ForumTitleContentMemberSexCountryDate/Time
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsNovember 2012 filers
I can't update my timeline until the official NOA1 arrives in the mail, but I sent the packet on Nov 6 with express overnight, and saw the check cashed (via my online bank balance) on Nov 10. Received the email notification on November 12 evening, and just waiting for actual mail version now!

Good luck to everyone, and let's hope processing doesn't slow down much for the holidays!
LynkaliFemaleFinland2012-11-13 14:10:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresQuestion about frontloading and packaging I-129F
Thanks for the advice ... to both of you!

Most posts I've seen say to use paperclips or large clamps to hold your petition together.


I'll try this, I guess ... but some other posts here showed pics of folders and tabs labelled for easy reference, which just seemed perfect to me. Worried about pages falling out and getting lost if it's just a clip!

Use of several pieces of evidence from each visit over the span of your relationship might be a better idea.


That's exactly what I have (a few pieces of evidence from each visit), but with 5 lengthy visits, it does add up to a fair number of pages, there's no way a simple paper clip will suffice!

follow the K1 guide here on VJ! Good luck!! :thumbs:


The K1 guide is a lifesaver and I'm following it to the letter, INCLUDING the part that states "There is no minimum, but the more you can provide the less likely you are that you will receive an RFE" and talks about frontloading proof of ongoing relationship! So, doing that I think won't hurt, based on a month of browsing old posts here ... and it only adds like 3 pages to the entire thing to just include one screenshot of skype call logs and a 3 scanned postcards and packages.

I really don't think I'm going that far overboard, just that there's a TON of proof of us actually having met for lengthy visits in the last two years, which is the most important proof at this stage.

But I guess a heavy duty clip would work .. still think labelled tabs on the pages might be helpful, does anyone disagree?
LynkaliFemaleFinland2012-10-15 01:07:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresQuestion about frontloading and packaging I-129F
Hi all, first time posting here but have been browsing for a month or more. I'm just a few days away from sending off our first packet, the I-129F initial petition and I'm getting pretty nervous about doing everything right, like I'm sure we all do!

I'm planning on frontloading all/most of the information about our ongoing relationship, because Mikko and I have met in person 5 times, and THREE of those trips to meet were in the last two years -- so I think it's best to include documentation for all of those meetings in the last two years, which makes for a pretty hefty packet (plane boarding passes, photos of us together, credit card receipts, my roaming cell phone charges from his city, hotel reservations, everything from three different visits!). Once I included all that, I just went ahead and added in a few extra things about how we initially got to know each other and some chats/phone logs, etc from our six-year relationship. Seems easier to get that ALL done now, so we won't have to supplement with more information later.

However, now I worry about presentation and if the USCIS people will not want to look through all of our info.

So my question is: I am planning to make one small plastic folder of just the forms and birth certificate, letters of intent, all the main things, but put ALL of the 'proof' and documentation of our meetings in person into a separate larger folder. I also have written, both on the I-129 form and in the cover letter, a sentence stating that the documentation for visits together is in the larger packet. The larger packet is clearly labeled and has a table of contents so they can glance to where the info they need is.

But is there any reason to make a THIRD packet with only the boarding passes, photos, etc that provide proof of our last meeting (in July 2012) to prove ONLY that? Anyone actually taking time to look through our material will find the info they need (more than they need, I think!), but I just worry that they might not look through the larger packet and think I didn't document the most recent trip, since it's at the end of a long packet? I know USCIS is most concerned right at first with the meeting-in-person requirement, so how can I make that proof obvious, without creating a whole duplicate of our 'ongoing relationship' documentation?

Obviously I think I'm overanalyzing and worrying too much (as I usually do), but when other people frontload the relationship material, do they include the meetings-in-person or keep that separate?

