Ready For K -1 But Worried

[Chicagoguy]

My fiance and are are almost finnished with the I-129F Petition and the G-325A Biography forms.
But now I am getting cold feet. No, not my fiance but with the U.S government. I don't trust the DHS.

I have access to a very good immigration lawyer but thought I would do this on my own and use him after she arrives. I have a very helpful book donated by one of our members.

Have others been successful on their own ?

Also, on the interview process, are they looking for a way to say YES or are they looking for a way to say NO.

[groovlstk]

My fiance and are are almost finnished with the I-129F Petition and the G-325A Biography forms.
But now I am getting cold feet. No, not my fiance but with the U.S government. I don't trust the DHS.

I have access to a very good immigration lawyer but thought I would do this on my own and use him after she arrives. I have a very helpful book donated by one of our members.

Have others been successful on their own ?

Also, on the interview process, are they looking for a way to say YES or are they looking for a way to say NO.

Is this your first K1? Hers? Is she without children? If yes, you have a very vanilla petition. Complete and file your docs carefully and she should sail right through.

[Shadow]

Do you have experience with import/export of goods ? If so, see it as an import license.
Despite interviews, the main part for the Government is you showing to fulfill all requirements. If you do, they will put the stamp. If you doubt or do not, crying a river will not help.
All who are involved get to process a large number of requests a day. If they do not remember you, it is a good thing.

[dispozo]

I agree with groveistk.

I will start my K-1 in August. Our case is very simple, no children,never married.....

I have read everything I could about the process and it seems to be very straight forward.

You will be fine.

GOOD LUCK!!!

[Blues Fairy]

Go to VisaJourney.com and check everything you've prepared against their excellent K-1 Guide.  They have a wealth of useful info and also forums with thousands people like you who are doing it by themselves. 

My husband was initially set on using a lawyer but I stumbled upon VJ, did some reading, and then quickly talked him out of it.  As a result, we saved thousands of $$ and had a very smooth and straightforward visa process. 

Good luck! 

[dispozo]

Go to VisaJourney.com and check everything you've prepared against their excellent K-1 Guide.  They have a wealth of useful info and also forums with thousands people like you who are doing it by themselves. 
 

I SECOND THAT!!!! That is were I learned the most.

Again GOOD LUCK!!!

[Gator]

Even with children it is easy, real easy.  Just follow the VisaJourney guidelines.  Check everything thrice.  I spent 40-50 hours preparing my petition.

The most important part is to prove that the two of you have a real relationship.  So document thoroughly your meetings.  Lots of photos organized well.

At the interview, the CO will be looking for reasons to deny your petition.  The CO will ask questions.  If you have a real relationship, you will pass the interrogatory.

[ScottinCrimea]

I just sent off the I-130 for my wife's daughter.  As others have stated, once you have the proper instructions it's pretty straightforward.  Putting together the initial package took me all of three hours because I already had the documents and translations in hand.

I remember having the same worries as you with the petition for my wife, sweating every step of the way that maybe I had done something wrong that would jeopardize the process and letting out a verbal cheer each time something was approved, feeling I had dodged another bullet.  It became easier, though, when I realized that a mistake on my part wouldn't negate the petition, only lead to a request for more information or evidence.  If your case is a routine one and you provide the documents that are asked for, the only time that you really need to worry about an absolute yes/no is at the interview itself.

If you want to see an example of a cover letter and how to assemble everything for submission, check out this thread where I described how I did mine according to the information I had. 

RWD Discussion Groups > Immigration and Visas > Visa process for child

[Jet]

As far as the initial application, the contract worker whose desk your I-129 lands on will spend 17+/- minutes reviewing your petition. They will check that you have all required fees, photographs, documents, & signatures. They will then run a preliminary check to make sure there are no grounds for immediate disqualification. If something is missing they will send you an RFE (request for further evidence) - that's all. Your petition then gets forwarded to NVC (national visa center) in New Hampshire for more in depth background checks of you and your fiancee/wife. Once cleared, it gets shipped to the Embassy for processing. The only real relationship scrutiny takes place at the Embassy phase. They will look at the evidence and decide whether it is plausible and/or believable prior to the interview. They will base their interrogation of your fiancee/wife on that. Some applicants will get 5 questions and the interview will be over in three minutes, others can get grilled for upwards of 45 minutes (or until the Consular Officer is satisfied the relationship either is or isn't bona fide).

[Muddy]

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[steviej]

I used a lawyer with a practice specialized in fiance visas from the FSU. He even has an auxilliary office in Moscow. So, I just paid the bucks and let the wheels turn. I paid the lawyer $1,800, but that was more than 5 yrs ago. I see from other posts here that many have been successful and satisfied doing it themselves. I'm just too lazy for that I guess, and I didn't want the finger-biting wondering if I'd really done everything correctly.

[Blues Fairy]

The most important part is to prove that the two of you have a real relationship.  So document thoroughly your meetings.  Lots of photos organized well.

Actually this is not necessary for the initial I-129F package - the only thing they need to prove is that they have met at least once within the past 2 years.

Proof of relationship comes into play at the embassy interview stage.

[Turboguy]

You would be smart to do it yourself and avoid a lawyer.  It will not only be cheaper but faster and it is easy.   I think the first time you do it you worry yourself to death about every little detail but don't sweat the small stuff.  Just give them what they ask for.

I have done it twice.   The first time I probably spent 40-50 hours like gator and maybe a lot more.  The second time it probably took me two hours tops.  Be sure to document as much as you can.  The airline boarding passes are what they like to see for proof of your trips and phone records are big with them. 

I have heard some real horror stories from people using attorneys but I am sure those who just sailed through with an attorney probably had nothing to talk about.

