biggish data

Attorney vs. filing yourself

QUOTE (estadia @ Oct 26 2008, 12:24 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

QUOTE (Cham @ Oct 26 2008, 10:16 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

What I have noticed from folks who work with an attorney OR solo are these things
With an attorney..THEY do most of the work for you VS You and your SO doing the work
With an attorney..YOU pay more for them to do the work for you VS you and your SO doing the work and PAYING LESS (the K1 visa fee required and that)
With an Attorney..IT DOES NOT SPEED UP THE PROCESS> It is the same amount of time versus You and your SO doing it yourself. Many People make the mistake of gettng an Attorney and then paying out the NOSE for one WHEN it is just as easy to do it yourself with the help of the guides and these amazing folks on VJ

our attorney did nothing but put the documents we filled out and gave him into and envelop and mail them he to date has not fought for us and the delay we have had when we ask for copies of what he has sent them or received from them he sent us only copies of what we sent him so i would do it with out attorney in a heart beat if i have to do it again

Exactly ..after I read some of the horror stories on here about attorneys and the visa I said NOPE we will do it OURSELVES LOL

Cham

Female

Australia

2008-10-26 12:25:00

Attorney vs. filing yourself

Cham

Female

Australia

2008-10-26 12:16:00

Fiance Pregnant, Please help!

Wshew, I am scared first off

In sept. 2011 I met Rosemarie on Hearts of Asia (dating site) We started chatting on YM, Email and Telephone in early october. We felt a connection. After careful consideration, I made a decision to go to visit Rosemarie in Manila (flight, hotel, arrangements made, Depart Nov. 29, 2011, Return Dec. 11, 2011).
At this time Nov. 3, 2011 I hap-hasardly (no fee attached, no G325 etc.) sent off an I-129f. I recieved I-797C (Regection Notice) on Nov.16 2011.

On Nov. 29, 2011 I went to Manila met Rosemarie and confirmed our feelings for each other. On Dec. 10th 2011 while in Manila, I proposed marriage to Rosemarie, and we are engaged to married (yes I have photos and a Ring).

After returning to Idaho, I started accumulating documentation and filled out a new I-129F complete with cover letter and supporting evidence.

On Dec. 25, 2011 Rose said she was "5 days delayed" I suggested a PT that was positive, and a Dr. Visit to confirm.

I sent the new I-129F Petition on Jan.6, 2012. (no mention of the pregnancy)

QUESTIONS
WHO DO I CONTACT ABOUT THE PREGNANCY?
WHAT SHOULD I DO?
IS THERE ANY PROVISION THAT WOULD EXPIDITE HER ENTRY to The USA?
Do you know of potential delays?

I AM TERRIFIED ABOUT THE POTENTIAL LENGHT OF TIME IT WILL TAKE TO GET THE K-1 VISA AND GET ROSEMARIE HERE TO START OUR FAMILY.

I have enclosed a copy of my cover letter. I have deleted some personal information)

THANK YOU ALL IN ADVANCE, PLEASE ADVISE. Kelly

I-129F Cover Letter

Kelly C

United States Department of Homeland Security
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
P. O. Box 660151
Dallas, TX 75266

Nature of the submission: I-129F Petition

To Whom It May Concern:

Enclosed please find my Form I-129F, Petition for K-1 Fiancé Visa for Rosemarie M Bernados, and supporting documents.

Contents include:
- Payment in the amount of $ 340.00
- I-129F
- G-1145 E/Notification
- G-325A and passport style photo Kelly C
- G-325A and passport style photo Rosemarie
- Birth certificate/US Passport Kelly C
- Birth certificate Rosemarie, additional Identification Rosemarie
- (2) Letters certifying intent to marry Kelly and Rosemarie
- Divorce decree
- Proof of having met in person in the past two years
- Documentation of ongoing relationship
- I-134 and supporting documents

Copies of documents submitted are exact photocopies of unaltered documents and I understand that I may be required to submit original documents to an Immigration or Consular officer at a later date.
Signed,

Kelly C

Kelly C

Male

Philippines

2012-01-07 22:03:00

I-129F Transferred from TSC to CSC?