Thanks for any advice!
- Nancy (USA) and Mikko (Finland)
LynkaliFemaleFinland2012-10-14 22:48:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresNo NOA1?
I wouldn't worry ... I sent mine on exactly the same day (Tuesday Nov 6, election day!) via overnight express mail to Texas. It arrived there promptly, and on Saturday my bank online showed a "pending" transaction (they cashed the check but it hadn't quite cleared yet). Today it shows cashed, finally. And last night, even though it was Veterans Day and I didn't expect anything, around 9 p.m. I got the email notification saying they had sent the packet to CSC and the NOA1 would be coming in regular mail.

So keep checking your bank and email, but I'd say a few more days is totally reasonable, especially if you didn't overnight the packet. Good luck and keep in touch, since we are filers from the same day! :)
LynkaliFemaleFinland2012-11-13 12:45:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresHow to Organize Proof of Having Met vs Proof of Relationship
I just filed my I-129 a few weeks ago, so bear in mind that I haven't been approved yet so I can't promise this works! But: I had the same situation, several visits in person in the last few years, plus other proof (chat logs, phone records, mailed packages) between those visits. What I did was to put everything in chronological order, and label at the bottom with small tabs, things like "met in person July 2012" and "ongoing relationship 2008-2010" etc. Each section was labeled either "ongoing relationship" or "met in person", but it was in chronological order. (There are a few pics on my profile page here.) It made for a very nice package and my NOA1 came VERY quickly, so I guess whoever disassembled my packet upon arrival didn't have much trouble knowing what to do.

Good luck!
LynkaliFemaleFinland2012-11-15 13:19:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresBank statement
I'd like to know the answer to this as well ... for non-military, that is. (I'm sure the expedition due to military makes things move a lot faster!)

I'm starting to gather my materials for the I-134 and have heard that Chase (my savings bank) might balk about that letter, so I was thinking of going in this or next week to get it started or see if they're going to be nice and easy about it. If they do give me a letter right away in November or December, but our interview doesn't end up being until March ... is that a problem?
LynkaliFemaleFinland2012-11-15 12:56:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Proceduresengagement ring isn't required, is it?
There have been a number of posts lately talking about engagement rings, receipts, and so on ... making me nervous and I just wanted to set my mind at ease: we are not required to have an engagement ring, are we???

I have no desire for a ring (I'm the USC, female), since I never ever wear jewelry and I'm not big on tradition at all. (I've even told him never to buy me flowers, although chocolate is ok!) And we don't even have any official engagement story or "proposal" -- we started talking about getting married about three years into our six-year relationship, simply because it seemed the only possible way for us to actually live together permanently, in either country. So if anyone proposed, I think it was me, not him!

I'm also not going to change my name when we get married, nor are we planning any sort of elaborate ceremony -- at most, just my immediate family when we go to the justice of the peace, or something along those lines, with maybe a nice family dinner afterwards. Nothing traditional whatsoever, and I might not even wear a skirt! (Not big on dresses either.)

None of that means I love him any less, or that our relationship isn't real ... and I certainly hope USCIS doesn't insist on things that would mean nothing to us, personally.

So, just needing to make sure: will the lack of a proposal, lack of an engagement ring, lack of a big wedding party ... any of that be a problem or cause for concern, at either the interview stage or later, when we adjust status and eventually remove conditions? I can't see why traditions like that would ever be required, but so many posts lately seem to focus on wedding plans and rings, that it has me feeling a bit out of place and nervous!
LynkaliFemaleFinland2012-11-17 22:06:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresBringing my 16 year old fiancée
I know this is a huge can of worms to open, but I can't avoid it.

You mention that you want to bring her here. Has anyone asked her what SHE wants? Your post is full of me, me, my family, me.

Quite apart from any legal considerations of age, etc ... the K-1 visa requires declarations of intent from BOTH parties. She will be the one interviewed at the consulate (assuming you even get that far). Maybe she does want to marry you ... but maybe she would like to finish school, or even go to college, or make her own choices in the world. Have you asked her?
LynkaliFemaleFinland2012-11-18 01:48:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresPreparing the i-129f

And did they balk at 29 days? Or are you still waiting to find out?

