ForumTitleContentMemberSexCountryDate/Time
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Proceduresds-260 HELP
make sure your using the latest version of internet explorer.

make sure you do the pic upload test even if you dont have one.

some ppl have reported issues lately with this form.

worse case scenario, start over from scratch it wont harm anything. keep saving every few mins. and make sure you look at the example forms on vj, and have all the info you need in advance to make it go faster so you wont have the timeout happen.
KimbearFemaleCanada2010-03-22 13:20:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresTranslation of birth certificate
i got mine two octobers ago. inside of 2 weeks. in english from quebec. i also paid the rush fee as i needed it for my passport at the time. did it all online.

the link la souris gave shows you security features. this is in effect a duplicate in english of what is on the back of the birth certificate. although my bc is in english, the back is not. and this is directly off the quebec govt site so it's a free translation from them.
KimbearFemaleCanada2010-03-22 12:24:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Proceduresmecial/interview
you need your p3 in hand to book the medical usually. they will want it/ copy of it as it has your consulate case number on it.

If you filled in your info / timeline as to what your applying for, and which consulate it would help us give you more pertinent info for your case.

and the online petition your are thinking of is the worker based one the regular I-129. any family based one cannot be done online. the only parts that can be done are at the nvc stage and that is for spousal only.
KimbearFemaleCanada2010-03-22 11:26:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedureshotel review in montreal
quite a few ppl have also stayed at le dauhpin.

I woudln't stay at la tour..i've seen what bedbugs do to a person and their home i just wont even chance it. no matter how long ago the review was.
KimbearFemaleCanada2010-03-23 10:03:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresMultiple Entry K-1 ?
mine says multiple entry as well, however, i personally wouldn't chance it.
KimbearFemaleCanada2010-05-18 15:17:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresPacket recieved from Montreal Consulate... checklist? Medical?
What lila said is correct. Depending on where you go for the medical it can be a month or more wait. I got my p3 in december and i called the medical in toronto and only got an appointment for a month later. and it was the only day otherwise i'd have to wait 2 months for the next appointment. Most of the items can be checked off and gotten once you mail it back. As long as you have all those documents for the interview your fine.
KimbearFemaleCanada2010-05-18 15:20:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresWhen should I send I-129F packet to Fiancee?
IF you can get her all that info now it would be best. Depending on where her interview is, vancouver is fairly fast, whereas montreal is a bit slower. My interview was in March and i took all paystubs from Jan 1st, right up to the last one before my interview. I even included relationship evidence from our noa2 in november til March along with a bunch of other stuff. Overkill but i wanted to be ready for anything.

Right now she can go ahead and get her police certificate and soon as she gets her p3 schedule her medical also. make sure she has all the other stuff that may take a while to get like long form b.c. also.
KimbearFemaleCanada2010-06-07 07:21:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresAOS - Need new criminal record check?
Not if your original one was done within the last year for the k1.
KimbearFemaleCanada2010-06-09 09:21:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresVisiting during processing time
You can go visit in the usa. But as usual, bring proof of ties, and bring your k1 folder with you, ie: proof of you going through the visa process legally. They will appreciate that. Also make sure you have definate dates for leaving and going back, some border crossings like specific dates, ie : i will be returning on xyz exact date by bus/ car/ air.

i went a few times during my k1, and had no issues, and this was after initially being refused entry twice before i began the k1 process. Just remember in the end it is still up to the CBP guards to say yay or nay.
KimbearFemaleCanada2010-07-06 08:57:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresGot a question :)
if you have a laywer the lawyer will get all the info, but the petitioner can ask for "complimentary" copies, if no lawyer i s used, then usually the petitioner aka the usc will get it all, until p3 then the beneficiary aka you will start getting paperwork, p3 and p4 respectively. i would highly recomend your usc fiance send you copies of everything.

Edited by Kimbear, 23 July 2010 - 10:43 AM.

