ForumTitleContentMemberSexCountryDate/Time
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresSaying Hello....we have now begun the K3 process!
Welcome aboard Flight K-3 to the USA. Please fasten your seatbelts as the captain expects some turbulence due to IMBRA. Your safety features can be found in the guides up top. Drinks are now being served. We stock Canadian, Australian, British, and German beers, as well as Russian vodka and hemlock. Our estimated time of arrival is completely unknown. If you need an air sickness bag, you'll find one in your front pocket. We encourage you to remain calm and in your seats at all times. The movie today is Greencard starring Andie Mac Dowell and Gerard Depardieu. Thank you for flying USCIS and have a pleasant trip!
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-06-06 08:01:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresInterview Date in Montreal!
You have only two months to plan a giant party to celebrate the K3 and your anniversary. It may not fall exactly on the 13th, but hey, you've waited so long already you should give yourself a whole month to celebrate! Montreal is a good place to start. Tres romantic. I'm planning to blow my Aeroplan points on a couple of nights in a good hotel there, pre and post the interview. Je voudrai une big bottle of French champagne up to the room, s'il vouz plait!
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-06-07 14:06:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresInterview Date in Montreal!
Lovely. Good thing you didn't wait longer to submit K-3, or you might have been caught in the IMBRA net. You'll be together long before the summer's over!
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-06-07 13:42:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresUSC on visitor visa in Canada, where to apply?
precid, Yodrak and kiny are giving you good advice: your wife has no status in Canada other than a visitor. How long before she becomes a Landed Immigrant? It might be worth waiting for this so she can apply for DCF. This might be quicker and less complicated than applying from a U.S. address.

The only fly in the ointment is that she'll be liable for income tax in both countries. But hey, Toronto is great for beer patios in summer, and it's not so far away from Georgia that she can't visit family from time to time. When did she apply for PR?
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-06-08 06:52:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresMarry, emmigrate then apply for Greencard?
E&K, it doesn't matter whether you apply for K1 or K3. The foreign partner stays in their own country during the process. If that person comes to the U.S. as a vistor and gets married, they still have to return to their own country until their visa is granted.

You may have been overly optimistic in predicting the time it takes to get a K1, and might want to consider postponing the wedding. And now, with IMBRA, it's even harder to predict times.

Don't listen to people who go around the law. You started doing the right thing, so follow through. Get the K1 first and then plan the wedding. If you withdraw your K1 and come to the U.S. with the intent of marrying, staying here, and then applying for adustment of status, you'll risk eveything.
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-06-08 15:21:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresI-130 just got approved!
Congratulations, kiny. We'll all be watching, because you submitted the I-130 and I-129f roughly a month apart. Will your I-129f be approved a month after your I-130? The other interesting thing is that you applied early enough to avoid the IMBRA mess. For those of us caught in the net, we'll be curious about how much longer our approvals take.
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-06-08 10:31:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresK3
I agree with Libersolis. After you've done as much research and homework as possible, and after you get a rough idea of the timelines, your next task is to find ways to relax and get through the months ahead. "A watched kettle never boils." Do you each have a plan to make this time as constructive as possible? Take ten deep breaths before answering.
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-06-09 08:51:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & Procedureshusband in the u.s no idea
halohalo, you must know by now that you've have made some incredibly offensive remarks. If you were having a bad day (and we all do stupid things under stress), then just apologize ... to AussieWench, Yodrak, and the rest of the posters. If not, it may be time to start referring all your questions to your new immigration lawyer.
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-06-09 14:47:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresElections approaching!!!!!!!!!
jamesfreddyc, it's amazing the personal information we allow credit cards or job recruiters to collect, but when the government tries this, people scream invasion of privacy. I agree, technology could have helped all this, provided the foreign partner's country had the same capabilities.
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-06-09 14:54:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresElections approaching!!!!!!!!!
There's nothing wrong with the current laws, just the slow moving bureaucracy. If you want new laws, they need to be drafted in context of what's best for all Americans and not just the small group with foreign spouses. Think big picture. Or else we become special-interest-group whiners.
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-06-09 06:56:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresAge Discrimination and Denials
I'm not obliged to go to the Montreal interview with my Canadian husband, but plan to. How often are K3 couples asked to provide evidence of their relationship beyond the marriage certificate?

