To Be or Not to Be?

[Hamlet]

... in response to To Be or Not to Be?, posted by OkieMan on Jan 14, 2005

Okie,

It's up to you.

"To thine own self be true; and it must follow, as the night the day, thou can'st not then be false to any man"

Hamlet

[Ray]

... in response to To Be or Not to Be?, posted by OkieMan on Jan 14, 2005

Okie,

Whether you marry over there or here, you will still need to provide the same basic personal documentation to get her a visa (K-1, K-3, or CR-1), so the paperwork drill is very similar. You’ll still need to provide your birth certificate, divorce decree, financial documents, etc. Also, after you marry here, you’ll have to file for work permits, travel permits, adjustment of status, etc., where she can avoid most all of that by marrying there and arriving on an immigrant visa.

As far as the wedding ceremony itself, one isn’t necessarily easier than the other. The main advantage of doing it here with a fiancée visa is that you both will have up to 90 days to decide if you really want to go through with it. It’s sort of like a “trial period” where you have a little extra time to spend together before making the commitment.

I did both the fiancée visa and the spousal visa and the one where I married over there was MUCH more meaningful and memorable. Don’t be selfish. Do it her way!

Ray

[doombug]

... in response to Re: To Be or Not to Be?, posted by Ray on Jan 14, 2005

I did the reverse:  I went and lived with her during the month we married to see how we'd click.  

If you only get married in the U.S., you've robbed her family--especially her mom--of an event that many of them may have dreamt of witnessing one day.

Y'all know that the female side of the family lives for such stuff.  I agree with Ray; even if you don't view it as selfish, some of her kin might.

[kented]

... in response to Re: To Be or Not to Be?, posted by Ray on Jan 14, 2005

Like Ray, I unfortunately have done both.  The procedure is more the same than different.

If you view a K-1 visa as keeping your options open, I woudl point out that the process takes on a life of its own.  I did not have the huevos to consider the red flags and to send my Colombian ex-wife back which would have made my life so much easier.  You bring her here on a k-1 visa and you are as good as married.  

In either situation the government (the US government) goes through divorce documents, tax returns, police reports and anything else they want to ask for.

[Gator]

... in response to To Be or Not to Be?, posted by OkieMan on Jan 14, 2005

Does she have a visa now?  If not you will have to get a K-1
for here to gain entry to the USA

You will need everything you would need for a spouse visa if you bring her here on a K-1 visa, marry then apply for her residence.  If you want a simple marrage just go to the local court of the court and have a civil marrage. Short and sweet(kinda work you in between the sewer permits).  BUT you can bet your ass there WILL have to be a big wedding, in the church, back in Colombia.

This is what I did abet a longgggggggggg time ago abd before 9/11

Good luck

PS  Go to the US Embassy web site in Bogotá Lots of help for your situation.

[thunderbolt]

... in response to To Be or Not to Be?, posted by OkieMan on Jan 14, 2005

Without having this as an issue yet, from what I know bringing her as a fiancee on K-1 and marrying here is easier.

However, that's the 'legal marriage' as far as I understand (getting a marriage certificate).  You can go with her to Colombia and have a wedding party some time after that if that's what she will want (and most likely she will).

[utopiacowboy]

... in response to To Be or Not to Be?, posted by OkieMan on Jan 14, 2005

A lot of it depends on the woman. Let's face it. With the K-1 you are asking her to go to the United States as your fiancee with no guarantees that the marriage is going to take place. Also, where does she live in the meantime? With you? Also, she will marry without any of her family or friends present because to be honest, very few Colombians will ever be able to get a tourist visa to go to the United States. Of course, having said all this, the vast majority of Colombiana/gringo marriages take place in the United States using the K-1 visa.

My wife is a very traditional Catholic woman and for her, the only option was to get married in Colombia and then use the K-3 to go to the United States. She had the wedding she always dreamed of and I have the wife that I have always dreamed of.

[OkieMan]

... in response to Re: To Be or Not to Be?, posted by utopiacowboy on Jan 14, 2005

Ok Utopiacowboy,
You made a statement that I would like to pursue.  But, before I do, I want to say that my question was directed at the process; and not what the lady may want.  I totally agree that I would ultimately want to honor the lady's preference.
Having said that, you said that it was your understanding that most of the couples do in fact get married here in the States.  Can you elaborate? I realize that there are primarily two parts to this.  One is the part about wanting to let her see you and your family together in this country, etc.  That way she knows what she is getting into.  The other part is what I was mainly talking about and that is the immigration process itself; pros and cons, and which might be easier.  From the responses I received from most of you, it would appear to be a toss up.  But, one of you indicated that he thought the fiance visa would be somewhat easier.  Now, I also realize that I have been told that due to the traffic at any given time, this can vary.  But, I was simply trying to get some prospective on this.  Right now, I am not needing to make these type of decisions.  But, since I have no personal experience concerning these matters; I get a little nervous thinking about being put into a postion where our govt has that much power over how I live my life!  Also, I don't want to look stupid and uninformed to a latina.  So, thank you all.  I will continue to research this matter, and hopefully when the time comes, all will go smoothly.

                           OkieMan

[utopiacowboy]

... in response to Re: Re: To Be or Not to Be?, posted by OkieMan on Jan 14, 2005

OkieMan, here is an easy way to see how many couples opt for the K-1 (fiancee) and how many opt for the K-3 (spouse). Every month you can look at the visa appointments for the US embassy in Bogota. You can easily count the number of K-1 and K-3 appointments and you will see that generally the K-1s outnumber the K-3s by a substantial margin. In January there were 175 K-1 appointments and 47 K-3 appointments. Here is the web page: http://usembassy.state.gov/colombia/wwwfivad.pdf

Since all K-3 peitions go to one center in Missouri while the K-1 petitions go to the four different centers in the United States covering the area where the petitioner lives, the processing times vary. Missouri used to be quick but it is bogged down now with all kinds of other application work while the four centers have speeded up. Generally a K-1 is much faster now than a K-3. Of course this could change.

[utopiacowboy]

... in response to Re: Re: Re: To Be or Not to Be?, posted by utopiacowboy on Jan 15, 2005

No problem. BTW, for a K-1 petition your service center would be the Texas Service Center. Here is where youc an see how they are doing with various types of petitions: https://egov.immigration.gov/cris/jsps/Processtimes.jsp?SeviceCenter=Texas

[OkieMan]

... in response to Re: Re: Re: To Be or Not to Be?, posted by utopiacowboy on Jan 15, 2005

Hi Utopiacowboy,

 Now, that's the kind of info I have been looking for.  Very specific and helpful.  I had no way of knowing that, but now I feel like I am much better informed about how the process works.  Thank you very much!  I will have to wait until the time comes to know about how the lady will feel (whoever she turns out to be), but at least now I better understand what my options really are.  Of course, I understand that these things are indeed subject to change.
Thanks again.

                             OkieMan