ForumTitleContentMemberSexCountryDate/Time
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedureswill cancellation of K1 affect my B1/B2 visa?
If you are certain you don't want to continue with the K1 Visa then yes make sure you contact the Embassy. If you aren't certain then you might want to try to reschedule your interview for a later date, so that you have a bit of time to work out what you want to do. This should have no affect on your existing visa.
JoannaVFemaleUnited Kingdom2010-09-30 01:45:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresHow much English is required for the visa?
There are language requirements for citizenship, but none for immigration. I have read other posts on here of people who spoke no English at all. At least by the interview your fiancee will know some, hopefully enough to help her feel confident :-) I just read a post on here the other day about someone who accompanied their fiancee to the interview and translated most of it :-) You might need to provide an interpreter for the interview, but you can think about that when the time comes. Hopefully someone with personal experience can reply to reassure you some more, especially someone who has been through the Bolivian Embassy.
JoannaVFemaleUnited Kingdom2010-09-30 01:52:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresMedical Examination
In the UK you will need to wait to get the case number before booking a medical. This is probably best in Australia as well, just in case approval of the petition takes longer than you expect. But once you get the case number go ahead and make your appointment. (Being prepared is good, in the UK they don't really tell you much about the medical so if you never went online you'd probably be in a last minute rush!)

What you can do now is get your vaccinations in order: generally easier to do through your own doctor, and easier than getting them in the US.
JoannaVFemaleUnited Kingdom2010-10-01 01:00:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresMedical Examination
You might want to get hold of your vaccination records already, make sure you're up to date on them and have any that will be cheaper to get at your own doctor. You don't generally need to have the vaccinations before getting to the US for the K1 visa but it is much easier to do so.
JoannaVFemaleUnited Kingdom2010-09-30 02:46:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedureswhat if a person is a citizen on one country but lives in another country?
Her interview would be in the country in which she permanently resides, in this case Korea.
JoannaVFemaleUnited Kingdom2010-10-01 03:19:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresNot making enough money :(

Her fiance would still need to meet the income requirements when they filed AOS. Or do you mean TN-1 until he finishes in 6 years?


If she was able to get a visa to work in the US, then her income could be used together with his as it would continue after she became a permanent resident.

A co-sponsor is the best way to go. Alternatively, if you are able to save up a significant amount of money in Canada that could be counted towards assets and help.
JoannaVFemaleUnited Kingdom2010-10-01 09:03:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Proceduresvacinations for america. currently living in scotland
Make sure you have two MMR shots, if you haven't had these before then go to your doctor and get them done now.
JoannaVFemaleUnited Kingdom2010-10-01 21:49:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Proceduresfor any UK beneficiaries out there...
British for nationality and UK for country. It doesn't really matter what you put, but UK would be the proper political term.
JoannaVFemaleUnited Kingdom2010-10-02 01:39:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresAustralian Seeking Help
I guess the main problem I have with it is that it is skipping ahead of all those who file for a K1. Ideally, USCIS would allow everyone to just marry and do AOS.
JoannaVFemaleUnited Kingdom2010-10-02 04:12:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresAustralian Seeking Help
Oh yes, I guess I was forgetting precisely what was illegal about the whole thing. Before I was married I rejected AOS as an option because this was before I travelled to America and so I would've had "intent". After I was married we had our honeymoon and then visited the UK. I then went back to the US for three months under VWP and whilst we were filing the I-130 I did think a couple of times about AOS. But I felt it would've been an abuse of the VWP. I guess on the majority of issues I think USCIS is too strict but on this one I think them too lax. I'd only allow it if someone got ill or had a baby whilst in the US. Oh well haha.
JoannaVFemaleUnited Kingdom2010-09-30 06:34:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresAustralian Seeking Help
The other con with the -- AOS while in the US -- option is that it is technically illegal if you are here on the Visa Waiver Program and although USCIS has allowed people to do it in the past there is no guarantee that they will continue to do so. I just read a post on here today that suggested they were denying more of these kind of applications recently. Also, assuming you have family and/or possessions in Australia, you probably would like to be able to leave there properly, rather than to suddenly find that you have already left!