mermaid: I honestly wasn't trying to be funny ... polygamy is grounds for denying a visa. So I'm being careful to have all my divorce certs. Click on Jersey Girl for a picture of me and my husband. Tell me your impression of our ages.
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-06-10 07:54:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresAge Discrimination and Denials
I'm the USC and 20 years older than my Canadian husband. It has crossed my mind that it may look like I'm being played for a greencard. On the other hand, he's my fourth husband, so perhaps I should be more worried about being perceived as a polygamist.

In the end, each story is unique. If the relationship is genuine, and you have all the proper documents, you shouldn't worry. It may be that in some cultures a younger man would not want to marry someone older. But as far as I know, Consulate officials judge cases based on U.S. immigration procedures and not local customs.

Edited by Jersey Girl, 09 June 2006 - 08:54 PM.

Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-06-09 20:52:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresCurrent K3 processing delay?
chris&o, we're all waiting. You're a very funny fellow. You could do a humanitarian service here by doing a virtual stand-up comedy routine. Just one joke a day might keep certain people sane. (I'm the fat lady at the back drinking yet another beer.)
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-06-03 06:20:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresWhere is new I-129F?
It sounds like you're married and wondering if a K3 from Pakistan will be longer or more difficult than a straight I-130. No one knows the full impact of IMBRA yet. But you could hedge your bets. You could sumbit the I-129f and see if it's approved faster. If not, just continue with the I-130.
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-06-08 07:04:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & Proceduresan aid for the Wait Time

crack an ice cold lager

Better yet, crack several. Put on a Denis Leary CD and listen to him overuse the F word. It's cathartic to hear someone give a voice to what so many are thinking. :jest:
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-06-13 07:20:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & Procedureshey all, new and confused
Hi brittanie. If you have a boyfriend, he could apply for K1, the fiancee visa. If you have a husband, he could apply for the K3, the spouse visa.

Generally speaking, these "non-immigrant K visas" are the quickest route (6 months?) but it's difficult to predict, especialy now, since there's a hold up due to a new law: IMBRA (International Marriage Brokers Regulation Act). Once here on a non-immigrant K visa, you'd apply for an Adjustment of Status (another few months waiting). Then you'd be a full-fledged, legal immigrant, a permanent resident who's eligible to work. I hesitate to predict times, but it could take a year in total. The K visa allows you to be united with your boyfriend in the States quicker, and complete the process while living in the States. At least that's the theory.

The other route, which generally takes longer (a year?) before you can enter the States legally, is the CR-1 immigrant visa. You'd be a legal permanent resident and eligible to work as soon as you get here. Your boyfriend applies for this "immigrant visa" in any case, since it's a requirement when applying for the non-immigrant K visa. Interestingly for some K people: their CR-1 gets approved faster than their K visa. That's when they decide which one to pursue.

How long do you want to be separated? If you can hold on for a year (or so) because you want to live and work in Canada for some time, consider CR-1. But if you're madly in love and can't stand to be away from each other, consider the K1 or K3. Whatever you decide, it's a lengthy, expensive process with a new kind of stress. The more you know beforehand, the easier it will be.

People here are very friendly, funny, and helpful. But if it all seems overwhelming, and your boyfriend doesn't want to deal with the paperwork, which is considerable, you can consider using a good immigration lawyer. Whatever you decide, you're in for a 6 to 12 month journey (more or less). Welcome and good luck!
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-06-12 07:32:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresRFE will be sent for 129 applicants
Hopefully, it's just a few simply No's to check off: Did you meet through a marriage broker? Have you ever been convicted of domestic abuse? Have you ever petitioned for a K visa before? I'd like to think it will be a simple form and clear sailing.
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-06-13 13:18:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresRFE being sent out for IMBRA
Let's hope it's a simple form and we don't fall into any categories they're creating a filter for. Since it's an RFE, does this mean we'll have to resubmit everything for the I-129f again?
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-06-14 15:55:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & Procedureslooks like people have been tired of waiting
timesnap, what's the point of obsessing over dates? You've just started a process that could take 6 months to a year to complete and nobody knows for sure. If obsessing moved the file forward, our collective will would have gotten everybody a visa by now. But we're stuck in a Limbo Land of waiting, often with inadequate information, and trying to pass the time productively.

