ForumTitleContentMemberSexCountryDate/Time
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresFiancee visa... wants to go home
Morally, if she doesn't want to get married, he should send her home. Legally, if they don't get married, she needs to leave in 90 days, but I'm not sure if he can be compelled to do so. (Won't let her leave? What an entitled a$shole.)

Have her look here: http://www.catholicc...mmigration.html. They have immigration and refugee services and low-cost (usually sliding scale) legal assistance. (I looked up Houston as I assume, perhaps wrongly, that your cousin was near where you are, but Catholic Charities is nationwide.)
CaladanMaleCanada2007-03-01 10:12:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresMust you change your name?

I think a woman taking her husband's last name is more tradition then anything else. Legally it doesn't matter what either person's last name is or if they are the same, etc. It's tradition just like a man buying an engagement ring for his fiancee when he proposes to her.

So a woman saying "I love you darling, and I want to marry you and be together with you forever, BUT I don't want to take your last name" is the equivalent of a man saying "I love you darling, and I want to marry you and be together with you forever, BUT I do not plan to buy you an engagement ring!" :innocent:


It's not a universal tradition. Neither is the engagement ring. And it certainly doesn't mean the couple loves each other less or more. Plenty of bitter divorcés whose ex-wives changed their names.
CaladanMaleCanada2007-03-04 21:55:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresKind of complicated story.. ideas appreciated~
1) You'll need parental consent either to marry (and then file for a K3 or CR-1) or to come here at age 16 on a fiancée visa. Without that, you can't be legally married, or legally marry, which is the point of the visa.

2) I picked up the impression that one reason you're considering this is that your boyfriend can't often come here to visit you, and this would get you to the U.S. to visit him. Just keep in mind that the K-1 isn't a getting-to-know-each-other visa, and as an Australian, you can come over easily for tourism. So if anywhere you're thinking that your only way to the U.S. to be with your boyfriend is just marriage, you have other options.

3) This process will take some time. Figure between six-nine months for a K-1, about a year for the CR-1. This is not a fast process; you could even finish up your high school degree while filing.
CaladanMaleCanada2007-03-06 10:42:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresI dont see many Vietnamese people in here
Not sure what you're talking about a less than 50% approval rate. I see 90 or so pending applications here, with 60 or so being open and 35 approved. Where's your number coming from?

In any case, there aren't any quotas in the marriage-based visas.
CaladanMaleCanada2007-02-26 10:40:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresAdding evidence post-submission?
A) It won't add anything. Hang onto it as proof of ongoing relationship for the interview, but don't send it along.
B) I'm pretty sure that the petition has to be adjudicated with the information available as of the file date. That is, you can't file if your divorce will be finalized in a month (say), or file before you meet your fiancé on the grounds that you will have met them by the time they get to the paperwork. So I'm pretty sure that a visit *after* the petition was filed wouldn't fall in the right time frame to count, anyway.
CaladanMaleCanada2007-03-23 16:00:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresWill age difference matter?
I don't think they worry about the person being a gold digger as long as the person intends to come here to marry.

They're not in this to ensure people have happy or not deluded marriages, after all, just non-fraudulent ones.
CaladanMaleCanada2007-03-25 11:28:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresWill age difference matter?
So, put yourself in the mind of an adjudicating officer. They are wondering: is this couple legit? Or is someone just trying to get a green card?

An age gap isn't a problem all by itself. But it can be a flag, depending on the culture. So things you might want to ask yourself, as you sit there with your USCIS hat on:

Is your age gap really unusual for the fiancé's culture? For example, do men there usually marry much younger than themselves? Are couples normally the same age? Is there stigma for a young man marrying an older divorcée instead of a 17-year-old virgin? Does the country have a high risk of fraud (due to economics or impossibiitly of securing work or tourist visas)?

This is going to vary by consulate and country, so it's best to talk to people who have gone through your consulate in the regional forums. What might raise an eyebrow between a Moroccan-American couple might not merit a notice in a Canadian-American couple. What might be weird in a Canadian-American couple might be par for the course in the Phillipines.

