ForumTitleContentMemberSexCountryDate/Time
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresInstructions Packet
i can relate friend,,, hinihintay ko rin yung packet kasi yun ang kailangan ko para mag request ng police clearance sa hongkong eh medyo ma dedelay nag ako. pero nag schedule na ako ng interview which is nov 16.. if you got your case number already go schedule an interview it wont be a problem as long as you got evrything you need...
daddy'sgirlFemalePhilippines2012-10-23 21:54:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedureshelp about medical schedule..

hi...i will have my medical on nov5 and 6, my interview date is on nov 14

hi, sayang di tayo magkasabay sana may kasama ako
daddy'sgirlFemalePhilippines2012-10-30 10:55:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedureshelp about medical schedule..

hi...i will have my medical on nov5 and 6, my interview date is on nov 14

hi, sayang di tayo magkasabay sana may kasama ako
daddy'sgirlFemalePhilippines2012-10-30 10:52:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedureshelp about medical schedule..

Hi Jes, I have nothing much to say since you've got a lot of advices already :) Good luck and may you not encounter any pitfalls on your medical! and of course best of luck on you interview!!! will be praying for you :)




awww thanks friend... miss talking to you.. i ahve been busy lately cause of my upcoming interview but please inform me if you got any changes in your case and i hope i can help you on your following journey... thanks for prayers i really need it now and i hope i can make it to visa approval.. GOD BLESS YOU FRIEND LEONI
daddy'sgirlFemalePhilippines2012-10-29 00:30:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedureshelp about medical schedule..
nice advice dolly and ann thats what im trying to figure out.. so it days before my interview would just be fine.. ok thanks guys i will just do my medical on thanks for help anyway i appreciate alot.. God bless you all!!
daddy'sgirlFemalePhilippines2012-10-28 19:26:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedureshelp about medical schedule..
guys your advices are really helpful and thank you.. i wish i can come early but i will be coming from Negros visayas area i wish i can go in manila sooner.. wish me luck.. i would like to do my medical a week before my interview so i can just wait in manila and not to go back in negros and spend more money.. so a week before interview would be fine right? will results will make it before my interview?
daddy'sgirlFemalePhilippines2012-10-28 10:51:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedureshelp about medical schedule..
you can have results after the medical or it will really take a whole week?

you can have results after the medical or it will really take a whole week?

you can have results after the medical or it will really take a whole week?
daddy'sgirlFemalePhilippines2012-10-28 01:19:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedureshelp about medical schedule..
hi guys need help about my medical sched.. i will have my interview on nov 16 and i know i need to have my medical a week ago.. so that would be nov 5.. my question is it is necessary that i will have my medical on nov 5 which is monday or i can just do any day of the week a week before my interview? cause im planning to have it 7,, your help would be gladly appreciated.. thanksss.. God bless
daddy'sgirlFemalePhilippines2012-10-27 23:49:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Proceduresapplying for k1 this year but denied for j1 twice last year..

He wasn't asked about the denied visas. It did come up in the interview but only because the CO asked if he had met my family and he said no - I wasn't able to because i couldn't get a tourist visa. The CO then said " oh I see. Well, they probably did the right thing by denying the tourist visa" and then said Congratulations and approved our K1.



i see.. but to be honest i dotn know how it is in my country since we belong to a poor country.. but i hope things will get along well.. i have heard that philippines got the most toughest US embassy for k1..
daddy'sgirlFemalePhilippines2012-10-30 18:57:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Proceduresapplying for k1 this year but denied for j1 twice last year..

They do ask. Question #31 on the DS-156 form: "Have you ever been refused a U.S. visa? When? Where? What type of visa?"

To the OP: Answer truthfully and despair not: many successful K-1 applicants before you had been denied previously for visitor/exchange visas.



thanks for the positive advice.. i really hope it wont affect and i dont know how would it be here in philippines.. you got a beautiful family congrats.. nice pic..
daddy'sgirlFemalePhilippines2012-10-30 18:54:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Proceduresapplying for k1 this year but denied for j1 twice last year..

