Just a few questions

[damianGray 0]

First of all, first post so woo! Hi everyone! I met my fiance on an Anime forum we're coming up to our 2nd 'anniversary' in September. She lives in the US and I in Australia. I'm not really in a good position to start applying for a K1 just yet but its definitely in the works and we both want to get underway as soon as possible.

My questions at the moment are:

1. How much money should I have in the bank while undertaking this venture? I know there will be various fees and whatnot I'm not worried about that, but moreso what sort of money will I need to sustain myself while in America until I get a job? (Given the average wait)

2. With the whole proof of evidence thing, my fiance and I don't really have much that I can think of, don't get me wrong, we talk ALL the time, but its not via email, but rather mainly through voice chat or IM. Facebook and that sort of thing (and the forum where we first met of course). I flew over there earlier this year, and I still have the plane tickets, and itinerary and etc., but as I understand it the more evidence the better. In what way can I prove offline that we have a working relationship with every intention of getting married, if the majority of evidence I have is online?

[amykathleen2005 441]

First of all, first post so woo! Hi everyone! I met my fiance on an Anime forum we're coming up to our 2nd 'anniversary' in September. She lives in the US and I in Australia. I'm not really in a good position to start applying for a K1 just yet but its definitely in the works and we both want to get underway as soon as possible.

My questions at the moment are:

1. How much money should I have in the bank while undertaking this venture? I know there will be various fees and whatnot I'm not worried about that, but moreso what sort of money will I need to sustain myself while in America until I get a job? (Given the average wait)

2. With the whole proof of evidence thing, my fiance and I don't really have much that I can think of, don't get me wrong, we talk ALL the time, but its not via email, but rather mainly through voice chat or IM. Facebook and that sort of thing (and the forum where we first met of course). I flew over there earlier this year, and I still have the plane tickets, and itinerary and etc., but as I understand it the more evidence the better. In what way can I prove offline that we have a working relationship with every intention of getting married, if the majority of evidence I have is online?

Print it out.

[canadian_wife 1,808]

Boarding passes, passport stamps, iteneraries are great, they are primary evidence of you two meeting in the last 2 years (a requirement for USCIS) other things are pictures, facebook comments (I sent a whole facebook wall posting conversation between me and my sister regarding our marriage - the CO laughed and said she loved it). Cards are also good.

I'd start sending e-mails and start accumulating a phone log, You'll have to show an ongoing relationship once you file.

This is an expensive process, You'll have to show you have an income and can support your fiance when she arrives. If you are not in this positiong right now, that should be your first priority - getting a job to support your wife and your new life.

Good luck.

[Dakine 26]

If you are talking about you immgrating to the US, First off your fiance is the one that files the K1 and has to be financially able to support you.

[JimVaPhuong 4,863]

This is an expensive process, You'll have to show you have an income and can support your fiance when she arrives. If you are not in this positiong right now, that should be your first priority - getting a job to support your wife and your new life.

Unless I'm mistaken, OP is the beneficiary - not the petitioner.

damianGray, You don't NEED to have any money or financial proof to get a visa. Your fiancee is the one who will need to prove she can support you, since you are the one who will be immigrating.

Expect 3 to 6 months before you'll be able to legally work in the US. Depending on where you're going to live, and your job skills, it could be considerably longer. The US is in the midst of a deep recession, and unemployment in some areas is very high. If you have money to contribute to the household budget in the interim then I'm sure it will help your fiancee, but it won't make any difference for getting the visa. She'll need to qualify on her own, or get a co-sponsor who does qualify. Right now, she'd need to earn $18,213 annually if your household will only be you and your new wife. However, the minimum level may rise a bit by the time you go the interview. It's adjusted every year.

[canadian_wife 1,808]

Oh sorry, that will teach me to read too quickly, I should have addressed my response to the petitioner, not the OP/beneficiary.

Good luck.

