K1 vs Spousal Visa

[warpedbored]

There are many fine attorneys out there. There are also some learn as they go lawyers who claim to be immigration specialists. Even some iimmigration specialists aren't that well versed in K-visas. My personal attitude is that since you have to do all the leg work gathering the information and all the lawyer does is fill out the forms and check your work it makes sense to just do it yourself.

[Guest Tony n Terrific]

I know there are some very good attorneys out there. I knew of 3 in Peroria, Il, Charlotte, NC and Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Other then this geograhy platt they are too few and far between. A good saying holds true: Need a friend? Get a dog not an attorney. If you decide to have an attorney as your friend you are taking a chance of a Hemophiliac Dracula guard your financial bloodline.

[shadeOgray]

That's a good question. I asked this question in person to an Immigration Officer in Kansas City, Missouri. I had to schedule an InfoPass appointment online first to meet her.

 

The Immigration Officer was very friendly and helpful. She replied that the best and fastest way to bring my fiance (or wife) over was to get married first. She explained the process of filing to me very thoroughly and provided notes on a sheet of paper for me. She was happy to learn that I was a graduate student and wished me good luck in life.

 

She said the K-3 option would be better than the K-1. This was back in March 2008 was when I met this Immigration Officer. I need to file the I-130 and the I-129F. From reading what people post on "Candle for Love", this contradicts that.

 

I think there maybe such an enormous amount of applications being file for the K-1 that the US government has to reject more petitions, which would explain why she stated that this method is the best.

 

Either method you choose, I wish you good luck.

Statistics actually say K-1 is faster and has a slightly higher approval rating than the K-3. That's the only reason I went the K-1 route. Not to mention getting married in China has its own paperwork nightmares.

Good Luck!

And what exactly are those nightmares? spoken from experience?Hmmm, 1 hour to single certificate and then the little red book. Yeah, a total nighmare.

 

Not sure I like your implication, but I had done some reading before and papers required by china and heard some horror stories to get some of these papers like criminal back ground checks etc.

It's only what I heard.

Edited December 26, 2008 by shadeOgray (see edit history)

[Batmaniac]

 

Not sure I like your implication, but I had done some reading before and papers required by china and heard some horror stories to get some of these papers like criminal back ground checks etc.

It's only what I heard.

 

Oh yeah, my girl's dad had to grease some palms to get this stuff. It was a several day process.

[MikeXiao]

Since I already hired a K1 Attorney that specializes in China, I will have to go this route. I hope I do not regret that I should have Married my Fiance in China and gone the K3 route.

 

I don't know how an attorney can claim to "specialize" in China, but I hope he will do you good. Look over everything that he does and all the paperwork. If you have questions, you could post them here and let the "non-attorneys" give you the good answers. The Chinese government doesn't care about who leaves, it is the American government that is selective.

I married my wife and filed both the 129F and the 130. Back in the old days, it was a race to see which one got there first. Luckly, the 130 was our ticket. My wife came on the CR-1 train and didn't need to file the AOS. Our 129F appeared to get there about 2 months later (slower boat I think).

[sleepless in Houston&CQ]

 

Statistics actually say K-1 is faster and has a slightly higher approval rating than the K-3. That's the only reason I went the K-1 route. Not to mention getting married in China has its own paperwork nightmares.

Good Luck!

And what exactly are those nightmares? spoken from experience?Hmmm, 1 hour to single certificate and then the little red book. Yeah, a total nighmare.

 

 

Yeap "our lit RedBook" took about the same time 1- 2 hours

bout as easy as ordering StarBucks coffee....

ok not that fast but, it was no nightmare and I'm talking from experience. or you?

I'm not saying getting married in China is right for everyone

 

I'm sure some have had nightmares, and I'm sure some of it

was just "BS" and some where there paper work was not correct,

etc and some had a third party with there lit fingers in the pie.... like the ex or other family members

Some folks have no ideal.....

