K1 or K3 which takes longer

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Efernandez

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Hey all,
Ok so quick question. Does it take the same amount of time if you get married in DR? 2-3 years?? Can you then bring your husband back with you or do you need to do a K-3 then? What is easier the visa de novio or just getting hitched??
 
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AnnaC

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Jan 2, 2002
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Efernandez said:
Hey all,
Ok so quick question. Does it take the same amount of time if you get married in DR? 2-3 years?? Can you then bring your husband back with you or do you need to do a K-3 then? What is easier the visa de novio or just getting hitched??
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It doesn't seem to matter if it's a fianc?e or a husband it still takes about the same amount of time.

MQ can tell you it took about two years for her fianc?e to get his visa but that was more than 7 months ago and now things have slowed down a lot.
 
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aimelove

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I waited 2 years and 7 months for my wife to get her visa after all the paperwork was turned in. The other posts are correct. The pin number thing is a money making gimmick. They can answer questions on that phone line, but they are not experts and they should be for 8 bucks US per call. Also, it is difficult to get a straight answer about anything. Go to the consular website and become educated about the process. During the process, I spent an entire month at an apartment in Santo Domingo around the corner from the consulate. Just a coincidence. Every time I would see an immigration employee outside on my way to get groceries I would try to get information. They refused to tell me anything except "all you can do is wait sir". Meanwhile, my wife and I were hearing stories about people we knew that had gotten fiance visas after we applied for our marriage visa and were already both living the USA.

To answer your question, if you get a fiance visa and marry your boyfriend within 90 days of his arrival, he can stay to become a permanent resident. Its faster, but its a big step. Be careful. Make a calculated risk.
 
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Efernandez

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aimelove said:
I waited 2 years and 7 months for my wife to get her visa after all the paperwork was turned in. The other posts are correct. The pin number thing is a money making gimmick. They can answer questions on that phone line, but they are not experts and they should be for 8 bucks US per call. Also, it is difficult to get a straight answer about anything. Go to the consular website and become educated about the process. During the process, I spent an entire month at an apartment in Santo Domingo around the corner from the consulate. Just a coincidence. Every time I would see an immigration employee outside on my way to get groceries I would try to get information. They refused to tell me anything except "all you can do is wait sir". Meanwhile, my wife and I were hearing stories about people we knew that had gotten fiance visas after we applied for our marriage visa and were already both living the USA.

To answer your question, if you get a fiance visa and marry your boyfriend within 90 days of his arrival, he can stay to become a permanent resident. Its faster, but its a big step. Be careful. Make a calculated risk.
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Marriage in general is a big step, but why should i "make a calculated risk"? I didnt understand that part. Are there legal risks in applying for a fiancee visa that could affect me in some way? I was born in US, would that make a difference?
 
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aimelove

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The only risks I was referring to is getting your heart broken. It happens, and the person doing the heart breaking is usually the one who needs the visa. I was not talking about legally taking a risk. I could have brought my wife over on a fiance visa. I knew about them. Knowing how great my wife is now, I wish I would have done it that way. At the time, I thought it was better to put my time, energy and money into going there to evaluate things than to rush things with a fiance visa. I was able to travel there twice a month because I worked for an airline then. You might not have it that easy.
 
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AnnaC

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Fiancee visa

A fianc?e visa will take just as long to get 2/3 years and you only have 90 days from the day he arrives in the US to get married or he has to return to the DR so if you're not ready for marriage yet you better hang on for a while.

If he doesn't return to the DR you need to find out what your responsibility is as a sponsor.

In this forum we answer straight up questions about visas we're not getting into the broken hearts discussion, we have other forums for that.

Thanks
 
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Efernandez

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aimelove said:
The only risks I was referring to is getting your heart broken. It happens, and the person doing the heart breaking is usually the one who needs the visa. I was not talking about legally taking a risk. I could have brought my wife over on a fiance visa. I knew about them. Knowing how great my wife is now, I wish I would have done it that way. At the time, I thought it was better to put my time, energy and money into going there to evaluate things than to rush things with a fiance visa. I was able to travel there twice a month because I worked for an airline then. You might not have it that easy.
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Oh, hahaha im sorry. No, im not worried about getting my heart broken....dam its breaking now just because we are apart. I meet him jul 06 and ive gone to see him 5 times this year. I actually just got back from spending my summer with him over there. Im a school teacher so i have alot of vacation time. I just wish that the process wouldnt take so long. But, we have lasted a year like this I think we can make it. How long ago did you get married, if you dont mind me asking?
 