[Marina-Del 10]

Quick question:

Have you two only visited each other once? Has she ever come to Aus to visit you? This one visit is enough to qualify you for the process....however, it would be better if you have more than one visit between now and your interview. The one visit will be fine for the NOA2 stage and MIGHT be enough for the interview stage as well...but it is highly recommended that you get another visit in there. And not just for this process, but for the two of you in my opinion...but whatever.

[damianGray 0]

We're planning that she come to Aus over Christmas for probably a month or so to meet the family among other things so we'll definitely have a few visits under our belt by the time comes that we need to go for the K1. The main issue is money. She's at school at the moment and only has a part time job. There is no way she could support me while I'm over there, which is why I need to have enough in the bank for myself. If they are only going to look at her finances in regards to this process is there any way I could for instance transfer funds from my bank account to hers as a sort of wage to bump her over the minimum? I understand I'm not allowed to work until I get an EAD which could either be when I fly over to JFK or anytime in 3-4 months. So I would need to have probably at least 6 months worth of living money saved up for the both of us. (Me getting the money isn't really an issue as I'm in an excellent position to be saving at the moment)

Looking for a job when I get an EAD also won't be any sort of issue as I'm a web developer and can simply contract work online from anywhere. So the issue isn't getting money its just a matter of how much. But if she needs to be over a certain amount then is there any way I can get around that?

Having to wait for her to finish school and get a good job is not going to be very ideal for either of us.

Edited August 30, 2009 by damianGray

[amykathleen2005 441]

She would have to show proof of how long she has had the bank accounts and tax records, etc. So you could transfer money, but it would have to be soon so that it would not be as obvious. However, I believe that they put more stress on income than savings. If it is going to be that difficult, then either I suggest you wait or get a cosponsor.

[damianGray 0]

She would have to show proof of how long she has had the bank accounts and tax records, etc. So you could transfer money, but it would have to be soon so that it would not be as obvious. However, I believe that they put more stress on income than savings. If it is going to be that difficult, then either I suggest you wait or get a cosponsor.

Hmm, I was unaware that you could get a cosponsor. What would that entail? We could get some of her relatives to simply sign their name. They still wouldn't need to be paying anything as I am planning to cover finances (as I said earlier).

[amykathleen2005 441]

Basically the cosponsors need to show the same proof your fiance does in terms of bank records, tax statements, pay stubs, etc. They fill out the same form that she will fill out. The cosponsor would need to be able to support you 125% above the line of poverty, and your fiance's assets would not added. One person has to have all the necessary money, its not added up by various people.

Edited August 30, 2009 by amykathleen2005

[Jonara 0]

We're planning that she come to Aus over Christmas for probably a month or so to meet the family among other things so we'll definitely have a few visits under our belt by the time comes that we need to go for the K1. The main issue is money. She's at school at the moment and only has a part time job. There is no way she could support me while I'm over there, which is why I need to have enough in the bank for myself. If they are only going to look at her finances in regards to this process is there any way I could for instance transfer funds from my bank account to hers as a sort of wage to bump her over the minimum? I understand I'm not allowed to work until I get an EAD which could either be when I fly over to JFK or anytime in 3-4 months. So I would need to have probably at least 6 months worth of living money saved up for the both of us. (Me getting the money isn't really an issue as I'm in an excellent position to be saving at the moment)

Looking for a job when I get an EAD also won't be any sort of issue as I'm a web developer and can simply contract work online from anywhere. So the issue isn't getting money its just a matter of how much. But if she needs to be over a certain amount then is there any way I can get around that?

Having to wait for her to finish school and get a good job is not going to be very ideal for either of us.

I'll answer the LIVING MONEY question: If you will be based in the North East, target a $4,000/month budget. This is to cover apartment rent, to drive a car, to purchase car insurance, utilities, to eat. Check the unemployment rate for the state you will residing. I have to agree that IT jobs are still all over the place but there still are unemployed web developers these days and you will be competing with them to get the job. What's your specialization?