[BrokenHeart]

The good ol Attorney will and can do nothing, I repeat NOTHING from here. They dont even know where China is, some of them. They know nothing of the procedure and will just take the money and run. Take it from me, I paid one $1500.00, what, to fill out forms, and then my denial, and they said sorry, its not my fault. So BEWARE, the best sorce of info is RIGHT HERE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Cerberus]

 

Statistics actually say K-1 is faster and has a slightly higher approval rating than the K-3. That's the only reason I went the K-1 route. Not to mention getting married in China has its own paperwork nightmares.

Good Luck!

And what exactly are those nightmares? spoken from experience?Hmmm, 1 hour to single certificate and then the little red book. Yeah, a total nighmare.

 

 

Yeap "our lit RedBook" took about the same time 1- 2 hours

bout as easy as ordering StarBucks coffee....

ok not that fast but, it was no nightmare and I'm talking from experience. or you?

I'm not saying getting married in China is right for everyone

 

I'm sure some have had nightmares, and I'm sure some of it

was just "BS" and some where there paper work was not correct,

etc and some had a third party with there lit fingers in the pie.... like the ex or other family members

Some folks have no ideal.....

Bobby,

 

1 to 2 hours? The office must have been busy.

 

Fully agree with KTM and you though. Our marriage registry for the Red Book in Chengdu, took about 1 hour at the maximum. The hardest part was filling in the blanks on the paperwork registry form.

 

The US gave me five months of headaches, with paperwork.

 

My wife still wants to know why the US has slower processing of government paperwork than China. BTW! I agree with her on this point.

 

Dave

[sleepless in Houston&CQ]

 

Bobby,

 

1 to 2 hours? The office must have been busy.

 

Fully agree with KTM and you though. Our marriage registry for the Red Book in Chengdu, took about 1 hour at the maximum. The hardest part was filling in the blanks on the paperwork registry form.

 

The US gave me five months of headaches, with paperwork.

 

My wife still wants to know why the US has slower processing of government paperwork than China. BTW! I agree with her on this point.

 

Dave

 

 

Well bro Dave

As I recall it seems we was the only couple in the office at this time.

as it was durning or around the lunch hour

The cute lit gal that waited on us did share her hot-n-spicy noddles with us and she also got to pratice her english skills.....

Heck I felt proud as I was able to teach her a few Texas Redneck words.

Yeap your right the paper (s) was just fill in the blanks, It was easy even for a TEXAN, as everyone knows I ain't so smart in math.

As I recall they even take the photos for the two famous "Red Books"

3 photos total... the wife, then me and us together.

Now the cute lit gal types all the info in the computer, checks to make sure we are both single, down loads the photos, prints and paste them to the famous "RedBook" and to her paper work

Sign here and here, and pay, then the cute gal said a few words.... and now your married...

You get two Redbooks and we also got two gold Chinese coins

in a cute lit red box

oh BTW they do keep the single paper (s) showing your single and able to marry, and the one that was translated into Chinese with the famous Chinese Red seal/numbers on it... so its best to have extra copies made...

Clear copies as you may need them down the road.

 

 

"yeap as you can see the paper work in China is a real night mare"

but as I said before....

getting married in China aint' right for everyone

[HaoRan]

Yes, for us too, the marriage procedure was extremely simple and quick. It was unfortunate for us though that we forgot to bring a camera. But will still have our little red books

[parapara_13]

Yes, for us too, the marriage procedure was extremely simple and quick. It was unfortunate for us though that we forgot to bring a camera. But will still have our little red books

 

Yup, my marriage was extremely quick too. Maybe only 10 minutes at most. It only cost 9 RMB for the booklet for her and myself. The notary service and translations at the US Counsulate office and at the Chinese Officials' office took the most time and money, about $30 each.

 

A couple that came in before us was denied. The lady said their paperwork was not original and some documents were missing. They were older couples, the Englishman was probably about 40 and the Chinese wife was about 35 or so. I think both had been divorced.