No worries. You did nothing wrong and were merely denied those previous visa attempts. You WILL have to bring evidence that you have a legitimate relationship with the intention of marrying and staying married.



thanks, i think i can prove them that i got genuine relationship with my fiance now.. maybe i dont have to worry much cause really we are qualified for k1 visa, he reached poverty guidelines, we got everything like evidence he came to visit me, we got tons of email and phonecalls, he is calling me everyday, he is sending me money every two weeks during his payday so i got tons of money transfer receipt.. we met last year march.. we got lots of photos together and with my family so really we are qualify
daddy'sgirlFemalePhilippines2012-10-30 11:46:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Proceduresapplying for k1 this year but denied for j1 twice last year..

do not volunteer any information about it unless they ask :thumbs:



yes i will remember that.. thanks for advice God bless
daddy'sgirlFemalePhilippines2012-10-30 11:39:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Proceduresapplying for k1 this year but denied for j1 twice last year..

My husband was also denied a visitor visa twice - it had no impact on us getting the K1 approval




thanks... was he asked during his k1 interview about his previous denials?
daddy'sgirlFemalePhilippines2012-10-30 11:25:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Proceduresapplying for k1 this year but denied for j1 twice last year..

My husband was also denied a visitor visa twice - it had no impact on us getting the K1 approval




thanks... was he asked during his k1 interview about his previous denials?
daddy'sgirlFemalePhilippines2012-10-30 11:22:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Proceduresapplying for k1 this year but denied for j1 twice last year..

A CO will consider the totality of the circumstances; for example, how long have you known your fiance, how many times has he come to see you, how often you communicate, etc.

I or anyone else cannot predict the outcome of any interview. The best thing you can do is have plenty of evidence to show a genuine relationship.



nice advice and sorry for me repeating comments, i got crappy internet.. heheehe.. take note the first person who sponsored me for my j1 is not my fiance. when my j1 visa was denied last year my fiance said he will file k1 for me so i can come and be with him.. i hope i can pass the interview cause i want to be with him so bad
daddy'sgirlFemalePhilippines2012-10-30 11:04:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Proceduresapplying for k1 this year but denied for j1 twice last year..

The previous denials in of themselves will not have any affect on the current K1 visa application.



thanks for your opinion friend.. but what if they will think im only using my fiance to come to US since i tried twice through j1 visa.. oh no cannot be i love my fiance very much.. he means alot to me

The previous denials in of themselves will not have any affect on the current K1 visa application.



thanks for your opinion friend.. but what if they will think im only using my fiance to come to US since i tried twice through j1 visa.. oh no cannot be i love my fiance very much.. he means alot to me

The previous denials in of themselves will not have any affect on the current K1 visa application.



thanks for your opinion friend.. but what if they will think im only using my fiance to come to US since i tried twice through j1 visa.. oh no cannot be i love my fiance very much.. he means alot to me

The previous denials in of themselves will not have any affect on the current K1 visa application.



thanks for your opinion friend.. but what if they will think im only using my fiance to come to US since i tried twice through j1 visa.. oh no cannot be i love my fiance very much.. he means alot to me

The previous denials in of themselves will not have any affect on the current K1 visa application.



thanks for your opinion friend.. but what if they will think im only using my fiance to come to US since i tried twice through j1 visa.. oh no cannot be i love my fiance very much.. he means alot to me

The previous denials in of themselves will not have any affect on the current K1 visa application.



thanks for your opinion friend.. but what if they will think im only using my fiance to come to US since i tried twice through j1 visa.. oh no cannot be i love my fiance very much.. he means alot to me

The previous denials in of themselves will not have any affect on the current K1 visa application.



thanks for your opinion friend.. but what if they will think im only using my fiance to come to US since i tried twice through j1 visa.. oh no cannot be i love my fiance very much.. he means alot to me
daddy'sgirlFemalePhilippines2012-10-30 10:48:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Proceduresapplying for k1 this year but denied for j1 twice last year..
Good day everyone.. i will have my interview this coming Nov 16 and i am very nervous,, i have been in denied twice last year wheni applied for j1 exchange visitor visa .. my question is.. you guys think that my denial for other kind of visa will affect my k1 visa? im sure they got my previous records,, so really i am nervous.. but so far i me and my fiance met the requirents for appying k1 visa.. infact we got our noa2 after 2 months.. any views will be appreciated.. thanks...
daddy'sgirlFemalePhilippines2012-10-30 10:31:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Proceduresgap btwn NOA2 and interview

I have received NOA2 back in June. Everything has been sent from NVC. The only thing left is the interview. Is there a time restriction as to when my fiance has to schedule an interview and receive her visa? My fiance is planning on scheduling her interview sometime in Nov. of this year and assuming things process smoothly, she should receive her visa and enter the country in Dec. I'm aware that there is the 90 day time restriction of getting married upon entering the country but is there a time restriction as to when the fiance has to schedule an interview and receive the visa?