Kelly,

You are okay, what you describe is standard USCIS procedure. Now, comes the waiting game for NOA2. Avoid making any finite wedding plans i.e., dates, schedules) yet, it is a protracted process. You are not alone. There are many of us that are walking the same VJ path as you, some ahead of you...some behind you. Have patience, check the VJ processing time stats, and start preparing for the next step. It will all be worth it in the end.

Good luck.

The B of A&B

Thank you B, I sincerely appreciate your encouraging words. Thank you for following my posts.
Kelly

This is standard, now the waiting game begins. It is OK to make or discuss general plans don't firm anything up, this will take about 6-7 months.

Thanks BigDog

Kelly C

Male

Philippines

2012-01-11 13:04:00

I-129F Transferred from TSC to CSC?

All cases are transfered from TSC - TSC does not process them it only sorts them. VSC or CSC are the two places that process I-129F petitions.

Thank you so much.

Kelly C

Kelly C

Male

Philippines

2012-01-11 12:20:00

I-129F Transferred from TSC to CSC?

Hello friends,

My I-129f was received, by TSC on 2012-01-10. A portion of which read, "Your USCIS application/petition has been received and routed to the California Service Center for processing". All communications with USCIS has been thru the TSC, and advised to send everything there. My question is, Does the fact it has been transferred have any significant meaning?

Thank you guys again,

Kelly and Rosemarie

Kelly C

Male

Philippines

2012-01-11 12:12:00

No, I havent found the PI forum, I will look for it.

Your the man! thank you!!!

Found the PI forum Thank You. I just got done taking notes from the "Medical Exam Walk Through"(awesome).
Now I will try and find, "go-fast" topics.

Thanks again,

Kelly

Kelly C

Male

Philippines

2012-01-15 13:53:00

Can be found in the PI forum. Have you seen the PI forum?

Once a NVC casefile # is issued [usually will start with MNL for you]
then there's some 'go fast' stuff that can be done.

Let me know if you can't find the PI forum or the topics discussing 'go fast'.

No, I havent found the PI forum, I will look for it.

Your the man! thank you!!!

Kelly C

Male

Philippines

2012-01-15 13:09:00

[alas, exactly what I wrote]

NO!!!
yet i read it twice

Kelly C

Male

Philippines

2012-01-15 12:09:00

there are other tricks and timesavers for the PI.

have you found them, yet? or no ?

What do you mean?
Kelly

Kelly C

Male

Philippines

2012-01-15 11:27:00

Not used in long time, stick to the basic application and you will be fine it will take about 6-7 months. Everyone who tries to trick the system and it seems to takes longer and has more headaches. There is nothing fast about this from beginning to end, especially about dealing with the Philippines.

Yes I agree it is a process. I am not interested in any "trick the system".
I do want to be as well prepared as possible tho. I hope being prepared would lead to a shorter time-line. Our goal is to get Rosemarie here (asap) before she is unable to travel due to the pregnancy.
I appreciate this, the greatest country in the World, The United States of America.

Thanks Dog! I appreciate you guys.

Kelly C

Kelly C

Male

Philippines

2012-01-15 11:22:00

First time I heard of that, but it is out there. All the examples I have looked at so far are from 2002 and 2003.

THANK YOU,

And thank you for posting that additional "quote". I have had "Agents" approach my Fiancee to, "speed things up" 70,000 php. I knew it was BS.
I called a relative that is retired from Homeland Security, He stated that for anything like that to happen, the Consulate would have to be corrupt to the top.
With all the information on this site, I am calming down (albeit slow). This site is actually therapuetic form me.

Again thank you so much,

Kelly C.

Kelly C

Male

Philippines

2012-01-15 11:10:00

Approved I-129F petitions used to be sent directly from USCIS to the consulate. It was usually possible, at that point, to request that the consulate open a provisional file, since Department of State didn't otherwise have any record of the case yet. A policy change in March, 2003, resulted in all approved I-129F petitions transiting through the National Visa Center for centralized intake into the Department of State system. At that point, most consulates stopped allowing for provisional files.

There are still a substantial number of internet sites that recommend sending a letter to request the consulate to open a provisional file. That advice is old. Most consulates won't do it anymore.

