www.CostaRicaTicas.com

Probably not the right forum, but I am engaged to a Brazilian girl. I have been told by the immigration attorney that it typically takes 6 months to get the K-1 visa. We are going to get married in Costa Rica due to lax regulations there (I am recently divorced.)

Question is: where is the best place to live with her for the next 6 months? I can work outside the states, but need to be able to return for a week every once in a while. Has to be a place where a visa is not required or is easily obtained, safe, excellent internet.

My short list:

Florianopolis, Brazil
San Jose, Costa Rica
Buenos Aires
Santiago, Chile

May move around a bit (few months in each place). I can afford to do this, fortunately.

Any advice would be appreciated!

The K-1 visa requires you to get married in the US. If you marry outside the US, you must take the Direct Consular Filing (DCF) route.

If you bring your fiancee to the US on a K-1 visa, you have 90 days in which to follow-through with the nuptials... or else she becomes "out of status" and must leave the country. If you marry, and she leaves the US before her Advance Parole dcoument or permanent residency is granted, your new wife will not automatically be allowed entrance back into the US. If permanent residency is not important, and your wife is Brazilian, then stay in Brazil. At least your new wife won't have to worry about a visa.

_________________
Blue Devil

Pura Vida...enjoying life to the fullest...

BD,
There are 2 options if you marry outside the US: K3 or CR-1/IR-1. DCF is only available in a limited number of countries. And it's basically doing the K3 or CR-1/IR-1, but directly with the US embassy in that country, instead of sending it out to Service Center in the US. Much faster.

K3 gives the person a 2-yr spousal visa (multi-entry). Before the 2 years are up, they must apply for a green card. She can't work until gets the green card (or work authorization card), 3-6 months.

CR-1/IR-1 gives you permanent residency (green card) upon arrival to the US. She can work right away.

Like BD said, K1 is a one-time entry visa good for 90 days. After the 90 days are up, she either has to be married to the US citizen who petitioned her or go back.

dude,

http://www.visajourney.com/

_________________
The difference between a Sea Story and a Fairy Tale is that a Fairy Tale starts out 'Once Upon a Time..' and a Sea Story starts out 'This is no Shit...'

(export version only, some restrictions may apply, some assembly required, not valid where the sun don't shine...

if you live in the states of Poverty, Darkness or anywhere outside of The Blessings of Civilization Trust, Inc...other rules may apply)

I'm not claiming relevance to the topic exactly but here's an article about the hoops U. S. Immigration puts you and your fiancee through to assure it's not a sham/Green Card marriage:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/13/nyregion/13fraud.html
According to this piece, you'd better know your prospective esposa pretty damn well..and be prepared for intrusive visits as well, at least in NYC.
A big shout-out to Brother C'dude for his Website link--it'll be a help to many, no doubt.

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"A man accustomed to hear only the echo of his own sentiments, soon bars all the common avenues of delight, and has no part in the general gratification of mankind"--Dr. Johnson
"Amen, brother"-ED

Yeah, the whole process is pretty grueling. Some K-1 applicants don't have to interview to get the greencard. We were one of them. I don't know how they determine who gets interviewed and who doesn't. Maybe it's how well you do on the K-1 interview in the immigrant's home country, or the application strength, or which country, or more probable is that it's random.

Anyway, if you happen to mess up your initial greencard interview, they schedule you for this "Stokes" interview where they separate the couple and grill them for 1-2 hours, while videotaping it. Then they compare the answers, body language, reactions, etc. You need to study like you did for SAT's.

if they called me in for one of those "Stokes"....I'd tag the old lady before we went in and then offer to let the inspecting officer sniff my johnson.....hell, even lick it if they wanted too......

_________________
The difference between a Sea Story and a Fairy Tale is that a Fairy Tale starts out 'Once Upon a Time..' and a Sea Story starts out 'This is no Shit...'

(export version only, some restrictions may apply, some assembly required, not valid where the sun don't shine...

if you live in the states of Poverty, Darkness or anywhere outside of The Blessings of Civilization Trust, Inc...other rules may apply)

the details you must include in the package, compiling them is grueling, but i don't think the process is grueling. it takes 6 months, but k-1, k-3 and other "get your wife/partner" here visas are not the only visas that USCIS are processing. it is definitely a process and i guarantee, other than rubber stamping a visa into one's passport, it has to be the process that it is. for the most part, it works like clock work, but this isn't to say people don't get hung up somewhere in the process (many times, their own fault).

i typed all of my paperwork like many do these days, but i know a guy who is 70 and completed all the paperwork in handwriting. it isn't so much about how you do it, but how complete the package is (all documents complete 100 percent, no holes in time lines, include all supporting documents exactly as instructions describe to the Nth degree).

don't let any lawyer say he/she can get a beneficiary here faster - not true. in fact, it isn't unusual for a lawyer to screw up your paperwork causing delays.

if going through the process in a country other than one's own country, she better he in the country legally.