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Marriage Vs Fiancee Visa?

Marriage Vs Fiancee Visa?

Old Jul 27th 2006, 2:54 am
  #1  
Ian
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Default Marriage Vs Fiancee Visa?

Hi -

Is the concensus still in favour of the Fiancee Visa process vs the
Marriage Visa process in terms of speed (relatively speaking!)?

Is the difference significant, or a gamble?

I have citizenship, and she is Thai, if this is relevant.

Thanks for any insight,

Ian
 
Old Jul 28th 2006, 2:17 pm
  #2  
JEff
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Default Re: Marriage Vs Fiancee Visa?

Ian,

Well, depending on what you define as the starting and ending points
for calculating speed, the fiance(e) visa has the advantage of not
spending the time it takes to get married before the process can begin.

Regards, JEff

ian wrote:
    > Hi -
    > Is the concensus still in favour of the Fiancee Visa process vs the
    > Marriage Visa process in terms of speed (relatively speaking!)?
    > Is the difference significant, or a gamble?
    > I have citizenship, and she is Thai, if this is relevant.
    >
    > Thanks for any insight,
    >
    > Ian
 
Old Jul 29th 2006, 2:40 am
  #3  
Ian
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Default Re: Marriage Vs Fiancee Visa?

JEff wrote:

    > Ian,
    >
    > Well, depending on what you define as the starting and ending points
    > for calculating speed, the fiance(e) visa has the advantage of not
    > spending the time it takes to get married before the process can begin.
    >
    > Regards, JEff

I think it will take another visit to mu honey to get the forms
completed, so both methods have the same starting point - early November.

Cheers, Ian

    >
    > ian wrote:
    >
    >>Hi -
    >>Is the concensus still in favour of the Fiancee Visa process vs the
    >>Marriage Visa process in terms of speed (relatively speaking!)?
    >>Is the difference significant, or a gamble?
    >>I have citizenship, and she is Thai, if this is relevant.
    >>Thanks for any insight,
    >>Ian
    >
    >
 
Old Jul 31st 2006, 2:26 pm
  #4  
JEff
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Default Re: Marriage Vs Fiancee Visa?

Ian,

Post or e-mail doesn't work for you?

Regards, JEff

ian wrote:
    > JEff wrote:
    > > Ian,
    > >
    > > Well, depending on what you define as the starting and ending points
    > > for calculating speed, the fiance(e) visa has the advantage of not
    > > spending the time it takes to get married before the process can begin.
    > >
    > > Regards, JEff
    > I think it will take another visit to mu honey to get the forms
    > completed, so both methods have the same starting point - early November.
    > Cheers, Ian
    > >
    > > ian wrote:
    > >
    > >>Hi -
    > >>
    > >>Is the concensus still in favour of the Fiancee Visa process vs the
    > >>Marriage Visa process in terms of speed (relatively speaking!)?
    > >>
    > >>Is the difference significant, or a gamble?
    > >>
    > >>I have citizenship, and she is Thai, if this is relevant.
    > >>
    > >>Thanks for any insight,
    > >>
    > >>Ian
    > >
    > >
 
Old Jul 31st 2006, 3:25 pm
  #5  
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Default Re: Marriage Vs Fiancee Visa?

Originally Posted by Ian
I think it will take another visit to mu honey to get the forms
completed, so both methods have the same starting point - early November.

Cheers, Ian
Hi Ian,

If you have seen your fiancee in person within the past 2 years, you can start the K-1 process now. Have your fiancee send you the documents you need. You can start the K-1 process as soon as you have those.

Best Wishes,
Rene
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Old Jul 31st 2006, 5:03 pm
  #6  
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Default Re: Marriage Vs Fiancee Visa?

On a similar note, my US fiance and i (UK), cannot decide which visa to go for. Am i right in thinking the k3 will allow me to work from day 1 and the k1 i cant work?, i'll be going over in October on VWP will i be better off filing K1 now or waiting till October, getting married on VWP and filing K3 when i return?
any suggestions welcome!!

dodge
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Old Jul 31st 2006, 5:11 pm
  #7  
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Default Re: Marriage Vs Fiancee Visa?

Originally Posted by dodge
On a similar note, my US fiance and i (UK), cannot decide which visa to go for. Am i right in thinking the k3 will allow me to work from day 1 and the k1 i cant work?, i'll be going over in October on VWP will i be better off filing K1 now or waiting till October, getting married on VWP and filing K3 when i return?
any suggestions welcome!!

dodge
No, the K-3 doesn't allow you to work from Day 1. Once in the USA, you still need to file for an EAD to work on the K-3. It takes about 90 days (sometimes more) to get the EAD.

Also, the I-130 processing has sped up so much, that it's now just as fast as the K-3, so you're more likely to get your immigrant visa before the K-3 visa. On the Immigrant Visa, you CAN work from Day 1.