If you are happy and ready and able (able would include, for example, having your birth certificate with you if your state requires that) to get married now, then the CR1 visa is definitely the easier and cheaper route to go compared to the K1 visa. It is one process, whereas the K1 visa is split into two: K1 before marriage, and then Adjustment of Status afterwards. Just try not to get so excited about getting married that you forget to send off the first form, lol.

JoannaVFemaleUnited Kingdom2010-09-30 03:20:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresPossible red flag?
I'd say just sit tight and wait. As far as approving the I-129f goes, they just need to know that you are both single and able to marry. The Embassy itself might ask questions about your ex-wife, but you will be there to answer them. Sometimes the UK Embassy is interested in the demise of the prior marriage, so you might be asked. But deal with that when you come to it. You have the divorce paperwork, take it with you to the interview if you're not asked for it before. It won't be a problem.
JoannaVFemaleUnited Kingdom2010-10-01 21:38:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Proceduresi can not believe this.

and also how does filing for years before work?like say he starts filing for 07 from...next month,will it take a year like normal taxing?and also would it be a problem if our embassy or AOS asks for 07 copy before the year is up?
( i dk if i managed to word it out right,im sorry if i havent)


So long as he has his W2s or wage slips or 1099s or whatever, he can file his taxes for 2007 tomorrow. Immediately, he will be completed. When you "file" taxes you do so after the year has ended. Then it is worked out if you paid too much or too little tax over the year, and then you must either pay extra or you get a refund.
JoannaVFemaleUnited Kingdom2010-10-02 18:44:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Proceduresim in another country not my home country
What country is it?
JoannaVFemaleUnited Kingdom2010-10-03 23:10:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresHow Long Do Fiance Visas Take?

Sorry for the seemingly simple question -- there's just so many varying answers in the net. I realize each couple have different situations though but seriously, Im getting overwhelmed I don't even know where to start!

I checked on the timeline (Historical Trends) in here and it says it's a total of 377 days. So does that mean average would be about 1.03 years?

Thanks in advance!


I just checked the Historical Trends and got an average of about 6 months. And then after the fiance has entered America and married, the average time for Adjustment of Status is 4 months. Allowing for the lapse of time in between whilst travelling/marrying that might give an average time of 377 days from K1 application until receipt of green card, but I can't find those combined statistics.

If you are wondering when to file, remember that you can always delay the interview if they process it quicker than you expect. But you can't speed up your application if it is slower than you planned for.
JoannaVFemaleUnited Kingdom2010-10-04 03:59:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresToughest Countries to get approval from

I added a page in the package that states that I am deployed. I dont know how to really apply for an expidite thought. Is this something they would just do anyways without asking or no? Do you think the process will be completed by March thats when I return and I am hoping for her to move to the U.S. then.


It is perfectly possible that it will be completed by March. But also possible that it won't be. Estimates are hard to give as it varies quite a bit: one month everyone will be working their socks off to approve petitions and the next month they'll fall asleep or something. If you and your fiancee ensure you are aware of what you will have to do once the petition is approved you will be ready to have the interview at the earliest possible date.
My petition (I-130 for spousal visa) was approved extremely quickly. I am vaguely wondering if military, because they have secret clearance, get through the namecheck bit of the process faster. I have no proof of this, just would be interested in finding out! Good luck :-)
JoannaVFemaleUnited Kingdom2010-10-04 01:43:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresForm G325-a

I look at it this way, your passport is a UK passport. People from Scotland and England have the same passport that says "United Kingdom" on the front, does it not? Therefore your country is "United Kingdom". Technically I'm scottish, but I just tell people British or UK cit because it's the same thing (though while saying Scottish is very cool too it's just not completely accurate)


I finally worked out how to explain the difference between British/UK/English. Unfortunately most UK citizens don't even understand the differences so no wonder foreigners can get confused. :lol:
JoannaVFemaleUnited Kingdom2010-10-06 08:31:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresForm G325-a

Good morning, afternoon or evening wherever you may be. My fiance and I are filling out the G325-a form that is required for the I129-f form. We do not have a case number yet since this is the first thing we file. Should we just put none in the box? Also, for alien registration number, what do we put there? Just want to make sure everything is filled out perfectly.

