Forum	Title	Content	Member	Sex	Country	Date/Time
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	worried:i129f	No, it will not cause additional delays. Some people never receive their first NOA. The second one is the one that really matters. Keep an eye on that check. When its cashed you can get the case number from the check. I've seen many people wait more than a month for their check to be cashed. It shouldn't happen to you, though. Hang in there. And some people wait several weeks to receive their NOA1.	Jason-Sasha	Male	Russia	2007-12-05 02:56:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	Marriage outside the U.S. on a K-1 visa	Geez! The AOS portion of this journey seems to be even tougher than this stage. Hopefully it will be faster. I noticed that some people wait years to have their petitions approved. Unbelievable.	Jason-Sasha	Male	Russia	2007-10-30 23:51:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	Marriage outside the U.S. on a K-1 visa	QUOTE (devilette @ Oct 30 2007, 10:50 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (Jason-Sasha @ Oct 30 2007, 08:48 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I realize this is even in my own thread but....can you answer this for me. I have read in several threads in the past about obtaining an Employment Authorization from some POEs. Sasha has worked in the U.S. a few times in the past from other visas. She will be coming in through JFK in NY. She has a SSN but only valid with work authorization. Is it possible that she can get instant authorization for work when she lands at JFK?? Any chances? I'm currently searching for answers to this as I post this, so please forgive me if I seem ignorant or lazy. I'm really not. Thanks everyone! You've given me more info than I ever hoped to receive. Usually any thread i start gets buried at the bottom of the list for lack of interest or something...so i dont start many. It's only valid for 90 days though, and only available at JFK. Wow! great. Do you know how certain this is? I mean, obviously it cannot be guaranteed, but the outlook is good? Can you tell me anymore about how to obtain this? Is it an actual document or a stamp on the visa? Thanks...	Jason-Sasha	Male	Russia	2007-10-30 22:54:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	Marriage outside the U.S. on a K-1 visa	I'd hate to be jumping the gun by doing all of this planning now. But I guess it can't hurt. We just really want to get through to an approval and interview before we get excited about our actual wedding plans, whatever they may be. I've seen a few people in the past with spoiled plans because this first stage took longer than expected. And its the last thing we want. But I guess with the way this immigration process works, everyone is a bit crazy from it. Wouldn't it be nice if we could all do all of these stages at our own pace?? As fast as wish to or as slow as we wish. Hehe...wishful thinking. But my gratitude to all of you who give advice and support.	Jason-Sasha	Male	Russia	2007-10-30 22:52:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	Marriage outside the U.S. on a K-1 visa	I realize this is even in my own thread but....can you answer this for me. I have read in several threads in the past about obtaining an Employment Authorization from some POEs. Sasha has worked in the U.S. a few times in the past from other visas. She will be coming in through JFK in NY. She has a SSN but only valid with work authorization. Is it possible that she can get instant authorization for work when she lands at JFK?? Any chances? I'm currently searching for answers to this as I post this, so please forgive me if I seem ignorant or lazy. I'm really not. Thanks everyone! You've given me more info than I ever hoped to receive. Usually any thread i start gets buried at the bottom of the list for lack of interest or something...so i dont start many. QUOTE (Dan + Gemvita @ Oct 30 2007, 10:40 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (Jason-Sasha @ Oct 30 2007, 10:33 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Very Helpful ZQT! I didn't really understand all of this stage of the immigration process. You've really helped me. So, what I understand now is the fees have gone up incredibly, you must file and pay for each of these documents at the same time, expect to wait 60+ days for work authorization, travel authorization. Well, this courthouse marriage certainly seems to have its benefits. Really would allow us to get a jumpstart on her adjustment and our chances to travel. We could even do it the first week she is here. File for these documents, then simply wait 2 months or so. Very tempting. And I know this will sound silly, but we really don't want to think back and remember a courthouse wedding. We want the day we celebrate our anniversary every year to be the day we married someplace beautiful and sacred to us. Not the dreary local courthouse. well, I suppose we could find a scenic place in Virginia for a nice ceremony. bu tthen we'd be so close to home that we'd be tempted to invite friends and family. Then before you know it, my sister is planning things, and we'll have a full blown wedding. it will get more and more elaborate and finally postponed a bit. And we'll be back to square one, using the whole 90 day period to get married. She'll be out of work for a long time....and ahhh ######! What to do........ I know she will hate this courthouse idea. Damn. Well, otherwise we will wait a very long time before she can work and we can travel the way we like to. Well, we could try to erase this civil ceremony from our memory and just do it for the paper. then wait 2 months for the approved paperwork from USCIS, go anywhere we wish and have a true wedding ceremony for just the 2 of us. Hell, this way we will even have 2 anniversary dates... I don't know. I guess we have some discussing to do. And I'm going to begin preparing for this stage now I guess. Studying and gathering, etc. I just figured I had plenty of time for this since we probably wont see an approval for the I129f anytime soon. Thanks alot ZQT! You've really been a lot of help. I appreciate all the time you put into this for us. With AOS, AP and EAD are free. All you need to do is pay the AOS fee + Biometrics. I think the total is $1080. If for some reason AOS takes along time, you can apply for AP or EAD as often as you need to renew it for free. Very cool info! I'm discovering this right now as a matter of fact. Thanks.	Jason-Sasha	Male	Russia	2007-10-30 22:48:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	Marriage outside the U.S. on a K-1 visa	QUOTE (Dan + Gemvita @ Oct 30 2007, 10:22 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (Jason-Sasha @ Oct 30 2007, 05:55 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (zqt3344 @ Oct 30 2007, 02:44 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (Jason-Sasha @ Oct 30 2007, 03:27 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Whoa! I didnt expect so many responses. Thank you all. There was some confusion I guess from my wording. Not sure, but from everyone's info i have been able to piece everything together. My main concern was actually marrying somewhere other than our home state. Somewhere that would double as a nice honeymoon spot. Doesn't need to be outside the continental U.S. but would be a nice option. Our objective isn't necessarily to save money, it's to adjust quickly. So the idea of a civil marriage fits this very well. though, we don't want to remember being married at the courthouse. we want to remember being married in a beautiful, natural setting. There's nothing wrong with a courthouse marriage, but we don't want this. I didn't think about each state requiring a different license issued by that state to marry there. This changes things. In Virginia you can have a license in 30 minutes. I dont know how long it takes to get a license for other states. So, this I learned from the responses. Thanks. Also wasn't thinking about the possibilities of being rerouted by plane to a non-US place. Carribean is out. Thanks. I have read through the next steps of the process, but right now we have several months remaining for even an NOA2. So, I think I'm safe. Thanks again. Jason Good luck then, if you want speed then the route I suggested at county courthouse or the 30 mintue deal in Virginia is it, especially if you want speed so you can apply for AOS before you leave on honeymoon or when you get back. Otherwise you start adding new parts to the equation like other states and then waiting on them to process your marriage license and well you are going to wait more than likely, only way to get the speed you want is to do it yourself and get married in that 30 minute deal in Virginia, otherwise it is going to be or could be several days waiting for that license or weeks, because each state is different and each county recorders office works at different pace, just telling you what I learned firsthand. ZQT3344 Thanks again! You've given loads of time and info to this issue. Hmmm. So, say we do go the courthouse route..... about how long would it take to file for adjustment and get her permission to travel outside the U.S. with me for a honeymoon? Thanks again... It does vary, but most people get AP within 90 days. You can file as soon as you get the marriage certificate and you have taken care of the vaccination supplement of the medical. We will plan on 3 months then. Thanks! Though, I think we will honeymoon somewhere in the US. To save the headache of waiting. But we will wish to travel to Russia sometime within the first year of her being her, so this is good to know.	Jason-Sasha	Male	Russia	2007-10-30 22:39:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	Marriage outside the U.S. on a K-1 visa	QUOTE (zqt3344 @ Oct 30 2007, 09:58 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (zqt3344 @ Oct 30 2007, 10:45 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (Jason-Sasha @ Oct 30 2007, 06:55 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (zqt3344 @ Oct 30 2007, 02:44 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (Jason-Sasha @ Oct 30 2007, 03:27 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Whoa! I didnt expect so many responses. Thank you all. There was some confusion I guess from my wording. Not sure, but from everyone's info i have been able to piece everything together. My main concern was actually marrying somewhere other than our home state. Somewhere that would double as a nice honeymoon spot. Doesn't need to be outside the continental U.S. but would be a nice option. Our objective isn't necessarily to save money, it's to adjust quickly. So the idea of a civil marriage fits this very well. though, we don't want to remember being married at the courthouse. we want to remember being married in a beautiful, natural setting. There's nothing wrong with a courthouse marriage, but we don't want this. I didn't think about each state requiring a different license issued by that state to marry there. This changes things. In Virginia you can have a license in 30 minutes. I dont know how long it takes to get a license for other states. So, this I learned from the responses. Thanks. Also wasn't thinking about the possibilities of being rerouted by plane to a non-US place. Carribean is out. Thanks. I have read through the next steps of the process, but right now we have several months remaining for even an NOA2. So, I think I'm safe. Thanks again. Jason Good luck then, if you want speed then the route I suggested at county courthouse or the 30 mintue deal in Virginia is it, especially if you want speed so you can apply for AOS before you leave on honeymoon or when you get back. Otherwise you start adding new parts to the equation like other states and then waiting on them to process your marriage license and well you are