KimbearFemaleCanada2010-07-23 10:42:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresDenied at us border!
it wont affect anything. i was denied entry twice in two weeks back in dec 08, we had just got engaged in nov 08. then started the k1 in feb 09. many people have been deniced entry prior to a visa app. it wont affect it at all.
KimbearFemaleCanada2010-07-28 10:17:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Proceduresquestion?
get it as soon as you can. i waited 2 weeks due to computer crashes problems etc at the border where i POE'd. In fact i got married and asked for it in my new married name. Now this doesn't always work due to people not being educated, however for me it did work. If you run into any problems, read the guides at the top, print out the RM that says k1 is elidgeable for SSN and ask for a supervisor who can verify that your in the SAVE database.
KimbearFemaleCanada2010-08-03 12:25:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresAOS
you do not need SSN to do your aos. if you look at the guids on VJ you should do the AOS as soon as possible. It just worked out that for some of us waiting for the marriage licence etc we happened to get our SSN before AOS. you will always be known by your Alien number on your noa's and visa to uscis.
KimbearFemaleCanada2010-08-09 11:47:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresFiling AR-11 Change of Address for K-1?
Make sure you do both parts of changing your address. you have to do it online with uscis or call them AND file the ar-11 which is for DHS. they both have to be notified as they do not talk to each other. Also both you and the USC need to do this. the usc has to complete a diff form, i-865, the sponsors change of address as well as online.
KimbearFemaleCanada2010-08-22 10:30:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresPre-Interview Paperwork for Consulate- Help Please

Hi.

This is my first post. Been lurking for months and the site has been a lot of help- but cannot locate the answers to these questions. We have been fortunate in that we have spent most of the past year together- mostly in Canada but have made a few visits to the states as well. My fiance has her medical tomorrow in Toronto- and all other paperwork has been obtained, including the information she needed from me. On the cover sheet of the letter from Montreal they ask for the DS-230 Part 1, DS-160, DS-156K, DS-156(two), and the electronic confirmation reciept for the DS-160 that we did online. It also asks for the checklist of required documents and asks that we do not send ORIGINAL documents with the packet.

Here are my questions:

The 156K asks you to attach birth certificate, police certificate, letter of intent, and the I-134. Do we send COPIES of these things with the 156K- or just submit the checklist and give them the originals when we arrive for the interview?

You dont need to send anything extra right now, just bring the extra additional items for each forms requirements to the interview.

Also, there is a website where you can enter a barcode from a completed form and obtain an interview date. Found it while at the library- and haven't been able to locate it again since. If we can use this site to schedule an interview that would be great- but we don't want to make a mistake this late in the game. Should we just wait until we hear back from Montreal, or schedule it online if possible? If we can do it online, would appreciate the link to that webpage- as I didn't use my own computer so it isn't saved to my favorites :(
Not applicable to K1.

Lastly, I am permantly disabled due to a work injury I incurred back in 2002. I have read on the forums here where some people have had issues when the US citizen was getting government monies. I am hoping this won't be an issue- as this is SSDI, an insurance we pay into should we need to draw from the fund in the event of disability. Any feedback here would be great- but the first question is the main priority, and the second is important as well- but if anyone knows anything on the third would like to know. My fiance lives on an investment income- and she is having her financial advisor prepare a packet with her portfolio information- as well as providing a lump sum number that could be converted to cash. We will be taking this with us to the interview in case my disability becomes an issue- we don't expect it to, but just covering our bases.

Someone else will have to chime in here for this question :)

Thanks for your replies :)


KimbearFemaleCanada2010-08-24 08:45:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresMedical Exam in Toronto
the toronto office wont pickup they take the messages and call you back, just leave your info state its for a k1 immigration medical and they will call you back to book it.
KimbearFemaleCanada2010-08-26 07:46:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresNOA2 expires soon...
The consulates in Canada automatically extend the validity of the noa2. My noa2 expired in December and my interview was only in April.
KimbearFemaleCanada2010-09-07 13:04:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresQuestion About Fees
i believe the wiki has some info for you like the cost of the medicals depending on where you go as well as some other useful info. i'm not sure if the process at consulate stage is the same everywhere now. i know in canada it has changed but not sure of other countries.

