Getiing ready to start the process, Is it worth it to use a lawyer???

[Mozambiquepaul 2]

Hello Everyone,

I am new to this forum so first off I would like to say hello to everyone, I am really happy that I have found this place. I am an American who is living in Boston and just got married to Virginia (my mozambican wife) on June 7th. I am getting ready to officially start the k-3 visa process but was wondering, in all of y'alls professional opinion, if you you think it is worth it to pay an immigration lawyer to handle the paper work? The one I am looking at is Allen Lolly of www.visa-fiancee-k1.com. Does anyone know anything about them good bad or ugly? I am looking at doing it this way because I know I can sometimes be easily confused by backwards government documents. Is it worth the money or is it really not that hard to do on your own? I guess what it comes down to is that I am really nervous about this whole process and just want to get to be with my wife again as soon as possible. If these same exact questions are posted somewhere else I am sorry for cluttering your forum. Thank you all for your time to help this "Newbie" get started.

Paul J. D.

[birch- phuk_beer 0]

Nope- waste of money and time, and someone else who doesnt have a vested interested, with their

hands in the pot.

caveat emptor

[Old Dominion 26]

Hello Everyone,

I am new to this forum so first off I would like to say hello to everyone, I am really happy that I have found this place. I am an American who is living in Boston and just got married to Virginia (my mozambican wife) on June 7th. I am getting ready to officially start the k-3 visa process but was wondering, in all of y'alls professional opinion, if you you think it is worth it to pay an immigration lawyer to handle the paper work? The one I am looking at is Allen Lolly of www.visa-fiancee-k1.com. Does anyone know anything about them good bad or ugly? I am looking at doing it this way because I know I can sometimes be easily confused by backwards government documents. Is it worth the money or is it really not that hard to do on your own? I guess what it comes down to is that I am really nervous about this whole process and just want to get to be with my wife again as soon as possible. If these same exact questions are posted somewhere else I am sorry for cluttering your forum. Thank you all for your time to help this "Newbie" get started.

Paul J. D.

Others' experience with "attorneys" picked from a website may be different than what I have heard from friends who have used them. You will not be served by an attorney, but someone following a process that he or she is trained in. Kinda like H&R Block at tax season -- one may never really get to meet a trained accountant. In two cases, I ended up doing the work for friends who had paid their fee and ended up more confused than they were to begin with.

It's much easier to do it on your own, believe me. You won't be standing in line waiting for your turn in their office, you won't be subject to delays caused by their own schedules, and you won't risk getting bad advice if some issue arises with USCIS. Just pay attention to the details and keep good records -- and be patient with the USCIS.

Just my opinion.

[bob&hazel 0]

Welcome to the Journey.

In my personal opinion a lawyer isn't really necessary unless there is something really out of the ordinary like a crimianl record or other issues that might arise. If you take a look at the guides section above and look at the K3 part that can really help. I found the hardest part was finding this website, once I was here it got a lot easier. If you do have a problem with anything you can always ask and somebody has usually been through that before and will help you.

As I said, thats my opinion, it's probably best if you look at the guide and give it a try. You haven't wasted any money by doing that. A lawyer won't help to speed the process up or guarantee a visa, they can only really help by filling out papers with you.

Also the USCIS isn't trying to catch people out, if you do fill out something incorrectly they will get in contact with you let you know. Sometimes they don't even do that and everything gets processed, I'm not sure how many mistakes were on ours but I'm sure there were a few

Hope this helps and good luck on your Journey

Bob

Edited August 17, 2008 by bob&hazel

[Henry&Vilma 0]

Welcome to the Journey.

In my personal opinion a lawyer isn't really necessary unless there is something really out of the ordinary like a crimianl record or other issues that might arise. If you take a look at the guides section above and look at the K3 part that can really help. I found the hardest part was finding this website, once I was here it got a lot easier. If you do have a problem with anything you can always ask and somebody has usually been through that before and will help you.

As I said, thats my opinion, it's probably best if you look at the guide and give it a try. You haven't wasted any money by doing that. A lawyer won't help to speed the process up or guarantee a visa, they can only really help by filling out papers with you.

Also the USCIS isn't trying to catch people out, if you do fill out something incorrectly they will get in contact with you let you know. Sometimes they don't even do that and everything gets processed, I'm not sure how many mistakes were on ours but I'm sure there were a few

Hope this helps and good luck on your Journey

Bob

Well, considering I just fired my attorney, I would say save your money. USCIS is not the enemy. Just fill in the blanks, answer the questions, file the paperwork, or do whatever is asked, and you will be fine. Thats just my opinion, but I am proof that an attny is a waste of money.

