Forum	Title	Content	Member	Sex	Country	Date/Time
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Affidavit of Support confuses me!	requirements vary by embassy, so look around your embassy's web site and see what it says. The Polish embassy says I-134's are optional, but give little useful guidance beyond that. If you cannot find an official answer to the question, I would suggest emailing the embassy. That's what I plan to do for the Polish embassy. dvc	iLoveAPolishGirl	Male	Poland	2009-04-24 23:42:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Clarify Instructions PLEASE	look at the web site for your consulate and/or the packet 3 instructions you recieved from the consulate.	iLoveAPolishGirl	Male	Poland	2009-04-26 14:25:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Affidavit of Support	QUOTE Per form I-9, employers are now required to verify EAD, and are required to look for an EAD Photo ID Card. Shoot! I forgot to bookmark the USCIS page, but... EAD stamps on I-94s are *specifically noted* as remaining as valid proof in the April 2009 changes to I-9 requirements. Sooo, sorry, but the above statement is only partially correct. As per the confusion between USCIS vs SSA stated requirements, the SSA clearly states that a K-1 (along with a number of other visa types) are very specifically authorized as acceptable for proof of employ ability by US employers (at their option) as of THIS MONTH. The previously cited USCIS document that states otherwise is dated Jan 2006. So.......??????? ..... WTH is the actual policy, I'd like to know (from an official source!) dvc	iLoveAPolishGirl	Male	Poland	2009-04-27 21:32:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Affidavit of Support	OT: rickynlucy .... QUOTE K1 Visa holders, take this info with you to pick up your social security card (thanks TracyTN) Wow! great link!! Thanks!!! dvc	iLoveAPolishGirl	Male	Poland	2009-04-27 08:45:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Affidavit of Support	QUOTE US Citizen fiancé/spouse will always have to submit an I-134 as the primary sponsor. Sorry, but wrong. QUOTE Also - these are US Embassies/Consulates - not Polish/Mexican. Thanks for the obvious dvc	iLoveAPolishGirl	Male	Poland	2009-04-26 22:43:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Affidavit of Support	QUOTE The K1 does not allow you to work any more. Say what? Do you have any actual evidence to support this statement??? dvc	iLoveAPolishGirl	Male	Poland	2009-04-26 22:38:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Affidavit of Support	QUOTE I'm sure that my fiance's employer would hire him back, would there be any benefit to getting a letter from them? Where is the job located... in the USA or Mexico? If USA, would he earn over the poverty limit? If so, you may not need to execute an I134 IF he gets an employment letter (at least the Polish embassy web site specifically states they find that sufficient ... you'd have to ask about what the Mexican embassy requirements are.) dvc	iLoveAPolishGirl	Male	Poland	2009-04-26 17:26:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	K1 visa approved,but now affidavit of support,worried	QUOTE You, as the US Citizen Fiancé must submit an I-134 regardless of earnings status/level Ah, just to nit-pick a bit... this is an embassy specific "requirement". Warsaw, for example, specifically states that you (the petitioner) are not required to submit an I-134. They specifically give alternate options. For example, your fiance(e) may provide a letter of employment instead. dvc Edited by iLoveAPolishGirl, 25 April 2009 - 09:51 PM.	iLoveAPolishGirl	Male	Poland	2009-04-25 21:48:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Is I-134 mandatory?	As stated, the specific requirement is that SOMEHOW the benificiary must demonstrate that s/he will not "become a public charge." What an embassy may require to show this varies by embassy and situation. An I-134 is NOT required as per USCIS regulations, it is the interpretation of how to satisfy the "public charge" rule that varies between embassies. If YOU have significant assets to show that you can support yourself sufficiently (to the satisfaction of the embassy and interviewing officer), either independently or possibly in conjunction with your fiancee's income/assets and/or possibly with a co-sponsor, then you will be fine. I suggest you send an email to the embassy outlining your situation and ask them for guidance Also, saying you want to "live with" your girlfriend is NOT implying you want to get married. If simply being with her is the actual goal (for now), you could explore other options, such as a work or student visa. QUOTE It's definitely illegal to pay someone for any assistance (other than processing paperwork) to obtain an immigration benefit. Yes, and, additionally, all financial transactions in excess of $10,000US are reported to the IRS and may be investigate by the FBI. good luck dvc Edited by iLoveAPolishGirl, 18 May 2009 - 10:45 AM.	iLoveAPolishGirl	Male	Poland	2009-05-18 10:41:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Sending out the K1 visa	Just download it from the embassy site	iLoveAPolishGirl	Male	Poland	2009-06-14 15:48:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	What If I lie about household size for affidavit of support????	