Edited by Kimbear, 01 October 2010 - 10:45 AM.

KimbearFemaleCanada2010-10-01 10:44:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresK1 and Wedding Plans

Hi all,

I'm curious as to how you all are planning to handle the actual marriage upon K1 approval and after POE.

Taking care of it at the courthouse and having a celebration later?

Waiting for packet 4 with interview date and planning a wedding from there?

I'd love to hear how you all are taking care of it!


In my case we did an actual small ceremony at the house just with close friends. nothing fancy, in fact i cooked my own wedding dinner and we bought a nice simple cake from the local bakery. we only had about 12 people total. The idea was to have the big ceremonial wedding a year later, but honestly lol i'm not working yet so that wont happen around here for cheap!!! lol.

i really didn't mind a small ceremony, i just wanted to be married finally to my wonderful husband who waited so long for our k1 process to finally happen!

Keep in mind, if you are not in a rush, that you do have 6 months to actually use the visa, and another 90 days to get married. would be time to make plans save money etc. if need be. i however didn't wait, lol the day i got my visa in the mail i moved, and 5 days later i was married :)

Edited by Kimbear, 23 July 2010 - 04:25 PM.

KimbearFemaleCanada2010-07-23 16:24:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresRequest for expedite # 2 still denied?????
K1 Expedites are extremely hard to come by. The only time I've seen one was health of the petitioner and even then it was rare. There was a member here who had been trying to get an expedite done, as her process was stuck in limbo. Her health would not allow her to visit her Non USC SO, and with all the delays etc, she no longer fit the requirement of "meeting your fiance in person in the last two years". Suffice it to say after 5 years or so, we no longer see her around these boards, and I believe they gave up any and all hope.

Granted this is an extreme example but it is to show that even in dire straits, you wont get one unless possibly if your Military USC is about to Deploy.

USCIS states on their site if its due to their error they will expedite but even then they wont. My lawyer originally told me 3 months. well 3 months turned into 6 months, and then USCIS made an error adjudicating my petition, which caused NVC to send it back to USCIS. that added on another 5 months. Finally after almost 13 months ( yes over a YEAR) i finally had my interview. And i had requested 2 expedites after they told me on the phone i was eligible due to their (uscis) error.

Sorry, but they do state Never to plan anything in advance on all the paperwork and on the guides. You may just lose all that money.
KimbearFemaleCanada2011-03-30 07:03:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresExpedite Approved

I just wanted to address a couple of responses regarding expedite I have seen on this site.

We, my US fiancee and I, from the UK, filed the I-129f on January 22, 2011 through the VSC, NOA1 issued January 24, 2011. At the time we didnt think we could expedite but we decided to give it a go, so on Feb 22 we called USCIS, and requested to expedited based on my US fiancee's medical and severe financial need. The next day they emailed us asking for evidence. We mailed it to them and this was recieved Feb 25. Yesterday we received a letter from them confirming the expedite was approved, the letter was dated March 24, 2011. This was after we called twice, spoke to a tier 2 operative, who told us to email and fax them to ask where their response was. We sent the fax and email on March 14, 2011.

So since expedite approved, and VSC sent letter and email stating approved, we are now waiting for the petition to be approved or get an RFE.


congrats on the expedite.

it is not that anyone is disagreeing its 100% impossible, its just very improbable. Rarely rarely do we even see them. Uscis is hit or miss when it comes to alot of things, and half the time they do not even follow their own rules. we just advise that people should not get their hopes up too high or assume things as it later ends up being a real let down. Its just like crossing a POE during the immigration process, its is up to each officer to decide ya or nay. Which is probably one of the biggest issues with USCIS.
KimbearFemaleCanada2011-03-31 11:05:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresShe got approved but....