Still waiting, not due for NOA2 until February probably ... but the photo I did sent did NOT have the date stamped, so there's really no way they could know when it was taken, I don't think!
LynkaliFemaleFinland2012-11-19 20:01:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresPreparing the i-129f
I got four passport photos taken at Walgreen's (I wanted some extra just in case) ... they were taken 29 days before I sent in our petition. On two of the four, there was a date stamped on the back, but on the other two, there was nothing. I think the store's photo paper had printed the dates, then they cut the photos to size, so that two of them didn't get any stamp. So obviously, to be safe, I sent in one of the photos without the date stamp, just in case they would balk at 29 days.
LynkaliFemaleFinland2012-11-19 19:34:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresCan i make a scrapbook with photos for interview??
I think an actual scrapbook (with what, hearts and ribbons all over it?) would be really weird and inappropriate for the interview, so ... no.

That said, photo collage pages, and even photos mixed on a page with postcards or chat logs, is -- as far as I'm aware -- absolutely fine. So it depends on your definition of scrapbook: if you want to put 3-4 photos on a single page, and add captions describing what the photos are, I think that's fine. But I would go very very lightly on any "decor" ... just the photos and information as to what they are EVIDENCE of is what the consular officers need.
LynkaliFemaleFinland2012-11-16 01:30:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresMy California birth certificate is only one page..
My California birth certificate (from 1971, the original, with all the info I can imagine, mothers's and father's names and occupation and everything) is only one side. However, as the I-129F instructions state, I scanned BOTH sides of the certificate in color to send in ... the back is blank but you can make out the indentation of the purple seal from the front, that's really all that shows other than a small crease mark.

To be safe, and for other reasons (customs stamps, proof of entry for visits in person), I also sent in color copies of ALL pages in my passport. So between the two forms of proof of US Citizenship, I surely hope it won't be a problem.
LynkaliFemaleFinland2012-11-22 16:18:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresI-134: Co-sponsor is retired and files jointly
While I wait for our NOA2, I'm planning out what we'll need for the I-134. I've long known that I might need a co-sponsor, because my income is marginal -- 2011 was $17K, 2012 will be $42K but I don't have W2 until January, and it appears that my 2013 will only be $17K again since I've gone back to part-time involuntarily. (My employment letter states only my hourly ($57/hr) wages, because my hours vary so dramatically much, they cannot predict my annual salary.) Since we probably won't submit this until after the new year, the 2013 would be the 'current' income, I guess.

I do, however, have over $200K in liquid assets (investment and mutual fund bank accounts, no withdrawal penalties), so I'm really hoping that I can qualify based on my assets to make up the income shortfall.

Since there's some doubt about using assets at all, though, my dad is more than willing to be our co-sponsor, so we'll prepare his forms and have them on hand if they are needed. But I have some questions I don't see answered in the forums so far:

My dad is retired and gets a very hefty pension, plus dividend earnings -- even the pension alone is WAY over the poverty guidelines. That income is his alone, but he files taxes jointly with my mom, who also earns a very tiny extra pension in addition. So:

1) What forms does my dad need to prove his retirement income? We have ordered tax return transcripts, have his recent full returns (2011, 2010 if needed) as well as his 1099R and, if necessary, bank statements showing the monthly deposits. But there is no "letter of employment" because he's not employed, just retired with a pension. I assume the 1099R is the W2 equivalent. Is the 1099R plus tax returns sufficient? Should we include bank statements showing those deposits?

2) My parents file their taxes jointly. The income we are claiming for the I-134 is solely my dad's (checks come to him in his name) and is far in excess of the poverty guidelines, but on the IRS tax returns, my mom's much smaller pension is also included. Is there anything my mom has to sign or do regarding the I-134, since they file joint tax returns?

3) Any input on MY chances of qualifying based on assets? As I said, we'll have my dad as a backup for sure, but it seems to me that even at my lowest income ($17K) that $200K in the bank should be enough for the CO to approve it?