 

If you're divorced and want to marry in China, it can be a nightmare if you don't look over what's required. For US citizens, you can find all the information you need at the Guangzhou US Counsulate's website.

Edited December 27, 2008 by parapara_13 (see edit history)

[HaoRan]

 

They were older couples, the Englishman was probably about 40 and the Chinese wife was about 35 or so.

 

wow, that hurts. I guess I'm really, really old

[esun41]

from a chinese perspective , many have married in china filed k3 or cr-1, visa denied, then usc divorce her. then she is in a bad time as no chinese man will marry her after she has married man from other country.

so for chinese k-1 can be seen as safer

 

I find this post very interesting as I have heard this many times. Loss of face and becoming "tainted" could be the reason. We went K-1, not because of the reasons mentioned but due to the easier route taken to leave China.

[Cerberus]

 

Bobby,

 

1 to 2 hours? The office must have been busy.

 

Fully agree with KTM and you though. Our marriage registry for the Red Book in Chengdu, took about 1 hour at the maximum. The hardest part was filling in the blanks on the paperwork registry form.

 

The US gave me five months of headaches, with paperwork.

 

My wife still wants to know why the US has slower processing of government paperwork than China. BTW! I agree with her on this point.

 

Dave

 

 

Well bro Dave

As I recall it seems we was the only couple in the office at this time.

as it was durning or around the lunch hour

The cute lit gal that waited on us did share her hot-n-spicy noddles with us and she also got to pratice her english skills.....

Heck I felt proud as I was able to teach her a few Texas Redneck words.

Yeap your right the paper (s) was just fill in the blanks, It was easy even for a TEXAN, as everyone knows I ain't so smart in math.

As I recall they even take the photos for the two famous "Red Books"

3 photos total... the wife, then me and us together.

Now the cute lit gal types all the info in the computer, checks to make sure we are both single, down loads the photos, prints and paste them to the famous "RedBook" and to her paper work

Sign here and here, and pay, then the cute gal said a few words.... and now your married...

You get two Redbooks and we also got two gold Chinese coins

in a cute lit red box

oh BTW they do keep the single paper (s) showing your single and able to marry, and the one that was translated into Chinese with the famous Chinese Red seal/numbers on it... so its best to have extra copies made...

Clear copies as you may need them down the road.

 

 

"yeap as you can see the paper work in China is a real night mare"

but as I said before....

getting married in China aint' right for everyone

Bobby,

 

Thanks for the memories and the laughter your post made. I still remember my wife's and my Red Book photos.

 

PRC Registry Office used a digital camera. Got us posed up and such. Woman took the photo. Me being a man, didn't give a damn and breathed a sigh of relief I didn't break the lens.

 

A Chinese woman....Nooooooooooo! "I don't like how I look, several hairs are out of place," etc, etc, etc.

 

Sighhhhhhhhh! I felt sorry for the woman behind the camera. However, she is probably used to hearing this same inane dribble day in and day out, from many of the women in her office!

 

For others that might read this thread, there are times when it will take two of three hours. That was in filling out the registry forms, by the applicant.

 

I talked with the official PRC Govt Notary Clerk/Interpreter, name of Mr. Xiang. Very personable and would be a great person to have a few drinks or dinner with. He and I spoke of horror stories from his office. He related that some of the women would arrive in his office and have to fill in the blanks of the PRC Marriage Registration form. As he related, some of the women arriving there aren't the sharpest knives in the drawer,and could spend two or three hours filling in the blanks on the form.

 

I suppose that it has something to do with formal education, etc. However; this is only speculation on my part. Not bragging on my wife. Yin was a past cell supervisor in the PRC Agriculture Bureau. So PRC Govt Red Tape forms are a walk in the park for her and had hers filled out in something like 30 minutes or so.

 

This might explain some of the delays, with the remainder falling into the sector of a busy office.

 

Dave

Edited December 28, 2008 by Cerberus (see edit history)