She had her interview yesterday and this is what happened....
They took her fingerprints, had her raise her hand and swear an oath, gave her a brown envelope and kept her passport..
they told her to come back in a week to pick up her passport...
However, they didn't use the word approved.

Now i'm not stupid, i know this means approval but the question i have is this. How definite is this? She has to give a 1 month resignation notice at work. Is she safe to go ahead and give that notice tomorrow or should she wait another week (until she has the visa in hand). I know anything is possible, but how possible is it that she won't get a visa at this point?


If you received the envelope you were more than likely approved. the envelope is all the stuff you need to process the visa at the POE when you cross. It contains your entire file, medical information etc. I would wait at least another week or two depending on where she lives. it could take a while to get the visa back depending on the consulate, mail delivery etc.
KimbearFemaleCanada2011-03-31 11:07:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresDS-156k UHG!!!

So I've been helping my fiancé fill out his papers from the packet three, and the DS-156 was done electronically on the governments website. But the DS-156k pdf file on the gov's website is all... glitchy. It has "undefined" written in all sorts of slots and none of it makes any sense. I thought maybe that was put there on purpose but clearly this is not the case since the example form here on vj is without these things. Here's a link to the page...

http://www.state.gov...ation/82063.pdf

I don't know what to do since this is the only place I can find with the up to date version of this form i.e. 2010. Can I just fill it out like this, will the visa officer not take the form like this even though it was like this on their site? Any help is appreciated!

-Sophie


Uscis Nvc etc all recommend you do the paperwork in Internet Explorer. Most of mine either goofed in chrome or firefox..heck even the ds 160 messed up in IE. but i had less problems with them using IE.
KimbearFemaleCanada2011-04-01 08:39:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresHow long till ability to work in USA??

Wow thanks for all the info! I appreciate it! So given all of this... here is our plan, let me know if there is a better way...

We plan to marry at the courthouse the day after he arrives in order to file both the I-485 and the I-765 that same day. So he should receive this EAD in 60-90 days from then and be able to work while the AOS is pending. Right? Where does applying for SSN fit into that? :huh:


it depends on the local ASC office that does the biometrics appointments. some were backed up like mine in Chicago and the Texas one so it took me a bit longer. but yes the average is 90days roughly.

also you do not have to pay the $380 fee for the i765 form, as long as you file it same time as the aos 485 form. i485 fee is $985. Add $85 biometric fee for a total of $1070.

Wow thanks for all the info! I appreciate it! So given all of this... here is our plan, let me know if there is a better way...

We plan to marry at the courthouse the day after he arrives in order to file both the I-485 and the I-765 that same day. So he should receive this EAD in 60-90 days from then and be able to work while the AOS is pending. Right? Where does applying for SSN fit into that? :huh:


apply for SSN as soon as you get the marriage certificate. it took me less than two weeks, when the county originally told me to wait a month. when you go get your marriage license ask them what the turn around time is to get the marriage certificate.

Also, make sure your fiance's name is on the mailbox for the mail, some postmen/ women wont deliver an SSN or any government mail if the persons name is not on the actual mailbox. i was told specifically to put my full name not just the family surname.

Edited by Kimbear, 18 April 2011 - 07:03 PM.

KimbearFemaleCanada2011-04-18 19:01:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresHow long till ability to work in USA??

K-1s can file a I-765 right on entry under code A6 and pay $350. That EAD will expire when the I-94 expires, after 90 days. It takes about 90 days to process the I-765. Therefore, you would be paying hundreds of dollars for a document that works for maybe a few days before it expires. It is basically worthless and a waste of money.

Once you marry, you file your AOS forms. WIth that bundle, there is anther I-765 you file under code C9 for free! That EAD is good for a year, and you should get your GC much earlier than a year. (The GC itself gives you the right to work/travel). It still takes around 90 days to process the EAD (sometimes 60 days). If working is important to you, you can marry soon after entry and get the ball rolling on your AOS.