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aimelove

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In this forum we only answer straight up questions about visas. But to answer your question, I got married November of 2003 and she got her visa in October of 2006. I am in my third year of teaching also. Allows me to travel to DR often, but not as much because I have to pay full price for tickets now. Sorry moderator. She asked. I answered.
 
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Efernandez

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AnnaC said:
Efernandez you really need to know the laws of your country and your responsibility as a sponsor so here is the site for you to read.

Nonimmigrant Visa for a Fiance(e) (K-1)
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Thank you AnnaC for the link....which i have already read a million times before i got to this site. Im sorry if there was a misunderstanding, i just didnt understand what he/she meant by that comment. Im not here for moral support I just needed facts about the process from poeple who have done it already.
 
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Efernandez

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aimelove said:
In this forum we only answer straight up questions about visas. But to answer your question, I got married November of 2003 and she got her visa in October of 2006. I am in my third year of teaching also. Allows me to travel to DR often, but not as much because I have to pay full price for tickets now. Sorry moderator. She asked. I answered.
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shhhhhhh we cant talk about our jobs..... Well, did you get married here in the states or in DR.
 
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aimelove

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I got married in the Vista Hermosa section of Santo Domingo. It was a very warm day (isn't is always there?), but I was sweating more from the brugal that I was drinking getting dressed in the hotel than from the weather.

I'm getting silly and off topic. I got married in DR. Best decision I ever made.

The waiting for the visa sucks, but the key thing is to STAY ON TOP OF IT. Between their workload and incompetence, you can be lost in the shuffle.

You don't need a lawyer for this. If you are work as a ----------- for a living you are smart enough to make copies, gather documents and get things notarized. Thats it. Its not rocket science. Its just tedious. Especially when you have family members pretending like they are experts on immigration commentating from the sideline. "When Julio went to Boston he did.....". "Migadlena paid off somebody and......." "You can have her come as an entertainer or something." I heard that kind of stuff. If you keep your paperwork together and call them periodically, you will be fine.
 
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Efernandez

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aimelove said:
I got married in the Vista Hermosa section of Santo Domingo. It was a very warm day (isn't is always there?), but I was sweating more from the brugal that I was drinking getting dressed in the hotel than from the weather.

I'm getting silly and off topic. I got married in DR. Best decision I ever made.

The waiting for the visa sucks, but the key thing is to STAY ON TOP OF IT. Between their workload and incompetence, you can be lost in the shuffle.

You don't need a lawyer for this. If you are work as a ----------- for a living you are smart enough to make copies, gather documents and get things notarized. Thats it. Its not rocket science. Its just tedious. Especially when you have family members pretending like they are experts on immigration commentating from the sideline. "When Julio went to Boston he did.....". "Migadlena paid off somebody and......." "You can have her come as an entertainer or something." I heard that kind of stuff. If you keep your paperwork together and call them periodically, you will be fine.
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Yeah, tell me about it. I have plane tickets, phone bills, emails, pictures, hotel information and a whole lots of other "proof" that we are a real couple and not a business. Please, my mother watches freakin Univision and Telemundo too mucho too and is all up on the inmigracion. "Ay ten mucho quidado, la inmigracion estaaaa.... ufff de madre"!
So basically on the US side everything is pretty smooth. The problem comes when the papers get to DR and the workers are at the Colmados or the "CarWash" drinking presidentes instead of fileing your g**dang paper work.
 
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twincactus

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www.dominicanstotheusa.com
As Anna stated, there is currently no difference in time between the K1 and K3, BUT, there is a big difference in benefits. With the K1, you must get married within 90 days and then you must adjust status which is currently $1010. K1s are also single entry visas meaning you cannot travel until you get your green card or obtain advance parole (more cost). The K3 is multiple entry, you can travel right away. Also, if your I-130 gets processed before your interview (highly likely), then you will receive a CR1 or IR1 visa and there is no waiting for the green card, you will usually get it about a mionth after entering the country. You will also be able to work on the CR1 or IR1, where again with the K1 you would have to appy for EAD (yet another expense). There are many many advantages to getting married in the DR, even to the point of being able to file married on your tax return if you obtain an ITIN for your spouse.