But in any case, just be prepared with solid proof of relationship. (And a six-year difference is in all likelihood nothing to worry about.)
CaladanMaleCanada2007-03-23 16:14:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresPolyamory and K-1 visas
And what if they're really trying to ####### sheep? I mean, seriously, if we're going to start playing the what-if game, let's at least get more creative. I don't think if they were trying to sneak over a secret gay marriage they'd use polyamory as a defense. Out of frying pan, fire, cf.
CaladanMaleCanada2007-03-26 23:26:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresPolyamory and K-1 visas
You need to look up how "moral character" and "bona fide intent" apply. I'm still betting on troll, but, like, the standard for good moral character and bona fide intent doesn't seem to preclude this guy.

Remember, it's the USC with the boyfriend; the NZ guy is just marrying a woman who's sleeping with someone else. That might make him an idiot, and it doubtless will speak to his intent, but it doesn't make his moral character bad as far as the USCIS is concerned.
CaladanMaleCanada2007-03-26 23:11:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresPolyamory and K-1 visas
I figure they're not going to do any worse than most American trainwrecks of marriages. As long as they want to make the marriage work, it's not really USCIS's place to make sure they're not miserable.

There's a lot of things that are inadvisable, or that I wouldn't want for myself, that are legal. I wouldn't marry someone if I had to be assured through a translator that he really, really loved me. I wouldn't marry someone if there was a huge age gap. I wouldn't marry someone who went shopping for a bride because he thought all American women were too savvy and would take his money and wanted someone docile and subservient. I certainly wouldn't be interested in polyamory.

But all that means is that there's a hell of a lot of legal things I don't agree with.
CaladanMaleCanada2007-03-26 22:55:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresPolyamory and K-1 visas

They don't look for proof of love. If they did, there'd be quite a lot of May-December relationships headed for a denial. There's be a lot of cultural differences that would amount to a denial. They don't care if you're happy or in love, just that you intend to get married and not just for immigration benefits.


If you think there's a lack of love in some of the May-December relationships, what is it then that would qualify them as bonafide?


Doesn't just wanting a partnership count? I doubt the guys whose wives die/divorce them and then who get a new younger wife 6 months later are in it for love, but they are definitely in it for marriage. Or did I miss your point?


I was talking more about the younger half of the relationship. If they're not in for love, then what are they in it for besides immigration benefits?


Financial security, stability, get to see the world, seems like a nice enough guy, would be good for my family? Lots of things that aren't fraudulent that don't fit into the the Western romance model.
CaladanMaleCanada2007-03-26 22:43:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresPolyamory and K-1 visas
Intent to get married, freedom to do so (that's your difference right there, Billy Bong), non-fraudulent intent, proof of relationship.

Proof of love? Not so much.
CaladanMaleCanada2007-03-26 22:34:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresPolyamory and K-1 visas
They don't look for proof of love. If they did, there'd be quite a lot of May-December relationships headed for a denial. There's be a lot of cultural differences that would amount to a denial. They don't care if you're happy or in love, just that you intend to get married and not just for immigration benefits.
CaladanMaleCanada2007-03-26 22:28:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresPolyamory and K-1 visas
The USCIS counts moral character, but I'm pretty sure that's only with regard to laws. Polyamory may be ill-advised, but it's not illegal. (And adultery is one of the "crimes" that doesn't indicate moral turpitude, either.) They're not here to ensure you have a nice marriage with a nice picket fence and get along well with your neighbors.

Thank goodness USCIS doesn't have to pass judgment on whether our relationships meet with the approval of the Catholic Church. On the other hand, it would probably mean less of a backlog at the consulate. DENIED, DENIED, DENIED. Probably includes anyone who met online or had sex. Plus side, quick processing. ;)

We've all mentioned the third wheel. The fact that you need to denounce I suppose makes you feel better, but if you can't tell the difference between polygamy and polyamory, might be best not to make the pronouncements on moral turpitude while wrapping yourself up in your wee flag of self-righteous, mmkay?
CaladanMaleCanada2007-03-26 20:15:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresPolyamory and K-1 visas
Like I said in an earlier thread, there's no law saying that it has to be a happy or non-deluded marriage. And that goes for monogamous and faithful, too.