My consulate is 6 months then your petition expires if you don't do anything. It could be consulate-specific, though.
BM CanadaFemaleCanada2011-08-02 20:52:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresPOLICE REPORT AND MEDICAL QUERY

Hey guys,
I just got my NOA2 and am gathering all the documents so we can send package 3 in right when it arrives. I was hoping to get some advice about the police report and the medical.

My fiance (the beneficiary) has a old police report from 2008 already. Does he need to get a new one? I can't find anywhere where it says how recent it needs to be. Anyways, we are going on monday to the police station to get another one. But, I was wondering do you need to send that in with package 3 in order to get a interview date or do you bring that in to the interview? I was just thinking maybe we could send the old one in and say we are waiting for a new one? and what type of police report do we need?

Also with the medical...do you have the doctor send the records or can you take them yourself?

Anyone recently schedule a interview in sydney? how long did it take? we are trying to get him to the states as soon as possible! Sick of waiting! also, is sydney the only place they interview in australia?

thanks for your help in advance.

does anyone know what thread it is where someone lists everything in package 3? what forms and what documents you need to send through. thanks!


Don't know where to find your Australia-specific answers, but try fishing around on this link: http://www.visajourn...alia&cty=Sydney

As far as the police certificate, I believe it has to be within a year. I'd get a new one, and I'd work on getting it ASAP.
BM CanadaFemaleCanada2011-08-05 21:59:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures4 months so far waiting for NOA2 (VSC)
The only thing you can do is wait. CSC was processing applications faster than the VSC a few months ago while I was waiting on my NOA2. You may want to look at timelines and see if there's anything you can expect.

As far as what you can do, you can start making sure you have everything together that's sent in Packet 3 so you can expedite it as soon as you receive it from your consulate.
BM CanadaFemaleCanada2011-08-09 09:06:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Proceduresscheduling an interview

I paid the MRV fee today and went online to schedule an interview and there are no appointments available at this time. I am just crushed. I guess I am to keep checking back. Someone on here stated they are backed up to November! Lord, I hope not. Any advice?


Right now, November appointments are a pretty realistic time frame for the Montreal consulate. I had my Packet 3 logged in the beginning of June, and originally was able to schedule an appointment for the middle of September. I got lucky one night around 2AM EST and saw that an August 8 appointment had opened up and jumped out it as fast as I could.

It seems like additional appointments open up for the next month at the end of the previous month (so end of August for some additional September appointments). There's no pattern, but it seems like people are getting lucky in the evening hours of EST time zone. I booked my August appointment on a Sunday, as well, so it's not only business days. Just check the CSC site as often as you possibly can, and maybe you'll get lucky.

If not, three months goes by pretty quickly, and seems to be the average wait.
BM CanadaFemaleCanada2011-08-05 21:57:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresNeed some kind of Timeline for Wedding Plans

I agree with those who say it's too risky to plan a wedding (where significant travel is required) around the visa approval. I think the best solution is to plan a ceremony/celebration in a location where everyone can be, regardless of the visa status. The official civil marriage paperwork can happen separately if necessary. That's our plan! Good luck...


That's not correct! Some countries view a small religious ceremony/celebration as an actual wedding, and you need to do research to find out if it's allowed or not. Canada didn't specifically say we couldn't have one, but we opted not to to make sure there were no grey areas in our visa approval process. Do NOT hold any sort of ceremony if there is a risk you will be denied! With this visa, you HAVE to wait. You can't "have your cake and eat it, too" with the K1.
BM CanadaFemaleCanada2011-08-08 20:12:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresNeed some kind of Timeline for Wedding Plans
Which consulate are you at in Canada, Montreal? If so... I'd say it's not even safe to set a tentative date. My fiance and I did, had to cancel some stuff, and now we're going to the court house once he gets here and will be doing a vow ceremony/reception a few weeks later (trying to give enough time to send out invitations).