I can imagine lots of fingernails being bitten down to the quick, plenty of people drinking alone at night, too many shopping trips and other distractions. On the other hand, I can imagine undertaking projects that take months to complete that will be a nice "welcome home" gift when that person finally arrives. Knit a blanket? Keep a photo journal? Grow a windowsill herb garden? Make plum liqeuer?

This is a special season of the mind where one can make plans and count blessings. I'd hate to waste it checking my USCIS case status twenty-seven million times a day.

Edited by Jersey Girl, 11 June 2006 - 07:17 AM.

Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-06-11 07:15:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresK 3
Nothing.
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-06-15 19:31:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresConfused about K3 and IMBRA
The concern over IMBRA is that our government has added time to K visas, which were invented to unite families quicker. There hasn't been enough experience yet to document the actual time it will add.

If you apply two months from now, it will probably be sorted out. (I'm an optimist.) You'll use the new form I-129f and simply answer "no" to the question about meeting through a broker.

Where are you? Where is your intended? This makes a difference and you can check the timelines for your Service Center and Embassy where she lives.

You seem to know a lot already. But no one can predict how a newlywed bride will react during a separation that could be 6 months or more. Better have a plan for a long distance romance.

Have you considered a K1 to get the ball rolling now?
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-06-17 13:31:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresConfused about K3 and IMBRA
joe84, no one knows the complete ramifications of IMBRA on timelines yet. So if you're thinking of petitioning for a visa, you might as well dive in. With K3, you automatically apply for CR-1 too, and can pursue whichever is approved fastest. If you're worried about a background check, the new form I-129f asks if you met through a marriage broker. If yes, the USC may have to provide more evidence. (Just guessing, it's early.) Others have pointed out a loophole, since the question about marriage brokers isn't asked when applying for CR-1. Yet. So there may not be a background check on the USC until later in the process. What are you thinking about doing?
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-06-17 09:47:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresAPPROVAL
Excellent! Any idea of which one you'll pursue?
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-06-17 13:12:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresInterview date for K-3 and K-4
Fantastic! You're in the home stretch.
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-06-17 10:14:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresA whole load of questions from a newbie
Jillie, read the guides before you read the threads, so you can determine your own status. If you're a student who married a Morrocan, you can come back to the States (without him) and apply for K3. You'll be affected by IMBRA and no one can predict how much time it might add.

You could also come back to the States (alone) and apply for CR-1, which may be approved quicker. That doesn't mean he could enter the States quicker, though.

I don't know if you can do DCF (Direct Consular Filing) in Morroco or how long you'd need to live there to become a qualifying resident. There are more knowledgable people here who know.

Your issue, regardless of which visa to apply for, is to build a body of evidence that proves you can support him financially. Personally, I'd get back to the States pronto, get a steady job, and apply for K3. It covers all the bases, and you'd be applying for CR-1 at the same time. You can go forward with whichever one you think is best for you.

Meanwhile, fasten your seatbelt, because you're in for a journey of many months. Use your time in ways that will guarantee your success.

Edited by Jersey Girl, 18 June 2006 - 05:51 PM.

Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-06-18 17:48:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresInterview for K3!!
Congratulations. Drink the good draft and eat the great pub grub while you can!
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-06-17 09:32:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & Procedureshow is it that.......
If you post your timeline, the site can calculate more reliable statistics. There are some who receive approval to their immigrant visa (I-130) before their non-immigrant visa (I-129f). This has always been the case, even before IMBRA. What's your situation?

Edited by Jersey Girl, 22 June 2006 - 09:05 AM.

Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-06-22 09:04:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresPlease help me ? I am dying !
BrownHorse, you have two choices: become self absorbed in missing your wife, or become constructive in the coming months. You've entered a lengthy journey out of love, and love can carry you through the many days to come.