*I'm no lawyer, but.... my understanding is... * If one VOLUNTARILY gives money to others, that does not make them legal dependants. Paying rent or contributing to the cost of running a household does not a legal dependant make. Court-orders ... or other legal compulsions ... to pay support and/or those you declare on your income tax as dependants would have to be declared, but I don't believe anything else. dvc Edited by iLoveAPolishGirl, 03 December 2009 - 10:51 PM.	iLoveAPolishGirl	Male	Poland	2009-12-03 22:50:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	What If I lie about household size for affidavit of support????	Exactly! Whatever dependants you declare on your federal income tax form is the dependents you must declare on your I-134. dvc	iLoveAPolishGirl	Male	Poland	2009-12-03 22:07:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	K-1 Approved! An FYI report	Well, tried editing my response but it didn't work, so.... Perhaps I should also add that my wage income for first half of the year was a significant multiple of the minimum poverty income ... and ... even my unemployment benefits alone, if recievied for an entire year, would be greater than poverty limit. dvc	iLoveAPolishGirl	Male	Poland	2009-12-03 22:29:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	K-1 Approved! An FYI report	I have no idea what thinking the CO might have had... all I know is there were no questions to my fiancee regarding finances Unfortunately I did not make it to the interview QUOTE The I-864 form and, AOS package its submitted with, may be more strict or problematic Yes, I expect it will be... hopefully I'll have a job soon QUOTE From the way you worded it I was coming up with around 25K ... ahh, perhaps I should have said ~1/2 of required ? dvc	iLoveAPolishGirl	Male	Poland	2009-12-03 22:20:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	K-1 Approved! An FYI report	The employment letter I had gotten from my previous employer prior to getting laid off. The total bank amount was $30K dvc	iLoveAPolishGirl	Male	Poland	2009-12-03 12:28:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	K-1 Approved! An FYI report	Oh! yes, one more thing.... On my I-134 Affidavit of Support, I included a total of my bank accounts ... which came to less then 1/2 of the minimum 3x poverty income ... but I could not get a letter from the bank as described in the form instructions (particularly the total deposits for the year... they could not run that report.) So I just included a copy of my most recent bank statement and a statement from the beginning of the year. Apparently that was acceptable, as no questions or concerns were raised. dvc Edited by iLoveAPolishGirl, 02 December 2009 - 02:44 AM.	iLoveAPolishGirl	Male	Poland	2009-12-02 02:42:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	K-1 Approved! An FYI report	My fiancee was APPROVED for K-1 today!!!! Yea!! Since we went through many things that are common questions here, I hope some here may find our story interesting and informative MULTIPLE VISITS WHILE WAITING FOR I-129F APPROVAL First, my fiancee visited the US *4x* this year on a B-2 visa (Poland is NOT a visa-wavier (VWP) country, so different rules apply than for other parts of europe.) Each visit, without exception, she was granted 6 months max stay (see our timeline below) although she neither requested it and never stayed that long (almost in the last visit tho ) The last two visits were AFTER I submitted the I-124F petition, so YES, you CAN have your fiance(e) visit while your petition is in processing ... the border officer had NO information on his computer to indicate that a petition was in the works. NO related questions were asked. When asked the purpose of the visit, my fiancee simply stated "holiday", nothing more. On the last visit she was warned about visiting too frequently and told not to come again for a while, but he let her in anyway USING UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS FOR I-134 I was laid off in June (just before my fiancee's 4th trip) ... which was great! we had a wonderful time all summer and fall However, I was worried about submitting the affidavit of support and did not have a co-sponsor However, I simply did this: I took my final wage statement to get my gross pay for the year and caculated my total unemployment benefit payments thru Dec 31 and put the total as my "annual income", along with a note explaining this calculation at the bottom of the form. I attached the wage statement, an employment letter, my unemployment benefits letter and my last year's 1040 tax form. My fiancee was approved with out question or comment on this DELAYING THE INTERVIEW Our original interview was scheduled for Sept, however, we decided to extend my fiancee's vacation here for a while more This was not a problem. I made up a "request to extend approval" letter (http://www.visajourn...nd-approval.doc) and sent it to the embassy. We rescheduled the interview for Dec 1 with no problem. We could have extended it longer if we wanted... we didn't tho Hmm, not sure what else... we made a photo album with LOTS of pics of us, along with 20 randomly selected pages from about 10,000 pages of SKYPE transcripts for proof of relationship, included letters (one from each of us) confirming intent to marry ASAP. She will be flying back here on Dec 30 (she wanted to spend one last christmas with mum ) Then we shall be married If anyone has any specific questions relative to our experience, I'd love to help Best of luck with your visa jouney!!! dvc	iLoveAPolishGirl	Male	Poland	2009-12-02 02:23:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Police Certificates in Poland	My fiancee got hers in her local town (Tarnobrzeg) at ... hmm, either it was City Hall or the Police station, I believe. She got it before the petition was even approved, quite some months ago send me a PM if u need more details and I'll ask her dvc Edited by iLoveAPolishGirl, 04 December 2009 - 01:32 PM.	iLoveAPolishGirl	Male	Poland	2009-12-04 13:31:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	K1 Visa Interivew fee	Yes, if you can be there, it's a very good idea. BTW, your fiancee might want to consider bringing US $ cash for interview. From my fiancee's experience (she told me): 1) the exchange rate charged by the US embassy (in Poland) was FAR higher than exchange rates she could get locally, AND, 2) if the exchange rates change from the quoted amount in local currency quoted by the embassy, the embassy WILL change the required amount if paid using local currency. #2 happened to my fiancee (and everyone else waiting in line for B2 visa that day) in Cracow Poland last year ... most had brought only the amount quoted (in local currency... e.g. Zlotys) by the embassy, but they were told they needed to pay a larger amount due to currency market fluctuations... fortunately my fiancee had some extra cash on hand, but apparently many others did not! They were turned away. You'll want to check to insure that the embassy accepts US $ ... we didn't even consider this until later ... but, I would expect they will have no problem with that Good luck!!! dvc	iLoveAPolishGirl	Male	Poland	2010-01-15 02:08:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	Updating petitions online	I was able to see my status first time I tried after receiving my NOA1, which was probably like 10 days or so after the NOA1 date (I use a PO box which I only check once a week and didn't try status for a few days after receipt.)	iLoveAPolishGirl	Male	Poland	2009-03-12 00:57:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	APPROVED!	Add my congrats, that's wonderful!!! One interview is the norm, but I've heard of additional interviews in some posts here... usually not good!! Procedures can differ by consulate, so I suggest u look at the web site for yours for specifics, including the exact documentation package you / your fiancee will need to submit, how, when, language of interviews, etc. Also, posting in the regional forums might provide more specific insights for your fiancee's country. Again, congrats for getting here... and best wishes for success in the remaining steps!!! dvc Edited by iLoveAPolishGirl, 21 March 2009 - 08:22 PM.	iLoveAPolishGirl	Male	Poland	2009-03-21 20:18:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	I JUST GOT IT!!!!!	Awesome!!!! I'm so jealous Best of luck with the remaining steps!!!	iLoveAPolishGirl	Male	Poland	2009-04-02 23:03:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	WOW - That was fast!!!	