But that said...

I sorta suspect we're being trolled, but on the assumption that we're not: having a live-in boyfriend is going to create a huge presumption that your foreign fiancé is just marrying you for a greencard, and you're obliging. You may be wholly dedicated to both men, but USCIS is unlikely to see it that way. Using your American boyfriend as a household reference is not wise, and I'm a little worried that he's claiming you as a dependent on taxes (I'm trying to figure out how he's doing that exactly, without you being a spouse.) and what that might entail for your common-law status.
CaladanMaleCanada2007-03-26 08:27:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresI-129F Package Layout
I couldn't find an Acco fastener at our local Staples and wasn't willing to delay sending the petition for a week while they ordered it, so I just binder-clipped the whole thing together. Photos went in a baggie clipped to a sheet of paper, and I followed the order on the guides and topped the whole thing off with a cover sheet.

It came back because I misdated the check. Made out a new check, put the whole thing back in the package with no clips, and re-mailed it. No problems.
CaladanMaleCanada2007-03-24 15:18:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Proceduresquestionable prior work experience?
It's also worth pointing out that not only are the officials trained to spot liars, but that they're familiar with the culture of the country they're in. If it's truly unusual for a Filipina to go to Thailand and not work, then they'll wonder how she supported herself. If it's usual that she'd work just as a nanny, they'll wonder why she's concealing her employment history.

It might be worth talking to a lawyer experienced with your consulate to determine how to put the best spin on this without lying.
CaladanMaleCanada2007-03-29 09:10:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresCan Fiance Visit On Tourist Visa While Waiting For K-1?

...

I would think those 3 things alone would be more than suffice. Why would anyone want to violate any immigration rules while the K-1 is in process? I think we all know the amount of work it takes just for the initial application, jeopardizing it would be pretty insane. I fail to see how a visit could be considered suspicious. Seriously, they know when your finace(e) enters and because they know exactly why (you told them), what is the problem? Even with the worse case scenario, your finace(e) overstays the I-94 expiration date and/or K-1 denied while they are visiting and decides to stay anyway. Then what? You can certainly attempt to file for another type of visa but good luck with that given immigration knew your last entry date and certainly noted why you visited.
...


I think you've answered your own question here. The border people have to decide whether your fiancée is likely to stay. Having you here is a big positive reason to stay. Being committed to doing it legally possibly helps, but as you point out, it's not hard to decide to overstay the I-94 if you have a loved one here in the U.S.
CaladanMaleCanada2007-03-22 08:11:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresCan Fiance Visit On Tourist Visa While Waiting For K-1?

One little problem with the items listed here - a person who has a visa petition pending for them does intend to terminate their lease, quit their job, and in all likelyhood transfer their money to a US bank. None of these things are evidence that one does not intend to immigrate when the immigration process is underway. Two phone calls - one to the boss and one to a family member or friend - and these 'ties' to the home country are severed.

Yodrak


You're right that it isn't ironclad proof, as having a significant other in the country is a significant tie that's hard to overcome. On the other hand, it's surely better to have some way of showing that you do intend to return on this trip rather than leaving the lease, paystub, etc. home. It's not a talisman or a guarantee, just advisable.

kari lina,
C. visited here for two weeks over Christmas and New Year's. He faxed the checklist to Vancouver on the 21st, flew here on the 28th, no problems, no extra inspection, nada. We decided the risk was worth it as I absolutely abhor flying and am less than enthusiastic about central Alberta in January. Also, as C. enters through Canada, he clears customs about an hour away from his house, before he gets on the plane. If he'd been denied, he'd just turn around and go home without any drama or expense, other than the lost plane ticket.

While he was here, they scheduled the interview. We received the visa with no problems and if they had to do extra security checks, they added no noticeable time.