Good luck to everyone.


the correct category is C9 if you came in on a k1 visa and applied for EAD (work authorization form i 765) at the same time as the i485 and you do not have to pay any extra money for the form.
KimbearFemaleCanada2011-04-18 18:56:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresCanadian police certificate
As long as you do not have any criminal issues a normal police check at any opp office should suffice. otherwise you need an RCMP fingerprint one done. also keep in mind the certificate is only good for a certain amount of time. mine was done in Windsor with a validity date of 90 days. so i only got it two months before my interview. mine took like 3 days lol i can't remember ho much it cost but i think it was like 40 or 35..something like that.

Edited by Kimbear, 18 April 2011 - 07:07 PM.

KimbearFemaleCanada2011-04-18 19:07:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresYikes.... I have been flagged at the border!

I am wondering if it all depends on the individual situation. My son in law was denied entry a few years back. We tried to cross a couple of years ago at a Vancouver crossing, we all got brought in. He is the only one they talked to and only he was told if he tried to reenter without obtaining a US pardon (which is a very expensive long process...we think it's bad for a K1 visa!) he would be held for an immigration hearing. Could you call the border where you are crossing and get clarification on why you were denied entry? or example, I know people who cannot cross because they have a DUI. Again, everyone has different experiences,good luck!
Lise


usually if your denied entry you get a paper saying why. i did, each time as well as fingerprinted and photographed. You can call the border if you like not sure if they would give the info out on the phone though.
KimbearFemaleCanada2011-04-19 16:20:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresYikes.... I have been flagged at the border!
each crossing is completely up the the poe guard at the time. it will be put in the computer and the next time he crosses he may be extra scrutinized and pulled into secondary.

lord knows this happened 3 times to me. and each time i was refused entry. it did not harm our petition at all. i actually waited a whole year before i tried to cross again, once we learned and started the k1 process. i also made sure to bring my k1 petition etc with me to show i was doing things the legal way. and i had to make sure i had lots of ties to Canada.
KimbearFemaleCanada2011-04-19 10:37:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresAm I going overboard
we included two pictures of us taken together in the usa with a simple 2 line phrase on the app stating the dates we met in person. as for the other relationship stuff i kept it and brought it to the interview, and the consular office did ask to see it , and you can keep it for your proof of relationship folder for AOS after the wedding if you have an interview.

also frontloading with alot of info like that is very good for certain consulates..you'd have to check reviews of yours to see how they are.

Edited by Kimbear, 18 April 2011 - 07:12 PM.

KimbearFemaleCanada2011-04-18 19:11:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresI-129F *denied* :( What to do next?
Edit. nvm Jim said it perfectly.

Edited by Kimbear, 07 June 2011 - 12:37 PM.

KimbearFemaleCanada2011-06-07 12:34:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresSilly question

Why do you need help with the 864? thats not needed until after you are in the USA after you are married and when you are filing AOS.



For some reason this question / confusion seems to come up an awful lot lately...the 134 vs 864. To my knowledge k1 still need the 134 and then the 864 later for aos after they moved.....

Have any of the consulates changed this or has uscis itself? i still see the 134 listed as needed on the various sites.
KimbearFemaleCanada2012-03-15 19:25:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresSilly question
that part is just for tracking purposes. some of us are crazy :P and we have to know every litle journey our package goes through. so we call the dos and find out if they sent out our approved petition to the nvc if they looked at it and asigned it a consulate number, and when it was forwarded it to the consulate. some of us have even found ways to track it to the consulate. this way we know when to go ahead and pre fill out our forms for p3 and stuff and get our documentation done.

as inky said you dont have to worry about it since you already received what we call P3.
KimbearFemaleCanada2012-03-15 16:55:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresRFE to NOA2?
Depends on the RFE and when they got the requested info from you. Typically this can add 1-3 months delay depending on what the RFE was orginally for.
KimbearFemaleCanada2012-03-16 08:59:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresRequest for extension

The requirements for the interview



do you mean the consulate interview to actually get approved for the k1 visa? if you have an interview then you obviously passed the requirements. Or do you mean that you need extra documentation to bring with you to the interview? I'm not sure how your consulate works but usually you do not schedule your interivew if you do not have all your documentation and forms filled out.