-Tim
 
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Efernandez

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Dec 14, 2006
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twincactus said:
As Anna stated, there is currently no difference in time between the K1 and K3, BUT, there is a big difference in benefits. With the K1, you must get married within 90 days and then you must adjust status which is currently $1010. K1s are also single entry visas meaning you cannot travel until you get your green card or obtain advance parole (more cost). The K3 is multiple entry, you can travel right away. Also, if your I-130 gets processed before your interview (highly likely), then you will receive a CR1 or IR1 visa and there is no waiting for the green card, you will usually get it about a mionth after entering the country. You will also be able to work on the CR1 or IR1, where again with the K1 you would have to appy for EAD (yet another expense). There are many many advantages to getting married in the DR, even to the point of being able to file married on your tax return if you obtain an ITIN for your spouse.

-Tim
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wow, you see i didnt know that there were so many charges! I knew about the 500 something for the k1 but the rest i wasnt aware of. Good advice thanks.
 
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Musicqueen

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Jan 31, 2002
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AnnaC said:
It doesn't seem to matter if it's a fianc?e or a husband it still takes about the same amount of time.

MQ can tell you it took about two years for her fianc?e to get his visa but that was more than 7 months ago and now things have slowed down a lot.
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Anna is correct...and so is Tim...BUT the only thing I disagree on with the K-3 visa, is that you have to be absolutely POSITIVE and CERTAIN this is the person you want to marry...Yes, it's cheaper...but you're taking a greater chance marrying someone you've just met...IMHO...:paranoid:

For me, knowing my fiance for 3 or 4 months was not enough time to make me want to get married....(I had been single for tooooo long...loved my freedom!!!:bunny:) SOOOOO..we took the waiting on the list as our 'get to know each other time'...by the time he got here on Jan '07, we were certain we were meant to be together...so then we got married...

Those long months of waiting gave us a lot of insight into each other's personalities and traits, and even so, it has not all been fun and games...the first few months, when they can't work and drive and lead a 'normal' life as they were accustomed to hits them really hard...some more than others...although they do adjust...my husband has been amazing so far...he's been working for 5 months, drives, knows his way around the city, has taken trains and buses, plays softball and baseball in a league, has made friends...and has no intention of going back to DR anytime soon...or so he says!!!;) He loves it here...BUT we knew that from the time we met...he has always been very open minded about things...doesn't miss the food, he eats whatever I cook for him, the only thing he HAS to have is rice a few times a week...but not everyday...DOESN'T miss the beer at all...and only drinks once or twice a month if we get together with friends or family...we've had beer in the fridge for weeks...He tells his friends in DR over the phone, and they can't believe it!!!!!:cheeky:

I know of someone who missed the SOAP form DR... if you can believe that...:ermm:

SO, ultimately it's up to you what kind of visa you would like to apply for...K-3 is cheaper in the long run...but riskier if you know what I mean...

There are toooo many horror stories around to just marry someone after only a few months...

Ooops...sorry Anna...I'll stick to the facts...Thanks!
 
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aimelove

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Musicqueen,

I love hearing success stories like yours. Marriage is a marathon, but your story sounds good up to this point. I, like you, sacrificed the short term convenience of a fiance visa for the long term security of knowing that I was making the right choice. The waiting list time was my "getting to know her better" time also. If my wife would have pushed the idea of coming to the States quickly, it would have made me a little nervous and suspicious. Being in my mid-30's helped also. I was very impatient when it came to relationships when I was younger. I would have done the fiance visa in a heartbeat at age 22,23,24,25,26 Congratulations and good luck
 
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Musicqueen

Miami Nice!
Jan 31, 2002
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I don't know if I'm understanding your post correctly...NO ONE can push coming over SOON...there is NO such thing...unless the Dominican citizen is really wealthy and can obtain a tourist visa and can demonstrate they will go back when the visa expires...

BUT with a tourist visa, if they find out that the intention was to get married here all along, they might run into trouble...

Like we said before, since March 2005...the waiting time for either a K-1 or a K-3...fiance or marriage visa...is about the same...between 2 to 3 years...and there's no light at the end of this tunnel!!!
 
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aimelove

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When I wrote "PUSH" it was in the context of making comments which led me to believe that she was a little TOO interested in coming to the United States as soon as she can, like she couldn't wait. For example, a few years ago I was dating a paralegal from Santo Domingo, that would say things like "I love America" out of the blue, although she had never been there. She also talked about marriage a little too soon. She treated me real well (if you know what I mean) but that was someone who couldn't wait to get to the United States...a person who was trying to PUSH the issue. That never happened with my wife. Hope that helps you understand me better Musicqueen.

Also, I don't have any immigration issues right now. Thank goodness. My wife is already here.
 
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