Montreal is always back-logged, and always slow. You can look at my timeline for reference. I wouldn't bet on 4 months for NOA2 -- that's being optimistic (which I was, and it took five months). After you get your NOA2, you have to wait for it to go to NVC, and then to Montreal. This is where it gets rough estimating the timelines because Montreal is so SLOW. They'll send out your Packet 3 (rely on your email and not your postal service, because we never got a physical copy of Packet 3 or Packet 4), and you'll need to mail it back. Overnight it, and it might get logged within a week or two of receiving it. But it could take longer. They then send you Packet 4, telling you to schedule your interview, which is where you'll wait again, if you even get an appointment. When I got the Packet 4 for my fiance, it was a 3.5 month wait for the next available interview. A few days after booking this, I got one 5 weeks earlier. However, a few days after I booked that interview, there was a time-lapse of a couple weeks where no interview appointments were available. A few popped up, and it's back to the no appointment availability. Now, people are saying it's logged until November. I believe the typical wait for an interview is 3-4 months. Then, after you have your interview, they tell you a week to two weeks to receive your passport/visa in the mail, and it's taking up to five weeks for some (see the Canada-regional specific forums).

Trying to plan your wedding around Montreal is nuts -- especially if you want to do something like a cruise. My advice would be to not, and save yourself your sanity. Trying to plan a wedding and work around the consulate was way too stressful for me, and I think it has been for a lot of people.

It'll be 10-11 months (hopefully) once my fiance arrives here safely, and that was with expediting every piece of mail we had to send in.

Hope this helps.
Maybe you're one of the lucky ones at the Vancouver consulate ;)

Edited by BM Canada, 08 August 2011 - 08:26 AM.

BM CanadaFemaleCanada2011-08-08 08:25:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresAlmost ready to send K-1 Visa Petition
Have you already filed the I-129F? That is the form that is sent to the Dallas Lockbox, then forwarded to the appropriate service center (CSC or VSC). You do not send a K-1 petition directly to the CSC, so I'm a little confused as to what you're talking about.

If you haven't sent in an I-129F, your list of documents above is wrong.

Edited by BM Canada, 10 August 2011 - 06:53 PM.

BM CanadaFemaleCanada2011-08-10 18:52:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresAOS and medical
Last November, when my AOS was being processed, us October 2009 AOS filers were keeping a spreadsheet to track everyone's progress. Some people were sending in DS-3025s instead of I-693s, and some would get approved, but a bunch of them got RFEs requesting an I-693. It seemed pretty random, and probably came down to the particular adjudicator's interpretation of the regulations. Procedures seem to have been in flux at that time, as sending just the DS-3025 was quite common prior to that, and the RFEs were coming as quite a surprise.

On the basis of that info, and the fact that I had not been required to get most of the vaccines on the sheet (they were checked "Age Inappropriate" by the panel physician) as well as uncertainty about whether my vaccination info sheet even was a DS-3025 [the ones issued in Canada aren't labeled DS-3025, and are marked "For Use in Canada Only"], I decided to do the transcription. The local CS only charged me $35 for the transcription, but did make me first go to the public health clinic to get Hep A shots (which had been checked off as "Age Inappropriate" back in Canada).

It seemed the safest road to go to avoid an RFE, and it worked. Approved in less than 90 days, no RFEs or interviews.

I think, as a result of our month's experiences and those of the next several months, that the conventional wisdom has now shifted to getting an I-693, rather than just sending a DS-3025. I notice that the K-1 flowchart, in the Guides section here, has been updated to include I-693 transcription as a normal, required step. It wasn't when I started.

Edited by HeatDeath, 13 August 2010 - 11:21 AM.

HeatDeathMaleCanada2010-08-13 11:19:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresAOS and medical
If the vaccination information worksheet (or DS-3025) has a checkmark for "Completed" next to every single vaccine - if none of them are marked "Age Inappropriate" or any other excuse, then you can probably just send in the vaccination information worksheet without needing an I-693. but you might get an RFE anyways.

