Intent to Marry Letter

[JohnMI]

I'm in the process of assembling my visa documents. The information on the visajourney site has been really helpful, by the way. One question at this point, however ... I see that both my fiance and I are required to submit a letter stating our intent to marry within 90 days of her entry into the US. Should her letter be written in Russian and accompanied by a certified English translation, or can I write the letter for her in English and simply have her sign it?

Thanks in advance for any advice you can give me!

John

[Jack]

The letter can be written in English but needs her actual signature.

[Vaughn]

Should her letter be written in Russian and accompanied by a certified English translation, or can I write the letter for her in English and simply have her sign it?

From I-129F Instructions:

Provide original statements from you and your fiancé(e) whom you plan to marry within 90 days of his or her admission

I've always understood that to mean she must write the letter in her own handwriting, though in English, and then sign it with her
normal signature. I will concede that the folks at VisaJourney probably have the definitive answer - perhaps your idea of a certified
translation would fly, perhaps not.

[Faux Pas]

From I-129F Instructions:

I've always understood that to mean she must write the letter in her own handwriting, though in English, and then sign it with her
normal signature. I will concede that the folks at VisaJourney probably have the definitive answer - perhaps your idea of a certified
translation would fly, perhaps not.

It can be typewritten in English and signed by her. Be sure to have her signature (name) typewritten with it as well. There use to be some examples of the Intent to Marry letter on visajourney. Thats where I got my example from

[GQBlues]

(John, to answer your Q, yes, you may write it in Russian, but accompany it with an English translation, or just have her write/type it in English. Both must be signed. Stop reading here...the rest of the post is meant in general and not meant for you.)

LOL...I don't mean to be silly about this, but fellas, do folks really need a boiler plate to profess their intentions of marriage? Really?

Only in the MOB do we find people hiring other people to enable them to date women and bank their future lives into someone else making their life changing decision for them, then rely on a boiler plate to profess their intentions to marry the woman after all of that....

Crazy, crazy world we live in these days....

[Faux Pas]

(John, to answer your Q, yes, you may write it in Russian, but accompany it with an English translation, or just have her write/type it in English. Both must be signed. Stop reading here...the rest of the post is meant in general and not meant for you.)

LOL...I don't mean to be silly about this, but fellas, do folks really need a boiler plate to profess their intentions of marriage? Really?

Only in the MOB do we find people hiring other people to enable them to date women and bank their future lives into someone else making their life changing decision for them, then rely on a boiler plate to profess their intentions to marry the woman after all of that....

Crazy, crazy world we live in these days....

We do what we must, to feed the children 

[Jooky]

Only in the MOB ....

No way! It's traditional! Arranged marriages, falling in love through letters, marrying someone you've never really talked to, matchmaker make me a match... it's always been this way. Then we humans tried out freedom of choice for a while and that's not working out too well. So, back to the traditions.

Personally I'm waiting for a big enough dowry, then I'll join the married guy's club.

[Daveman]

(John, to answer your Q, yes, you may write it in Russian, but accompany it with an English translation, or just have her write/type it in English. Both must be signed. Stop reading here...the rest of the post is meant in general and not meant for you.)

LOL...I don't mean to be silly about this, but fellas, do folks really need a boiler plate to profess their intentions of marriage? Really?

Only in the MOB do we find people hiring other people to enable them to date women and bank their future lives into someone else making their life changing decision for them, then rely on a boiler plate to profess their intentions to marry the woman after all of that....

Crazy, crazy world we live in these days....

>>Crazy, crazy world we live in these days....<<

LoL.. I'd rephrase that as... Crazy, crazy government we have when it comes to documents for immigration.  Amnesty for a million; a gauntlet for one; absurdity for all.

Listen to the guys who are recently married via K-1.  They should be able to remember, that is, if their woman hasn't driven them over the brink... yet 

[Gator]

John,

It's easy.

Print out in large letters:   


Dear Official,

I love John. 

I intend to marry John within 90 days of arriving in America. 

Sincerely,
Natasha.

Have her copy it in her writing, date it and then sign it with her usual signature.

That's all folks.

[Turboguy]

Gator has the right idea.  I think when we do our first K-1 we get a little paraniod and worry about every little thing under the sun.  Most of us get a case of temporary Impulsive / Compulsive disorder.

The cold hard facts about the letter of intent are that all they really want is to make sure you and your fiancee realize that this is a visa for her to come here and marry you.  It is not a tourist visa.  It is not a come see if she likes you visa.  It is not a come for a 90 day romantic date visa.  It is for two people who have already made the decision to marry to carry out the act.   As it is one of the biggest failings of the K-1 is that around 40 percent of the fiancees return home after 90 days.  If everyone was really using it as inteneded that would not be the case.  The letter of intent is the best thing they can come up with to insure that people understand the intent of the visa they are giving to your fiancee.

I have never heard of even one case where a visa was denied or an RFE issued over a letter of intent that was written wrong.  I have heard of a few RFE's when the letter was forgotten.   My point in saying this is that as long as you write a letter following the format on Visa Journey for each of you and have it dated and signed you won't have a problem with it.   On the K-1's I did I used the same letter and just reversed the names.  In other words, my letter said something like I Turboguy certify that I intend to marry VWRW and her letter said the same with the names reversed.

As far as the comment or idea of writing her letter in Russian with a translation, I would consider that a bad idea.  It is not neccessary and it complicates things and creates more chance of problems.  The people reading it probably won't understand Russian and since they would be reading the translated copy, which may not have the signature it could actually cause an RFE and it has more potential problems and no benefit. 

I went a little crazy worrying about details on my first K-1 and with the last just whipped it out without all the worry and it is a pretty straight forward process that will give you few problems if you just follow the steps and make sure you don't forget anything.

[viking]

Gator is right. You only need a few sentences. But make sure you put in your full names. In big bold letters on top ""Letter of Intent to Marry". Make sure your header is correct (US Department of Homeland Security, blah blah)

" I (your name), to hereby state that I am legally able and willing to marry (her name) and intend to do so within 90 days after her entry into the U.S. using the K-1 visa". Print you name, sign you name.

Then just reverse the names for her letter. It can be typewritten but her original signature is required. Kinda stupid but they want it so you give it to them.

[JohnMI]

Thanks guys. I'll just reverse the names in my own letter and have her sign and date the second version. I'll be visiting her again this month or the beginning of next month to collect her signed papers, and then I can start this ball rolling.

[Jack]

John you have got some very good pointers from several on this issue.

To be perfectly clear their is no one correct way of doing this. Their is no written correct form or wording.

I have seen this letter typed in English and signed and dated by the lady. I have seen this letter hand written in English and signed and dated by the lady.  I have seen men who were so concerned she might be doing it wrong that they had the lady write and sign and date two letters, one in English, one in Russian.

The letter I wrote, the letter many men have written, I know because I sent them my generic copy and saw they used it,....


To whom it may concern,

I, Svetlana Burtseva (or whatever name), do plan to marry John Smith when I arrive into America.


signed by Svetlana Burtseva.

October 13, 2010



That's it. Plan and simple and it has worked for several men.
No need in trying to make it a bigger issue than what it is.