This is such a common question for couples. Is it better to do the K1 fiancé visa or the CR1 spouse visa? There are so many opinions on this from couples who were in the process or who have already completed the process. Everyone will have their opinion on which they think is faster.
Prior to 2020, the fiancé visa was typically the fastest way for individuals to be able to be together if they weren’t married yet. Before 2020, we would get through the process in four to six months. There were issues in immigration such as funding issues and then COVID happened which aggravated the situation.
It would be nice to have a simple answer but it all depends. It’s going to depend on your particular case, your particular situation, and a lot of other factors including the country where you will be having your consular interview at the embassy.
Current wait times show that the K1 Visa process is taking about 15 months for immigration to make a decision on that first step. It’s an estimate so it could take less time or more time but that’s where it’s sitting at.
A lot of people are saying the spouse visa is faster just because the fiancé visa wait times have exploded to 15 months. But CR1 spouse visas are falling in a similar range. In December 2022, we’re seeing wait times anywhere from 10 months to 15 months.
Another thing to take into consideration with which option will be faster for you is when you can get married. If you’re in two separate countries, when is the next time you can even be together to visit one another? The spouse visa might take less time to get that approval on that petition by a few months but if it’s going to take you a few months before you can even be together in the same country and have everything in line for being able to get married, you’re kind of putting yourself at the same wait time right as the fiancé visa.
There are some countries where the wait time for a spouse visa to get an interview actually is longer than the fiancé visa. If you’re from Mexico, where they have the highest volume of cases, the wait time for spouse visas at the US embassies and consulate in Mexico is actually much longer than the fiancé visa. Whenever we’re working with couples who want individuals from Mexico, typically a fiancé visa is a better option.
That’s just general advice. Please know that there can be other factors to take into consideration as to whether or not the fiancé visa would be the better option. Options are great but there can be paralysis when you’re having to choose between two things that cause you to get stuck, and we hate to see that because we know you want to be together. So it’s definitely important to do research, speak with an immigration attorney, and get clarity on what is the best option for you. But the fastest option, either way, is going to be to make a decision and get that case started.