Yea, I'm with Vermont too... oh well Congrats to you lucky ones!!	iLoveAPolishGirl	Male	Poland	2009-04-02 22:07:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	Is there a notification when they receive RFE?????	From what I've read here, case status may or may not be updated online. Check when FedEx delivered and signature, then call VSC and ask of status. dvc	iLoveAPolishGirl	Male	Poland	2009-04-05 00:18:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	Is there a notification when they receive RFE?????	If u sent it FedEx you can track receipt and who signed for it. dvc	iLoveAPolishGirl	Male	Poland	2009-04-03 21:00:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	YIKES!! LAID OFF after NOA-2 for K-1!!	Yea, if you're still working and getting paid, you are employed That u may have an end date is irrelevant unless you're specifically asked, I would think! dvc	iLoveAPolishGirl	Male	Poland	2009-04-06 13:06:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	Thank God so much that I finally got my visa! :)	add my congrats and best wishes!!	iLoveAPolishGirl	Male	Poland	2009-04-08 14:53:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	Interview, Approval, K-1 Visa Received, Entry, Marriage and Birth - WOW!!!!	Very glad to hear the great news! Add my big CONGRATS! dvc	iLoveAPolishGirl	Male	Poland	2009-04-18 20:51:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	Who wants to join my angry rant thread?	Yea, my heart goes out to you (everyone, not just the OP!)! This process sucks and there doesn't seem to be anyway to make it suck less. Just wait and hope and hope and wait that *WE* don't become one of those stuck in AP or some alternate version of US VISA purgatory or HELL!! Oh, well, not much we can really do, is there? Best of luck to everyone and best hopes that your process will be smooth and fast!!!! dvc Edited by iLoveAPolishGirl, 03 May 2009 - 01:37 AM.	iLoveAPolishGirl	Male	Poland	2009-05-03 01:36:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	February 09 - VSC	Hey all! Been switching computers (to vista... it sucks!) so sorry for the delay in reporting.... Got our NOA2 on 6/30 ... woo hoo!! Congrats to all who have also recieved thiers and hoping you get yours very soon for everyone else!! Now on to stage 2... dvc	iLoveAPolishGirl	Male	Poland	2009-07-17 12:08:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	February 09 - VSC	QUOTE (Richard-Joanna @ May 2 2009, 05:11 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> hmmmmmpft to you Maire and also to not a single approval on the 1st... after the dang push to hit a quota! dang-nab-it Hey, it's Friday ... they are just out partying!!! dvc	iLoveAPolishGirl	Male	Poland	2009-05-02 17:38:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	February 09 - VSC	Oh, just saw this thread... I also filed in Feb ... oh, hurry VSC!! dvc	iLoveAPolishGirl	Male	Poland	2009-03-12 11:16:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	NVC called me....WHAT??	I doubt this was a call from NVC. It DEFINITELY DOES NOT sound like something the gov't would do! Generally, if you EVER get a call from ANY *claimed to be official* source, ask them for thier name, department, etc and tell them you must verify the contact information, ask for thier direct extension and you'll call back. Then look up the dept phone number (do not call any number they may give you!) from an *official* web site, 411 or the telephone book, and call, going thru whatever channels to get back to whomever. Don't EVER give personal info of ANY kind to ANYONE that cold-calls you!! This goes for gov't, banks, etc, etc. If you call the official dept number and can find no verification that the person or department or whatever actually exists, IMMEDIATELY call your state police and report the call!! There are WAY too many scams going on out there these days!! dvc Edited by iLoveAPolishGirl, 15 January 2010 - 02:47 AM.	iLoveAPolishGirl	Male	Poland	2010-01-15 02:43:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	American to Marry South African Fiance in U.S.	oh, no one responded to this... QUOTE 2. HOW soon can she return? When she leaves, can she make a short visit, for example to Canada, and then re-visit in the U.S. until she needs to leave again? I would not recommend trying that! There is no stated upper limit on the total time one may stay on a B-2 visa, however, once she leaves she would have to get re-admitted, and most likely a very short stay home would be viewed unfavorably. A short visit to, say Canada, followed by re-entry after the I-94 has expired would probably be viewed even less favorably. (a visit of up to 1 month to Canada, Mexico, etc, prior to I-94 expiration is fine, but it would not change the expiration