There was a poll a while back about entering while the K-1 was processing. If I remember correctly, most people didn't attempt (or couldn't attempt) an entry. Of those that did, a small but non-negligible proportion were turned away.
CaladanMaleCanada2007-03-21 20:15:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresCan Fiance Visit On Tourist Visa While Waiting For K-1?
1) No, having an I-129F or K-1 application pending doesn't cancel an existing tourist visa.
2) There's a lot of threads about this. Most people, if they have the ability to travel to the U.S. while the K-1 is pending, and if they decide to visit the U.S., are fine. There are no hard and fast rules, though; each couple has to decide whether it's worth the risk to them.
3) If your fiancée does decide to visit, make sure she carries along with her proof that she intends to return: employer letter, paystub, lease, that sort of thing. How long is she planning to visit?
CaladanMaleCanada2007-03-21 17:23:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresCan I marry immediately in the US, or is the K1 correct way?

If your "significant other" arrives in the US on a B2, and you get married and he/she STAYS in the US, is it harder to file an adjustment compared to if your "significant other" arrived in the us on a K1? I'm just wondering because it would seem more suspicious, at least in my eyes.

Also, once you file for AOS on a B2, are all the procedures the same as a K1 , such as Advanced Parole, EAD, SSN, etc...? Or would it also be harder to obtain?



It depends. I'm not sure one is eligible for AP and the EAD without the status afforded by the K-1, but I haven't researched that option. (I'd be guessing AP yes, EAD no, but that's just pulled out of my butt.)

But it's not necessarily more suspicious. It could be, but lots of visitors to the U.S. -- like my friends -- are here long-term as students. People meet, they fall in love, they marry, they file for a green card.

To the OP: is your girlfriend currently able to work? (Not sure whether it's in-or-out patient rehab.) You'll need someone to sponsor you for adjusting status. And if her income meets the requirements, she can do that. JayJay's post is very good; her being in rehab shouldn't be a problem beyond them informing you that she's been convicted of the offenses.

Edited by Caladan, 12 April 2007 - 07:28 PM.

CaladanMaleCanada2007-04-12 19:27:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresCan I marry immediately in the US, or is the K1 correct way?
I will tell you what I told my international friends today:

"If any of you guys meets a girl while studying here and you want to marry, DON'T LEAVE because oh sweet lord will you want to kill people by the end of this. "

I'd get married in a quick legal ceremony, adjust status, and then plan your big wedding if you want one. If you filed tomorrow, having planned to stay till the end of May, you'd probably only be a couple months longer sans ability to work.
CaladanMaleCanada2007-04-11 23:41:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresFormer K1 fiancées that didn’t marry my groom and left US.
I abhor the (very natural and understandable) tendency of VJ to pronounce with authority the status of someone's relationship from a short post. (And honestly, if you were looking to snooker in a foreign bride for nefarious purposes, would you be looking for an Israeli?)

In any case, read up on the IMBRA forum, and in the instructions to the I-129F about the waiver; there's a few examples in the IMBRA forum, but it's basically just a letter explaining why he's needing to file another K-1. It isn't an automatic denial; I expect they're checking for patterns or for someone using the K-1 as a 'getting to know you visa' or for more nefarious purposes.

Don't lie. If I understand what you're saying, your fiancé had a fiancée come over on a K-1 and leave; then he married a woman here on a J-1, and she left. The first one is required to be declared on the I-129F; the second one has to be declared because it was a marriage, and there's going to need to be a proof of a divorce. So you can't hide them.

You may have other problems in your relationship, but I'm going to guess you're in a better position to see it than the rest of us.
CaladanMaleCanada2007-02-26 11:02:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresAre there any REAL people working for USCIS?
We are planning a full floofy dress and church ceremony and reception, but we didn't plan anything (ok, i bought my wedding gown the day before) until he had his visa in hand. We're finding that other than some difficulties with the church (which are sorting themselves out), it's been easy to find a reception hall or a ballroom (we're having a smallish wedding, so that helps) for July.