going to wait more than likely, only way to get the speed you want is to do it yourself and get married in that 30 minute deal in Virginia, otherwise it is going to be or could be several days waiting for that license or weeks, because each state is different and each county recorders office works at different pace, just telling you what I learned firsthand. ZQT3344 Thanks again! You've given loads of time and info to this issue. Hmmm. So, say we do go the courthouse route..... about how long would it take to file for adjustment and get her permission to travel outside the U.S. with me for a honeymoon? Thanks again... Jason No problem. I remember digging around on this website and other visa websites and emailing other members and reading posts from way back and any other thing I would find on internet, so I feel for you. I would do the courthouse 30 minute deal you got in Virginia, then you can apply for AOS that day or as soon as you get all the documents to support the AOS I-485 app and I-864 app you have to send in together, we allowed ourselves about 2-3 days to work on putting the whole thing together then mailing off on a friday before the new fee deadline and that was not planed it just worked out that way and fell that way due to our wedding and on the calendar after getting back from honeymoon. You might explain to your finance what is going on, that it is the way the system is set up so she understands and does not think you are trying to pull some unromantic thing, I know I had to explain all this process to my wife/finance to get her to calm down and understand it all, it is very frustrating and hard on a couple in love, and believe me the USCIS does not care. You also need to start to get all the forms filled out and signed before applying, cause it is a lot of work or prep time getting all the documents to support your claims or answers on the I-864 and I-485, I would start working on it about 2 - 3 months ahead of time collecting everything, there is a checklist on this website under AOS that is pretty straightfoward and helpful to look at. If you apply for AOS on the day of courthouse marriage or day after, then you will also be forced to pay for and apply for EAD, and AP(Advanced Parole which means the temporary travel document your finance/wife will need to go in and out of USA while waiting for her AOS green card. Here is what these abbreviations mean, took me awhile to figure out what the world these people were talking about, since everyone is into abbreviating everything. AOS = Adjustment of Status EAD= Employment Authorization Document PR = Permenant Resident See under previous system before July 30 of 2007 you had choice to pick what you wanted to apply for, 1)AOS or 2)AOS and EAD or 3)AOS or AP 4) AOS and AP and EAD, and this was very good and the way it still should be. BUT our fine president signed off on these new fees and procedures for K1 visas back in early spring this year and well here you are, you are stuck you have no choice, you will shell out about $1200 or so when you apply for your AOS and EAD and AP now under current system. We were lucky we only filed for the AOS(I-485 app and I-864 app and supporting documents)which cost us $395. WE DID NOT BOTHER with the EAD or the AP and here is why, it is a waste of time and money. Look at how many filers of AOS that also applied for EAD and AP get their AOS green card within about month of those two other documents, QUITE A FEW! I would say about 80 - 90% from what I have read, researched and monitored and seen now for over a year. THUS why apply when in a month you get Green Card and do not need the other EAD or AP and can do whatever you want anyway for next 2 years. AND what is one month vs another $500-$700 for EAD and AP, not much gained we thought, money better spent on other things. BUT under this new system you will have no choice but to file for all three documents, you get the new $1100-$1200 fee and you will have to apply for AP(to travel), EAD(to work), and AOS(green card) all at same time. AND that also means more forms to fill out and documents to send in. MORE WORK, leave it up to the US federal government to think of this when they claim to want to streamline or help legal immigrants. Dream on. AND I would say that within 30-60 days of applying for or mailing off all this after the marriage at courthouse you will get your AP document for your wife to be able to travel outside of USA to anywhere in Carib, like St. Marteens and come back with no problems. AND not to scare you but this is not exact science, sometimes it takes longer, I would say due to the workload they receive for caseworkers that week or month, priority of what they are told to process within USCIS, etc, many things. But I would say from what I have seen that within 30 - 60 days she will be able to travel and that is about 80-90% of the AOS filers for AP and EAD I observed. ARE Sure you can't just go to the US Virgin Islands or Puerto Rico since they are in the USA borders and in the CARIB and it would make your life simpler and give you the speed you desire to travel to an exotic pretty romantic island! Hope this helps. Just passing on actual factual information to you my fellow Eastern European finance VJer. Jason THIS happened to us and I would say it will affect you also since your soon to be wife is from ole Mother Russia Soviet. Just thought of another pitfall/expense you will have if you decide to take your new wife/finance to another country that is not within the USA jurisidiction, applying for a visa to travel to that country. We found that it was a problem, because USA citizens like you and I have no problem to travel in and out of any place in Carribbean without having a visa(all we needed was passport or formerly a driver license, birth certificate, SS card, etc) your wife/finance will since she is from Eastern European country, so basically any place you decide to go to