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K-1 and CR-1, side by side

The fiancé(e) route and the spouse route are two different processes with different filings, different waiting points, and different work after arrival. This page sets them next to each other and, if you answer a few coarse questions, adds plain observations about what your answers describe. It does not choose for you.

What this tool cannot do

  • It cannot tell you which route is legally correct for you.
  • It cannot determine eligibility, admissibility, or whether a marriage or a child would be recognised.
  • It cannot estimate what either route would cost or how long it would take for you.
  • It does not save anything. Nothing you select leaves your browser.

A few coarse questions

Every answer is optional and stays in this browser tab. There is no free-text field and nothing is sent anywhere.

Are you married to each other right now?

The two routes start from different places: one begins with a marriage, the other with a plan to marry in the United States.

If you are not married yet, what feels possible?

Marrying before filing and marrying after entry lead to different filings. Neither is better.

How would you prefer the first US entry to work?

On one route the applicant is admitted as a permanent resident. On the other, the applicant enters on a fiancé(e) visa and files to adjust status after marrying.

How do you feel about a further filing after arrival?

The fiancé(e) route involves a separate filing after the marriage, with its own paperwork and its own wait for work and travel documents.

Are children part of your broader planning?

Both routes have derivative categories with their own rules. This tool only flags that the question exists.

How the two routes differ in practice

Every statement below carries numbered citations. Open one to see the publisher and a link to the official page, or read the full list under “Sources” at the end.

Practical differences between the K-1 fiancé(e) route and the CR-1 spouse route, each row cited to official sources
DimensionK-1 (fiancé(e))CR-1 / IR-1 (spouse)
Where the route startsThe couple is not yet married and intends to marry in the United States after the applicant is admitted. (sources: )The couple is already married when the petition is filed. (sources: )
First filingForm I-129F, filed with USCIS by the US citizen petitioner. (sources: )Form I-130, filed with USCIS by the U.S. citizen petitioner. A permanent-resident spouse petition uses the separate F2A category. (sources: )
What happens between USCIS and the embassyThe approved petition is forwarded to the Department of State and then to the embassy or consulate that will interview the applicant. (sources: )The approved petition goes to the National Visa Center, where fees, the immigrant visa application, sponsorship documents, and civil documents are collected before an interview is scheduled. (sources: )
Sponsorship paperworkEvidence of financial support is required; Form I-134 may be requested at the K-1 visa stage. Form I-864 belongs to the separate adjustment of status application after marriage. (sources: )Form I-864, Affidavit of Support, is part of the National Visa Center stage before the interview. (sources: )
What the visa isA nonimmigrant fiancé(e) visa. Admission is not permanent residence. (sources: )An immigrant visa. The applicant is admitted as a permanent resident. (sources: )
What happens after the first US entryThe K-1 process calls for marriage to the petitioning U.S. citizen within 90 days of admission. The visa's printed validity controls travel to request admission. After marriage, adjustment of status is a separate application. (sources: )The applicant is already a permanent resident on entry; the physical card follows by mail. (sources: )
Conditions on residenceAfter marriage, the K-1 holder may apply for adjustment of status. This comparison does not determine whether conditions apply. (sources: )If the spouse has been married for less than two years when entering the United States on the immigrant visa, permanent resident status is conditional; a later filing is needed to remove the conditions. (sources: )
Fees and processing timesPublished by the agencies and changed by them. Read the current figures at the source rather than from any summary. (sources: )Published by the agencies and changed by them. Read the current figures at the source rather than from any summary. (sources: )

What your answers describe

You have not answered anything yet, so there is nothing specific to add. The comparison above is the same for everyone, and it is the part that matters most.

Questions only you can answer

  • Where would you marry, and what would that involve for each of you?
  • How would each route affect work, study, travel, and income during the wait?
  • Who would be sponsoring, and can that person meet the sponsorship requirements the agency publishes?
  • Are there past immigration, travel, or legal facts that a qualified professional should look at before you choose?
  • If children are involved, what would each route mean for them?

What this page cannot determine

  • Which route is legally correct for you.
  • Whether either of you would be found eligible or admissible.
  • Whether a marriage, a divorce, or a child relationship would be recognised.
  • What a petition or an application would cost you in total.
  • How long any stage would take in your case, or when an interview would happen.
  • What an officer will decide.

Togetherward is not a law firm and this page is not legal advice. If your situation has complications, a qualified immigration professional is the right person to look at it.

Sources

Official pages change without notice. Read the current wording at the source. Togetherward is not a law firm and this is not legal advice.

  1. 1. USCIS — Visas for Fiancé(e)s of U.S. Citizens (USCIS)
  2. 2. USCIS — Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative (USCIS)
  3. 3. USCIS — Form I-129F, Petition for Alien Fiancé(e) (USCIS)
  4. 4. Travel.State.Gov — Immigrant Visa for a Spouse (IR1 or CR1) (U.S. Department of State)
  5. 5. Travel.State.Gov — Nonimmigrant visa for a fiancé(e) (K-1) (U.S. Department of State)
  6. 6. Travel.State.Gov — Upload and submit scanned documents (Immigrant Visa Step 9) (U.S. Department of State)
  7. 7. USCIS — Form I-864, Affidavit of Support Under Section 213A of the INA (USCIS)
  8. 8. Travel.State.Gov — Affidavit of Support (U.S. Department of State)
  9. 9. USCIS — Filing fees (USCIS)
  10. 10. USCIS — Check case processing times (USCIS)
  11. 11. Travel.State.Gov — NVC processing timeframes (U.S. Department of State)
  12. 12. Travel.State.Gov — Civil Documents (Immigrant Visa Step 7) (U.S. Department of State)

Guides that go deeper

If you want one shared place for all of this

Togetherward keeps one case both partners can see: documents, dates, who owns what, and the official source context beside each item. It is in private beta, and it does not save anything you selected on this page.

See the sample caseApply for the private beta

Before you use this comparison

Does this tell us which route we qualify for?
No. It sets the two routes side by side so you can see what each one involves and where they differ. Whether you qualify for either is decided by USCIS, the National Visa Center, and the consular officer — not by this page, and not by us.K-1 fiancé(e) vs CR-1 spouse visaWhy nothing here is legal advice
Are the timing figures current?
They come from published USCIS and Department of State pages, each stored with its source link and last-verified date. They describe what those agencies have published, not a prediction for your case, and the agency page always governs.What is published about K-1 timing
Do we need an account to use it?
No. The comparison runs in your browser and nothing you select on it is saved or sent anywhere. The workspace itself is open to invited couples in a private beta while we work with a small group. There is no public checkout and no paid signup: the only public way in is to apply.See the sample caseApply for the private beta