Thank you very much for your insight. I have seen other posts by you, and I appreciate the fact that you respond with knowledgeable information

Thanks again, Any other advise, or thoughts are always appreciated from you guys.

Kelly

Kelly C

Male

Philippines

2012-01-15 10:55:00

I have never heard of anyone using that letter. Perhaps it is some outdated part of the process? After your petition is approved, it is automatically sent to NVC, who then sends it onto the consulate you will be having your interview at. The consulate will then send the information needed to the beneficiary, or in the case of some consulates, the info is already available online for you to begin filling out the forms you will need and gathering documents together. It usually does not take long after your petition is approved for it to reach the consulate, so I would not think this letter is necessary at all.

Ahh ok. I am grasping at everything and anything. I have "dug in", It is going to be close in getting Rossemarie here before she is unable to travel due to the pregnancy.

I appreciate your insight, Thank You.

Kelly

Kelly C

Male

Philippines

2012-01-15 10:51:00

I have never heard of anyone using that letter. Perhaps it is some outdated part of the process? After your petition is approved, it is automatically sent to NVC, who then sends it onto the consulate you will be having your interview at. The consulate will then send the information needed to the beneficiary, or in the case of some consulates, the info is already available online for you to begin filling out the forms you will need and gathering documents together. It usually does not take long after your petition is approved for it to reach the consulate, so I would not think this letter is necessary at all.

Yes, I understand USCIS to NVC to Consulate. I am talking saving days or even a week or 2. It is going to be a tight time-line to get Rosemarie here before the baby is born. So even a few days here and there is important to me.

Thanks for responding, I appreciate it

Kelly C

Kelly C

Male

Philippines

2012-01-15 10:40:00

i can honestly say that i have never ever seen that form mentioned by anyone until now lol

lol, I have "dug in" Anything to obtain our goal (Getting Rosemarie here before the baby is born)

Thanks for responding

Kelly C

Kelly C

Male

Philippines

2012-01-15 10:35:00

i dont understand???

On VJ look under Example forms "provisional letter".
Looks like your in a good spot to request it.
Keep me posted please. I would be very interested in your outcome.
Kelly C

Kelly C

Male

Philippines

2012-01-14 22:07:00

Hello Friends,
Has anybody used the Provisional Letter after recieving NOA-2? If so, in your opinion, did it speed up the Interview Process?

Thank you guys,

Kelly C

Kelly C

Male

Philippines

2012-01-14 19:33:00

LinChe NVC ShortCut

these are different, but yer sorta right about documents yer lass needs.

wei - I remember you - you still searching for the PI Tricks and Shortcuts, la.

Keep at it !

The document collection is different, spouse vs fiance.

10-4,
Found the aforementioned ShortCut. Keep Em comin. Thinkin of doing a little Organic-Farming myself. I talked with Rose about it, she is excited about it too. There is a quiet movement here in My neck of the woods to Organic, Free-Range critters etc.
God Bless you guys man!

Kelly C
Feel free to share any useful links or the like. I have a new Goal as I am writing you! I am here to set a record. Gotta have a little fun.
oh yeah found this cool link too http://www.visajourn...onic_Processing

Edited by Kelly C, 15 January 2012 - 11:35 PM.

Kelly C

Male

Philippines

2012-01-15 23:30:00

LinChe NVC ShortCut

alas, no, not at all.

Ling Che is for Immigrant Visa Document intake at NVC -
and NVC does NO DOCUMENT INTAKE on the I-129F, at all.

so, if'n you draw a Venn Diagram, soonish -

you should be able to see that there's no intersections on document intake process.

Im'a guessin no Venn Diagram is necessary if there are no intersections.

Pre-NVC / Preparing Documents Before NVC Processing Try to have all documents below in the hands of the Petitioner, before the NVC process begins. This should be done BEFORE your I-130 petition is approved
FROM BENEFICIARY (DS-3032 and components for DS-230 IV Package):

My question: Can I substitute " BEFORE your I-129F petition is approved" in place of "BEFORE your I-130 petition"

Kelly C

Kelly C

Male

Philippines

2012-01-15 21:55:00

LinChe NVC ShortCut

Hello VJ'ers,

Thank You All for your input, comments and advice thus far.

