Yes, you can visit!

[cowboysgirlfriend 1]

I just came back from a visit to my fiance and wanted to share my experience. I flew to Seattle, where I have previously had some pretty serious grilling.

The officer made some small talk and was in good spirits. He asked why I was visiting and I said I was visiting my fiance.

"Oh, you are?"

"Yes. We're not getting married, we're waiting for our K1 visa."

"What does your fiance do?"

"He's a farrier."

"That's unusual. Welcome to the United States."

He didn't even ask how long I was staying! I had loads of documentation with me to back up my ties to the UK, but this was literally the quickest and easiest entry to the US I've ever done!

[idriss765 1]

Hi everyone! My fiancé just came to visit today from South Africa through JFK, NY and I wanted to share our experience! We are currently (anxiously) waiting for approval !

This is great! Being able to visit and spend time with one another is so crucial during the waiting process, it can totally renew a relationship. I've seen plenty of stories in this thread about people from Western Europe and Canada being given tourist visas, but I've been hesitant to see if I can do the same because my fiancée holds a Bosnian passport, despite living in Germany. I'd feared that they'd be biased and send her back at JFK.

[Lelyze 49]

This is great! Being able to visit and spend time with one another is so crucial during the waiting process, it can totally renew a relationship. I've seen plenty of stories in this thread about people from Western Europe and Canada being given tourist visas, but I've been hesitant to see if I can do the same because my fiancée holds a Bosnian passport, despite living in Germany. I'd feared that they'd be biased and send her back at JFK.

Hi idriss, I am from Bosnia, and I got my tourist visa without any problems. Your fiance just needs to make an appointment at US embassy, and bring as much ties to Germany as she can, and it shouldn't be a problem. I know a lot Bosnian people resigning in Germany that got B1/2 visa.

I went to NY in May and I had no problems at JFK, but it was before we started K1 process. I am planing to go again next week (if I manage to get days off from work) and I am really nervous, because I'm scared they will bias me because of K1 in process. I will share my experience after I get there.

Good luck

[chiggins82 88]

Second time entering the United States since starting K-1. I entered in Edmonton, AB Canada (Same as first)

This time, I was going to a concert in Chicago, traveling with a friend and meeting my fiance there.

I was asked purpose of my visit: - Going to a concert in Chicago

Have a good time.

Makes me wonder if they even keep anything on your history of going across the border.... Or maybe they just get that there should be no alarm in visiting the US while awaiting a visa approval..

Either way, no grilling which was nice!

[Sarac 1]

Well I filed in July for the cr1 visa in July. When I tried to cross the border I was told that I could no longer cross. They gave me a parole for 7 days and told me I was lucky they had waived the fee. Then they said "when you come back u need another parole" this after saying can't come back till green card in hand....when I got to u.s. side the guard there was confused as to why I had a parole card! When I crossed back into Canada the Canadian guard rolled her eyes Nd said "those people" are nuts over there! So, wanting to cross but scared. Maybe best to offer the triples to Canada stuff? The border guard had refused to even look at them and instead said if you have applied for visa you are no longer a visitor.

[Annie S. 2]

Just sharing fiance's experience as he flew in from Scotland to JFK last week and went through the POE in Dublin, Ireland.

We picked the later connecting flight (about an hour longer layover) just incase he was pulled aside and he had on hand a notice from his work as to when he was expected back, a copy of our NOA1, and copies of upcoming bills he had as proof of ties.

Dublin is a U.S. customs POE so he went through immigration over there and not at JFK, and he is staying with me for about 2 months.

His story is -

Rory went up to the agent and was asked the usual "why are you here?". He answered that he is visiting his fiancee, to which the agent scanned his passport and sat in silence for about a minute. Rory was then asked to come to the secondary room, where he was questioned further.