With the K-1 fiance visa, you can work from Day 1, but unless you get the temp EAD stamp in your passport at JFK airport, you will have trouble proving that to an employer.

Hope that helps a bit!
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Old Jul 31st 2006, 5:14 pm
  #8  
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Default Re: Marriage Vs Fiancee Visa?

Originally Posted by dodge
On a similar note, my US fiance and i (UK), cannot decide which visa to go for. Am i right in thinking the k3 will allow me to work from day 1 and the k1 i cant work?, i'll be going over in October on VWP will i be better off filing K1 now or waiting till October, getting married on VWP and filing K3 when i return?
any suggestions welcome!!
With the K3, you need to get the EAD to work....the K1, technically you can work until you AOS, then get the EAD, but usually you won't get the stamp as proof that your allowed to work, so most places won't touch you...

Best route if available to you would be to DCF, but that's only if you meet the requirements, which you might not.
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Old Aug 3rd 2006, 3:11 am
  #9  
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Default Re: Marriage Vs Fiancee Visa?

JEff wrote:
    > Ian,
    >
    > Post or e-mail doesn't work for you?

No, personal presence is the only way.

    >
    > Regards, JEff
    >
    > ian wrote:
    >
    >>JEff wrote:
    >>>Ian,
    >>>Well, depending on what you define as the starting and ending points
    >>>for calculating speed, the fiance(e) visa has the advantage of not
    >>>spending the time it takes to get married before the process can begin.
    >>>Regards, JEff
    >>I think it will take another visit to mu honey to get the forms
    >>completed, so both methods have the same starting point - early November.
    >>Cheers, Ian
    >>>ian wrote:
    >>>>Hi -
    >>>>Is the concensus still in favour of the Fiancee Visa process vs the
    >>>>Marriage Visa process in terms of speed (relatively speaking!)?
    >>>>Is the difference significant, or a gamble?
    >>>>I have citizenship, and she is Thai, if this is relevant.
    >>>>Thanks for any insight,
    >>>>Ian
    >
 
Old Aug 3rd 2006, 3:40 am
  #10  
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Default Re: Marriage Vs Fiancee Visa?

No, personal presence is the only way.[/QUOTE]
Just curious why that is. Does Fed Ex or DHL not have service in Thailand? You don't have to say, but I'm genuinely interested.

Rene
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Old Aug 3rd 2006, 3:15 pm
  #11  
JEff
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Default Re: Marriage Vs Fiancee Visa?

Ian,

In that case, if you marry on that November visit, ... it's hard to
know. IMBRA has thrown a big uncertainty into the processing times for
I-129f petitions, and there's big backlog to work off, and there's some
reallignment in the processing of I-129f for fiance(e) petitions at the
service centers, so it may be a long time before equillibrium is
re-established.

So, while the time for the petition phase for the K1 and K3 visas could
be estimated to be roughly the same in your case, in the context of the
overall time from submission of the petition to issuance of the visa,
it can't be estimated how much that time might be. Nor can we
presently estimate how long the processing of either I-129f petition
(fiance(e) or spouse) might take as compared to an I-130 petition.

It may take a while to re-establish a consensus. Although, other
things being the same (which they are not at present) the K visas will
always have the advantage of the approved petition spending only a week
or two, v 3-6 months, at the NVC before going on to the consulate where
the visa application will be processed.

Regards, JEff

ian wrote:
    > JEff wrote:
    > > Ian,
    > >
    > > Post or e-mail doesn't work for you?
    > No, personal presence is the only way.
    > >
    > > Regards, JEff
    > >
    > > ian wrote:
    > >
    > >>JEff wrote:
    > >>
    > >>
    > >>>Ian,
    > >>>
    > >>>Well, depending on what you define as the starting and ending points
    > >>>for calculating speed, the fiance(e) visa has the advantage of not
    > >>>spending the time it takes to get married before the process can begin.
    > >>>
    > >>>Regards, JEff
    > >>
    > >>I think it will take another visit to mu honey to get the forms
    > >>completed, so both methods have the same starting point - early November.
    > >>
    > >>Cheers, Ian
    > >>
    > >>
    > >>>ian wrote:
    > >>>
    > >>>
    > >>>>Hi -
    > >>>>
    > >>>>Is the concensus still in favour of the Fiancee Visa process vs the
    > >>>>Marriage Visa process in terms of speed (relatively speaking!)?
    > >>>>
    > >>>>Is the difference significant, or a gamble?
    > >>>>
    > >>>>I have citizenship, and she is Thai, if this is relevant.
    > >>>>
    > >>>>Thanks for any insight,
    > >>>>
    > >>>>Ian
    > >>>
    > >>>
    > >
 
Old Aug 21st 2006, 1:49 am
  #12  
Ian
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Default Re: Marriage Vs Fiancee Visa?

