... in response to K1 or K3 - my thoughts, posted by JimmySTLOUIS on Jun 17, 2005If all that matters is the speed with which you get her here, the K-1 is the way to go, no dispute on that.
The K-3 is obsolete. They are taking so long to handle K-3 petitions in Missouri that there is just no point to filing for a K-3 any more. The I-130s are starting to get approved quickly and even though the NVC process takes longer, once she arrives with a CR-1, there is no AOS, she can go to work right away and she can even visit Colombia right away. Also the clock for citizenship starts ticking sooner. For those things a K-1 fiance has to get an EAD and AP. Also depending on where you file, AOS can take as long as two years and until a woman's AOS is approved, the clock for citizenship has not started. Then there is also the issue of the less expensive wedding in South America and the fact that all her family and friends can be there. So there are other considerations that may outweigh the speed of a K-1.