If you're stressing over NOA1, you'll burn out quickly and become useless. Find ways to communicate with your wife regularly and to pass the time doing things that will make your eventual life together more worthwhile. Whining and wringing your hands is allowed, but this strategy does nothing but make you unrecognizable to your wife when you're reunited, because you'll have so many gray hairs. Buck up!
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-06-21 14:58:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresNBC updated timeline!
aussiewench, I bow before your superior wisdom, your research, and your long-standing position as someone who actually knows and helps. But there's nothing in the legislation about when USCIS must have a functional database on finacees and spouses. In other words, there might be a phased approach. Perhaps current K3s will go through without an RFE, and the new I-129f will be the rollout that starts capturing information on new spousal petitions. I'd like to believe the long-suffering timesnap got "correct misinformation" and we won't be getting anything but a massive headache. We can dream, can't we?
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-06-22 18:20:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresNBC updated timeline!

It seems to me, that since the I-130 is a way around the whole IMBRA thing, they would either skip people that are already married and using I-129f, or decide to include I-130 in IMBRA along with I-129f.


Yes, trickyspark, one would think intelligent USCIS people would be discussing this issue as we speak. But they don't make the laws; they only carry them out. They're not asked to think things through, from every angle, and with all the ramifications. I believe they'll be quite literal, because that's their mandate: go after people who buy mail order brides through marriage brokers.

K3s got caught up in the mess because we use the same form as K1s. Why? Because USCIS never got around to making one for us. None of this makes any sense, which is why I'm inclined to believe it's the most likely explanation. It's the government, after all. Five dollars says K3s never get an RFE and neither do CR1s.
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-06-21 21:51:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresNBC updated timeline!

It can mean two things. Either all K-3s are affected by IMBRA or the USCIS is still debating whether K-3s should be affected or not.

Hmmmm. Laws are meant to be universal. To be fair, any and every petition for a fiancee or spouse should be filtered through IMBRA. There are many loopholes now and opportunities for liars to lie. Perhaps USCIS is realizing that it's not as simple as mailing RFEs to K1s.

Suppose a person married a USC who's a potential abuser. Shouldn't they also know their rights and the background of their spouse? This includes CR1s as well as K3s.

Edited by Jersey Girl, 21 June 2006 - 03:43 PM.

Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-06-21 15:42:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresHow Long Before K3's Start Moving?
K3s not affected? IMBRA encompasses spouses as well as fiancees. How we'll be affected remains to be seen. Curiouser and curiouser.
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-06-26 17:14:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresNeed Advice Please

What I ment about helping fill out papers was her showing the US Customs agent the Canadian Immigration papers to sponsor me(her husband).


U.S. Immigration officials are not interested in seeing those papers, as Reba points out, which you won't have next month anyway. Besides, you'd have no way of entering that part of the airport or land border crossing, since she'd be segregated. (And if she's flying from Toronto, she'd be going through pre-clearance there and never even setting foot on U.S. soil if she were denied.) Net net, you'd have no way of being with her, nor any papers that would help.

If she attempts to cross into the States, and you understand the risks, she'd better have a stack of papers showing that she's domiciled in Canada and has reasons to return. But this isn't your issue. You need to do some homework on the best option for you as a family, which is what you are now. It's not clear you have a handle on the immigration process, costs, and timelines for either country. Time to bone up, and try not to screw up, by putting your wife in jeopardy.

Whether you've applied for anything or not, you've embarked on a visa journey and need to know everything about your choices. Then, you can decide if you want to risk having her denied, photographed and fingerprinted next month. Where is she now?
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-06-28 10:19:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresNeed Advice Please

Would I be able to get my wife a k3 visa if we both got married in the US though?


The short answer is yes, and she'd have her interview in Montreal. The long answer is to read the Guides on K3. Where is she now? In Canada or the States?
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-06-28 10:00:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresNeed Advice Please
It might be better to have a plan and stick to it. Whether it's you going to Canada, or her coming to the States, it's going to take some time, so pick one.