Noorah101 wrote:

    >>JEff wrote:
    >>>Ian,
    >>>Post or e-mail doesn't work for you?
    >>No, personal presence is the only way.
    >>>Regards, JEff
    >>>ian wrote:
    >>>>JEff wrote:
    >>>>>Ian,
    >>>>>Well, depending on what you define as the starting and ending
    >>>>>points
    >>>>>for calculating speed, the fiance(e) visa has the advantage of not
    >>>>>spending the time it takes to get married before the process can
    >>>>>begin.
    >>>>>Regards, JEff
    >>>>I think it will take another visit to mu honey to get the forms
    >>>>completed, so both methods have the same starting point - early
    >>>>November.
    >>>>Cheers, Ian
    >>>>>ian wrote:
    >>>>>>Hi -
    >>>>>>Is the concensus still in favour of the Fiancee Visa process vs
    >>>>>>the
    >>>>>>Marriage Visa process in terms of speed (relatively speaking!)?
    >>>>>>Is the difference significant, or a gamble?
    >>>>>>I have citizenship, and she is Thai, if this is relevant.
    >>>>>>Thanks for any insight,
    >>>>>>Ian
    >
    > No, personal presence is the only way.[/QUOTE]
    > Just curious why that is. Does Fed Ex or DHL not have service in
    > Thailand? You don't have to say, but I'm genuinely interested.
    >
    > Rene
    >

I think Fed Ex may have a partner in Thailand, but experience tells me
that I need to be there to get it done. These US forms are quite
intimidating if your native language is not English and you are unused
to them & the way they are structured.

Thanks,

Ian
 
Old Aug 21st 2006, 1:59 am
  #13  
Ian
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Default Re: Marriage Vs Fiancee Visa?

JEff wrote:

    > Ian,
    >
    > In that case, if you marry on that November visit, ... it's hard to
    > know. IMBRA has thrown a big uncertainty into the processing times for
    > I-129f petitions, and there's big backlog to work off, and there's some
    > reallignment in the processing of I-129f for fiance(e) petitions at the
    > service centers, so it may be a long time before equillibrium is
    > re-established.

Well, this has been a grind since I first appliied for citizenship, so I
guess it will continue to be. Thanks for the info.

Ian


    >
    > So, while the time for the petition phase for the K1 and K3 visas could
    > be estimated to be roughly the same in your case, in the context of the
    > overall time from submission of the petition to issuance of the visa,
    > it can't be estimated how much that time might be. Nor can we
    > presently estimate how long the processing of either I-129f petition
    > (fiance(e) or spouse) might take as compared to an I-130 petition.
    >
    > It may take a while to re-establish a consensus. Although, other
    > things being the same (which they are not at present) the K visas will
    > always have the advantage of the approved petition spending only a week
    > or two, v 3-6 months, at the NVC before going on to the consulate where
    > the visa application will be processed.
    >
    > Regards, JEff
    >
    > ian wrote:
    >
    >>JEff wrote:
    >>>Ian,
    >>>Post or e-mail doesn't work for you?
    >>No, personal presence is the only way.
    >>>Regards, JEff
    >>>ian wrote:
    >>>>JEff wrote:
    >>>>>Ian,
    >>>>>Well, depending on what you define as the starting and ending points
    >>>>>for calculating speed, the fiance(e) visa has the advantage of not
    >>>>>spending the time it takes to get married before the process can begin.
    >>>>>Regards, JEff
    >>>>I think it will take another visit to mu honey to get the forms
    >>>>completed, so both methods have the same starting point - early November.
    >>>>Cheers, Ian
    >>>>>ian wrote:
    >>>>>>Hi -
    >>>>>>Is the concensus still in favour of the Fiancee Visa process vs the
    >>>>>>Marriage Visa process in terms of speed (relatively speaking!)?
    >>>>>>Is the difference significant, or a gamble?
    >>>>>>I have citizenship, and she is Thai, if this is relevant.
    >>>>>>Thanks for any insight,
    >>>>>>Ian
    >
 
Old Aug 21st 2006, 3:48 am
  #14  
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Default Re: Marriage Vs Fiancee Visa?

Suggest you have a closer look at the K1 process, you do most of the form filling to start with.
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Old Aug 21st 2006, 6:19 am
  #15  
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Default Re: Marriage Vs Fiancee Visa?

Originally Posted by Boiler
Suggest you have a closer look at the K1 process, you do most of the form filling to start with.
Yep, and even with the forms the alien fills out...the USC can fill everything out and just send them to her to sign. That's what I did with Sadegh's forms. Of course, it's always nice to visit, too!!

Rene
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