They grilled him on why he was coming so long, to which his answer was along the lines of "why not try and spend the most time with my fiancee" and the agent asked "I assume you put in your k1 paperwork?" Now, Rory didn't mention that or showed him the NOA1 so I'm not sure if the minute or so of staring at his screen might have showed something was in process under his name.

He was asked when we filed, which was the end of May, and then told Rory that he was lucky because if it was any earlier he would have been sent back home. Apparently the agent said there was another man coming from France who was called up before Rory who filed in February and was turned back around.

He was not asked to show any ties, just grilled with questions.

The agent then gave a warning saying if he was approved while he was here, he would have to go back, which I am pretty sure is a lie, but after Rory saying he was so nervous, red, and felt like his heart was going to burst out of his chest, he made it safely and we have been enjoying out time in NYC until he leaves late September!

[elettarias 4]

So, my fiance is from the UK. We filed in early April and are waiting for our K-visa approval. He arrived to visit me at the end of June and is still here (in mid-august - though he will go back to UK this week). At the entry point, he told them he was coming to visit me as well as friends. They asked if he intended to marry and he said "Not on this trip!" He was admitted with no problems. He even took a small trip inside the US by plane during this vacation didn't have any trouble on that trip either. So it worked out for us, and we have had a nice long visit during the waiting process (which we hope will not be much longer, since we received a transfer of case notice today and most of those reach approval within a month or so).

Edited August 12, 2014 by elettarias

[Ketsuban 1,034]

Hi, CR-1 filer here but thought I would post my experience to calm people's nerves.

I flew from London Heathrow to Cleveland Hopkins and my POE was Newark.

I was greeted by an empty immigration hall and the conversation was like this:

Her: *takes passport and customs form, then starts looking at the customs form* could I have your passport?
Me: ...you've got it already

Her: Oh yeah lololol *scans it then tells me to do the fingerprints and camera shot* So what is the purpose of your visit today?

Me: I'm going to be visiting my family today

Her: Oh, it's a family visit? Which family members?

Me: My husband and my in-laws

Her: Your husband! How come he lives here and you live in the UK?

Me: Well, he was born here and I was born there

Her: Well, you should move here!

Me: We're in the process of it

Her: Oh, getting your Green Card?
Me: Yeah, we're at the NVC stage

Her: huh, ok *stamps me in* have a nice day!

Me: You too! *walks off in disbelief that I discussed my immigrant intent and still got in xD*

I recommend Newark. I've flown through there the last four times I've visited and have never had any trouble with the officers. Most of the time you can even pick which desk to line up at (if it's not busy - so I suggest fast walking from your plane), which is how I ended up with the nice chatty woman above. If anything, her whole demeanour made me think she wanted me to stay in the country, not that I will be! I think she just felt sorry for me

Edited August 14, 2014 by Ketsuban

[bmorgan 11]

Hi everyone, I have a few questions...

We are in the process of waiting for our noa2, and we just got an RFE after 7 months of waiting. My fiancé who is from new zealand visited from march-june under the visa waiver. it has been 2 months since he has left and we are talking about him possibly coming back here while everything else finishes for the k-1 and then we both go back to nz for his medical and interview.

The questions are, 1) has anyone traveled to the states under a visa waiver, twice, in a short period of time? 2) And will they care if we do the rest of the forms and the remainder of the process while he is in the states and we go back to nz shortly before the medical and interview?

thanks to anyone who can help!

[Anna Grant 169]

Hi everyone, I have a few questions...

We are in the process of waiting for our noa2, and we just got an RFE after 7 months of waiting. My fiancé who is from new zealand visited from march-june under the visa waiver. it has been 2 months since he has left and we are talking about him possibly coming back here while everything else finishes for the k-1 and then we both go back to nz for his medical and interview.

The questions are, 1) has anyone traveled to the states under a visa waiver, twice, in a short period of time? 2) And will they care if we do the rest of the forms and the remainder of the process while he is in the states and we go back to nz shortly before the medical and interview?

thanks to anyone who can help!