4) Will the process when we adjust status and file the I-864 be approximately the same guidelines and forms required? Anything I should be preparing for on that front?
LynkaliFemaleFinland2012-11-25 03:05:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresK1 visa rejected, have 90 days to show proof, affidavit, both of us are unemployed, what to do?

This is because only my fiancee's mother filled the I-134 and they said it's not enough, the interviewer just handed me the paper and sent me away.


I'm trying to understand this sentence. Are you saying that your fiancee herself did NOT file the I-134? That you only had one I-134 and that was the mother's? If so, I believe that is your problem: your fiancee HAS to file the I-134 regardless of her income and regardless of whether there is a co-sponsor. Then in addition to your fiancee's paperwork, her mother must also file the I-134 as a co-sponsor, with all HER supporting documentation.

I'm preparing for this stage myself, so someone please correct me if I'm wrong on the above. But I'm almost positive that the fiancee (petitioner) must file an I-134 regardless of cosponsorship.
LynkaliFemaleFinland2012-11-14 18:44:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresWhen to file petition if we want to use income from 2013 on affadavit of support?

The average waiting time for other Finns on the forum seem to be approximately 4-6 months from filing the petition to getting it approved.

The others have answered your income question mostly, but I'd suggest that your time scale is a bit too optimistic. Right now California Service Center is at an absolute dead halt and has a tremendous backlog (people from July have still not been approved). Since your profile says Washington, I'd assume your petition will go through CSC.

By comparison, we're also a Finnish-USA couple. We filed in early November last year and I have no hope or indication that our petition will be approved by the six month mark -- it's looking more like July or even August (8-10 months) at this point, if we're LUCKY. Add on another 1-2 months before the interview, and the total time from filing petition to interview could very well be 10 months or more, given current processing trends.

I wish you luck and speediness, whenever you decide to file. If I were you, I would do it right away to get the huge wait started.
LynkaliFemaleFinland2013-03-21 23:50:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresForm I-134 Verbiage very tough on Petitioner

Once in states we get married, and asap file 1-130 for green card and work permit. Then also file for 1-131 for early permission to travel while still under temp green card while waiting for our two years to get permanent green card.


You submit the I-864 when you file for the Adjustment of Status after you are married, at the same time as you file for Employment Authorization and Advance Parole (travel authorization). See http://www.visajourn.../content/k1flow for a quick overview of those steps, although you're right that the I-864 is not listed by name there. It is part of the AOS filing though, unless I've greatly misunderstood!

(Edited to add: also see http://www.visajourn...content/k1k3aos for the forms needed for Adjustment of Status, including the I-864.)

As for your worries, I can't help. I have yet to hear, even in those cases where divorce has happened, of serious fallout from the I-864, but then again I haven't followed every single couple who has made this journey. I am curious as to what you do find out, given my own case with a HUGE imbalance of assets and earning power, but whatever you do find out isn't going to change my mind on my journey, or on having the pre-nup to avoid any really awful scenarios.

Edited by Lynkali, 12 April 2013 - 11:15 PM.

LynkaliFemaleFinland2013-04-12 23:13:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresNo NOA2...help please

Hi Everyone,
I know I am not the only one here who has not received there NOA2. I filed my k-1 on sep 14. I have been told since Jan. that I need to wait two more months. They finally told me that in may I can do an e-request. I have gotten so fed up that I have contacted my senator and they have told us that they have emailed USCIS and that that is all they can do!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I know it's awful to wait so long, and I am sorry for you! We've only been waiting since November and it still feels like forever.

However, the situation has improved in this last week, and you are NOT ALONE, by any means. If you look at the timelines here: http://www.visajourn...tion=2&sortby=2 and scroll down, you will see that there are nearly 100 people who filed in September still waiting -- and that's just those people who have timelines entered on VisaJourney (only about 6% of the total fiance petitioners). There are probably nearly 2000 real-life couples actually in your exact same situation, if my understanding of the percentages is correct.

Being from Turkey won't have any effect at THIS stage -- all couples, no matter where they are from, have to wait in this huge queue with no priority. Being from Turkey may affect your timelines and experiences later, at the embassy stage, so you should look around here for other Turkish couples' experiences.

