Thoughts on "best" marriage-based Visa? KS1? KS3?

Starttofinish
New Member



Joined: 26 May 2008
Posts: 2
Location: Ontario

Posted: Mon May 26, 2008 1:13 am

 

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Wonder if there is a consensus or some advice you can provide on this topic. Have done some research, see the pros and cons of each.but it isn't clear which one is most expeditious, or even easiest.

A few details : Fiance lives in US ( is a citizen), I am Canadian currently living and working in Canada.
We are prepared to get married first - if it's easiest.
If we DO, is there a country we should be married in ( CA or US?)

Or is it better to remain as fiances?

HELP!

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flames9
Senior Member



Joined: 08 Mar 2007
Posts: 103
Location: Falls Church VA

Posted: Mon May 26, 2008 2:45 am

 

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Check out http://www.visajourney.com/forums/ everything you need to know about relationship visas and more.

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.php?aut...&page=compare compares them for ya

Nothing with Immigration is logical,lol so keep that in mind. k1 should be the fastest relationship visa, still taking over 6 months in Canada. bi tof info about each off the top of my head, BY visajourney does it sooo much better, look at the stickies at the top of eack forum and read the GUIDES section. VJ has step by step instructions, its fairly easy!

1) only TWO consulates in Canada do interviews. It is based on where you live in Canada. Manitoba and West goto Vancouver and the rest goto Montreal. Vancouver does k1 and k3 BUT no CR-1. Montreal does k1, k3 and ALL cr-1 visas. So if your going the k1 or k3 route and u get to got Vancouver, consider urself lucky, as they are the faster consulate.

2) timewise the k1 is probably in the 6-8 month range and the k3 and cr-1 is around the 10 month to a year range. and yes sometimes it can be shorter, or longer

3) at one time the k3 used to be faster than the cr-1, but now thats really no longer the case, so doesnt make much sense to go the k3 route has it costs more $$$ in the long run, cant work right away with the k3. The second link lists the positives and negatives of each

One just has to sit down and do whats best for you. k1 is a ONE time entry visa and can't leave the USA until you get Advance parole (AP) or complete Adjustment of status (AOS) And one requires the employment Authorized document (EAD) to work, and very few borders pass those out. So if one requires to work ASAP, but not be a good route to go

Cr-1 one can work right from the start,less paperwork in the long run,lol and its a multiple entry visa, no AP, no AOS, but takes longer

k3 sort of a dinosaur now for the most part, costs more than the cr-1, it is a multiple entry visa, but has no work authorization.

As well you may be able to get Canadian employment Insurance (EI) in the USA. head to the CANADA section on VJ and we have a topic at the top of the forum explaining that.

best of luck

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Reba
Moderator


Canuck in NC

Joined: 16 Jul 2004
Posts: 1139
Location: North Carolina

Posted: Mon May 26, 2008 3:05 am

 

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Summed up fairly well.

The pros and cons of all the visas really depend on your situation and what you want to do. See the guides and comparisons at Visa Journey to help you decide.

One thing to note however that won't be in the guides, is that in Canada at the moment, the K3 and the CR1 (both you have to be married first) are taking about the same amount of time to process, so if it were me, I wouldn't even bother thinking about a K3.

Where you get married doesn't really matter, just be aware that if you decide to marry in the US and show up at the border with all your wedding regalia, you may be denied entry, unless you can prove without shadow of a doubt that you will be returning to Canada and won't be staying illegally.
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flames9
Senior Member



Joined: 08 Mar 2007
Posts: 103
Location: Falls Church VA

Posted: Mon May 26, 2008 6:13 am

 

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One can visit the USA while under going the visa process, and yes one can be denied. i traveled monthly while my CR-1 was process and never had a problem, buit others have had problems. my advice:

1) Always tell the TRUTH. never lie to the POE officer
2) Be confident in ur replies
3)keep ur response short and to the point, dont tell ur life story!
4) look the POE officer in the eye when speaking to them. They are looking for people lieing and have been trained to find them!
5)pack light! No job resumes with you
6) Bring ties to Canada (letter from employer when ur expected back at work, lease, etc etc)
7) Always be polite, being rude isnt going to get ya anywhere, and could make things worse!
have a plan in case u do get denied (be polite) It wont harm ur visa application if ur denied,that is if ur polite and didn't lie! Refer to #1

Best of luck

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