n__easom

Hi, so i'm really impressed to have found this site.

I have a couple of questions, hopefully some of you experienced people can help me?

I appreciate that the answers will probably be somewhere on this site already but i have been scrolling through and find it all a bit confusing, with so many different stories and situations.

I married my American wife in August 2007 and we are currently living in London. We have no definite plans to move to the States though we expect to within the next couple of years, maybe 18 months.

My first question is: am I able to begin the process of applying for my CR 1 Visa while we are in London? I am thinking it might be worth doing this given it seems to take about a year. I am assuming we would use her parents address as our 'moving to' address.

Secondly, am I right in thinking that it can all be done from the UK - i.e. apply through London. I don't believe i need to be in the states for any interviews etc?

Thirdly, what happens after two years of marriage? If you are on a CR1 visa, i guess you re-apply for a IR 1 Visa - would it make sense for us to wait until we have been married two years and skip the CR 1 visa or is the switch over straightforward/inexpensive?

All comments welcome!!!

Nathan

P.S. Why the heck is it so complicated to move to the USA? It was soooo straight forward to get my wife's UK spouse Visa!

Ray

Yes
Yes
Yes

Its not that bad ...

n__easom

Thanks Ray,

Re-reading my post, i have another question...

If we start the process for a CR 1 Visa now, do we have to give an idea of when we are actually looking at moving to the USA?

For how long would the visa be valid, if we were to remain in the UK.

Also, how expensive and time consuming is the switch from CR 1 to IR 1? And, could this also be done purely from the UK?

Nathan

Ray

A guess about 8 months..may be others who have done it recently
have a more accurate figure

6 months

Not a great problem ..just mainly paperwork ..if you are in the US .
of course you do it there

but if your in no rush ..wait a bit ..

Noorah101

The process for you, filing the I-130 directly in London (called DCF Direct Consular Filing on this forum), is much quicker than filing in the USA. Your process will probably only take around 4 to 6 months until you have your visa in hand.

The visa is valid for 6 months, for you to use to come to the USA.

You don't actually switch from CR-1 to IR-1. If you get your visa before you have been married 2 full years, you will receive the CR-1. Once you actually enter the USA, if at that time you have been married more than 2 years, you can ask at the POE to be admitted as an IR-1.

If you enter the POE while married less than 2 years, you will keep your CR-1 status, and then in 2 years time you will file more paperwork to get your 10-year GC. It's not really very complicated, just more paperwork 2 years after you enter the USA.

Rene

Noorah101

Do a search for posts by "meauxna". In her signature, she has a couple of excellent links to the DCF process.

Rene

Ray

http://www.familybasedimmigration.co...read.php?t=824

fatbrit

If you wait until her UK citizenship comes through, that's her immigration out of the way should you subsequently decide to return to the UK. Difficult to say on your given info, but you seem to be about a year short on your planned UK stay for this at the moment.

LynannC

Hi Nathan

I'm currently going through the I-130 process, having married my American husband last August. Unfortunately we can't be together through this as he has a job he can't leave for any length of time. Our I-130 was received 9th November 2007 but wasn't receipted until 22nd January 2008, and we finally got approved (NOA2) on Monday 19th May 2008. We're guessing another 3-4 months for the actual visa application process. All in that will be about 10 months. We were processed through Vermont as my hubby lives in Florida.

The process isn't really that complicated, just time consuming. My best guess is that if you go through a States based application it will take about 10 months maybe a little less, then you have 6 months to actually use the visa. So it will probably be a year or so from when USCIS receives your application to having to be Stateside.

Hope all goes well for you through this. And when you feel stressed remember that you at least have the wonderful benefit of living with your wife while you wait, unlike those of us who are having long distance marriages.

Lyn