I wish you the best of luck and I hope that maybe your Senator can help, but the chances are good that in a few more weeks, you may get your approval, if the good processing times continue!
LynkaliFemaleFinland2013-04-21 02:01:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresJuly filers CSC

A nice representation of the VJ data, as long as you are not a VJ data denier.

There are deniers??? Craziness. WIth up to 10% of all K-1 petitioners having timelines here (and the overwhelming majority of those staying current and updated), I just don't see how anyone could deny the accuracy and sampling size of VJ data!
LynkaliFemaleFinland2013-04-21 20:31:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresHow long?

Three months for us.

Six years here. Met April 2006, pretty serious by summer 2006, lots of visits in 2007 and onwards, and filed for K-1 FINALLY in November 2012! It feels like forever and I cannot cannot cannot wait for the distance to be over and done with!
LynkaliFemaleFinland2013-04-22 19:35:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresWe haven't heard anything
You've got a long wait ahead still, but don't worry -- you got your NOA1 and now you really do just WAIT, there is nothing more for you to submit at this point.  A week is pretty normal for receipt of the NOA1, but the NOA2 can take 6+ months these days.
 
That notice that your fiance got should have a case number on it -- starting with either WAC or EAC.  That tells you where your case is being processed: WAC = California, EAC = Vermont.  There's no way of predicting the future, but right now California has sped up a little bit so it might be a 5-6 month wait from your March 1st date, while Vermont is a bit slower.  Once you have your case number, you can check your case status online at https://egov.uscis.g...is/Dashboard.do and see if anything has been updated since you filed.  It probably hasn't, most people's aren't touched until six months later.
 
During this long wait, there's isn't that much to do, but of course you should be reading about what you will need to do after you get your NOA2, and it wouldn't hurt to start gathering some of the information that you'll need later.

LynkaliFemaleFinland2013-04-28 17:49:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresQuestion About Filing The Form I - 134

By any chance did you have to have two years worth of bank statements?

 

We are expecting our NOA2 any day now, so I haven't been through the interview yet.  However, I'm planning on showing actual statements for the last 12 months, as well as 1099-R forms (year-end summary of my investments which include balance totals) for the past three years.  I would far rather be safe than sorry.  I am not providing 24 months of bank statements, though -- 3 years of year-end summary should, I hope, be enough to prove that my assets are very stable.


LynkaliFemaleFinland2013-04-28 19:14:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresQuestion About Filing The Form I - 134

It's my understanding that the employment letter is a must-have.  I could be wrong, and I'm sure SOME people have gotten through without it, but since so much depends upon your income and being able to prove that your income is ongoing (not just your past income), the employer letter should state that you are currently employed, thus giving proof that your income will continue.  Paystubs don't provide any proof of future income.

 

As for the bank letter, you need that ONLY if your income is below the poverty level.  I am including it, because my income is so variable and although it's good right now, it's been shaky in the past, so I'm using investment/bank accounts as a safeguard.  It took literally 5 minutes at a desk in the bank, and they printed it right out for me -- well worth the time, in my opinion.  But if you are comfortably and reliably above the poverty line on income, then you don't need the bank letter OR bank statements at all.


LynkaliFemaleFinland2013-04-28 18:43:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresQuestion 18 on I-129F Petition.

I've seen lots of back-and-forth on this question.  Some people say they're only looking for when you physically met in the last two years, but other people have gotten actual RFE's for that question because they didn't provide any info about how they first "met" (e.g. online, while studying, whatever), even if it was long before the 2-year period.  The question does state "how the relationship was established" so it's pretty clear they want the initial first encounter as well as the physical in-person recent meetings.