in Carribbean for example you will have to check out their visa requirements for Russians and how much paperwork and fees it will be and how much time to file for it. Sorry forgot all about this. That is why I made our short list Hawaii, Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands and passed on Guam. I knew that it was like driving in car across state line into another state and no passport check so no big deal, thus we stayed within and flew to Maui for 2 weeks. And after having been to Saint Marteens already, I can tell you go to Hawaiin islands, she will love it even more so and it is not a third world country island, it is the USA and excellent, that is if you are in doubt or afraid of going to US Virgin Islands or Puerto Rico like we were. Thanks! great info there. I never thought of this before, but it makes perfect sense. We are definitely leaning more toward Hawaii now. We spoke earlier and agree that Hawaii or Florida is fine for us. Thanks.	Jason-Sasha	Male	Russia	2007-10-30 22:36:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	Marriage outside the U.S. on a K-1 visa	Very Helpful ZQT! I didn't really understand all of this stage of the immigration process. You've really helped me. So, what I understand now is the fees have gone up incredibly, you must file and pay for each of these documents at the same time, expect to wait 60+ days for work authorization, travel authorization. Well, this courthouse marriage certainly seems to have its benefits. Really would allow us to get a jumpstart on her adjustment and our chances to travel. We could even do it the first week she is here. File for these documents, then simply wait 2 months or so. Very tempting. And I know this will sound silly, but we really don't want to think back and remember a courthouse wedding. We want the day we celebrate our anniversary every year to be the day we married someplace beautiful and sacred to us. Not the dreary local courthouse. well, I suppose we could find a scenic place in Virginia for a nice ceremony. bu tthen we'd be so close to home that we'd be tempted to invite friends and family. Then before you know it, my sister is planning things, and we'll have a full blown wedding. it will get more and more elaborate and finally postponed a bit. And we'll be back to square one, using the whole 90 day period to get married. She'll be out of work for a long time....and ahhh ######! What to do........ I know she will hate this courthouse idea. Damn. Well, otherwise we will wait a very long time before she can work and we can travel the way we like to. Well, we could try to erase this civil ceremony from our memory and just do it for the paper. then wait 2 months for the approved paperwork from USCIS, go anywhere we wish and have a true wedding ceremony for just the 2 of us. Hell, this way we will even have 2 anniversary dates... I don't know. I guess we have some discussing to do. And I'm going to begin preparing for this stage now I guess. Studying and gathering, etc. I just figured I had plenty of time for this since we probably wont see an approval for the I129f anytime soon. Thanks alot ZQT! You've really been a lot of help. I appreciate all the time you put into this for us.	Jason-Sasha	Male	Russia	2007-10-30 22:33:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	Marriage outside the U.S. on a K-1 visa	QUOTE (zqt3344 @ Oct 30 2007, 02:44 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (Jason-Sasha @ Oct 30 2007, 03:27 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Whoa! I didnt expect so many responses. Thank you all. There was some confusion I guess from my wording. Not sure, but from everyone's info i have been able to piece everything together. My main concern was actually marrying somewhere other than our home state. Somewhere that would double as a nice honeymoon spot. Doesn't need to be outside the continental U.S. but would be a nice option. Our objective isn't necessarily to save money, it's to adjust quickly. So the idea of a civil marriage fits this very well. though, we don't want to remember being married at the courthouse. we want to remember being married in a beautiful, natural setting. There's nothing wrong with a courthouse marriage, but we don't want this. I didn't think about each state requiring a different license issued by that state to marry there. This changes things. In Virginia you can have a license in 30 minutes. I dont know how long it takes to get a license for other states. So, this I learned from the responses. Thanks. Also wasn't thinking about the possibilities of being rerouted by plane to a non-US place. Carribean is out. Thanks. I have read through the next steps of the process, but right now we have several months remaining for even an NOA2. So, I think I'm safe. Thanks again. Jason Good luck then, if you want speed then the route I suggested at county courthouse or the 30 mintue deal in Virginia is it, especially if you want speed so you can apply for AOS before you leave on honeymoon or when you get back. Otherwise you start adding new parts to the equation like other states and then waiting on them to process your marriage license and well you are going to wait more than likely, only way to get the speed you want is to do it yourself and get married in that 30 minute deal in Virginia, otherwise it is going to be or could be several days waiting for that license or weeks, because each state is different and each county recorders office works at different pace, just telling you what I learned firsthand. ZQT3344 Thanks again! You've given loads of time and info to this issue. Hmmm. So, say we do go the courthouse route..... about how long would it take to file for adjustment and get her permission to travel outside the U.S. with me for a honeymoon? Thanks again...	