Thanks for your help.


Just put N/A for anything that doesn't apply. This form is used for multiple things, that is why not all the questions apply.

I have a question about this form also...I am in the UK. Do I put England or UK as my country?

Also, for anything that doesnt fit via typing, I can just write it, correct? The spaces are sooooo small! I am unfortunate enough to have two middle names and its a squeeze, let me tall ya!!


Yeah, handwrite anything you need to. Personally I handwrote everything because those forms are sooo annoying!

Technically it should be the UK :-) (Though I'm sure lots of people write other things.)
JoannaVFemaleUnited Kingdom2010-10-06 07:09:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresHelp Needed!! Urgent!

What airport did you go trw? I heard good stories about Chicago?


Various ones: Newark (x2), Ottawa, Charlotte, and Washington Dulles.
If anyone's interested:
Newark to see boyfriend for a week: was asked a lot of questions about how I knew my boyfriend before finally being allowed in. The officer was very friendly, just seemed to want to be sure I was safe and wasn't gonna end up being murdered by some guy I'd never met before!
Newark to see fiancé for 3 weeks: Friendly officer, just asked if he could be invited to the wedding lol.
Ottawa to see fiancé for a month: Went ok, can't remember anything specific about US immigration. The Canadians wanted to know where I, a student, got my money from though :wacko:
Charlotte to see husband for 3 months: female officer let me in just fine, but told me I might want to spend longer in the UK if the visa process took a long time as it might cause problems in the future. (Didn't specify if she meant problems with visiting America or problems with getting visa. She didn't actually know the difference between K1, K3, and CR1, so her advice was probably more scary than useful. But did result in me waiting 5 weeks before coming back for Christmas.)
Washington Dulles to see husband for 6 weeks: officer just said "oh won't you be glad when all this is over with!" (As in, the CR1 visa process.)

(JFK with CR1: went without a hitch. (Although made negative comment about immigrants from 3rd world countries.) Toronto after 2 weeks trip in UK: fine except officer was rude about UK food and asked my husband about 4 times how long we'd been in UK for.)

Some airports probably have a better culture than others, that is a bad atmosphere will just create an even worse atmosphere so there are probably some airports which you might want to avoid. Having said that, your chances of having a friendly officer or an aggressive hateful officer are probably impossible to entirely plan for.
JoannaVFemaleUnited Kingdom2010-10-06 19:23:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresHelp Needed!! Urgent!
If you have a phone contract, then I guess you could bring that.
The NOA1 from the K1 packet should be sufficient. The fact that you have applied for the K1 should work in your favour because if you were planning on entering the US and then staying, you would've not wasted your money on applying for it...

Personally, I was always successfully admitted to the US with just my return ticket. Having letters from your employers should certainly be more than sufficient. Yes there are no guarantees, but in essence: if you have the really bad luck of meeting that one in a million official who won't let you in, then nothing will help. So try not to think/worry about that possibility. There is no need to produce any evidence unless they ask for it. It should however give you peace of mind having it with you.
JoannaVFemaleUnited Kingdom2010-10-06 05:49:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Proceduressponsors sponors!!!
If the co-sponsor makes plenty enough then you are fine.
JoannaVFemaleUnited Kingdom2010-10-12 17:48:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Proceduressponsors sponors!!!

Hi everyone. We have a family friend who has filled out the affidavit of support for us. My question is, is this sufficient to have him as our one and only sponsor? I'm reading alot about co sponsors here and just wondering if our sponsor is enough on his own. Does this make sense?


Your family friend is the co-sponsor. You or your spouse, whichever is the US citizen, is the sponsor and will have to fill out an affidavit of support as well. It won't matter if the income is $0, but still has to fill it out.
JoannaVFemaleUnited Kingdom2010-10-12 15:47:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresDivorce date

Excellent point. I've written relationship timeline as a supplement to the I129F. Is your suggestion that I add it to this or as information supplied at the visa interview?