 

I strongly suggest that you provide a brief statement that covers BOTH your initial first getting-to-know each other as well as very concrete proof about your in-person meetings.  Mine said something like "Originally introduced online via a music website online in 2006. First met in person in Finland in 2007.  Subsequent visits in person in 2011 and 2012, please see additional packet for details and evidence of all meetings in person."  Then of course I included substantial concrete evidence of our meetings (boarding passes, passport stamps, ATM withdrawals, everything!) within the last two years. I am really hoping that that covers all the bases.


LynkaliFemaleFinland2013-04-28 17:05:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresI-129F ~ Proof of having met in person!

Don't forget copies of the passport entry/exit stamps.  And from what I've heard, make sure to label and date your photos on the back (names, location, full date).  I also included a bank statement showing ATM withdrawals and a credit card statement showing purchases made in my fiance's town.


LynkaliFemaleFinland2013-04-29 22:40:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresI-129F Petition in process

My receipt starts with MSC what does that mean??

 

Mari0224: You're on a CR-1 so your case is handled differently.  You should check in the IR-1/CR-1 forum to be sure, but I think the MSC means Missouri, and possibly that's the national processing center for CR-1?  Again, the process for K-1 is completely different so you won't get any useful info from this thread.


LynkaliFemaleFinland2013-05-01 00:23:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Proceduresinfo needed on fiance visa please

You should count on a minimum of 7 months before your interview and receiving your actual visa, and generally speaking quite a bit longer (9-10 months is common).  The next step will come when the California center sends you the "NOA2" notice of approval, and that time can vary dramatically -- usually around 6-7 months, so if you filed in February, there probably won't be anything from USCIS until July-August-September.

 

If your fiance is active-duty military, you may be able to file for an expedite to speed up the process.  I don't know the exact rules -- I do know that if he's nearing any deployment you can almost certainly get faster processing.  If he's just active and stationed at a base here in the USA, there may not be any way to make it faster.

 

There are a ton of guides and links in the blue bar at the top of this page.  Click on "Immigration Timelines" and from there, choose Igor's List for a great resource of the most recent approvals, or browse the other people's timelines from around the same time as yours.  You should fill in your own timeline here, not only because it will give you an estimated date of approval, but also because it helps everyone as this site compiles the data and keeps great records and predictions of processing times.


LynkaliFemaleFinland2013-05-02 00:54:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresDad is in US, Will it affect my Visa approval?

You absolutely cannot and should not lie on any forms or to any officer.  Not just because this forum says so (although that's true too!), but because they WILL FIND OUT (you already gave your father's name early on in the initial petition, and believe me, they check this stuff very thoroughly) -- and if you have any "misrepresentation" or fraud or lies, it can lead to a lifetime ban on entering the USA.  You do not want that!

 

Tell them the truth and explain the situation.  I have no idea for sure, but it should not have any major effect on the K-1 process, since you are needing to show proof of a relationship with your fiance (and your fiance's financial ability to support you).  However, I imagine they will ask you about your father at the interview: again, explain and tell the truth and everything SHOULD be fine!


LynkaliFemaleFinland2013-05-02 02:36:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresK1 Visa Expiry

I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but ... I am pretty sure you need to ENTER THE USA before July 10.  Upon entering the USA, your K-1 visa is "used up" and no longer applies.  You then have 90 days to marry your fiance (starting from whichever day you enter the USA).

 

I am puzzled because that seems like a short validity (only 3 months?).  Usually K-1 is valid for 6 months, I thought.  Did you have your medical exam quite a long time ago?  I believe the K-1 is valid for 6 months after the medical, so that may be the reason why yours seems shorter than most?


LynkaliFemaleFinland2013-04-28 01:55:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresRussian Girlfriend Just got Denied Tourist Visa

I'm sure you'll get better/more knowledgeable responses from people who've actually gone through the Russian embassy, but, to my mind:

 

- The tourist visa denial should not have any negative effect on the K-1, as they are different processes and the K-1 is supposed to show immigrant intent (where the tourist visa is to AVOID immigrant intent).  You will have to disclose the denial, but as long as it's explained fully, I think many people successfully get a K-1 after having been denied a tourist visa.