Jason-Sasha	Male	Russia	2007-10-30 17:55:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	Marriage outside the U.S. on a K-1 visa	Whoa! I didnt expect so many responses. Thank you all. There was some confusion I guess from my wording. Not sure, but from everyone's info i have been able to piece everything together. My main concern was actually marrying somewhere other than our home state. Somewhere that would double as a nice honeymoon spot. Doesn't need to be outside the continental U.S. but would be a nice option. Our objective isn't necessarily to save money, it's to adjust quickly. So the idea of a civil marriage fits this very well. though, we don't want to remember being married at the courthouse. we want to remember being married in a beautiful, natural setting. There's nothing wrong with a courthouse marriage, but we don't want this. I didn't think about each state requiring a different license issued by that state to marry there. This changes things. In Virginia you can have a license in 30 minutes. I dont know how long it takes to get a license for other states. So, this I learned from the responses. Thanks. Also wasn't thinking about the possibilities of being rerouted by plane to a non-US place. Carribean is out. Thanks. I have read through the next steps of the process, but right now we have several months remaining for even an NOA2. So, I think I'm safe. Thanks again. Edited by Jason-Sasha, 30 October 2007 - 02:31 PM.	Jason-Sasha	Male	Russia	2007-10-30 14:27:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	Marriage outside the U.S. on a K-1 visa	Spent 1 week in St. Maarten in the Virgin Islands while I was in the Navy 15 years ago. It was awesome. I'd love to take Sasha there. I guess we'll wait for an anniversary one year in the future. yep, starting to agree with all of you, Florida Keys might be best option. Since you cannot really plan a wedding until the visa is issued, we think a semi-shotgun wedding would be wise for a faster AOS.	Jason-Sasha	Male	Russia	2007-10-29 23:50:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	Marriage outside the U.S. on a K-1 visa	QUOTE (pushbrk @ Oct 29 2007, 11:37 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (Jason-Sasha @ Oct 29 2007, 09:26 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Hmmm. Yes that's what I was looking for. Thanks. But I'm bummed out as it appears to include Hawaii in that list of inadvisable places to go once inside the U.S. on a K1. Hawaii must be acceptable for an American wedding, you would think.... Guess we'll need to plan on someplace in South Florida. We'd like a private sunset beach wedding. Oh well. Thanks for the info though. What, I guess if Hawaii is the USC's home State, they better stay away. You must marry in the USA. Hawaii is the USA. Travel there from Virginia is no less adviseable than driving to the outer banks of NC. For a closer to home option, may I suggest one of the fine Florida resort areas, including Key West. I'm partial to Sanibel Island. Yes, I've been there a few times. I actually prefer this area to anywhere else. But neither of us have ever been to Hawaii and we thought it might be nice to venture into a state we've never seen. But I am thinking Florida keys is best option. We can have a large formal ceremony later for relatives. But we want to finish this dreaded process as soon as possible, so a marriage soon after her arrival is vital. I will need to do some research on the beach resorts in that area. Something as private and beautiful as possible. Price is our last concern. Hey, look at the money we'll save skipping a reception and large family wedding. Thanks for the info!	Jason-Sasha	Male	Russia	2007-10-29 23:42:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	Marriage outside the U.S. on a K-1 visa	QUOTE (~Laura and Nick~ @ Oct 29 2007, 11:34 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (Jason-Sasha @ Oct 30 2007, 12:32 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Haha! Been a very long time since someone welcomed me to VJ! Thanks...hehehe... Yes, I know that we need to be married within 90 days and I know it needs to be on U.S. soil. I was only hoping there were ways around it. I think we'll still have our wedding somewhere romantic and include a nice long honeymoon. but I'd still like to know if Hawaii is acceptable. can't really find a definite answer. Seems like maybe we cannot. LMAO! Sorry, I didn't notice..it's late and I need to be in bed...LOL How embarrassing! Its ok. Just made me chuckle a bit. Like going to a grocery store and getting carded for beer! I love that.	Jason-Sasha	Male	Russia	2007-10-29 23:35:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	Marriage outside the U.S. on a K-1 visa	QUOTE (~Laura and Nick~ @ Oct 29 2007, 11:26 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (Jason-Sasha @ Oct 30 2007, 12:13 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> My darling Sasha and I hope to be together by spring 2008. We want to get married soon after her arrival in an attempt to adjust her status sooner than later. We have also decided to celebrate the occasion with a very small, private wedding away from our home in Virginia. Rather than spending loads of money for a large formal wedding that will only satisfy relatives and friends, we've opted to spend very little on the actual wedding and enjoy a nice long romantic honeymoon. If we spend thousands and thousands on a wedding, we will not be able to take a nice honeymoon together. We would like to take off for somewhere tropical, marry there, vacation for a week, then come home. I'm not sure if she will be able to travel to the Virgin Islands, Jamaica, Barbados, or other Carribean Islands. Is it possible?? Or perhaps we will be limited to somewhere within the U.S. We would settle for Florida or Hawaii, but would prefer to go to the Carribean. I'm sure if I researched enough online I would find the answers, but I'm medicated right now for a severe migraine and I'm feeling quite lazy. So, thanks for anyone who can answer this for me