I travelled to the US with only short gaps between visits - 89 days in the US, 6 weeks back in the UK, 90 days in the US, 6 weeks in UK, 8 weeks in US. Not really recommended as you are supposed to spend more time OUT of the US than IN the US. I took plenty of proof of ties to the UK each time I flew - on my last trip in April 2013, those ties were getting quite tenuous. The only time I was ever asked for anything was on that last trip - I was asked for evidence of my return ticket which, naturally, I had with me.

I got my NOA2 whilst in the US on that trip and completed all the forms in the US and sent them to the US Embassy in London via FedEx (this was back in May 2013 - I think the process is different now). I flew back to the UK and had my medical the same day - not really recommended as my blood pressure was high. My interview was then 3 weeks later (my fiancé was also with me at the interview).

[bmorgan 11]

I travelled to the US with only short gaps between visits - 89 days in the US, 6 weeks back in the UK, 90 days in the US, 6 weeks in UK, 8 weeks in US. Not really recommended as you are supposed to spend more time OUT of the US than IN the US. I took plenty of proof of ties to the UK each time I flew - on my last trip in April 2013, those ties were getting quite tenuous. The only time I was ever asked for anything was on that last trip - I was asked for evidence of my return ticket which, naturally, I had with me.

I got my NOA2 whilst in the US on that trip and completed all the forms in the US and sent them to the US Embassy in London via FedEx (this was back in May 2013 - I think the process is different now). I flew back to the UK and had my medical the same day - not really recommended as my blood pressure was high. My interview was then 3 weeks later (my fiancé was also with me at the interview).

Thanks, that was very helpful! Did you take your birth certificate with you and everything else you had to send in? Do you remember if you brought anything else to the states in preparation? Thats one thing I am worried about that he will need while he is here

[Anna Grant 169]

Thanks, that was very helpful! Did you take your birth certificate with you and everything else you had to send in? Do you remember if you brought anything else to the states in preparation? Thats one thing I am worried about that he will need while he is here

In the UK, we take the birth certificate, etc with us to the interview. It is only completed forms we send to the embassy. So I didn't take any of that with me to the US.

However, I did apply for the K1 visa from within the US. As I didn't want to be caught with my birth certificate, divorce papers in my luggage (they may consider that I was going to attempt to AOS from within the US), I actually mailed it all to my fiancé.

[bmorgan 11]

In the UK, we take the birth certificate, etc with us to the interview. It is only completed forms we send to the embassy. So I didn't take any of that with me to the US.

However, I did apply for the K1 visa from within the US. As I didn't want to be caught with my birth certificate, divorce papers in my luggage (they may consider that I was going to attempt to AOS from within the US), I actually mailed it all to my fiancé.

sorry to be such a pain, but what did you do if/when they asked about a job? or ties to the uk?

[JenDave3121 30]

Has anyone had an experience of being denied entry on a tourist visa while waiting for K1 approval? My fiance is wanting to visit in October and I am so worried he will not be allowed entry!

[renatesol 13]

Just thought I'd share my experience with traveling after submitting the K1 petition...

We got our NOA1 on July 29, and my departure date was August 18, to stay for 88 days on VWP. My POE was Minneapolis St. Paul, and I was prepared for just about anything - I had tons of documentation, and had arranged for a 5 hour layover just in case. I got to the immigration officer's desk, and he asked me just a few questions: How long are you staying, why are you here for so long, what's his name, what does he do, what do you do at home. That was it.

As I was doing my fingerprints and he was stamping my passport, he asked me when the big day was, and I told him we couldn't set one yet as we were waiting for the correct visa. He smiled at me and said yeah, that can be a long wait, and told me if I have any questions about the visa process I could talk to someone from his department. Then he made a joke about a specific kind of Norwegian food (lutefisk) and sent me on my way.

Thankfully I didn't have to wait the full 5 hours for my next flight, as I was lucky enough to get a standby seat on an earlier flight. All in all the best travel experience I've had!