Since you considered having her move back to Canada after your spontaneous wedding, you could still follow through on that and apply for a K3 once she leaves. Then, she'll have to stay there until it's granted. Or, if she's in the States now, and she had no intention of immigrating when she came, you might apply for Adjustment of Status. She'd have to stay here until it's granted. (Somebody correct me if this is wrong.)

But if she goes back to Canada now, and tries to re-enter in July, married and pregnant, she could be denied, since it'll appear she's trying to immigrate. Having her cross an international border to "help fill out papers" isn't a good plan, in my opinion, because it could screw up your best option, which is to have her come here legally.

It sounds like there may be a financial issue, which is why you think she may not be able to sponsor you to come to Canada. Is this right? This may be the angle from which to view everything: you have a wife and child on the way, and somebody has to be the breadwinner and sponsor. If you're not going into the Navy, then how about getting yourself a steady job so you can sponsor your family? That's probably a better idea than expecting an expectant mother to get a job in Canada to sponsor you.
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-06-28 09:55:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & Proceduresnoa1 for I-129f
Congratulations, you've boarded the train. May I ask if this was the old or new form I-129f?
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-07-01 07:07:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresVisiting America
Thank you for your story, K3desperate. Sorry you had a rough journey. This process is truly a test of love and perseverence at a time when many couples are only engaged or just married. They each have to pull their weight, no matter which side of the border they're on, and that's what this thread is about.

One partner did not contribute financially and may have jeopardized his visa by leaving the country. He may be in dire straights in England, living on someone's couch. But this does not prevent him from asking friends and family to contribute a couch for his wife, who's thinking of visiting.

Yes, it's a tremendous undertaking for a man to marry an American and move to her country. If affects every aspect of his life: emotional, financial, cultural, career, family, and most importantly, the direction of his future. So he has to be committed to their plan, which may not be the case with this bloke, whose actions suggest otherwise.

It's hard to start thinking as a couple early in an engagement or marriage, but that's what has to happen if a visa petition, and life together, are going to be successful. Some couples don't make it. Their common resolve isn't strong enough. One partner may still be thinking as an individual, which may be happening here. Even if the visa is granted, a pattern has been established of one person carrying the entire load while the other is mollycoddled.

I think we agree that if a couple is not on the same page, each doing their part to understand and support the process, then it doesn't bode well for their future life together, never mind the visa. Really, that's the big picture, and in my humble opinion, a bigger issue than whether she can afford to visit him.
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-07-02 12:44:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresVisiting America
Ally, I don't know your entire story, and it's none of my business, but this may be for the best. If you married someone who's lazy, immature, and a financial burden, it may be better to call it quits before you have children. Take care of yourself at this point and don't worry about him. If I understand zyggy correctly, your husband won't be admitted to the States anyway. Take some time, be with your family in Florida, and get feedback from those who love you.

There's no rush to get a divorce. That can come if you decide later, and with a clear head, that you want one. Right now, tell him you're taking some time for yourself. End of discussion. I'm not sure if you can withdraw the visa petition at this point, or what financial obligations you might have. But these are just details compared to getting a grip on whether this guy is stable and a good partner for the long term. Take heart. Because you may be extracating yourself before worse damage is done.
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-06-28 16:29:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & Proceduresnever touched!

Is there anyone shares the same problem?

It's not a problem, it's just a fact of life. I haven't been touched either, and have a similar timeline. I'm not waiting to be touched, since it's no guarantee of anything, just as not being touched is no guarantee that you're not progressing.

It's an Alice-in-Wonderland world where nothing makes sense and there's no logic or predictability. So hang in there, because we are indeed "touched" in the head for having embarked on this crazy journey in the first place!
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-07-03 08:40:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & Proceduresreally confused
Take a deep breath because it's a lot of information to absorb. Yes, you can file I-129f (new form) as soon as you get NOA (Notice of Action) that your I-130 has been received. But filing I-129f may not "speed things up," if the goal is to have him here and working asap.

Many of us are pursuing I-130 and I-129f simultaneously, not knowing which will be approved faster. The CR-1 means the spouse can work right away. With K3 there's more waiting for work eligibility while they're in the States.
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-07-01 09:29:00