Include in the relationship timeline that you were separated at the beginning.
JoannaVFemaleUnited Kingdom2010-10-12 15:49:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresErrors on G-325a and I-129F

I just found this:

Operator Assisted Visa Information: 09042-450-100 (£1.20/min) Monday through Friday, between 8.00 am and 8:00 pm, and Saturday, between 09.00 am and 4.00 pm

Visa Information Line: 09068-200-290 (60p/min) 24 hrs only available in the U.K., within U.K. may be unavailable from some business telephones and mobile networks.

I did not know they had a visa information line so maybe try them first?

Good Luck!


Any number that is 24 hours is gonna be a computer-voice only line.
JoannaVFemaleUnited Kingdom2010-10-06 08:34:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresMedical and age?

There are just 2 things that concern me about a K-1 visa, should we decide to marry, she is 54 and i am 32, and not sure what the medical is for, is it just physical or do they do mental tests as well? I ask this as i have suffered with depression for 4 years and i am concerned they could use that as a reason to deny any visa, if and when we file for it.


They do ask questions about your medical history. If you have any health issues then they just want to check that they are under control. For example, if you had diabetes they would want to know that you successfully controlled it with insulin, or whatever. The medicals do vary by country, in that different doctors are more or less thorough at completing the different parts of the medical. It might be that the depression has absolutely no affect on your medical, or it might be that they ask for a letter from your doctor saying that you're not a danger to yourself or others.
JoannaVFemaleUnited Kingdom2010-10-19 16:53:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresQuestion"s about G-325-A

I am just starting my petition process. My question is this. I have been working for my parents for the last six years at their bar for room and board. Technically I am classified as unemployed. I know that I can file a second affidavit of support and my parents are willing to do this. My question is there a good chance the petition will be denied if I write unemployed on the G-325-A? Also during what step in the petition process will I have to file the affidavit of support form? Or can I attach a signed and notarized letter from my parents that I indeed work for them I just don't make enough money to file for taxes to the G-325-A. Please help I am really worried about this.


So long as your parents have enough money to file the affidavit of support then there is no problem. Immigration don't care who has the money, just so long as someone does :P The affidavit of support comes into play at the interview stage of the process. For the initial petition they are not concerned about support.

I don't personally know if you should've filed taxes or not. I thought if you had no money you didn't have to. But make double sure that you are exempt just to be sure. (And if you find you should've filed in the past three years, then do it now.) People have to file if they're receiving certain grants or unemployment benefits.
JoannaVFemaleUnited Kingdom2010-10-23 19:22:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresK-1 Visa--My responsibility



Any case could be fraud or fake-love, in that we can never know for sure that someone isn't a super actor. We only trust that they aren't. However in this case it does not sound like fraud or even fake-love. It does sound like you are incompatible, or that your relationship never got the chance to develop fully. It sounds like you are not fully committed to this girl so a trip over to see her would probably not be much good. If you are are not sure though then doing whatever necessary to make a trip over there would be good. Do let USCIS know that you will not be wanting the visa used any more. If you ever are in a position to file for a K1 again in the future, I would advise visiting the girl a couple more times before making that decision. (USCIS might require more proof from you of a bonafide relationship the second time around.)

One thing I wanted to say, is that it is not clear to me that she doesn't love you. So be gentle to her in your treatment of her. Personally, I may have chatted online for hours each day and travelled out of my way to meet my love and spent too much money on phone calls. But that doesn't mean that it is the "right" thing to do. There is nothing wrong with not spending money on bad-quality phone calls, or not spending every evening in a crowded internet cafe, or even trying to avoid airport traffic. I know people who would always make it to the airport and also people who would not think they have to make it to the airport if it is in any way hard to do so. So I don't think you can assume she does not love you, and so I think you should be gentle with her if you break up with her. Not that there is a good way to break up with someone, but don't say "YOU don't love me."

I guess I'm saying, the incidents you tell us about show that the two of you are probably not right for one another, and would ultimately have problems were you to marry. But they do not prove that her heart won't be broken, so take care.

Edited by JoannaV, 23 October 2010 - 01:32 PM.