Henry

[Carol and Bruno 0]

Hello Everyone,

I am new to this forum so first off I would like to say hello to everyone, I am really happy that I have found this place. I am an American who is living in Boston and just got married to Virginia (my mozambican wife) on June 7th. I am getting ready to officially start the k-3 visa process but was wondering, in all of y'alls professional opinion, if you you think it is worth it to pay an immigration lawyer to handle the paper work? The one I am looking at is Allen Lolly of www.visa-fiancee-k1.com. Does anyone know anything about them good bad or ugly? I am looking at doing it this way because I know I can sometimes be easily confused by backwards government documents. Is it worth the money or is it really not that hard to do on your own? I guess what it comes down to is that I am really nervous about this whole process and just want to get to be with my wife again as soon as possible. If these same exact questions are posted somewhere else I am sorry for cluttering your forum. Thank you all for your time to help this "Newbie" get started.

Paul J. D.

I am currently using an attorney and regret it everyday. An attorney is a third party that only delays the process. You will acquire all of the documents needed, fill them out, sign them, and return them to your attorney who will then send them to the USCIS. This usually isn't immediately. You could be delayed days, weeks or even a month. It's not worth it unless you or your wife has had immigration issues here in the states. If you haven't, then save your money and your mental health and prepare the documents on your own. There are many vj members here who are more than willing to answer any of your questions if you have doubt.

What you need to consider is that this process is 10% paperwork and 90% waiting. Once the paperwork is mailed by the attorney, you'll be lucky if they inform you that it's been sent. Then the waiting begins and daily you will grow more and more impatient and anxious to receive your NOA1 (receipt that the USCIS received your petition). You will contact the attorney and all they will tell you is to wait. You will begin questioning whether the attorney sent the documents in the first place. You will become stressed and then once you receive the NOA1, your stress subsides momentarily and the stress will begin all over again until you receive the NOA2 (approval of your petition). However, once your attorney receives the receipt that your petition has been received by the USCIS, you will be told to not contact them for at least 3 or 4 months. In the meantime, you're impatience is growing two-fold and you're going to be checking the USCIS website many times per day in hopes that your petition is approved. You will see others being approved and you'll wonder if yours is ever going to be approved. You will see petitions approved that were received after yours and it's going to add to your stress and frustration. You're going to think that perhaps your petition has been lost. You'll contact the attorney and they'll say "wait". By this time, you'll regret hiring the attorney. Hopefully it's just the waiting that is killing you and not mistakes your attorney made such as mine did.

Our interview is on Tuesday the 19th and my fiance has not received the interview documents that the attorney sent to him two weeks ago. If I hadn't prepared the documents myself months ago, he would have to postpone his interview which would be scheduled another 2-3 months out. I've sent emails to my attorney asking for a tracking number of the documents and no one has replied...his interview is in two days and no one has replied. They were also supposed to call him Friday to discuss the interview with him and offer legal advice. They did not do this either.

This is just a part of my story. There are many others with negative stories regarding their attorneys, but also those with positive stories. You truly have to choose for yourself. My advice is as stated above. If you do not have previous immigration issues, then do this process yourself. It's as easy as collecting the information from your wife and well as your own information, filling out the docs, printing, signing, creating a cover sheet, organizing and sending the documents. Don't include a third party who increases the waiting time. Trust me, you may not see it now, but you will want to be in full control of this process. Having an attorney does not give you control.

Good luck on your visa journey.

Edited August 17, 2008 by Carol and Bruno

[daboyz 36]

Hello Everyone,

I am new to this forum so first off I would like to say hello to everyone, I am really happy that I have found this place. I am an American who is living in Boston and just got married to Virginia (my mozambican wife) on June 7th. I am getting ready to officially start the k-3 visa process but was wondering, in all of y'alls professional opinion, if you you think it is worth it to pay an immigration lawyer to handle the paper work? The one I am looking at is Allen Lolly of www.visa-fiancee-k1.com. Does anyone know anything about them good bad or ugly? I am looking at doing it this way because I know I can sometimes be easily confused by backwards government documents. Is it worth the money or is it really not that hard to do on your own? I guess what it comes down to is that I am really nervous about this whole process and just want to get to be with my wife again as soon as possible. If these same exact questions are posted somewhere else I am sorry for cluttering your forum. Thank you all for your time to help this "Newbie" get started.

Paul J. D.