Again a few more details would make it easier to understand what exactly you are asking. Have you received your noa2/ your p3 and interview letter done your medical etc? your timeline is not filled out so we have no clue what stage your at.

Edited by Kimbear, 15 March 2012 - 04:49 PM.

KimbearFemaleCanada2012-03-15 16:48:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresRequest for extension

because we dont have all the requirements yet.



I"m confused. if you dont meet the requirements then how can you even file? an extension is only needed if your noa2 expires and will be invalid by the consulate and only if they do not automatically extend it.

Please clarify.
KimbearFemaleCanada2012-03-14 08:14:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresMedical Results
the fedex envelope it was recevied in yes..the other envelope inside no. Its that one which must remain sealed and should have the do not open stamp on it.
KimbearFemaleCanada2012-09-07 12:39:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresI-129F Denied :(

Actually I disagree that they are clear. The instructions do say proof of having met within the past two years, but its quite obvious how people interpret this differently. Look at previous posts and you see how some included very little and others put a lot; both were approved. Form part C, question 1, I have heard of people getting an RFE for having it blank. But it seems it could be read as "if.....blah blah blah". Therefore if you don't even meet any criteria you don't even bother to answer it. Not even with an 'N/A'. Another example would be "were you ever convicted of a crime? Y N" and the next question was "did the conviction result in prison time?" (just an example). If you answered No to the first part, why would you even bother putting something in for the second part?



my proof was a simple 2 line sentance and a bus ticket from Canada to Chicago. That simple.the trick if you will is intepretting it to mean IN PERSON, face to face, with proof. beit a pic or a passport stamp showing you were in the same city.

Edited by Kimbear, 01 August 2012 - 09:27 AM.

KimbearFemaleCanada2012-08-01 09:26:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresI-129F Denied :(

Calling a senator or congressman cannot help. USCIC are not answerable to elected officials.

If you get the letter from them, and you are indeed denied, your best option is to refile, following the guides and enclosing all the bits and pieces necessary to support your petition. Read the guide, you will find it is a valuable tool.

Welcome to Visa Journey. If you have questions, or need help, you have come to the right place. This website is the absolute best.



I'm pretty sure they can help, they have dedicated people in their office for immigration. We got help, back whern we got an NOID (notice of intent to deny) due to a mistake my lawer made. yes i did fire him and foudn this stie. the Senator was able to tell us the reason for the NOID as USCIS refused to tell me or the us citizen or even my lawyer what the issue was. Long story short, uscis screwed up abjudicating my i-129f, technically there was an error that should have resulted in an RFE sent out to me, but they never did that. they sent it off to NVC who refused it as they saw immediately it was not abjudicated properly. Thus uscis got it back, and immediately tried to deny it. If i did not contact my senator we would not have found out what the issue was, what we could do to recitify it and prevent it from being denied. Due to his help, we were able to fix the mistake and immediately courier our reply to them and get our petition reinstated and processed properly. It did delay us a few months but it was salvaged.


However this worked for our peition. It might not be easy for others, but you wont know if you dont try. All it takes is for a us citizen to conact his congressman/ senator and get an answer as to what exactly is the problem.
KimbearFemaleCanada2012-08-01 09:23:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresYes, you can visit!
Im doing the k1, stayed a week in december, stayed a month in february. i'm unemployed and had no issues. i had more issues before we started the k1 process.

i was refused entry twice in 2008. and since we started the k1 process and informed the border officers about it and bring proof of it with us every time, i have had no issues whatsoever. in face they see us cross so many times now they joke about it and kinda say hurry up and get married :P
KimbearFemaleCanada2010-03-01 14:08:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresThousands of Weddings Tied Up in Red Tape
Thousands of Weddings Tied Up in Red Tape

Homeland Security Paperwork Glitch Delays Citizen-Immigrant Marriages

By LARA JAKES JORDAN, AP

The government says it plans to send out additional forms that should clear the way for thousands of couples to get married.