 

- Definitely include earlier correspondence -- this shows that you have an ongoing relationship and that her attempt to VISIT you was purely that.  Now you have decided to marry so you can start talking about those plans, but there is no reason to hide your earlier relationship developments.

 

- After arriving in the USA, she will have to stay until she gets her advanced parole (3-4 months after marriage/filing the forms).  At that point she can travel, BUT you need to stay aware of the residency requirements.  I believe that she needs to spend minimum 6 months per year in the USA, possibly more.  A few trips back and forth should not be an issue, but she can't maintain a residence in Russia -- she can only visit for limited amounts of time.

 

As I'm not going through anything similar and Russia may have more stringent rules, do wait for Russian couples to chime in with their experiences.  These are just my thoughts from a Western European perspective.


LynkaliFemaleFinland2013-05-02 19:00:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresK-1 Fiance Visa Expired

Ack.  Well, I'm sorry to say that yes, you have to start all over.  Why did you not revoke the petition when you decided not to marry?

 

And why in the world would anyone "throw out" the NOA2 after paying hundreds of dollars and waiting many months for an approval?  Most of us here are waiting on pins and needles for the NOA2, checking obsessively and hoping and dying for a response ... I plan to practically KISS that NOA2 when mine arrives. :D

 

No offense to you ... I just can't understand throwing it away or letting it expire.

 

But since you have no pending K-1 at this point, you do have to start over.  I don't know if the lack of action on the previous K-1, or having filed for the same person in the past, will have any impact on your next one -- you'll need to research that as a different issue.


LynkaliFemaleFinland2013-05-02 17:08:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresK-1 Fiance Visa Expired

That seems strange, like you missed an earlier communication possibly -- it shouldn't just expire on its own.  When did you file the original petition?  Did you receive anything from USCIS before this, such as an RFE notice (request for more evidence)?  I am not sure, but I think petitions only expire if you do not respond to an RFE within 90 days, OR if you have moved and your mail gets returned as "undeliverable".  Please tell a little more details about the timeline of your case?


LynkaliFemaleFinland2013-05-02 01:57:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresG-325A Forms: Is it okay if the beneficiary dated and signed the letter in January 2013, but we're only completing our petition now May 2013?

I do NOT advise changing the month with white-out, NO.  Either use the older form (that's not that long ago really!) or get an entirely new one, but don't attempt to change the date as that would look really suspicious.


LynkaliFemaleFinland2013-05-05 15:04:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresG-325A Forms: Is it okay if the beneficiary dated and signed the letter in January 2013, but we're only completing our petition now May 2013?

Do the passport photos have the dates on the back?  My fiance's didn't.  His were 29 days old when we mailed them off (and 32 days old by the date USCIS received it), but I can't see how USCIS would know that since they're not dated in any way.  From what I've heard, it shouldn't matter much, but I can't promise as we're still waiting for our NOA2.


LynkaliFemaleFinland2013-05-05 14:54:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedureshoneymoon

Hawaii is part of the USA.  There is no restriction on travel within the USA after your fiance arrives and marries you.  You cannot fly OUT of the USA (or rather, you can't get back in if you do) -- but as long as your flight is direct to Hawaii (no international transfers), there is no issue in flying to Hawaii and back for your honeymoon.  That is what I have read here many times and what follows the guidelines of the visa procedures.

 

Personally I don't care about having a honeymoon -- I've been waiting (since we met) seven years to have my fiance here with me, and we are going to hunker down in the bedroom -- and elsewhere :) -- in our OWN HOUSE TOGETHER and lock the door and not let anyone in and simply be together at last.  That's the best honeymoon I can imagine, ever.


LynkaliFemaleFinland2013-05-05 21:37:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresGot my REF requiring meet in person evidence

Based on hundreds of posts over years here, you won't be able to waive that requirement.  You'll have to re-file after meeting your fiance in person more recently.  Sorry but that's the rules!


