able to plan well in advance then perhaps the big wedding with a confirmed date followed by the CR1 route would work for you.

I think it is a good idea to save as much money as you can in advance, as both the cost of the process and moving will be more than you initially think, as well as the cost of setting up home for the first time, which isn't cheap in Florida.

I think getting all the facts together for both routes and then discussing them with your girlfriend when you are together is a very sensible way to approach it. Then once you make a decision on which route to use you will find it even easier to come to grips with all the ins and outs.

As for the interview try not to stress. It really isn't that big a deal. Unless you have some dark hidden secret your not sharing you'll have nothing to worry about. Also you only have no right of appeal if you try to adjust status from the VWP, which you are not doing. They are not out to get you. They don't try to keep couples apart. If there are no skeletons and you don't ever overstay then you will be fine. Honestly I was surprised at how little they actually asked me at the interview, and that they were not interested in seeing any of the photos or other evidence I had worked so hard to put together for them.

It really will all be fine when you are finally ready to do this.

Best wishes

Lyn

EJ3

Hi Chris,

Lyn makes very good points, do not worry about forms and interviews which might happen in three years time. Cross the bridges as and when you come to them.

My fiance and I are a similar age to you and your girlfriend so just remember that you are still young and have a few years for all the planning!
Although we have started the K1 process, we still plan to go travelling and exploring before properly settling down.

Your research is so far good and looking at your options now will help you later.