U.S. citizen living in Canada — can we apply for a K-1 from Canada?
Hi everyone! I’m a U.S. citizen who has been living in Canada for the past three years. My boyfriend (a Canadian citizen) and I have decided that we would actually like to move back to LA and live with my family, so I’m trying to figure out what our options are.
I know basically nothing about the U.S. immigration process, so I’d really love to hear from people who have gone through something similar!
From what I’ve been researching, it sounds like the K-1 fiancé visa might be the route we’d want to take. My understanding is that, as a U.S. citizen, I can file the I-129F while we’re still living together in Canada. Then, if his K-1 is approved, he can enter the U.S. and we have 90 days to get married — which we absolutely do intend to do.
After we’re married, my understanding is that we would then apply for his green card and wait for the adjustment-of-status process.
I’ve seen people say the K-1 process can take around 8–12 months, but I’m not sure how accurate that is or whether that timeframe applies to our situation.
I’m especially wondering if the fact that I’ve been living in Canada for almost three years creates any issues with applying for a K-1. Can we start the process while we’re both living in Canada, or would I need to move back to the U.S. first?
I’d really appreciate hearing from anyone who has been in a similar situation, especially U.S. citizens who were living abroad when they started the K-1 process. I’m just trying to understand what we’re getting ourselves into before we make any decisions!