I am currently using an attorney and regret it everyday. An attorney is a third party that only delays the process. You will acquire all of the documents needed, fill them out, sign them, and return them to your attorney who will then send them to the USCIS. This usually isn't immediately. You could be delayed days, weeks or even a month. It's not worth it unless you or your wife has had immigration issues here in the states. If you haven't, then save your money and your mental health and prepare the documents on your own. There are many vj members here who are more than willing to answer any of your questions if you have doubt.

What you need to consider is that this process is 10% paperwork and 90% waiting. Once the paperwork is mailed by the attorney, you'll be lucky if they inform you that it's been sent. Then the waiting begins and daily you will grow more and more impatient and anxious to receive your NOA1 (receipt that the USCIS received your petition). You will contact the attorney and all they will tell you is to wait. You will begin questioning whether the attorney sent the documents in the first place. You will become stressed and then once you receive the NOA1, your stress subsides momentarily and the stress will begin all over again until you receive the NOA2 (approval of your petition). However, once your attorney receives the receipt that your petition has been received by the USCIS, you will be told to not contact them for at least 3 or 4 months. In the meantime, you're impatience is growing two-fold and you're going to be checking the USCIS website many times per day in hopes that your petition is approved. You will see others being approved and you'll wonder if yours is ever going to be approved. You will see petitions approved that were received after yours and it's going to add to your stress and frustration. You're going to think that perhaps your petition has been lost. You'll contact the attorney and they'll say "wait". By this time, you'll regret hiring the attorney. Hopefully it's just the waiting that is killing you and not mistakes your attorney made such as mine did.

Our interview is on Tuesday the 19th and my fiance has not received the interview documents that the attorney sent to him two weeks ago. If I hadn't prepared the documents myself months ago, he would have to postpone his interview which would be scheduled another 2-3 months out. I've sent emails to my attorney asking for a tracking number of the documents and no one has replied...his interview is in two days and no one has replied. They were also supposed to call him Friday to discuss the interview with him and offer legal advice. They did not do this either.

This is just a part of my story. There are many others with negative stories regarding their attorneys, but also those with positive stories. You truly have to choose for yourself. My advice is as stated above. If you do not have previous immigration issues, then do this process yourself. It's as easy as collecting the information from your wife and well as your own information, filling out the docs, printing, signing, creating a cover sheet, organizing and sending the documents. Don't include a third party who increases the waiting time. Trust me, you may not see it now, but you will want to be in full control of this process. Having an attorney does not give you control.

Good luck on your visa journey.

I would agree with all of the above 100%. I sent all my documents to my lawyer first week in January. He didn't get around to filing them with USCIS until the end of February. Then once he received the NOA for the I-130, he didn't send the I-129F for another month. So basically, I am at least two months behind in the process thanks to hiring an attorney. I wish I was here posting about how the interview went. Instead I wait. Basically you are hiring an attorney to fill out the forms with information YOU provided, and then mail them to USCIS. And forget about calling or emailing them and expecting a response. After my NOA1 for the I-129F was received, I got a pretty impolite email saying don't call us until the end of the summer. Of course, it is your decision to make and I have seen other people post messages that were very happy with their attorney. Even if I would have gotten an RFE due to something that was not right with the filing, that only seems to push people back a couple weeks. Not months.

[LizScott 0]

Welcome to Visajourney!

:-bd Thats right. Me and my husband did all the paperwork ourselves and relied on the guides and support of the VJ family. You can really do it on your own. I honestly believe getting an attorney is a total waste of money when you can do everything on your own. You can always post your questions here when you're confused about something. People here in VJ are very helpful and accommodating. You'll do fine believe me

[Completely 3]

Hello Everyone,

I am new to this forum so first off I would like to say hello to everyone, I am really happy that I have found this place. I am an American who is living in Boston and just got married to Virginia (my mozambican wife) on June 7th. I am getting ready to officially start the k-3 visa process but was wondering, in all of y'alls professional opinion, if you you think it is worth it to pay an immigration lawyer to handle the paper work? The one I am looking at is Allen Lolly of www.visa-fiancee-k1.com. Does anyone know anything about them good bad or ugly? I am looking at doing it this way because I know I can sometimes be easily confused by backwards government documents. Is it worth the money or is it really not that hard to do on your own? I guess what it comes down to is that I am really nervous about this whole process and just want to get to be with my wife again as soon as possible. If these same exact questions are posted somewhere else I am sorry for cluttering your forum. Thank you all for your time to help this "Newbie" get started.

Paul J. D.