definitively. Also, does it matter if we get married in any place other than our home state? Thanks again... Hi Welcome to VJ. The answer is no. Once your fiance enters the U.S. with the one time entry K-1 Visa, you must be married within 90 days. Once you get married you apply for your AOS and at that same time you apply for advanced parole. Without the advanced parole, she can leave the country but will be denied re-entry and will have to start all over again with a spousal visa. I would get married in the U.S., you can have a small ceremony, you don't need to spend a lot of money. Apply for her AOS, get her AP (which takes a few months to be issued) then take the honeymoon of your dreams..you could even renew your vows down there if you like. Best of luck ~Laura Haha! Been a very long time since someone welcomed me to VJ! Thanks...hehehe... Yes, I know that we need to be married within 90 days and I know it needs to be on U.S. soil. I was only hoping there were ways around it. I think we'll still have our wedding somewhere romantic and include a nice long honeymoon. but I'd still like to know if Hawaii is acceptable. can't really find a definite answer. Seems like maybe we cannot.	Jason-Sasha	Male	Russia	2007-10-29 23:32:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	Marriage outside the U.S. on a K-1 visa	Hmmm. Yes that's what I was looking for. Thanks. But I'm bummed out as it appears to include Hawaii in that list of inadvisable places to go once inside the U.S. on a K1. Hawaii must be acceptable for an American wedding, you would think.... Guess we'll need to plan on someplace in South Florida. We'd like a private sunset beach wedding. Oh well. Thanks for the info though.	Jason-Sasha	Male	Russia	2007-10-29 23:26:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	Marriage outside the U.S. on a K-1 visa	My darling Sasha and I hope to be together by spring 2008. We want to get married soon after her arrival in an attempt to adjust her status sooner than later. We have also decided to celebrate the occasion with a very small, private wedding away from our home in Virginia. Rather than spending loads of money for a large formal wedding that will only satisfy relatives and friends, we've opted to spend very little on the actual wedding and enjoy a nice long romantic honeymoon. If we spend thousands and thousands on a wedding, we will not be able to take a nice honeymoon together. We would like to take off for somewhere tropical, marry there, vacation for a week, then come home. I'm not sure if she will be able to travel to the Virgin Islands, Jamaica, Barbados, or other Carribean Islands. Is it possible?? Or perhaps we will be limited to somewhere within the U.S. We would settle for Florida or Hawaii, but would prefer to go to the Carribean. I'm sure if I researched enough online I would find the answers, but I'm medicated right now for a severe migraine and I'm feeling quite lazy. So, thanks for anyone who can answer this for me definitively. Also, does it matter if we get married in any place other than our home state? Thanks again...	Jason-Sasha	Male	Russia	2007-10-29 23:13:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	Package 3, Finally!!!	Good for you!! Congratulations!!	Jason-Sasha	Male	Russia	2007-12-14 23:45:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	is it meant to be?	It does certainly seem fishy. If I were an adjudicator it would send red flags up in my mind. For all we know this could have all been orchestrated long long ago. But seeing that he has already obtained citizenship, i doubt there's anything that could be done to prove it was fraudulent. Attract extra scrutiny, yes. Cause for K-1 denial, no. I do feel that there should be a mandatory waiting period before a new citizen can apply for a K1 for a fiancee back in the petitioner's old country. Say, 2 years or so. Might discourage anything illegal. Ah, who knows?	Jason-Sasha	Male	Russia	2008-01-20 20:24:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	G-325A Bio Form question(s)	I believe if he has ever been issued an "A" number, it would be on his previous visa. Ask him to check, to be sure.	Jason-Sasha	Male	Russia	2008-01-28 02:22:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	Cancelling The K-1 Application	You're doing the right thing.	Jason-Sasha	Male	Russia	2008-01-20 20:27:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	Just starting out	welcome to VJ, Tim. Good luck on a short stay!	Jason-Sasha	Male	Russia	2008-01-29 02:47:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	Us Old Folks	[quote name='Jeraly' date='Jan 14 2008, 01:01 PM' post='1488331' Does anyone else do this?! Or am I the only one? (Same with reading books where I always read in my head in an English accent - the characters no matter where they are from always sound English in my head!) [/quote] Poor thing....that's gotta suck! Hahaha. Just kidding. I think everyone in the world uses their own native vernacular when reading. Would be pretty strange to read with different accents for different characters.	Jason-Sasha	Male	Russia	2008-02-03 16:19:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	Last K1 submission question - declaration letter	We had the same situation as you do but Jason did write an explanation on a separate attachment. We wanted to be as honest as we could. The explanation wasn't long but we wanted them to pay attention to that moment. So i suggest that you should do the same. It won't hurt you anyway. Sasha	Jason-Sasha	Male	Russia	2008-02-14 00:52:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	what does this mean does it mean anything good?	Yes, I think its good news coming. Good luck!!	Jason-Sasha	Male	Russia	2008-02-14 12:42:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	How to present photos in I-129F package...(first post!)	