JoannaVFemaleUnited Kingdom2010-10-23 13:30:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresIs it true that you can speed up your k1 process??
And it won't speed up the process if you include something not needed at the initial stage (such as the police certificate) and by the time you get to the interview the police certificate is out of date...
JoannaVFemaleUnited Kingdom2010-10-25 23:40:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresWANT TO GET STARTED ON THE 129f for XMAS GIFT

Thanks for all this great info! I'll be sending this off by the end of the month! Will I need to attach any documents besides the i129f form? I want her to open a copy of the form for Xmas this is my goal. She will be done with school in april. I guess me handing this paper work is like me asking her to marry me. haha...:) Ill add pictures.She lives in surrey and im currently in seattle so I hope this will be a smooth process. We been together for 3yrs. :)



I'm not sure how possible it is for you to make it a surprise... You will need to include on the forms a lot of information about her, including information about her parents' names and dates/places of births. Maybe you can get this from her without her wondering what you're doing, but I don't know... You also need a recent passport photo of her, and a statement from her saying she intends on marrying you within 90 days of entering the country with the visa. Not sure how you would get the latter from her without first asking her to marry you...
JoannaVFemaleUnited Kingdom2010-10-25 23:23:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresTips for not getting turned away for a visit?

It's interesting to me that for those with fiance(e)s from countries in the visa waiver program, the POE officers seem to consider the K-1 process as an indication that a visit while the K-1 is pending will not be abused/overstayed.

Based on information from Embassy staff and people on VJ is that the analysis of the pending K-1 is the opposite for those from countries that actually need a tourist visa (such as Russia). In these cases, it seems that the K-1 process is viewed by the embassy staff as a disadvantage. Apparently they think that someone who is an "impending immigrant" is supposedly more likely to overstay on a tourist visa.

I agree much more with the POE analysis than the Embassy analysis. Why would we put the K-1 process in jeopardy by overstaying a tourist visa? But what I think apparently does not necessarily matter.

I sure wish my fiancee could visit during the holidays...



I wouldn't be surprised if it is some kind of economic racism. VWP countries tend to be relatively rich. POE officials think that everyone in the world wants to live in America, but they are a bit more welcoming to the richer immigrants. It's horrible, but I think it factors into this.

I agree with you, that I always thought my visa process was sure proof that I wouldn't be overstaying illegally. However, I've read enough stories about people, whether through ignorance or malice, overstaying and doing all kinds of other things that I guess it's not such sure proof after all. I don't understand how so many people have no worries about being out of status!
JoannaVFemaleUnited Kingdom2010-11-10 03:37:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresTravelling to the United States and Other Countries while K1 Visa application is in process
That is fine. Australia does not care that you are in the process of immigrating to the US. And the US will not care that you visited Australia.
JoannaVFemaleUnited Kingdom2010-11-10 04:15:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresTravelling to the United States and Other Countries while K1 Visa application is in process
As you're not going to Cuba but rather some Mediterranean countries, there's no reason for you to even be thinking about this.
JoannaVFemaleUnited Kingdom2010-11-10 02:42:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresAfter 5 Months of Waiting for NOA2, Got RFE
My own American husband didn't know how far Hawaii was from California. You need to somehow explain in your letter that knowledge of US geography is really 100% irrelevant. But do try to get that across without appearing too scathing. You could also include any examples of what your fiance has learnt about US geography from his conversations with you. (Even if it is just talking about your own town. Which would surely be more important than anything else.)

Again, the same with the job. Explain in detail what your job is and instances of when you have talked to your fiance about it and show how what he said was correct.

In a way, this is YOUR chance to be interviewed and present the reality of your relationship. Don't go overboard with extraneous details, but do try to include some relevant anecdotes.

Good luck !
JoannaVFemaleUnited Kingdom2010-11-10 02:18:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresHelp - A sad tale of a change of heart :-(
It is best to inform the Embassy. That way, if you do file another K1 in the future, they won't be wondering what happened to the first one.

If you are not sure about not going through with this, then scrounge together some money and fly down to visit her.
JoannaVFemaleUnited Kingdom2010-11-17 02:09:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresBeneficiary Background Check
When people have problems with long checks it is usually because of something like sharing a name with someone who has done bad things. Being outside his home country is not in itself going to slow up the process.
JoannaVFemaleUnited Kingdom2010-11-19 20:07:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresWon't let my fiance schedule his medical in london
http://www.acpo.poli...ertificates.asp There's no need for company name or anything. If your fiance applies for the police certificate right now then he should have it in time for the medical without having to pay for the premium service.