If ANY of the vaccines are marked anything other than "Complete", you need the vaccination info transcribed onto an I-693.
HeatDeathMaleCanada2010-08-13 10:51:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresAOS and medical

Hi,I have a question I hope someone can answer,we are putting our AOS packet together,we find out now that we need to see a civil surgeon to transcribe my fiances vaccination report onto an i-693,he does not need a medical since his last one was less then a year ago,here is the thing,everyone say's you NEED to have this done,yet on the i-693 instruction sheet section 3 paragraph 2. it states...."If the vaccination record(DS 3025)was not properly completed and included as part of the original,overseas medicalexamination report,you will have to have the vaccination report completed by a civi surgeon"..Now his WAS properly completed and part of the original package and he has a photo copy of the vaccinations sighned by the doctor in Canada...So my question is..does he have to have this done anyways?...any insight would be appreciated.....

No, he does not need a new medical. Many CS's are (willfully?) confused about the regulations, but there are CS's out there who will just do the transcription, as they are supposed to, and for a decent price. find the thread or wiki page here for "Civil Surgeons who don't rip you off." if none of those are in your area, do a search on the USCIS website and phone every CS within a 2-3 hour drive of where you live. It's worth several hundred dollars to find one who will do it right, so the drive, if necessary, is worth it.
HeatDeathMaleCanada2010-08-13 09:46:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresProxy wedding and k-1 form
The K-1 process requires that, at every step of the process, up to and including PoE, the couple must be able to truthfully state "We are legally free to marry, and are therefore, by definition, not legally married." If at any point (I-129, Visa Application, PoE) either member of the couple cannot state "I am legally free to marry", the K-1 becomes unusable.

Any action taken prior to the completion of the PoE that would cause the couple to become legally married (and therefore unable to truthfully state that they are legally free to marry) would cause them to no longer be eligible to use a K-1 visa to enter the US.

I know I was asked at PoE if I was still single. Answering that wrongly would've ruined my whole year! :) You can become legally married 5 minutes after you PoE on a K-1, but become legally married 5 minutes before you PoE on a K-1 and you've just wasted 6-8 months and hundreds of dollars.

Edited by HeatDeath, 13 August 2010 - 11:38 AM.

HeatDeathMaleCanada2010-08-13 11:38:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresHas Anyone Ever Filed an Immigrant Visa Petition on Your Behalf?
I should point out here that an I-129F is a NON-immigrant visa petition, and would not count for the purposes of this question. If the only thing someone has ever filed for you is a fiance visa petition, you should still say no.

You should say yes if someone has filed an I-130 for you, and certain types of work visas (but NOT H1-Bs, TNs, or student visas) might count as well.
HeatDeathMaleCanada2010-08-14 10:42:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresUS POE

Hi everyone

I have a question about arriving in the US on my K1.
My final destination will be Atlanta. However, would it mattter if I got a connecting flight elsewhere in the US?
I assume the officer would take my packet wherever I land in the US? So does it matter if I arrive at a different POE other than where I will be living?
The cheapest flight I can find connect in North Carolina, would that be ok?


It will not matter at all. When Canadians or Mexicans with visas drive in, our PoEs are usually, of necessity, hundreds or even over a thousand miles from where we will live. I live in Salt Lake City but my PoE was in North Dakota. It makes no difference at all. You assume correctly. You will hand in your packet and go through secondary to have your visa processed at the first place you land in the US. [actually, the first place you land with a US CBP Customs and Immigration section, which could even be a Canadian international airport. Weird, huh? :)] Make sure you allow at least 3 hours for that stopover as it can take a long time to clear immigration, but getting a connecting flight in North Carolina should be fine.

Hi

it is Ok, you can land into USA in any POE. the only advisable think, is try to doublecheck everything. because based in other VJ's experience, some mistakes can happen and is needed that you to go to your POE to get correct them and if it is too far, you know is not always easy to go there.


This is not quite correct. You will never need to return to the specific PoE you used. Even if they screw up your paperwork, you can always have it corrected at the CBP "Deferred Inspection Unit" at your nearest international airport. For example, as I said above, I live in Salt Lake City, but my PoE was in Pembina, North Dakota. If I had gotten to SLC and discovered a problem with my I-94, I would not need to drive 3 days back to North Dakota. That would be silly :). I would instead call, make an appointment, and go the Salt Lake City International airport (30 minutes away, not 3 days! :)) and have it taken care of there. They can fix/replace I-94s, and even import automobiles. Anything you need a PoE to do can be done there.

