Is the fiance visa the best route?
The fianc visa petition is filed at the CIS Service Center closest to the U.S. citizen’s address. Each Service Center has different processing times for fianc visa cases, depending on how many cases are submitted and the available CIS staff to decide them. As a result, it could take anywhere form 2 – 6 months, on average, depending on the Service Center, for the fianc visa petition to be approved. After this occurs, the National Visa Center must be notified by the CIS Service Center of the approval and assign a visa number and notify the consultate nearest the fianc’s foreign residence. This could take an additional 1 – 2 months. In addition, each consulate has different processing times, some short, some lengthy, to actually schedule an interview appointment for the foreign fiance to pick up the visa. So, depending on whether wedding plans are flexible in the U.S. and the potential time needed to complete the fianc visa process, the fianc visa may not always be the shortest route, if
