K-1 Visa

[steve057]

I'm just curious how many of you married guys on here used a lawyer for the K-1 visa process? I know about the Visa Journey site already. I guess I've heard to many 'horror' stories of little mistakes in the paperwork and they send it back and you start all over again! I would really like this to be as smooth as possible but it is the government!...lol

[clancyhound]

You dont need a lawyer - just be careful and go though everything.
Its a fairly easy process to fill out.

[johnichka]

I'm just curious how many of you married guys on here used a lawyer for the K-1 visa process? I know about the Visa Journey site already. I guess I've heard to many 'horror' stories of little mistakes in the paperwork and they send it back and you start all over again! I would really like this to be as smooth as possible but it is the government!...lol

You don't need a lawyer.  It is a straight forward process.  Just pay attention to the detail and fill out the forms accurately.
 
In fact, I have heard of my stories from people having problems when using a lawyer than I have heard of from individuals filling out the paperwork themselves.

[Faux Pas]

I concur. You don't need a lawyer. The process while a bit complicated in length is relatively simple  and a lawyer will only increase the complication and expense. Go read around on visajourney. Download all of the materials for the K-1 packet and look them over. Do a quick run through and complete all of the forms for a trial run. Ask questions as you have them at visajourney forum. Folks there are generally pretty quick with a response

[Hammer2722]

I just completed and submitted the package for the K1 last month. All it takes is some common sense and leg work. Don't waste your time and money on a lawyer. If you go to visajourney.com and follow the step by step procedures exactly as listed, you should have no problems at all. Good luck!

[Turboguy]

I will cast my vote for not using a lawyer.  Yes, you can make a mistake on the paperwork but most often you will take your time and make sure it is filled out correctly where with a lawyer it is usually done by the office help and they do so many they make more mistakes than we do.
A lawyer will be slower than doing it yourself.  You have an extra step in the chain.  Instead of sending the information in you send it to the lawyer.  It sits on his desk until he gets to it.  If there is a problem such as more info needed, they notify him, not you.   Then he contacts you, you send him the info then he sends it in.
When I did my first K-1, I was sort of curious to compare because one of the other members of RWD had his lawyer mail the application for his financee on the exact same day I did.  Of course to be fair, that member would have had to send the info to the lawyer well ahead of when I did mine.  I gained 6 weeks on him from the date of filing until the packet was sent to the embassy.  Part of the slower processing time was that the application his lawyer filed got an RFE from the CIS where mine breezed right through.  He did pick a little of the time back up because the Kiev embassy he was using was scheduling interviews faster than the Moscow embassy I was using.
I might as well tell you the rest of the story (as far as applications go)   That was actually his second lawyer.   He had to fire the first one since the jerk sat on the paperwork for 3 months and did nothing with it.
Do it yourself and don't even think about a lawyer.
 
 
 

[Gator]

Save your money!   You will need it when she arrives.  Instead read VisaJourney.   
 
A lawyer is needed only if you have a complicated issue.  I eventually could give you an example of such an issue; however, my mind is drawing a blank. 
 
I have filed three K-1s and all met with approval without delay, i. e. the petitions were processed by the USCIS service center in the order as received.

[kmin]

K-1 is simple process, but many documents.  Look at the examples and fill them out. 

If you follow the instructions it should not be that hard.

I would say it is about 4-6 hours to do the whole thing as long as you have the information.

A lawyer I think would only increase your chances of failure, as lawyers as a profession are not very good at this sort of thing.

My fiance and I filled them out and sent in the 129f packet.  No problems and it has been approved and on its way to the NVC.

Once again read the forums here and at visa journey.

[ML]

Avoid lawyers and other such 'helpers' for everything if at all possible.

As others have mentioned, these 'helpers' will add additional time to the process AND they and their staff will not be as careful as you will be in completing the forms.

In some situations, lawyers can not be avoided.  In  some states they (because they often serve in state legislatures) have gotten laws passed to the effect that only lawyers can prepare certain documents.  What a costly PIA and these lawyers consistently make typos etc., on the documents, which they will then later charge you (I kid you not) to correct.

[cteas]

I have a lawyer. It was more expensive than the others I see advertised, but he charged a flat fee to follow the K1/K2 visa process to the end. His wife is also a Ukrainian, and she has kept in contact with my fiancé and told her what to expect. He also kept me informed as to what to expect. Even things that are not covered on the Internet. I won't use a lawyer for the rest of the paperwork, but I wanted someone to hold my hand on this part.

[alex330]

Another vote for no attorney. Easy to do yourself with VJ. We had an error with our initial K1 filing and we just had to resubmit one form, only caused a two week delay.

[viking]

Nyet on lawyers. All they do is fill in the forms, a fairly easy process. You need to gather all the info yourself, no matter what. Save your money.