By all means, triple-check your I-94 and [if applicable] automobile import forms before you leave the PoE, but remember that you CAN get things corrected, if necessary, without having to go back there.

Edited by HeatDeath, 14 August 2010 - 10:56 AM.

HeatDeathMaleCanada2010-08-14 10:55:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresAfter k1 interview`
Once you receive the visa there is nothing else you have to do before you leave. If you car is packed and your affairs are in order you could leave that afternoon.

Now bear in mind, as you almost certainly know, once you enter the US on a K-1 visa you cannot leave the US until you have either an AP document or a green card in hand. You apply for both of those as soon as possible after you get married (which as you almost certainly know must be within 90 days of entering the US), so we're talking at least 2-3, and more likely 4-6 months before you can go back to Canada, even to visit. So you'll want to make sure you've set any Canadian affairs you can't deal with "by remote control", as it were, in order.

You probably won't want to still be owning real estate in Canada. You'll want to make sure you've set up bank accounts such that you can access your money from the US. You'll need manufacturer's compliance letters so you can import your car into the US. If you have stocks or securities you'll at some point need to make sure your dividend cheques are being sent to an address where you can get them or have someone deposit them for you. Ditto GST rebate cheques. If you've quit your job to relocate get your EI claim in,. Etc.

But if all that is set up, and you're all packed, the visa is the last piece of documentation you need, and as I said, you could leave the afternoon it shows up in the mail.

Edited by HeatDeath, 14 August 2010 - 11:40 AM.

HeatDeathMaleCanada2010-08-14 11:39:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresOnline Status Updates
I didn't bother tracking my I-129F online, but for my AOS, I never received any "touches" between a day after my biometrics and the day of approval.

A "touch" just means that someone checked your file out of the repository, swiping it with a barcode reader, and opened it up to do something with it or look at something in it. I-129 and AOS cases typically sit on a shelf from the day they're received until an adjudicator gets to it, and are typically approved after only one short 45 minute - one hour sitting. So you may very well only ever see the "touch" that represents the one sitting an adjudicator will have with it.
HeatDeathMaleCanada2010-08-11 10:40:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresI-134 Q11
We answered "Yes" and followed it with "I [my now-wife] intend to marry him and hold property in common as husband and wife."
HeatDeathMaleCanada2010-08-16 10:59:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresVisiting my Fiance in USA while K1 in process
Yes, you can. Lots of people do.

It's up to the discretion of the CBP officer whether you get in or not. Bring a thick folder of documentation showing strong ties to the UK: a letter from your employer stating how long you're intending to be away and when you have to be back, rental/mortgage agreements, maybe a bank statement or two. Make certain you have a return ticket, and a copy of the NOA1 from your petition, showing you have already invested hundreds of dollars in doing the immigration thing properly.

You're trying to prove that it would be a big huge hairy deal for you to completely walk away from your life in the UK at this time.

Be honest and confident with the CBP officer. Chances are they won't even ask about ties to the UK, but if they do, you'll be ready.

Also, if it makes you feel better, route your flight through Shannon, Ireland, and you can clear US customs and immigration while you're still on the right side of the Atlantic.

Don't panic and freak out in the very rare possibility that you do get turned back. It won't affect your visa application or later admissibility under a fiancee or spousal visa in any way.

Edited by HeatDeath, 16 August 2010 - 02:33 PM.

HeatDeathMaleCanada2010-08-16 14:32:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresJust venting
In defense of the K-1, CR-1s used to take a LOT longer than they do now. In fact, the K-1 and K-3s were created (in the 70s or early 80s I think) because of the massive amount of processing times spousal visas had at the time.

The really nice thing about K-1 visas is that there is no period of enforced separation after you get married. This was important for me and my now-wife. We were reasonably ok with having to wait until the paperwork was done before being able to get married. I was teaching in Canada, so I wasn't going to be able to come down for another 10 months regardless of how fast the paperwork got approved. But there is a very big qualitative difference, for us there was anyways, between being forced to wait for paperwork approval to get married, and being forced apart after being married.

I'm glad we did the K-1, even though it is somewhat more expensive, because it means that there was never a forced period of separation from my wife. [It also helps, that, having lived in Western Canada during this process, choosing the K-1 route had me going through the Vancouver consulate (which rocks!) rather than the much slower and backlogged Montreal consulate :devil: ]

Edited by HeatDeath, 14 August 2010 - 11:27 AM.

