I need some advice

[Robert&Karen 264]

we are tryin to stay positive........ theres no way we are planning on giving up.

theres nothing we want more

Let's just say that you have come to the right place. Scour these forums and look for all the information that you can find. Read the pinned RFE thread to see what blockages you may come across. And save up your pennies, this is not going to be cheap by any means.

[percy1986 0]

yeah ive noticed its gonna cost alot....... ive been lookin into services that help ya, but dam they are expensive

but unsure if its worth using one or doing the work ourselves

ill defo look over the forums, the more info we can get the better

will also help keep her mind at rest, shes soooooo worried

[Robert&Karen 264]

yeah ive noticed its gonna cost alot....... ive been lookin into services that help ya, but dam they are expensive

but unsure if its worth using one or doing the work ourselves

ill defo look over the forums, the more info we can get the better

will also help keep her mind at rest, shes soooooo worried

Unless you have issues that may send you to court, I suggest following the guidelines here for starters. You can post stuff here 24 hours a day (try THAT with a lawyer) and you can always buy a lawyer later. All you need to do at present is fill out forms and send some money. If you get a weird letter back then post it here and we will help. Even if you hire someone all they can really do it ask you questions, you still need to provide the data, so you are basically hiring a typist. This is a great exercise in patience and willpower!

[mr and mrs 187]

percy!! welcome and YAAAAAY!!! congratulations on being in love!

k1 sounds good for you, but my husband was a k1er so im biased.

as mentioned above, if there is nothing out of the ordinary with your case (aka red flags), you really DO NOT need a lawyer. the guidance available here has allowed so many of us to do this on our own and save thousands of dollars.

tell your lady that she need not worry, she just needs to be patient and organized! i would suggest having you both learn the process, as there are different requirements for each of you as you move forward. plus understanding what is going on helps you to feel as though you are not totally at sea.

start now. be diligent. use VJ. and think positively!

finding VJ is probably the second best thing youve done lately. the other would be meeting your lady.

[GnBnL 50]

I strongly suggest NOT using a lawyer. they are just not as invested in getting you a visa as YOU are. They get paid either way. You can for sure do it yourself, and it will cost far less. the good thing is you don't have to pay all the fees of the K-1 upfront...like, its spaced out, so its not so bad. Like I said, it can seem really overwhelming, but just follow the guides here (did you find them?) and do one thing on the list each day if you find it daunting! Just one thing a day isn't so bad! you can ask ANYTHING you want from what kind of evidence they need, to what kind of folder/presentation you need for it once its done. we are all here for support and help. Its a great great community and you'll be just fine. By the time you finish, you'll feel like an expert in US immigration.

[MrsNelson 10]

It seems so overwhelming when you first start, but it CAN BE DONE! ;-) I am not a genius or anything but between this wonderful website, researching and a lot of patience we got my husband his visa. <3 Tell your honey not to lose heart, it's worth it in the end!

[Brit Abroad 166]

Most people here on VJ have relatively "simple" cases. By that I mean, no criminal convictions, no drug use, no sexual abuse charges. If you fall into that category, it's certainly much cheaper to complete and submit the paperwork by yourselves.

My recommendation is to read up on the ENTIRE process, from K1 Fiance/e visa, through Adjustment of Status and Removal of Conditions. The links are at GUIDES on the very top menu of this page. Then pop over to the USCIS.gov and print out all the forms for each process (this has the advantage that you get the latest versions, as some of the guides may not have been updated). Make some photocopies and see how you get on filling them out. If you run into problems, come and ask questions here on the forums and you're likely to get sufficient advice to complete them without paying a lawyer excessive amounts for it.

Personally, we found the most difficult part of the process was the waiting time. Provided you are thorough about accumulating the required paperwork and you take care to fill in the forms correctly, it's not a difficult process.

Best of luck to you, OP.

[DaniandShaun 1]

I'm pretty sure there are a lot of us here that went through the process on our own. I did We made a few mistakes, but nothing that wasn't easy to fix. And we found a lot of help on VJ.

Use your resources, encourage your lady to have a look at all the information they have here.

Keep positive! And congrats on the beginning of your journey together!

Shaun and I have always looked at it as a wonderful story we'll tell our children and grandchildren.

Good luck to you.

[Samantha78 117]

Get married and do the CR1...if you plan is to marry soon, then just get it over with and file that way. STAY FAR FAR FARRRRRR AWAY FROM THE K3. I'm speaking from experience

[mr and mrs 187]

cr1 is a good option too, but that would require the time to organize a trip to be together, a ceremony (big or small), and then file.

[Alanaloria 0]

Hello,

I am planning on going over to america to see my girlfriend in march/april, I currently stay in scotland. We have been lookiing into ways that i will be able to stay there when i go over, By the looks of things the only way is to get married while i am there then file for a k3 visa. We have now decided to get engaged and get married while im there ....... we are worried and a little confused, i have read up on it, some i understand but most i cant make heads or tails of.

First of all, we can genuinly prove we love each other, we spend every waking moment talking, skyping and talking about our future......we even know what our kids names are going to be. There is nothing i want more than to marry her and spend my life with her.

Am i right in saying, after we get married there and file for the k3 i am able to stay? and what is likely to happen if they actually find out we have spoke about marriage before coming and being on a tourist visa.

any advice will be apprieciated, it is really stressing me out, i just want to be there with her and im a bit lost. so if you know any information or have been and done what we are about to do any help will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

I would recommend putting in your K1 application ASAP so that you can start getting the wait over with. In the meantime, you can go and visit the US for up to 3 months on the Visa Waiver Program, or 6 months on a proper B1/B2 tourist visa. This way you can spend most of the time you are waiting for your K1 visa in the US with your fiance, even though you won't be able to work, at least you can be together! My fiance and I actually filed for our K1 visa while he was in the US visiting me, which is also allowed.

[mr and mrs 187]

if you have a job, id stay in the UK and keep earning money until your visa is approved. that money will come in handy when you come to the US and cant work for a period of time. also it s handy to pay for the expenses of moving.

i want to second the advice to read up on ALL parts of the process. once you have a successful k1 entry and you marry, send the AOS quickly so that you will be able to work sooner rather than later.

[percy1986 0]

Thanks for the advice.

Thought i would let you know, we have now set a date for the wedding.......31st oct. I am going over at the end of feb to make the engagement official.

Again, thanks for the help. Glad ive found this place