In LinChe's ShortCut Guide I dont see where the I-129F is mentioned, only the I-130. I assume we can substitute I-129F where the guide mentions I-130?

Thanks again!

Kelly C

Edited by Kelly C, 15 January 2012 - 08:32 PM.

Kelly C

Male

Philippines

2012-01-15 20:30:00

I-134

Hello again VJ'ers

I enclosed a I-134 with my I-129F (I know now, that is not the appropriate time). I provided EOS for proof of income, and some random Bank Statements.

With this tip in mind:

"Contact your financial institution(s) and request information on their procedures to provide the financial documentation required by the I-134. You may be surprised that gathering the required documentation from them is not simply an office visit and may require several weeks for them to mail you the requested forms (Bank of America has been known to mail these documents to you after you visit a local office in person to request them -- and pay). Planning ahead will reduce the chance of an unexpected delay later in the process".

1) What documentation may require "several weeks for them to mail you the requested forms"?

2) What evidence should I be prepared to submit?

Kelly C

Kelly C

Male

Philippines

2012-01-17 18:31:00

Yup. Smack Dab in the Holy Underbritches Zone, as well .

Yeah, Texas is the Center of the Earth . Some brithes are holy er den udders

Start a PC with me wood ya

Edited by Kelly C, 17 January 2012 - 10:26 PM.

Kelly C

Male

Philippines

2012-01-17 22:25:00

Once the underbritches start dropping, it's all over.

You from the South?

Kelly C

Male

Philippines

2012-01-17 22:07:00

its ok you are forgiven... just dont think about cheating on us again ok

I look, but dont touch

Kelly C

Male

Philippines

2012-01-17 22:03:00

i feel betrayed by your even looking at other immigration sites... i thought we had something special!!!!

we are just having small communication problem. I have a hard time multi-tasking :blush:

Kelly C

Male

Philippines

2012-01-17 21:55:00

or you can simply utilise the 'advanced search' feature here.

When logged in with a PC running winders.

I will simply use the advanced search :thumbs:

Kelly C

Male

Philippines

2012-01-17 21:05:00

SAAAAAAAAAAAwwwwwwEEEEEEEEtttttttttttttttt........Good stuff rite der

When EOG is not bogging you down............mebee you tell me what SAFEFILE is.

Kelly C

Male

Philippines

2012-01-17 19:22:00

sorry - i see nothing below the question mark -
so I have to assume it's either a graphic, a movie, or {gasp} yer sig file area.

I turn viewability on all that stuff, OFF, after being swamped and bogged down in China by the Empress of Groovy and her massive sig file with removeable underbritches.

SAAAAAAAAAAAwwwwwwEEEEEEEEtttttttttttttttt........Good stuff rite der

Kelly C

Male

Philippines

2012-01-17 19:17:00

so, list the timeticks from NOA-1 to interview day - that's always some good practice for ya.

Would this be an example of time-ticks?

Kelly C

Male

Philippines

2012-01-17 19:02:00

I wouldnt, Hence my question...
Just exploring every Avenue
Kelly

I just want to be with my family (here), with the 5 month "process" getting there with the appropiate steps and being well prepared. Not the 8+ month typical process I see. It looks to me like if I have all my stuff ready, and stay alert. I can get my family here in the 5-6 month range.

Kelly C

Male

Philippines

2012-01-17 17:31:00

I think you should study every topic there,

until it's burned into yer brain
that

you not have the same red flag issues as the general populace at that web site.

I'm on it Darnell

Thanks

Kelly C

Male

Philippines

2012-01-17 17:22:00

If you do not have a serious issue with your case why would you waste time on a website that deals with serious immigration issues?

I wouldnt, Hence my question...
Just exploring every Avenue
Kelly

Edited by Kelly C, 17 January 2012 - 03:15 PM.

Kelly C

Male

Philippines

2012-01-17 15:10:00

Hello VJ'ers

I navigated on over to I2US.net and it looks to me like that site is geared more for people with some serious issues.

My question is, If I dont see any serious issues with my I-129F petition, should I dedicate my resources to that site?

Thanks again.

Kelly C

Edited by Kelly C, 16 January 2012 - 10:50 PM.