LynkaliFemaleFinland2013-04-30 18:00:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresTravel back and forth after K-1 between US and Canada

I'm no expert (I'm only doing K-1 so don't know other visa details), but it sounds like maybe you should look into the spousal visa (CR1) instead?  Because then you could:

 

- have her enter on her normal tourist visa to the USA, and get married

- she RETURNS to Canada after marriage, and you file CR1

- she stays in Canada and sorts out her stuff while waiting for the spousal visa approval

- after approval she comes to the USA and is immediately able to work/travel

 

It's my understanding that is perfectly legal for her to enter on a tourist visa to marry you, AS LONG AS she returns to Canada and doesn't stay in the USA.

 

Your plan is shaky on the K-1, because after she arrives in the USA with her K-1 visa, she will not be able to travel freely back and forth -- she needs to wait in the USA for 3-4 months minimum, in order to get her Advanced Parole travel documents.  Otherwise, if she leaves the USA before AP, she will not be allowed back in.  There's no getting around that, and "her Canadian passport" does NOT grant her automatic entry into the USA.

 


LynkaliFemaleFinland2013-04-30 16:44:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresPlease help! I'm still in INITIAL REVIEW after they touch our paper.

Does it mean when your Alien registration number was changed, something positive will happen? smile.png

 

It depends.

 

A pattern has developed based on reports here on the forums: most people who filed before December 2012 did not receive any "alien registration number" message after their initial filing.  If they've been waiting many (5+) months and suddenly that message comes up on the USCIS case number page, THEN it is extremely likely that an approval or RFE is around the corner.  It's basically USCIS's way of saying "we've pulled your file and are working on it now."

 

However, starting around December 2012, many filers started getting the "alien registration number" very shortly after first sending in their initial I-129F.  If they get the alien registration change after only a few weeks, then it means NOTHING at all.  It seems to be USCIS just entering data in their system but NOT touching or evaluating the case in any way.

 

So if you get the "alien registration" message a LONG time after your initial NOA1 (when you're due for the NOA2 anyway), then it's a sign the approval (or RFE) is coming very soon.  If you get it immediately after filing, then nope, doesn't mean anything good or bad.


LynkaliFemaleFinland2013-05-03 01:12:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresPlease help! I'm still in INITIAL REVIEW after they touch our paper.

Most likely, you will get your approval today or tomorrow.  MANY people have gotten that status update, and then 12-24 hours later, they get their approval notice.  It's not guaranteed so we can't promise, but it seems to be the way the system works lately.  Congratulations!


LynkaliFemaleFinland2013-05-02 18:14:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresK1 visa, not married within 90 days, overstay?

You cannot have her come LATER on a tourist visa, then get married, and then attempt to adjust status based on that marriage.  If you're thinking you can, I don't understand your reasoning.

 

On a tourist visa: she could get married but would have to leave the USA and wait in Spain while you file a brand-new CR-1 process, including the 8-12 month wait for that.  She cannot stay in the USA because she would have immigrant intent, and that is violating the terms of her tourist visa, it will lead to fraud charges and a lifetime ban on entry into the USA.

 

On the K-1: you must marry within 90 days.  That's it.  If you don't marry within 90 days on the K-1, you cannot adjust her status to legal residency afterwards.

 

Marriage within 90 days or go home, most likely forever since a second K-1 would prove difficult.

 

I've seen several of these threads now and I have to admit I'm running out of patience/empathy for the posters.  If you wanted to "get to know her" that was NOT a reason to file the K-1, as the K-1 specifically leads to marriage.  I also feel very badly for her, if this is your unilateral decision that is majorly impacting her life and legal status.


LynkaliFemaleFinland2013-05-08 18:38:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresOur RFE : If you have some tips and advice, we want them!! Thank you!

You can usually get credit card statements from your card online going back at least 12 months and often 3 years.  I printed the credit card statements from the month I was with my fiance, and circled/arrowed to the line items that showed purchases made in his town -- the statement even said the name of the store and the street and zip code, so I feel that was really solid proof.  Has your fiance looked for his statements online at his credit card company?


LynkaliFemaleFinland2013-05-10 01:52:00