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a quick recap of my story. i met my fiancee through amigos.com last year, had 7 months of communication through emials, phone calls, IM and video chat. at first she was just one of many girls that i was in touch with but as time went by she was the one that kept my interest in the things she said, the way she expressed herself, her way of looking at life, common interests and goals etc so in jan i visited her and her family. before actually meeting her i knew that if she was as wonderful in person as she was over the phone that she would be the one for me. thats how it unfolded, she was even more spectacular in person so in january i asked her to be my girlfriend. i left colombia in jan only to return in march to surprise her with a mariachi for her birthday, everyone in the family loved me after that, needless to say my fiancee was overwhelmed with the surprise. i knew then that i wanted to marry her, there was no doubt, the only thing i needed to do was actually propose. one thing that i made clear to her was that i was not in a rush to get married and she told me that neither was she. she had broken up with her colombian boyfriend 2 years before meeting me so she wanted to go slowly, i agreed with her because i wanted to make sure we knew our strengths, weaknesses and faults before getting serious. well, i flew back in june, bought the ring over there and popped the question a few weeks ago at piso 26 in barranquilla. she said "si!!" and woke up the family at 2am upon returning home, everyone was happy. we'll be getting married next year in a catholic church, as i mentioned before we are not in a rush so in the meantime we'll be planning things, saving for expenses like the wedding, reception, honeymoon, getting her over here. we are both very happy and hope that others here will have the same success as ours.
JK

... in response to I got engaged!!, posted by jediknight on Jul 3, 2005

Congratulations and best of luck! How about some web photos :)

Zack

... in response to I got engaged!!, posted by jediknight on Jul 3, 2005

Congratulations!  Thanks for posting the sequence of events.  As I'm sure you know, this is both informational and inspiring for all.

Please keep me informed as to when you are going to BAQ.  I think the time was way too short for us to hook up over Memorial Day weekend, but maybe we can hook up on the next go 'round.

If you haven't checked out www.MarriageBuilders.com yet, I highly encourage it...

Buena Suerte, and God bless your relationship!

... in response to I got engaged!!, posted by jediknight on Jul 3, 2005

Ahh!  Sir Jediknight,  you have done well.   Congratulations and best wishes for you and your fiancee!
I had a feeling that the path you had chosen would bring to you much happiness...

... in response to I got engaged!!, posted by jediknight on Jul 3, 2005

[This message has been edited by Michael B]

Although I see that you did have more than two dates. Darn, I spelled 'congratulations' wrong in the title. I ALWAYS spell that word wrong. (smiley face goes here).

... in response to I got engaged!!, posted by jediknight on Jul 3, 2005

another funeral

beattledog

... in response to Re: I got engaged!!, posted by david hagar on Jul 4, 2005

just curious - why do you say that???

... in response to Re: Re: I got engaged!!, posted by papi on Jul 4, 2005

it is meant as a joke. ha ha. have you never heard this before?

Beattledog

... in response to Re: Re: Re: I got engaged!!, posted by david hagar on Jul 4, 2005

oh, i thought I was missing something in his plans

... in response to I got engaged!!, posted by jediknight on Jul 3, 2005

What a great story.  Good luck in your future together.

Dolphin

... in response to I got engaged!!, posted by jediknight on Jul 3, 2005


Way to go, take it slow and be sure.  Don't forget to post some pics!!!

... in response to I got engaged!!, posted by jediknight on Jul 3, 2005

Are you planning to get married then in BQ next year? If so, then I assume you will be applying for a K3 vs a K1. That may not be the best route to go these days but then again you said you are in no hurry. good luck and congrats

... in response to Re: I got engaged!!, posted by papi on Jul 4, 2005

First of all, felicidades. I hope that you are as happy as we are in your marriage.

It makes more sense these days to file the I-130 for the immigrant visa and skip the K-3 altogether. The K-3 was always meant as a stop-gap measure when it took years to get an I-130 approved. At least the spouse could come to the US and wait for the I-130 to be approved. These days the service centers (except Nebraska) are approving I-130s very quickly so it might only take 6-8 months to get an immigrant visa. Once a woman enters with an immigrant visa, she can work right away and go home in an emergency. No need for AOS, AP or EAD. The K-1 is fast but it's not all it's cracked up to be - you may still spend years messing around with the USCIS.

... in response to Re: Re: I got engaged!!, posted by utopiacowboy on Jul 4, 2005

are guys going that route? getting an I-130? is the immigration process more costly and complicated vs K1?

... in response to Re: Re: Re: I got engaged!!, posted by papi on Jul 4, 2005

Yes, guys are going that route. If you married your wife abroad, you always had to file an I-130 for her. In the past it took so long to get the I-130 approved, they created the K-3 using the same forms and application process as the K-1. The K-3 was always just a temporary measure - it got your wife into the US and either you filed for AOS afterwards or she went back to her home country once the I-130 was approved to get her immigrant visa. Also, the K-3 was always optional. In the days when it was taking years to get the I-130 approved, you could always wait those years without filing for a K-3. In fact, you had to wait before the K-3 came along. Today, the center that handles K-3 petitions is taking 6 months or longer to approve K-3 petitions - meanwhile the Service Centers are approving I-130s in three months. So most married couples are skipping the K-3 now.