Kelly C

Male

Philippines

2012-01-16 22:48:00

Form I-129: Section C Question 2

Okay thank you sooo much! I can stop beating myself now...I will not worry anymore....thanks to all you guys who replied. Wishing you all the best as well..

There may be a record of your arrest, but if the case was dismissed your not a criminal.

Kelly C

Male

Philippines

2012-01-19 22:37:00

you risk to have her visa denyed. if you meet the 125% requirement you're supposed to support her, therefore it doesnt qualify for an expedite if you are, and if they dont belive you that you're above poverty level they will deny you. ive seen cases and me and my husband were in a similar situation. we prefered to wait 3 muonths and 3 weeks for the approval (which is not much at all) than get denyed. you should too

Thank you guys.

Kelly C

Male

Philippines

2012-01-20 23:02:00

I don't think both of your arguments will work at all, let alone being compelling. The unborn child is not a US citizen - it is unborn (but I know what you meant). Plus pregnancy is not part of the reasons for expedite nor is the distance to a doctor. They will ask themselves, as they are reading your letter, why does not he have her move closer to the doctor - and if he cannot afford that, why on earth is he wasting our time with a visa application that is going to be denied because of insufficient financial support? Once they reach your second argument, it may add some fuel to the fire. It is never a good idea to complain about financial constraints to support your spouse.

If you can demonstrate that your wife is very likely to have a pregnancy complications (based on past pregnancies) and a doctor can attest to that, you may have a shot. Anyway, there must be a medical emergency or its demonstrable likelihood to request for an expedite on this front. Every expedite must be backed up with supporting documentation.

She is in her 30's no children. Her sister believes her difficulty could be due to her age. I dont know that beacause I am not a Doctor. I will have that evidence when proceeding with the Expedite Request.
I net about 21,400 or gross would be 26,800. I believe that satisfies the 125% requirement. I pay my bills. I am not recieving public assistance. I own my place.

As I stated, It is impossible to sustain 2 households. If there are complications with the pregnancy, I sure as hell dont want to look back and say "Did I do everything I could".
Her next appointment is Jan 30. I will wait till after that to make a decision on sending a Request.

Thanks for responding, I look forward to more insight.

Kelly C

Kelly C

Male

Philippines

2012-01-20 22:19:00

I agree with Jim. It may play against you. This is a risk. Yes, there is a chance you may get approved for expedited processing AND you will not be delayed due to insufficient income/child citizenship issues etc. HOWEVER, my opinion has always been that it is better to wait extra 3-4 months and get K1 for sure then risk of not getting it at all...

Yes, at this point IMO I should wait. 3 or 4 months vs not at all, is an overwhelming argument not to submit this request. It aint worth the risk.

Thank you guys
God Bless yall

Kelly C

Male

Philippines

2012-01-20 15:10:00

Real answer is - its up to the Director.

Expedite Criteria

All expedite requests are reviewed on a case-by-case basis, and are granted at the discretion of the Director. The burden is on the applicant or petitioner to demonstrate that one or more of the expedite criteria have been met. The criteria are as follows:

Severe financial loss to company or individual
Extreme emergent situation
Humanitarian situation
Nonprofit status of requesting organization in furtherance of the cultural and social interests of the United States
Department of Defense or National Interest Situation (Note: Request must come from official United States Government entity and state that delay will be detrimental to our Government)
USCIS error
Compelling interest of USCIS
Note: Discretionary expedite requests for petitions and applications that have Premium Processing Service available will not be considered for expedite processing. The only exception is when the petitioner is a not-for-profit organization designated by the Internal Revenue Service. For information regarding premium processing, please refer to the premium processing webpage.

http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.5af9bb95919f35e66f614176543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=16a6b1be1ce85210VgnVCM100000082ca60aRCRD&vgnextchannel=db029c7755cb9010VgnVCM10000045f3d6a1RCRD

My gut feeling still is the same.

Yes, I know its a long shot. The NOA1 to NOA2 times are looking like a roller. Thanks for the link, I have read it a couple of times, and cannot find any cause that would let me file for premium processing. I will look thoroughly again.

Thanks Hank,

Kelly

Kelly C

Male

Philippines

2012-01-20 13:30:00