[JimVaPhuong 4,863]

Assets can be used, but they have to be 3X the shortfall in income. For example, if she only makes $10K per year in her part-time job, then she'd need to make up a little over $8K. Three times that would be $24K in assets.

Don't transfer the money. She would need to pay taxes on it. If it's more than $10K then her bank would be obligated to report it to the IRS. If you keep the money then there are no tax consequences, and you'll probably need the money after you arrive here. In addition, your assets CAN be used when she files the I-864 affidavit after you are in the US and married, so you'll want all of your money without giving any of it to the IRS. In addition, if you have a job that you'll be able to keep after you come to the US (i.e., same employer) then that can also be considered on the I-864. Unfortunately, it can't be considered on the I-134, which is the affidavit she needs to give you for the interview.

A co-sponsor is the best route for you. Your fiancee still has to submit an I-134 affidavit and supporting documentation, because she will still be the primary sponsor. The co-sponsor also submits an I-134, with supporting documentation. The co-sponsor's I-134 should reflect their own financial situation and household size. The household size includes everyone the co-sponsor has to support, including themselves and you. The USCIS rules state that the I-134 only requires 100% of the poverty level for the specified household size, but that standard is usually only applied when sponsoring for other types of non-immigrant visas. Most consulates apply the I-864 standard for the K1, which is 125%, since this particular type of visa will lead to immigration. The current income standards are here:

http://www.uscis.gov/files/form/I-864P.pdf

[damianGray 0]

I'll answer the LIVING MONEY question: If you will be based in the North East, target a $4,000/month budget. This is to cover apartment rent, to drive a car, to purchase car insurance, utilities, to eat. Check the unemployment rate for the state you will residing. I have to agree that IT jobs are still all over the place but there still are unemployed web developers these days and you will be competing with them to get the job. What's your specialization?

(Hehe, I feel like I'm posting for a job app ) I've had about 5 years experience over pretty much the whole range of web development. I can create decent graphics template layouts, although I'm mainly a programmer. I've worked with a decent amount in terms of languages, ASP, ASP .NET, PHP, AJAX, JavaScript, HTML / CSS, MySQL, Access, SQL Server. I have a Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science and I've been programming for almost 15 years now (just not professionally)

[EZgoing378 0]

For proof of a relationship, it seems that depends a lot on which Consulate you will be going to. Try to find others that have been there and see what they say but for the most part if you have lots of photos of your her trips to visit you. One of you should get a calling card that logs each and every call. I had a stack 3 years high. That was asked for at the interview. Other than proof of a bona fide relationship they look if SHE can support YOU initally when you come to the US. You will not even file for your K1 until AFTER she files her I-129F which doesn't even talk about money. That is just permission for her to marry you. Then the case goes to the appropriate consulate in Australia which will start your K1 case. She will need to fill out a number of forms including a financial statement. If you use the more abbreviated form, almost anyone will qualify. At our K1 interview, they didn't even look at anything past the financial statement and photos. All the other work I did was wasted. The I-129F was closely checked out but ours was approved no problemo. Since you are just starting out, I strongly suggest that you get familiar with the entire process from start to finish. You are getting bits and pieces here. If you understand it from the Immigration point of view, then you will know what to give them.

Also, the process does not end with you getting your K1 visa. After you get to the US, there is a whole slew of documents and dealing with USCIS personnel to get your AOS (Green Card), Work Permit (EAD), and travel permission (AP). It is best if you understand the process as a whole by reading the HUGE amount of information on this site. Then, ask particular questions that are a little more specific. You will find that general questions get you answers that have nothing to do with your actual question, just what someone thinks you are asking.

I found a couple of people who were bringing fiancees from the same country as I, and had similar timelines. We all shared information. That will serve you well. In your case you can find Benificiaries with similar timelines as you from your area. Like I said, the Consulate you go to will determine many things. Every Consulate has their own way of handling the K1 process. Some have additional forms you need to file. Some are very loose. In your case, Aussies seem to have pretty good results. I think that is because we both speak some form of English. hehe.

Good Luck