Visiting my fiancee in the USA

[Andy D 0]

I know that it is not recommended after applying for a visa, but has anyone visited the USA after applying for a K-1 Visa?

I have recently received my NOA-1 and had planned to go out in may/June to visit Leticia, as her sister has just given birth, but then I read on this site that it's not recommended. I hacve not seen her since the first week of March, and will have to wait until I receive an approval if I wait as Leticia has just got a promotion at work and cannot have any time off until the autumn.

Before I decide to spend £500 on a plane ticket, has anyone gone while applying, and what precautions would I need to take? I have a full time job and a rented house that I would be returning too, but by June I may have my NOA-2 and be waiting for my medical etc.

[silverbutterfly228 0]

I know that it is not recommended after applying for a visa, but has anyone visited the USA after applying for a K-1 Visa?

I have recently received my NOA-1 and had planned to go out in may/June to visit Leticia, as her sister has just given birth, but then I read on this site that it's not recommended. I hacve not seen her since the first week of March, and will have to wait until I receive an approval if I wait as Leticia has just got a promotion at work and cannot have any time off until the autumn.

Before I decide to spend £500 on a plane ticket, has anyone gone while applying, and what precautions would I need to take? I have a full time job and a rented house that I would be returning too, but by June I may have my NOA-2 and be waiting for my medical etc.

Lots of people have travelled to the usa during the process. Make sure to have a letter stating that you will be returning to work at such a date and i would get a letter stating you are stilling paying rent and will be returning to do so. Anything that shows you have ties to your country and not trying to enter and never leave again. I will be going to visit my fiance next week and will join the club of all those who do it during the visa process.

[Jaylen Brit 0]

Yeah I went a couple of weeks ago, for two weeks, and we are at packet 3 stage

Make sure you have a return ticket OR itinery showing you purchased one, and as many ties to your home country as you can get (although all I got asked for was my return ticket).

Also answer the POE questions honestly but don't volunteer info.

The reply to 'Are you visiting for business or pleasure' is PLEASURE, not 'and Im seeing my fiancee'

Good luck

Edited April 19, 2006 by Jaylen Brit

[sassasdave 0]

My K1 took 8 months and I virtually lived in America during my process entering and leaving every 90 days. They only got funny with me the final time i entered and said it was the last time I should try doing this. Maybe I just got lucky with my POE Officer, who know!! If your really worried try flying thru Dublin who have a POE in Ireland. AerLingus.com do great prices from Dublin to Chicago and Boston. RyanAir will get u to Dublin cheaply and if you are denied entry you can amend your International ticket for 30-45 euros to use at another time at the service desk.

Only problem is Ryanair will charge excess baggage on anything over 20KG. Hope this helps, if you want more info message me.

Edited April 19, 2006 by sassasdave

[Andy D 0]

I don't really understand the point of entry stuff? Could you explain what you mean by there is one in Dublin?

[sassasdave 0]

POE is The point of Entry into the US. The time at which you are interviewed and you must prove you dont intend to remain in the States.

These are done when you disembark the plane except for in a few outbound airports. Dublin is one of these where you are interviewed prior to departure.

If your going to be denied entry it would be before the 20 hour round trip and you wouldnt lose your ticket if you went to the ticket desk before returning to the UK.

I have PM'd you also. Check ur messages.

Edited April 19, 2006 by sassasdave

[canusa 0]

My wife was turned around from comming to visit me.She is Canadian and we had just got the packet from Montreal.She wanted to just fly to Cali to see me for a week.She went through hell at the POE and was told b/c we had applied for a k1 pettion she had to wait for it to be approved b4 she could come back to the USA.She had only visited me 2 times b4 and we had not started the K1 then.I mostly visted her.But I guess we were one of the unlucky ones.Its all up to the POE officer,if he/she dosent want to let you in they done have to.

Just remember not everone is as lucky as the people above.

Good Luck

[Amy and Brian 1]

This is kind of straying from topic a bit, but something Jaylen Brit said has triggered my memory on an issue I'd been thinking about.

I've seen several people mention the correct way to answer the "business or pleasure" question. Now I know flying to the US from Canada there is a small card you have to fill out with some basic information and you can check a box for either "business" or "pleasure". You then present this card to the customs officer and they start in on their questions. Not once has the officer ever asked me "Is your trip for business or pleasure?" they have always asked me things along the lines of "Why are you visiting <insert city/place>?" This is, obviously, not a question that can be answered with just a generic "pleasure" line. In the past I've always just stated who I'm going to visit and possibly why (my friend for her wedding, my family, my boyfriend for his graduation, etc.).

So what I'm curious about is, how many of you are actually just asked the simple "business or pleasure" question?

[drelewis 0]

I go over to the US to see my fiancee next month for her graduation and i am taking as much evidence as possible to prove of my return to the uk. I am a contractor in London and will be taking my contract with me and a letter from my employer to show of my intent to return to london also i will be taking a letter from the lady who i rent my apartment from to show the end date of my agreement.

I last went to the US at christmas and have never stayed more than 3 weeks so fingers crossed i get someone who is nice.

I did call the US embassy in London they said take as much info as possible but cannot promise they will let you in.