... in response to Re: Re: Re: Re: I got engaged!!, posted by utopiacowboy on Jul 4, 2005

probably more complicated than the k1 but sounds like a reasonable option for guys that want to marry abroad

... in response to Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: I got engaged!!, posted by papi on Jul 4, 2005

[This message has been edited by utopiacowboy]

It's actually simpler than the K-1. You file an I-130 and after it gets approved and you go through the NVC, she has an interview at the embassy and enters with an immigrant visa. Her green card comes in the mail a few weeks later. Contrast this with the K-1: You file an I-129F which gets approved and she gets a K-1 visa. After she enters, you have 90 days to get married. After you get married you have to file an I-485 to adjust her status which depending on the local office you're dealing with, may take years. In the meantime if she wants to work you have to file an I-765 to get an Employment Authorization Document.  If she wants to return home for a visit in the meantime without being deemed to have abandoned her application for adjustment, you have to file an I-131 for Advance Parole. That's simpler???????? Faster yes but simpler definitely not. One last thing, the clock for citizenship doesn't start to run until she has permanent resident status. For a spouse entering with an immigrant visa, the three year clock starts running the day she arrives. For a K-1 fiancee, it doesn't start to run until the AOS application is approved and that may take a year or two, less if you're lucky.

... in response to Why more complicated?, posted by utopiacowboy on Jul 4, 2005

I dont know much about the I130. So you are telling me it is easier to marry say someone in the beloved land of Colombia and get her here quicker and easier than the k1??? Are you certain about this??? how long does the process take???

... in response to I130, posted by papi on Jul 4, 2005

Papi,

There is no quick or easy way to bring a foreign spouse here, unless she already has a visa when you meet her. I think you may be looking at this whole process bass-ackwards. My advice is to:

1. Find that special lady

2. Wait until you are both absolutely certain that you want to marry

3. Discuss all the options and decide together whether you want to marry over there or marry here

4. File the correct petition for the marriage option you chose

There is no rule on which visa option (K-1/K-3/CR-1) is better. It all depends on the individual couple’s situation and desires. Personally, I decided to leave the choice of wedding options up to my bride and we had a traditional wedding in the Philippines. It worked for us and that was one of the smartest decisions I have ever made :-)

Ray

... in response to Forget "Quicker and Easier", posted by Ray on Jul 4, 2005

What is best really depends on an individual's circumstances and desires. What works for one may not be the best choice for someone else. And often there are things to consider other than simply what will get her here fastest. No, you couldn't describe any of the options as fast or easy.

... in response to Forget "Quicker and Easier", posted by Ray on Jul 4, 2005

well my friend, I get asked a lot about the immigration process and just got an education on the I-130 - I had no idea it was even an option. I thought you had two choices: K1 and K3 and always leaned towards K1 if someone asked. Nothing about this project is quick or easy but I was led to believe that the K3 has become a real bottleneck. As far as finding the right lady, that is a whole other program

... in response to Re: Forget "Quicker and Easier"..., posted by papi on Jul 4, 2005

Just a note: you can not file for a K-3 unless you file the Form I-130 first.

... in response to I130, posted by papi on Jul 4, 2005

If all you care about is getting her in the US the fastest way possible, the K-1 is still the way to go. However as I pointed out and as JK points out in his subsequent post, there is less paperwork in the long run. It wasn't a feasible option before because it was taking the service centers years to approve I-130s but now that they are up to speed, it's a viable option.

... in response to Not quicker but in the long run less pap..., posted by utopiacowboy on Jul 4, 2005

Cowboy,

Before the K-3 visa went in to effect in 2001, the average time to process a visa for your spouse was probably close to a year, depending mostly on which Service Center you were using. After I returned home following our wedding and honeymoon in 2000, I filed the I-130 petition in California and she was here in time to celebrate our first wedding anniversary. Total visa processing time for the CR-1 was just about 9.5 months. For some guys filing in Texas at that time, they waited about 18 months.

Ray

... in response to I-130 not really that bad, posted by Ray on Jul 4, 2005

They went downhill after that. At one time it was taking Texas 2 years to approve an I-130 for a spouse.

... in response to I130, posted by papi on Jul 4, 2005

[This message has been edited by jediknight]

after speaking to gary bala in barranquilla, it appears that a K1 will physically get her here faster but you'll have to deal with a more complicated process of getting her papers, ie green card, SS card, permission to travel, etc. getting married in colombia and doing it the other way will take about 3-8 months depending on the center but she enters with all of the paper work. that's the route we'll be taking.
JK

... in response to Re: I130, posted by jediknight on Jul 4, 2005

this (I130) was all news to me - sounds like a good plan

... in response to I got engaged!!, posted by jediknight on Jul 3, 2005

Way to go. I think the way you described things you did NOT rush it. ONce again Congratulations & God bless!!