I wouldn't put down a dime or make solid plans; there's a lot that will be up in the air and things can get delayed through no fault of your own. But if you're flexible on the date, remember that once you get the K-1, you have six months to use it, and that's enough time to plan parties.
CaladanMaleCanada2007-02-24 12:53:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresQuestions about K1 for Brazilian fiancee
How long have you known your fiancé? This sounds like a very recent thing, too.
CaladanMaleCanada2007-01-12 15:54:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresWhen to "activate" fiance visa...
If you haven't filed yet, the chances of you having your visa by July are pretty small. The fastest route through Canada right now is to have your petition processed by Vermont and then for your fiancé to be going through Vancouver, and even then, you can figure about a month for Vermont, about two-three weeks for the package to get to Vancouver and for the packet to get to your fiancé, and about a month from when you send in the checklist for the interview date. Through California or Montreal is even slower, and it looks like you'll have Montréal for the interview since you live in Ontario.

You might be able to travel without using your K-1 if you enter with your birth certificate and driver's license, but it's unlikely you'll have to worry about that. If you are going through Vermont and Vancouver, and you get packet three, just hang onto the checklist for a little bit to push your interview date for the K-1 after you return from your trip. C. and I did that; he received his packet 3 in early November and didn't return it until late December.
CaladanMaleCanada2007-04-28 13:59:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresHow to get a waiver on clause 18 of form I-129F
Yodrak has a proven track record here; you don't. You may indeed have all the experience you say you have, but you do no one a favor by expecting people to take that at face value.

To the OP, the exceptions to clause 18 are very strict. Check out the link john & marlene posted: I think there's one approval, and many, many denials (which can show you the sorts of things that are considered.) But the fact that it's costly to fly to India isn't one of the exceptions listed, so if that's your only real reason, get your pennies together and fly over there. (And document the heck out of the experience while you're there.)
CaladanMaleCanada2007-05-09 18:14:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresHELP - I need to change my fiancee visa to spuse visa
Annulments take a long time and are very hard to get, and you have to schedule a hearing at a religious court. Plus, then you'd have to update the K-1 anyway, since you have to list marriages and divorces. Not going to happen in the next six weeks.
CaladanMaleCanada2007-05-10 09:37:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresHELP - I need to change my fiancee visa to spuse visa
Oh for the love of little apples, pull the other one, it's got bells on.

Your coworker is so knowledgeable about fiancé visa that he knew exactly the right way to mislead someone? Hang on, I think my cat is going to post now.

Be a man and own up to your errors.
CaladanMaleCanada2007-05-09 23:17:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresHELP - I need to change my fiancee visa to spuse visa

I applied for a visa for my fiancee in December 2006 with I29F. We have received an interview date for June 18 at the the U.S. embassy in Manila.

However, we were married in the Philippines on April 28, 2007. I would like to change this application from a FIANCEE visa to a SPOUSE visa.

Can anyone tell me what I have to do. Thanks in advance.

Jim K.


I have some good news and bad news, good news is congrats on getting married, bad news is "What were you thinking, its at the best interest of your wife and yourself not to reveal anything to the consulate because if you do your entire process will be denied and you would be placed on administrative review, which can take a while to fix, they are going to look at you as if you were trying to cheat the system. My father did the same thing back in 1997 and he had to wait almost three years to fix up his mess with the act of congress on his side, and I don't think you want to endure that horrible process, its probably a little faster now but not by much. Like the military says, don't ask, don't tell, keep it your little secret! Best advice!


Really sh!tty advice. Even aside leaving this misrepresentation and the fact that as a married woman, she is not eligible for a K-1 visa: how are they going to adjust status from a K-1 with a marriage certificate dated before the interview?