[Al_C]

I can tell you from experience how to get the petition filed, but I can't do the same with the interview.  My experience is the one where the relationship died four years ago three days before her interview.  The petition flew like a rocketship, so I must have done something right.

Your essay on how you fell in love is essential.  Don't skimp on it, but don't make stuff up either because if you do, your lady might contradict you at the interview.  Just be yourself and don't be afraid to get the emotion of love down on the paper clearly.

The rest of the stuff is fill-in-the-blanks, quite simple and straightforward.

My opinion is that you don't need a lawyer, but there are services in Russia who will help your lady get her end organized.  If she feels intimidated by the process, the hand holding the service will do for her will go a long way towards making her feel at ease.  Of course this depends on the lady, and the no-nonsense type of lady might find it to be a waste of time and money and might even find the service (and you) condescending for feeling that she can't handle it herself.  You know your lady (at least I hope so, otherwise you should not be doing a visa).  So use your judgment on this.

If you are not good at writing convincing essays, consider getting a friend or family member who is a good writer do at least this part for you.

One thing I did not skimp on either is neatness and organization.  I put all of the documents I needed into a plastic snap binder that BCIS can take apart as needed or keep together, and I tabbed each section with a table of contents.  Overkill?  Not when somebody has a stack of them on his/her desk and is deciding which one to do first.  Which one would you do first and give less scrutiny to?  The neat and organized one, or the chaotic stack of papers?

[steviej]

...One thing I did not skimp on either is neatness and organization.  I put all of the documents I needed into a plastic snap binder

That was a very clever idea! A good one to share on the board here. It really shows an understanding of the bureaucratic mind. Nothing outside the lines.

The lawyer I used was John Roth in the New York area. His practice was focussed on K-1s from Russia at that time, and everything went smooth for me. I don't know if he's still focussing on that business or not. He had Russian speaking secretaries and an office in Moscow. My fiance found it beneficial to be able to contact his office and speak in Russian to get clarifications about what she should do.

However, it sounds like most of the guys here were successful with the DIY approach.

[ScottinCrimea]

If you are not good at writing convincing essays, consider getting a friend or family member who is a good writer do at least this part for you.

One thing I did not skimp on either is neatness and organization.  I put all of the documents I needed into a plastic snap binder that BCIS can take apart as needed or keep together, and I tabbed each section with a table of contents.  Overkill?  Not when somebody has a stack of them on his/her desk and is deciding which one to do first.  Which one would you do first and give less scrutiny to?  The neat and organized one, or the chaotic stack of papers?

In their general instructions for assembly of the packet, they specifically state that they prefer to have the papers fastened at the top with the index tabs at the bottom.  Here is what it states:

In preparing your packet, please take note of the following:

a. Do not use binders or folders that cannot be easily disassembled.
b. Use ACCO fasteners to hold together thick or bulky applications or petitions. Two-hole punching the top of the material for easy placement in the file is appreciated.
c. The use of tabs assist in locating items listed as attachments. The tabs should be placed on the bottom and not the side for ease in filing.

Here's one link to the full instructions for assembly on visajourney.com   http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.php?autocom=custom&page=assembly

[Al_C]

The lawyer I used was John Roth in the New York area. His practice was focussed on K-1s from Russia at that time, and everything went smooth for me. I don't know if he's still focussing on that business or not. He had Russian speaking secretaries and an office in Moscow. My fiance found it beneficial to be able to contact his office and speak in Russian to get clarifications about what she should do.

I did actually consult with him and considered using him specifically for his support services on the Russian end.  But my interpreter from Novo found another group called Siberian Partners International, with an office in Novo, where my lady was located, that would do the Russian end for my lady for a fraction of his fee.  They spoke fluent English and were readily available to communicate with me as needed.

[Jet]

The second time it probably took me two hours tops. 

 :whirling: 2 hours? Yipes! I've done a whole bunch of them and can't recall ever taking less than 15 hours to assemble a petition. Hell it usually takes more than two hours just to print everything up! Of course when we do them for others, we build two identical petitions in case something gets lost, and so that the fiancee has something to study before attending the interview, as the Consular Officer knows little more about your relationship than what was submitted to the service center, and other than criminal records, cannot verify correctness of her answers other than those derived from the information contained in the petition.

[ScottinCrimea]

I recentlhy assembled the visa packet for my daughter which is basically the same as the I-129 packet and it took me three hours max.

[Ronnie]

If you need a lawyer to fill out a mortgage loan application for you then you might consider using one for the I129-F.  Otherwise, you can certainly do it yourself and Jet's policy of keeping a second set of everything is a good one.  It seems like the ones I did took me about 4-5 hours but then I'm very deliberate.  Blues Fairy is right, just some evidence that you've met in the past two years is sufficient to meet the basic statutory requiresments.  A copy of your passport or boarding pass can be all that's needed at this stage.  A photo can work too.

[Sculler]

I spent a few weeks putting my package together using information from various websites and info I got from the agency I used to meet my intended. Then in the rush to get it mailed before my trip to Fiji for my third meeting with my lady, I forgot to enclose the check for the fee. Two months later I got the package back with a request for the fee. After I returned it with the fee, I was surprised that they used the initial filing date (Jan 7) on my NOA1. Now 6 months later, I should be getting my package reviewed. They seem to be running about 6 months behind on the first review step (before it is forwarded to DHS, I guess). Does anyone know what the current wait times are from NOA2 until it is forwarded to the Embassy (assuming no issues)?

1x

[Gator]

Sculler,

After the approval of your I-129 petition by the processing center, it is forwarded to the NVC (National Visa Center) and from there to the consulate.  The consulate should receive it in about 21 days after the NOA2.  The consulate will usually schedule the interview in about 60 days after receipt.  The 60 days is necessary to have a health physical, obtain the police cetificate, etc.

Good luck!