QUOTE (bora bora @ Feb 17 2008, 09:23 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I put all of our pictures in ziploc bags and labeled them accordingly - then paperclipped them to a blank piece of paper. We sent our passport pictures and our proof of meeting in the past 2 years. I did the same thing, except I stapled the ziplock bag to a blank sheet of printer paper. All labeled and dated. We submitted aprox. 20 photos with the petition and Sasha will probably take dozens more to the interview.	Jason-Sasha	Male	Russia	2008-02-17 22:23:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	We've been absent for a while but we're still alive and well!	Congratulations!	Jason-Sasha	Male	Russia	2008-02-19 00:19:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	fiancee petition approved without meeting in person?	QUOTE (rebeccajo @ Feb 26 2008, 01:39 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I think I remember reading one time that the failure rate for petitions filed without having met claiming a 'hardship circumstance' was like 99.5%. However, I've been told (but have no anecdotal evidence) that if the couple has previously met but it's been some time since they've seen each other and there are reasonable extenuating circumstance for not seeing each other within two years of the filing (phew - long sentence), that petition MAY be approved. Yeah, that's the only thing I could think of, as well. Perhaps their meeting was more than 2 years ago but had very good reasons for not meeting within that window. Hmph, who knows?	Jason-Sasha	Male	Russia	2008-02-26 01:47:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	Disparity Between VSC and CSC and	QUOTE (Chris Future @ Mar 1 2008, 03:14 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> ....general rant... Is anyone else being driven crazy by this? Why are we out of luck simply because we happen to live on the left side of the Mississippi? Did the chocolate bomb people sent to the VSC in November start this off? I noticed that the VSC kicked up their numbers in November, right after the got sent a bunch of chocolate kisses. Doubt if we do that to CSC that we'll get the same speed increase, eh? I seem to be seeing a pattern of approvals with UK based visas from VSC seeming to go faster - do you think theres been some special deal struck? With our luck, President Obama will bring in the North American Union just as our visa is approved and all Canadians and Mexicans will become citizens overnight, and wont need a K1 at all. Sorry, but I'm frustrated with all of the speedy approvals. It not fair to the rest of us. There should be a standard, across the board, speedy approval rate and total clarity into the process at every step of the way. I read somewhere that it takes about 15 minutes to review an application. If thats the case, why is their "standard" of service 6 months. Some people have postulated that its because they want it it take a long time - they want us to just give up. I don't want to rain on the lucky VSC folks with their speedy approvals, but I'm sure that the rest of us stuck in the slow line are feeling the frustration and are depressed by all this. Its almost making me want to stop looking at VJ, its that depressing. Folks, I've been waiting 26 years to be with my fiance, shes my high school sweetheart - we met back in 1980, dated in 1982, lost touch and then reconnected in 2006. Because of the vagaries of all the processes we've had to go through, it might be 3 years before we are together for good. We are very tactile people, and talk every day via Skype and webcam, but its not enough. Its torture not to be together, and I don't think that the processors understand that they are dealing with people here, us and all the other couples on VJ, who love each other deeply and just want to be together and don't understand why they have to suffer through this extended torture of being apart. I mentioned once to an attorney friend that I was planning on bringing my fiance down - she said - oh now that you are an American citizen it should be really quick. If you ask me, illegal immigrants get more care and support and speedy processing than those of us who want to do everything by the book and honor the laws of the country. Anyways, sorry for the long rant but the frustrations sometimes get the better of you, don't they? Thanks...Chris --- Unucky Left-Coaster - Mailed to CSC 1/30/08 - No touches, no approvals, no rfes, no nuthin' President Obama?? That's pretty funny! Sorry, but it wont matter who the president is, the Service centers will only work so quickly.	Jason-Sasha	Male	Russia	2008-03-01 15:35:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	How close to interview do I send documents?	I know I'm dealing with a completely different country, but here's what I did. I waited until the last two weeks to send everything. Making sure that everything was as recent or current as possible. This is important for the paystubs, letter from employer, intent letter. Well, good luck to you!	Jason-Sasha	Male	Russia	2008-03-07 01:46:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	Waiting in russia with my Fiance!	Hi, visadude, Our petition was approved in the end of November and on the 10th of December the consulate in Moscow received the documents. I got my packet on the 29th of December but they sent it to my parent's address in Moscow Region. If you live in Moscow you should receive it sooner, I asume. I got my interview scheduled for the February, 22nd which was almost 2 months later. But a lot of people don't have to wait that long for an interview. I don't really know what is their concept of scheduling interviews. You can call to the embassy yourself and found out about your documentation and whether they scheduled your interview already or not. Call (495) 787-3167 Good luck, Sasha	Jason-Sasha	Male	Russia	2008-03-11 05:34:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	Great news!	well, good luck to you!	