[crickets]

To the OP: you can't switch from a K-1 to a K-3, unfortunately. You'll have to cancel the petition and start over, but, you know, congrats on being married!
CaladanMaleCanada2007-05-09 18:31:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresI-129F - send evidence of ongoing relationship or not?
I sent three month's of phone bills. No e-mails or chat logs. They didn't ask for anything like that at the interview. Check with others going through your consulate; advice varies based on the country and the risk of fraud.
CaladanMaleCanada2007-05-10 08:19:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresNeed your help with making the least risky chioce
The purpose of the K-1 is so you can come to the U.S. and get married and have an automatic route to adjust status. So if she wanted to come here, marry, and stay, you'd have to get a K-1 so you'd have the paperwork in place to file for the green card. (There's some exceptions, of course: if she were here on a work visa, or met you while here as a student, or married on a whim. Let's just set those aside, since they don't seem to apply to you.)

But if she's here for a visit, you two get married, and she *leaves* the U.S. afterwards, she won't have violated anything at all. The important part is that she follows the Canadian visitor requirements: and that doesn't say "By entering you promise not to marry", it says "By entering as a tourist, you're promising to leave within a set time period." Lots of people here have married and then, after the person's gone home, filed for a spousal visa. Nothing illegal about it at all.

That said.. it's possible that your fiancée could get turned back at the border if they suspect she's intending to immigrate (not MARRY, but STAY), and having an American fiancé is a pretty good reason to immigrate. So your fiancée should have proof of ties to Canada (lease, employment letter, that sort of thing) with her. She should be honest when she clears immigration, but she needn't (and shouldn't) volunteer her plans to marry you.

But route f) is perfectly legal.
CaladanMaleCanada2007-05-11 20:49:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresNeed your help with making the least risky chioce
You know what, TimsDaisy, most of us are pretty clear that they won't end up accidentally legally married in this case. We're worried about them having to prove that they're unmarried due to a slip-up at the interview or POE or when it comes time to adjust status.

To the OP: if you get married, say, and file for a spousal visa the next day, you won't look particularly fraudulent. It's the whole relationship that makes your marriage legit, not whether you've been married for years before filing.

I think either a) or f) is your best option. I'd lean towards f), since the difference is only a couple of months and the religious ceremony seems to be pretty important to both of you.
CaladanMaleCanada2007-05-10 08:16:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresWill a lawyer make this go faster?
What counts as a red flag seems to depend on the consulate. Canada's not exactly high fraud because someone intent on sneaking into the U.S. doesn't really need to dupe an American to do it. I don't know whether Turkey is considered to be high fraud. Age isn't an automatic denial, either, just something that fraudulent cases might have in common with legitimate cases.

A lawyer won't make it go faster in that there's no special lawyer line. A good lawyer who knows what he's doing can advise you about how best to prepare your petition for your consulate, and that can prevent a delay if your case is complicated such that you would have screwed it up on your own. But no matter whether you hire a lawyer or not, at the end of the day, you're responsible for your own petition and case.
CaladanMaleCanada2007-05-15 07:25:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresDeclaration of how we met in person
I'd add to be specific. If you met on a dating site, say which one. Say where and when you met in person.

Our was about two or three sentences saying a) how and where we met online b ) how, when, and where we met in person, and c) that we had numerous visits until we got engaged on such and such a date.

I followed this with a list of our meetings that corresponded to the evidence we had.
CaladanMaleCanada2007-05-09 19:06:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresAccidently sent just forms, NO EVIDENCE SENT!
You're going through Vermont, and they're usually pretty quick, so the good news is, you'll probably know inside of a month or two. Get the proof of having met, and as soon as you get the RFE send it all off.

The guides here will give you a rough idea what to send. Did he remember the passport photos?
CaladanMaleCanada2007-04-15 13:07:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresWedding Dates

I just want to be as efficient as possible. I will mostly likely have a big wedding which these things take forever to plan - or at least obtaining available space and really wanted to have it Oct/Nov of 07. I just wanted to see if anyone had any experience in the this gamble and how it worked out for them.


We received our visa on Valentine's Day and are getting married this July 20th. We are having a big-style small wedding and the two things that were key for us: having the wedding on a Friday (easier to find locations and vendors) and delaying C.'s entry a few months.

You can get a lot planned ahead of time. The big thing is not to fix a date. But you could have your bridemaids, for example, take care of their dresses, or find your own gown, or get together the guestlist.