WASHINGTON (June 13) - True love waits for no one - except maybe the Homeland Security Department. Red tape has put wedding bells on hold for about 10,000 U.S. citizens seeking visas for their foreign brides and grooms as the department works on new paperwork for their applications.

The form change was required as part of a law, enacted in March, to protect foreign mail-order brides from abusive American spouses. But Homeland Security missed its deadline three months ago, putting the visa applications of thousands of law-abiding lovers in limbo.

The department said Tuesday it would send out additional forms to the visa seekers for more information that should satisfy the new law's protections.

But the bureaucratic entanglement has trashed wedding plans for many couples before they could get anywhere near the altar.

"We were ready to get married this year, but I can't really make a date until we get the approval," said Bill Hall, 41, a construction foreman from Burlington, Vt. He applied two months ago for a visa for his fiancee, Debbie, to emigrate from Canada with her two sons. In separate interviews, the couple said they have been dating for six years.

"We're just kind of here, in limbo," Hall said. "And it's kind of aggravating - it's a real simple thing they have to do, and they're making more of it than they need to."


"We were ready to get married this year, but I can't really make a date until we get the approval. We're just kind of here, in limbo."
-Brian Hall, a Vermont man whose marriage to a Canadian woman has been put on hold by Homeland Security

He said his application, sent to Homeland Security in April, "never got approved. It's just sitting there."

The tale of these 10,000 belated nuptials illustrates a bureaucratic response to what all sides agree is a well-intentioned law to protect women.

Advocates estimate that as many as 15,000 foreign women annually meet their American husbands through for-profit marriage brokers. That number, provided by the Virginia-based Tahirih Justice Center, marks a sharp rise from a 1999 estimate by the former Immigration and Naturalization Services of 30,000 women who came to the United States through a marriage broker during the previous five years.

Spurred by stories of foreign women - largely from Eastern Europe and Asia - being abused or even murdered by their U.S. husbands, Congress in December approved new protections for mail-order brides. They included amending the application form for so-called fiancee visas with two new questions: Whether the romance was arranged by an international marriage broker, and had the U.S. citizen ever been accused of a violent crime or convicted of three or more alcohol- or drug-related crimes.

President Bush signed the law on January 5, putting Homeland Security under order to draw up the new paperwork. But the forms weren't finished by March 6, when the law took effect - resulting in the department shelving all fiancee visa applications written on the old forms that were received after that date.

Chris Bentley, a Homeland Security spokesman, said about 10,000 applications are currently being held because they did not address the criminal or marriage broker issues.

"They did not have all of the information needed to determine whether someone qualified or not," said Bentley, who works for the department's Citizenship and Immigration Services.

He added: "It's certainly an inconvenience brought about by the new requirements of the law."

Homeland Security said Tuesday it would send additional forms to the estimated 10,000 couples in wedding purgatory to get answers to the questions about criminal pasts and marriage brokers. But it said it was still waiting for the White House Office of Management and Budget for approval of those forms and the new application.

OMB spokeswoman Andrea Wuebker did not have details immediately on the additional forms, but said the new applications were approved Monday in an emergency clearance process. It was not clear when the new applications would be distributed to the public.

Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., rapped Homeland Security for getting cold feet about quickly processing the new regulations that she helped write.

"Security and safety should be their top consideration but their long visa process delays are putting a lot of people's lives on hold," Cantwell said in a statement.

Hall, the lovelorn Vermonter, said he's frustrated with the visa delays for people trying to follow the law at a time the Bush administration is grappling with giving other benefits to immigrants who have slipped into the U.S. illegally.

"I thought it was ironic," Hall said. "And I find it unfair."
JJM8081Not TellingEngland2006-06-13 17:30:00