of the I-94 in any way.) Nearly all B-2's are granted 6 months on the I-94 ... I'm only aware of a single (rather special and unusual!) case getting more time. I'd be hesitant to ask for more, as I would fear that might cast suspicion on her. So if you need more time than that, I'd suggest applying for a 6 month extension say 5 months or so into her visit. I would instead suggest petitioning for additional time if the time alloted on the I-94 is running out with no indication of finalizing the K-3 or CR-1 or whatever path you choose. This costs over $300 though and there are no guarantees. Additionally, as others have stated, I personally would avoid having your fiancee say anything about marriage when coming here. It's always best to simply smile and say you're on holiday ... there's no need to mention anything about a fiancee or marriage unless specifically asked (which she won't be unless she says something first.) And, all those 'proofs' of intent to return may well be ignored by the border officer if he's decided deny entrance and he well might if the word 'marriage' occurs in the interview! I've read such stories here on VJ. Indeed, I don't recall reading *any* stories where a border agent looked at any such papers "proving" intent to return. I did read one where it was said the border agent very specifically refused to look at any papers because they might be forged. (That 90-day per visit and 180 day total limit people mentioned previously applies to the VWP program, not B-2 visas, btw.) Best of Luck! dvc	iLoveAPolishGirl	Male	Poland	2009-05-09 23:20:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	American to Marry South African Fiance in U.S.	Exactly... and that time range STARTS at 6 months Even if you ask for less. dvc	iLoveAPolishGirl	Male	Poland	2009-05-09 22:09:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	American to Marry South African Fiance in U.S.	Ok, apparently few people here understand B-2 visas... QUOTE There are no concrete guidelines as to how long your fiance will be allowed to stay in the US. That decision is made by the Customs Border Patrol officer at her port of entry. See this web page from US State Dept. website. http://travel.state....types_1262.html ... and all comments about some mythical 90 day max duration of visit ... Sorry, there ARE concrete and specific regulations: 8 CFR PART 214 -- NONIMMIGRANT CLASSES\Sec. 214.2( b ) Visitors -- http://www.uscis.gov...8e046afc8800b72 QUOTE (1) General. Any B-1 visitor for business or B-2 visitor for pleasure may be admitted for not more than one year and may be granted extensions of temporary stay in increments of not more than six months each ... (2) Minimum six month admissions. Any B - 2 visitor who is found otherwise admissible and is issued a Form I - 94, will be admitted for a minimum period of six months, regardless of whether less time is requested, provided, that any required passport is valid ... dvc	iLoveAPolishGirl	Male	Poland	2009-05-09 19:50:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	Anyone know how often the Visa Interview Appointments page is updated?	I'm new here and new at this whole thing so, take with the required grain of salt... From looking at the Polish (Warsaw) embassy pages, it *appears* that *their* list is updated near the beginning of each month for the entire month. How that may or may not relate to the Bangkok embassy postings, I do not know. Good luck!!! dvc	iLoveAPolishGirl	Male	Poland	2009-03-08 22:32:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	Financial support proof at interview in Havana	QUOTE (KimandRuss @ Mar 9 2009, 01:19 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> The I-134 that you must send to your fiance is not a legally binding document. FYI: according to the I-134 instructions.... Execution of Affidavit ... (Note: Signing Form I-134 is under penalty of perjury under U.S. law) ... dvc	iLoveAPolishGirl	Male	Poland	2009-03-09 14:49:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	Can he visit??	Where you marry decides how and what you file. If you marry abroad, you would file for a K-3 visa or go the DCF route. If you marry in the US, you would file for K-1 visa. See the VisaJourney info on these options.	iLoveAPolishGirl	Male	Poland	2009-03-10 12:18:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	Can he visit??	Dixie, A B-2 visa is a visa used to vist the US for pleasure. It is REQUIRED for people of certain countries, option for people of others... such as Canada. The main difference seems to be the length of time you may stay while visiting the US. dvc	iLoveAPolishGirl	Male	Poland	2009-03-10 12:07:00