Jason-Sasha	Male	Russia	2008-03-18 13:28:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	Canceling Visa process	You will have to write a formal, original letter to NVC, USCIS and the Embassy. Simply stating your intent to withdraw. Whether you go into precise detail is up to you. You need to sign it and make copies before sending them out. Be sure to include info like beneficiary's name, birthdate, and case number. It can take up to a few months for the petition to be officially canceled. The embassy will have to send it back to NVC to be terminated, then NVC sends it back to VSC, where it will sit in a crate collecting dust until the end of time. Well, this was the info given to me when an old, forgotten petition needed to be terminated. Some people.....ahem..(ok, so it was me)..think that the petition simply dies after one year of inactivity. That's what the instructions would have you believe. Not the case. I was shocked to learn that my old petition was still breathing after a few years. Got this info just as i was ready to send off Sasha's petition. I panicked, called NVC. They gave me the instructions I stated earlier. cool. No problem. I sent the letters, waited a week, then sent off the new petition. I assumed that it should be very easy to terminate a petition. I mean, seconds really. You would think. the weeks passed by and after a couple of months we started to get very nervous because the status of that old petition never changed. Made several phone calls, all ending in that scripted disappointment and uncertainty. Checked online. No change. We became extremely nervous that our new petition would be handled while the old one was still active. That would be certain denial and a very large hurdle to overcome. Finally got elected officials involved after nearly 4 months, with a mass produced email. And amazingly, within a few days I received the official notice from USCIS, and a letter from the director. It was finally terminated. one call from a politician seemed to do the trick. Then days after that, we got an approval for our new petition. Connection? Who knows. But that is what I learned about terminating a petition. Just to note, the first petition was a K-3. And it was abandoned while at NVC and the marriage ended in a divorce. Years later it was still alive. I would recommend writing some letters ASAP. And calling DOS. You can use the NVC phone number and they will give you the addresses to use. If more than a few weeks pass and hear nothing, I'd strongly suggest getting your elected state officials involved. I don't really know how to handle your other questions, but terminating a petition I know. Good luck to you. *Just my opinion based on my experience. Edited by Jason-Sasha, 27 February 2008 - 10:39 PM.	Jason-Sasha	Male	Russia	2008-02-27 22:37:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	My K1 Visa rejected - will return back to u.s.	Dang! You all have ME worried about evidence too now. Great. Our interview is 4 days away and we're both a bit stressed. We have plenty of photos, emails, phone bills, 4 Russian tourist visas, engagement ring, etc. but this thread is creepy. I shouldn't have read it... Well, I'm pretty sure we have enough, actually. But this OP really has problems now. It's a shame. There was no reason to lie. I wish you the best outcome.	Jason-Sasha	Male	Russia	2008-02-17 22:20:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	NEED HELP!!! REALLY... NEED HELP!	I am not so sure this guy wants to be married. I hate to say this, but I'm blunt......you need to rethink all of your efforts to rescue this relationship. Good luck to you. i'm very sorry this is happening. Unbelievable. He needs a good smack to the head.	Jason-Sasha	Male	Russia	2008-02-14 12:40:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	K1- visa - Are photos realy needed	I would be too scared to send a petition without photos. No matter how much written evidence you have. No offense, but I cant imagine anyone making plans to get married without ever taking photos together. Am I the only one who finds this odd? Sorry, that probably wasnt the greatest answer. I think photos are critical. If you pass the petition approval, I cant see how you would be granted a visa during the interview without photos. My friend, I think you should start checking airline prices. I see an RFE in your future.... Edited by Jason-Sasha, 29 August 2007 - 10:44 PM.	Jason-Sasha	Male	Russia	2007-08-29 22:43:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	Birth Certificate	Your original birth certificate should be certified. Usually done with a colorful watermark or raised stamp. If you're still in doubt, you can always contact vital records department in the hospital you were born. They should be able to make new originals for a small fee. I recommend ordering several copies. Hope this helps. Good luck to you.	Jason-Sasha	Male	Russia	2009-12-18 14:48:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	I-134 Supporting evidence questions	Sounds like you'll definitely need your mother to cosponsor. If you cant prove your income for the last year was more than 125% of poverty level with tax returns and W-2s, you'll be denied. She will need to provide everything listed. Also she will need to provide 4 copies of G-325A Biographical sheet. You need everything listed above and it wouldnt hurt to include the W-2s as well.	Jason-Sasha	Male	Russia	2010-02-12 01:10:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	Waiting on the VSC to make a decision?	QUOTE (Mirla @ Dec 10 2007, 05:04 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Mirla, I like this look for you.	Jason-Sasha	Male	Russia	2007-12-10 06:01:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	Waiting on the VSC to make a decision?		Jason-Sasha	Male	Russia	2007-12-10 05:01:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	Waiting on the VSC to make a decision?	Am I the only one up at this hour?	Jason-Sasha	Male	Russia	2007-12-10 04:59:00