K1 Or Marriage Visa?

[MikeB]

So what I am hearing here is that marrying in the Philippines does not require all decrees of divorce only the most recent and then swear to some affidavit??? 

Bottom line is they don't have the means to verify what you say. But some local registers have refused to accept the Affidavit in Lieu so check first - http://manila.usembassy.gov/marriage.html

[davewe]

They have made things a little more difficult more forms to fill out. I submitted my K1 visa December of 2012 her interview was October 2014 , hopefully my wife will be joining me in a few weeks. We marreid in manilla on November 29,2012. so we have been waiting almpost two years.   Poke Mike

If you married in 2012 hopefully it isn't the K1 you filed. You probably did the CR1 (spousal visa). The K1 is fiancé visa.

[davewe]

Just looked at my posting again and should have mentioned the Japanese wife was from 1972 to 1985 and that I was subsequently married twice to American women 1989-1991 with divorce and have the decree, also 1993 to 2013 and have the divorce decree.  It amazes me that a marriage that took place thirty two years ago and terminated 19 years ago with two subsequent marriages could be of that much interest to government authorities.   No one ever asked for the death certificate when I married the second or third wife.  Could it be that the US and Philippine governments are just trying to make things so detail oriented to justify their own existence or to discourage mixed culture marriages completely? 

I don't know the answer to that, but believe me it is a big deal. I was married twice before and when we sent in our paperwork, I went online within my state and ordered divorce decrees for both marriage. Easy right? Wrong! Turns out I just got a formal document and what I needed was the complete legal divorce papers. Fortunately Janet was questioned on this at the embassy but was still given the K1. However when we were interviewed in the US for the green Card, the documents were unacceptable and I had to obtain the real deal, which for one divorce was a real pain.

 

So like it or not, get the real and complete paperwork.

Edited October 24, 2014 by davewe

[jon1]

In filling out the form for K-1 they ask for documentation of termination of all marriages.  So what I am hearing here is that marrying in the Philippines does not require all decrees of divorce only the most recent and then swear to some affidavit???   And I don't need the death certificate in Manila?   If I was married to a foreign national initially, then USCIS has that record somewhere because the marriage was done in the then US Embassy in Naha, Okinawa.   I would love not having to pay some attorney $500 to get me a death certificate from the city of Nago in Okinawa.   

If this is all true, then I can come to visit for four months in December.  If all goes well marry in March and come back here to sell my house in US and move to Bohol.  I just thought it would be a nice experience for my fiancé to come here and spend a couple years to get her green card and then go back there in a few years to live. 

 

In your situation, I would come over here, get married and then start the process for a US Tourist Visa for her. If you prepare correctly it is not impossible to do (80% success rate on average). Check out this link http://www.philippines-expats.com/topic/19601-united-states-tourist-visa-for-spouse/The long pole in the tent is the NSO Copy of the Marriage certificate for her new passport in her married name. This is definitely cheaper than a K-1 or CR-1 process (easily $1400 or more and 12 months at least). No need for your first wife's death certificate. The filipinos are only concerned about your current status and how that was derived (your last divorce decree). To get married you will need the previously mentioned Affadavit from the Embassy, your birth certificate (raised seal), your divorce decree and your passport. Your wife will need a CENOMAR from the NSO and birth certificate. It takes about 3 weeks for the application to be granted. So your 4 month plan is more than enough time to accomplish that. 

 

If you still want to plan on moving back to the US for good, go thru the CR-1 process AFTER you have lived with her for 18 months. The process is supposed to move quicker then. Someone else please chime in on this, I can't remember who told me this on the forum here.

[rfhypnos]

Jon, that is an interesting approach to the process.  My fiancé because she is heavily involved in her church and assistant coordinator of the music dept and part of a singing quartet has traveled to Singapore, China, Hong Kong and Australia.  So she has extensive travel experience outside the Philippines in addition to spending three years in the convent in Italy. She does not have much money in the bank and family owns a little land in Bohol.   I know the marriage as you say is easily accomplished in the Philippines but her monetary status as a single woman would block her getting a tourist visa without a sponsor such as her church.  If we were successful with the tourist visa and bring her here she can only stay for 6 months? Am I correct about that?   Or do we then begin a green card application?

I have bladder cancer in remission now and only superficial so just need monitoring every three months for two years.  I can do that in Manila but much easier here with my Tricare.  It would be great to have her here for at least a couple years and then we can decide how to live our lives.  I am really easily convinced about living in any country outside the US having lived 10 years in Japan.  But I really like the Philippines and the culture there.  Any others here have information about this process with the tourist visa?

[Steve & Myrlita]

If you still want to plan on moving back to the US for good, go thru the CR-1 process AFTER you have lived with her for 18 months. The process is supposed to move quicker then. Someone else please chime in on this, I can't remember who told me this on the forum here.

If married over 2 years then you apply for the IR1. The CR1 is a conditional spousal visa which has to go through an adjustment of status which translates to more $$. The IR1 is a permanant visa with no adjustment required. Just wait until over 2 years married then go for it.

[Americano]

A word of caution:  The US Embassy will want to know about all of your previous marriages and will require a divorce decree or death certificate which proves how each marriage ended.  If you or your fiancée are caught lying then your application could be denied and you could be barred for one or more years before you could apply again.  Honesty really is the best policy if you don't want to have even bigger problems than you already have.