Oh, and I forgot to mention. We booked everything in one week during March except the florist, which we finalized a couple days ago.
CaladanMaleCanada2007-05-15 15:43:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresEvidence for I-129F petition
Yeah, I misread her post as "first time to the UK" and thought maybe he'd been here.

In that case, what I would do would depend on when I was going to see my fiancé again. If it were soon, I'd make sure to take lots of pictures and send it when I returned. If it were longer, I'd send it off with the primary evidence I had, sending along some e-mails and phone bills to establish that the relationship is valid.

Has there ever been an RFE that just asked for pictures?
CaladanMaleCanada2007-05-02 15:17:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresEvidence for I-129F petition
The way I thought of the distinction between primary and secondary evidence is "third-party certified." Receipts, plane tickets, hotel, ATM usage, passport stamps. It's something that's hard (though not impossible) to fake, that some other organization has a paper trail of, and automatically comes with a date. Pictures don't come with a date automatically.

They're evidence of having met, but they're not very *good* evidence of having met. And USCIS counts them as secondary, and secondary evidence alone won't get you approved.

OP, we were in a similar position. We have lots of solo shots of each other, and many of the Canadian Rockies, but not a whole lot of posed shots. There are probably about ten photographs in existence of me and C. together, and we've been together long enough that three of them were too old for our petition window. Three of them were the sort we took by ourselves (smushed faces in the camera, that sort of thing). I sent in one of the photos that was outside the "window" (and labelled it as such), and two of the smushy face once, and one Hallowe'en one. Four pics total, none of them "film dated",no RFEs, no hiccups.

Remember that you're trying to create a picture of the relationship that says to the adjudicating officer: "is this couple legit? have they met?" So, you have one lonely photo. That's a start. Do you have lots of ticket stubs and passport stamps? Receipts from his hometown? Credit card statements showing you made purchases there? If you have all of that and one photo, it sounds like you're in decent shape, especially if you've both made several visits.
CaladanMaleCanada2007-05-02 15:09:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresFiance Visa for canadian fiance
The OP is being honest if deciding to get married was a spur-of-the-moment, or post-entry decision. Plenty of people have adjusted status successfully from a tourist visa.

Anyhow, to chime in with the answers to your questions.
1. Yes, for part of it. You'd have to go back for the interview, and you'd probably need to go back a bit before that for the medical exam.
2. It's about three months or so to get the I-129F approved through the CSC, where your paperwork would go if you're in Texas, about a month from there to the consulate and you getting information from the consulate, and from there it depends on the consulate. Montreal sets interview dates about four-six months out. Vancouver was about four-six weeks when we went through there. Our process was done in just under five months. That timeline of course, is assuming no problems.
3. You'd run the risk of not being let in because they might suspect you intend to stay, but plenty of people, including my fiance, managed a visit while the K-1 was processing.
4. If you entered with the intention of going home, but changed your mind while you were here, it's not fraud to get married and to file for adjustment of status. This is a good area to talk to a lawyer, but there's also plenty of people who have adjusted from tourist or other statuses here who can help advise you.
5. This is a little tricky. I have a boatload of posts in the Canada forum about getting a temporary work permit. But basically, some border crossings ("points of entry") can give you a stamp that will authorize you to work for the official ninety days of your fiancee visa. JFK is one of those places. However, if you're flying in from Canada, you'll clear customs & immigration *in Canada*, so if you were to land at JFK, you'd be already processed. And none of the Canadian airports will give you the work authorization stamp.

If you were thinking of driving down, most border crossings won't do it. Detroit is rumored to. But based on my experience (read my ranty posts), I wouldn't go out of my way to try to get the work authorization stamp, since most crossings aren't quite sure what to do with a K-1 and you can call them and get there and find out they won't stamp it even if they said they could.

In any case: if you get the work authorization stamp, it's good for 90 days. It expires when your I-94 (the paper that says you've been admitted on a visa) does. But once you're married, you can apply for a work permit. It takes about three months to process.

Good luck with your decision.
CaladanMaleCanada2007-06-20 21:02:00