HeatDeathMaleCanada2010-08-14 11:25:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresWhen to apply?
If [one of, not both, you only need/can get one individual cosponsor] your fiance's parents are qualified to be a cosponsor, your fiance's lack of work history will not be an issue. We were in a very similar situation: my USC now-wife had not worked (for school and health reasons) for several years prior to sponsoring me, so we asked her mother to be our cosponsor. The consular officer at the US consulate in Vancouver [where I interviewed] expressed some mild concern that I wouldn't have health care immediately until I could get a job, but she said they can't deny you just for that (at least not in Canada - other countries may have sticker CO's).

[Technically, I suppose, the I-864 your cosponsor signs requires them to ensure you have some form of medical support, inasmuch as they do [even if it's only their chequebook] Your cosponsor isn't allowed to allow you to become a public charge, so I guess that includes medical bankruptcy.]
HeatDeathMaleCanada2010-08-17 06:38:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresAfter marriage need to change to K3?
You fill out the I-485 with the name you want to appear on the GC, which is presumably her married name. Put her maiden name under "Other names used."
HeatDeathMaleCanada2010-08-18 16:42:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresTime Necessary for K1 Medical/Embassy Visit
I would email the embassy itself to confirm, but I'm pretty sure it's fine to mail in the Packet 3 forms from the US.

Vienna may be differnet, but I found, during my consulate visa application stage, that emaiing the consulate directly was the best way to get fast, authoritative answers to procedural questions regarding the visa application process. Vancouver, at least, is very good about responding promptly to precedural questions. Vienna may or may not be, as consulates and embassies seem to vary radically in this department, but it's worth a shot.
HeatDeathMaleCanada2010-08-20 12:54:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresTime Necessary for K1 Medical/Embassy Visit
You might want to try asking this in the European regional forum for more specific answers, but I can tell you how it worked for me.

A few weeks after you get the NOA2, the Vienna embassy will mail a small package of forms to her Croatian address. She NEEDS someone to pick those up. Now, some consulates send forms, and some send a letter with the URL to get the forms, it varies. Either way, she will need to fill out those forms and mail or fax them back to the embassy. Some consulates/embassies want them faxed, some want them mailed, and some just want them brought to the interview, I have no idea what Vienna prefers. you're going to need to find a way to get her the contents of the Packet 3, and to follow it's instructions and get everything necessary back to the Vienna embassy.

Assuming that can be done from North America, she will probably need no more than a week in Vienna to do the immigration medical and interview. I went through the Vancouver, Canada consulate, and I was able to do my medical and interview the same day, and pick up my passport with the visa the next day. There's a good chance it will tke them longer than that, and that they will mail the passport with visa, and visa packet back to her Croatian address. She would need some way to get it, so you might want to budget 2 weeks in Europe for that.

Someone who's personally dealt with the Vienna embassy will be able to give you more concrete information about the contents of their Packet 3 and the time it takes them to prepare the visa after approval.
HeatDeathMaleCanada2010-08-20 11:19:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures3 K-1 Visa Questions

She will have to be in her home country to have her medical exam and interview before she is issued a Visa. I am not sure they would send the Visa to a United States address. Someone else with more knowledge may be able to shed some light on that.


I do not think they will send the visa package (passport containing visa imprint, and do-not-open packet) to a US address. That wouldn't make any sense to them. Visas are used to travel from outside the US, through a PoE, to inside the US. A US visa is completely useless inside the US. You would have to arrange additional shipping/travel to get the visa to a place (anywhere outside the US) where it could even be used, and anyways, from their point of view, the beneficiary is supposed to be outside the US at the time of visa issuance, else what's the point? [From DoS's POV, if the beneficiary is inside the US already, they don't need to enter the US, and therefore don't need a visa [since visas are used to enter the US], and therefore why are we wasting their time? :)]

Thanks for all the info. Is there a way to choose which office we go through?


You don't. The USCIS office where your I-129F packet is processed is chosen by what state the petitioner lives in, and the consulate/embassy the visa application is processed in is chosen by the beneficiary's country, and where they live within their country.

Do any countries other than Canada have two separate DoS visa sections?
HeatDeathMaleCanada2010-08-27 08:57:00