On the positive side they also said it would not effect my visa application because it is not against the rules to try and enter the us its just not recomended.

I mean i have to go and see her its her graduation and her birthday otherwise i would have asked her to come over here!!

[Jaylen Brit 0]

This is kind of straying from topic a bit, but something Jaylen Brit said has triggered my memory on an issue I'd been thinking about.

I've seen several people mention the correct way to answer the "business or pleasure" question. Now I know flying to the US from Canada there is a small card you have to fill out with some basic information and you can check a box for either "business" or "pleasure". You then present this card to the customs officer and they start in on their questions. Not once has the officer ever asked me "Is your trip for business or pleasure?" they have always asked me things along the lines of "Why are you visiting <insert city/place>?" This is, obviously, not a question that can be answered with just a generic "pleasure" line. In the past I've always just stated who I'm going to visit and possibly why (my friend for her wedding, my family, my boyfriend for his graduation, etc.).

So what I'm curious about is, how many of you are actually just asked the simple "business or pleasure" question?

I know what you mean - I meant really the first response is that - I too got asked for more info after stating 'pleasure' (the 2nd time thats happened, the other time was my very FIRST visit) - which obviously I had to provide! lol He (POE guy) asked where will you be staying so I gave the address and he asked 'and who do you know who lives there?' So I gave the name of my SO and finally he asked what was his relationship to me..and I said boyfriend (hey, Im not wearing the ring yet so he's still my boyfriend!); after that it was show me your return ticket and then I was let in. Took maybe 5 mins or so.

[Andy D 0]

Ok, Ihave spoken with work and they are going to write a letter for me to have to hand. My problem is that my contract for my house runs out on the 30th June (I am planning on going May 2nd for a week) so that is not far away. I have to be back in the UK on the 11th May as it is my sisters 21st birthday. I am then living at a friends until my Visa is (hopefully) approved so I can keep my job.

Any ideas about the letter from the Estate agent?

[silverbutterfly228 0]

Not once has the officer ever asked me "Is your trip for business or pleasure?" they have always asked me things along the lines of "Why are you visiting <insert city/place>?" This is, obviously, not a question that can be answered with just a generic "pleasure" line. In the past I've always just stated who I'm going to visit and possibly why (my friend for her wedding, my family, my boyfriend for his graduation, etc.).

So what I'm curious about is, how many of you are actually just asked the simple "business or pleasure" question?

never been asked simple pleasure/business. Always What is the purpose of your trip? than You ever visited before? than When was the last time you were there? than How did you meet your boyfriend? than Where will you be staying? than How long are you going for? Than Will you please write his name on a piece of paper. Than When is his birthday? This is from 4 trips. the last question was odd. Don't know what the writing his name on a piece of paper was for. Anyone else had to do that? i think he looked it up on his computer.

[Amy and Brian 1]

That's a new one to me, I've never even been asked Brian's name before, let alone to write it. It was always just "who are you visiting?" "My boyfriend" and then various things such as "how did you meet?" "where is he from?" etc. Strangest question I ever got was "Why do you have a boyfriend in the US?". Hehe. Brian's been asked some silly questions on his way up here to visit too, but it's never been anything that worried us.

Strange that they'd have you write the name down. I wonder what exactly they would have been looking for in the computer.

[sheenakev 0]

This is kind of straying from topic a bit, but something Jaylen Brit said has triggered my memory on an issue I'd been thinking about.

I've seen several people mention the correct way to answer the "business or pleasure" question. Now I know flying to the US from Canada there is a small card you have to fill out with some basic information and you can check a box for either "business" or "pleasure". You then present this card to the customs officer and they start in on their questions. Not once has the officer ever asked me "Is your trip for business or pleasure?" they have always asked me things along the lines of "Why are you visiting <insert city/place>?" This is, obviously, not a question that can be answered with just a generic "pleasure" line. In the past I've always just stated who I'm going to visit and possibly why (my friend for her wedding, my family, my boyfriend for his graduation, etc.).

So what I'm curious about is, how many of you are actually just asked the simple "business or pleasure" question?

Actually when i returned to the US from England I was asked all sorts of questions including, who i was there to visit, if he was my fiance, and if he was traveling back with me that day. none of this was volunteered info, he just asked me straight away. i guess be sure to fill out those little cards carefully.

[cdngirl06 0]

I've also never been asked just business/pleasure when I've taken the bus down to Boston. My questioning has always started with "what is the purpose of your visit?" followed by "where are you staying and can you give me the address?" I regularly get "when was the last time you visited?" and "how long have you known each other?" or "how did you meet?" I've also been asked specifically if I have any visa applications or petitions on my behalf on file and cautioned against travelling once we apply. One of the guards congratulated me and admired my ring though, that was kind of neat.

When we've driven across together, we were almost always asked to go inside. I've spent as long as 45 minutes answering questions and they've called my brother to double-check my answers. That said, I've always answered everything truthfully and I've never been denied entry, although I haven't tried since we started the K-1 process.

Oh and I've also been asked questions on the way back into Canada... how long have we known each other, how frequently do I visit him, are we planning to get married, etc.