Wish the Embassy wouldn't keep making changes like this!

Hmm would be good to have some additional information on this. If this is required for K1 applicants then I guess it would be required for DCF applicants too, but it can't be required for SCF applicants because they have to send their documents to the NVC. Hopefully the doctors won't get confused and try to request this from everybody!

Edited by JoannaV, 24 November 2010 - 09:35 PM.

JoannaVFemaleUnited Kingdom2010-11-24 21:30:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresChange of Address while pending

Thank you both for your help :)
My current address is an apartment... I won't be able to receive any mail here after the end of the year.


If they haven't approved your address by the time you move then, if you want complete peace of mind, you could pay for mail forwarding?
JoannaVFemaleUnited Kingdom2010-12-07 04:51:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresHelp filling I-129F form
If you're not planning on returning to the UK then you can do your interview in Israel. There is a place on the I-129F form to state which country/embassy you wish to interview at. Not sure what to do about the addresses, but I would include evidence that you are in Israel so that they are likely to let you interview there. (May need to include a copy of your visa showing that you are legally there and will still be there next year.)
JoannaVFemaleUnited Kingdom2010-12-07 04:59:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresG-325A Questions

1. Ok. If it's my present address, can I write "Present Time" in the "To Month/Year" column?


Well, to my mind, the difference between "United Kingdom" and "British", surely?


Yes, can write "present time".
I guess you're right about UK vs British, not that it would really matter too much. Personally I filled out the entire G325a because it seemed the safest thing to do.
JoannaVFemaleUnited Kingdom2010-12-14 00:54:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Proceduresfeels like the end before the beginning...

While I appreciate the sentiment and the intentions in your statement, I couldn't possibly disagree more about ignorance. People who are blissfully unaware of the requirements usually fail. What's worse, their failure hits them like a brick wall at 90 MPH - totally unexpected and emotionally devastating. I've seen it too many times here. People are crushed when they are denied because they didn't know they needed X, Y, or Z, and they never bothered to find out beforehand, and their blind belief that they would never be denied left them vulnerable to the emotional train wreck they experienced.

A better state of mind is to be logical, rational, and calm. Know exactly what the requirements are at each step of the way, know what your options are if you fail, and be prepared with a course of action for any possible outcome. You shouldn't view the immigration process as an integral part of your relationship, but as a peripheral process that you have to deal with, sort of like filing your taxes every year. You probably wouldn't be emotionally ruined if the IRS denied a deduction you tried to take. You'd probably chalk it up to not being adequately prepared or educated about what you needed to qualify. You should approach the immigration process with the same attitude. The US government doesn't take this stuff personally, and neither should you.


The first part of my comment was of more importance in that sense: that VJ is a huge help to people. I would never advocate ignorance as the better course of action. I was merely saying that there are always disadvantages to knowledge, even when the advantages greatly outweigh them and it is obvious that knowing is better. Some people find it easier to be "logical, rational, and calm" than others. For some people, once they have educated themselves and done all they need to do, they then need to focus on something else. Sometimes people need to be alerted to the possible negative outcomes, and other times they need unequivocal encouragement. My comment was aimed only at the OP, who was educated and had also been alerted to possible issues/solutions by previous posters.

Having said that, too much knowledge is still a disadvantage of open internet forums. In an ideal future, we would have a system where you could access all the information and discussion you needed, but were not needlessly exposed to horror stories until after you had completed the immigration journey. So, you could say "I have never even touched anything remotely criminal" and you would then never have to read about denials and waivers relating to criminal stuff. Personally, I could deal with everything immigration related in a rational and calm manner but visiting the US whilst waiting for my visa caused me many sleepness nights. I would've liked to have known what evidence to carry with me when flying, and also seen the statistics of other people's experience visiting for various periods of time, but not had to read about anything else.
JoannaVFemaleUnited Kingdom2010-12-27 14:06:00