Questions...questions...questions (CR1/K3)

[bill522]

Hello all,

I feel that I have read every one of the posts on this site but I still would like some help.

CR1-I send my I-130 to Texas, priority, and they recieved it a week later. It already looks like I'll be one of the longest people waiting for the CR1. My questions are primarily about evidence and the interview. Has anyone recently been asked for a video tape? I am in China now and can't find one. My wife and I can go to Shanghai if anyone here knows of a place or someone to video tape us. I want to do this because although my wife speaks pretty good English, she will get nervous about the interview and want an interpreter. I practice now with her and she gets nervous with me, no matter how much I reassure her. We haven't kept too many receipts, and all of the photos of the places we have been are on PC, I already told her to print a few photos out. How many do you think will suffice? We have photos mostly of each other, not too many together. It is hard to ask people always to take our photo

A final question about the K3. Should I apply? It looks like the CR1's and K3's are being processed about the same time. I read that the K3 is a waste of money, and I read that the K3 is a lifesaver. What is the current situation?

On another note how can I explain to my wife why we need to do so many filings of the same information to different places for her? She shrugs when my China visa's are always approved quickly

thanks everyone!

[jakerhod]

CR1 - ones it is approved, it stays a bit longer at the NVC while K3 ones it is approved it only stays 2-3 weeks at the NVC then it will be forwarded to your fiance embassy. So in other words, K3 is faster than CR1. But if your I-130 is approved quickly it is better to pursue the CR1 as it is an immigrant visa.

[markndannie]

welcome to candle! it would help if you post your timeline. Our CR1 took about 14 months. I filed the K3 also but it never got processed through in time so yes it can be a waste, just depends on the luck of the draw. as far as videos you can do it yourself there is plenty of info on the FAQs about it. Will you be there with your wife for the interview? I would highly recommend that you and your wife stay at the rooms in GUZ (see the link in GUZ info for romantic). They are very familiar with what is needed and can help with a video or other things needed for the overcome. They will help your wife practice for the interview. I cannot stress enough how much confidence plays a factor in this process. best of luck to you

mark

[jim_julian]

We haven't kept too many receipts, and all of the photos of the places we have been are on PC, I already told her to print a few photos out.  How many do you think will suffice?  We have photos mostly of each other, not too many together.  It is hard to ask people always to take our photo 

176398[/snapback]

You are right ... it's a little difficult in China to ask people to take your picture. Since you are in China now I suggest that you have your wife take a few pictures of you with her Mama and Baba, brothers and sisters, family kinds of things. I think these will go a long way.

[frank1538]

I'm guessing that most people go with both the CR-1 and K-3 just to have two petitions in the race. I'm also guessing the K-3 usually beats the CR-1 to GZ, but again it's probably a crap shoot.

 

Like Jim said, if the family is around, have pictures taken with them and by them. I do disagree a bit about asking a stranger to take a picture of you together, particularly if you are visiting one of the many tourist spots. Jingwen and I never hesitated to ask some to snap our picture, and it was very rare that someone refused, particularly with a digital camera where you could share the picture immediately.

 

Making a video tape now at this early stage in the process may be premature if you are planning more trips to China during the next year. You'll be surprised how much English (for her) or Chinese (for you) will be learned during a year, but it you still feel uncomfortable as you get closer to the interview, you could consider a video on a subsequent trip.

 

On the question of having to supply the same information multiple times, it is difficult to explain our Department of Redundancy to a foreigner, and the best answer may be simply to say that the process is very complicated and designed to catch cheaters by asking for the same information more than once. Good people like yourselves don't worry about it. Cheaters often can't remember lies told previously. On the other hand, you could try the truth - our government is just not very efficient.

[johnxiaoying]

Photos together? Easy if you have family dinners, pass the camera around and get photos of you and her with her family. Hire a guide to go sightseeing and have the guide take your photos.

 

My wife took an album with about 90 photos of us to her interview. All they asked for was the I-134. It's best to take the bathroom sink with you, just in case.

 

Receipts? Save every scrap of paper you get, don't throw anything away, it's a good habit to keep all that seemingly worthless paper, if nothing else for a paper trail.

 

Don't worry about the video tape, you can get that done in Guangzhou if there is a request for one at the interview and if you'll be there for the interview. If your wife speaks pretty good English then there is little chance of them asking for a video. You worry your wife will get nervous at the interview, everyone gets nervous at the interview. My wife spoke some English and the interview was over with in less than 3 minutes. It hardly seems fair, months of worry, kilos of photos and documents, and it's over with in moments.