Hi Paul,

Filing in your own will be the best way.. I am filipina and I married my husband who is American in 2005. I have read carefully all the information in the USCIS website what is applicable to me and guided my husband on what document to produce to file the I-130 (pETITION FOR ALIEN SPOUSE/RELATIVE

Here is what I compile together.

Spouse of a U.S. Citizen

A U.S. citizen may petition for his/her foreign national spouse to obtain legal permanent residence in the United States. An immigrant visa (CR-1 or IR-1) must be obtained prior to arrival in the United States in order to enter as a legal permanent resident. Minor children included in a parent's passport require their own petition.

HOW TO APPLY:

1. Download and complete the following documents:

Form I-130 Petition for Alien Relative (completed and signed by the petitioner). http://www.uscis.gov/files/form/I-130.pdf http://www.uscis.gov/files/form/I-130instr.pdf

Form G-325A Biographic Information Questionnaire (one completed and signed by the petitioner and another by the beneficiary). http://www.uscis.gov/files/form/g-325a.pdf

Form DS-230 Part 1 - Biographic Data (completed and signed by the beneficiary). http://foia.state.gov/forms/newscripts/formlist.asp?type=V

2. Gather the following personal documents:

Passport of the petitioner (U.S. citizen) - original & photocopy of the biographic data page

Passport of the beneficiary (spouse) - original & photocopy of the biographic data page

Photographs of the petitioner & the beneficiary

Marriage certificate - original & photocopy

Photographs of the wedding ceremony and / or wedding party

Divorce decree(s) / annulment of previous marriage(s) / death certificate(s) of previous spouse(s) from the petitioner and beneficiary, if any, original & photocopy

Documents in languages (for example Farsi, Hindi, or Urdu) must be accompanied by an English translation.

Provide photocopies of all original documents.

All Legal Permanent Residents, as well as American Citizens resident in the United States or with a permanent address in the United States, must file their I-130 petitions at the USCIS Service Center having jurisdiction over their place of residence (as indicated on the I-130: http://www.uscis.gov/files/form/i-130.pdf).

Photograph Guidelines - each applicant, regardless of age, must present 3 recent 5 cm x 5 cm, front-view, color photographs on a white background.

After 2 months, my application got approved, after 1 year and half I became a citizen..

So if others can do it.. you can do it in your own as well.. Lawyer is just there to guide you but still you are the one who need to compile and submit all the documents.. Just keep reading and you will never make mistake if you dont understand just ask.

Goodluck!

[happyinlove012408 0]

Welcome to VisaJourney. You will find this website very helpful with your own visa journey. Good luck and if you have any questions please post them in the appropriate forum to get the answers to your question.

You don't need an immigration lawyer because there are some guides that help along the way with your process and save you money but if your case is complicated than you might need one.

[daboyz 36]

Hello Everyone,

I am new to this forum so first off I would like to say hello to everyone, I am really happy that I have found this place. I am an American who is living in Boston and just got married to Virginia (my mozambican wife) on June 7th. I am getting ready to officially start the k-3 visa process but was wondering, in all of y'alls professional opinion, if you you think it is worth it to pay an immigration lawyer to handle the paper work? The one I am looking at is Allen Lolly of www.visa-fiancee-k1.com. Does anyone know anything about them good bad or ugly? I am looking at doing it this way because I know I can sometimes be easily confused by backwards government documents. Is it worth the money or is it really not that hard to do on your own? I guess what it comes down to is that I am really nervous about this whole process and just want to get to be with my wife again as soon as possible. If these same exact questions are posted somewhere else I am sorry for cluttering your forum. Thank you all for your time to help this "Newbie" get started.

Paul J. D.

Hi Paul,

Filing in your own will be the best way.. I am filipina and I married my husband who is American in 2005. I have read carefully all the information in the USCIS website what is applicable to me and guided my husband on what document to produce to file the I-130 (pETITION FOR ALIEN SPOUSE/RELATIVE

Here is what I compile together.

Spouse of a U.S. Citizen

A U.S. citizen may petition for his/her foreign national spouse to obtain legal permanent residence in the United States. An immigrant visa (CR-1 or IR-1) must be obtained prior to arrival in the United States in order to enter as a legal permanent resident. Minor children included in a parent's passport require their own petition.

HOW TO APPLY:

1. Download and complete the following documents:

Form I-130 Petition for Alien Relative (completed and signed by the petitioner). http://www.uscis.gov/files/form/I-130.pdf http://www.uscis.gov/files/form/I-130instr.pdf

Form G-325A Biographic Information Questionnaire (one completed and signed by the petitioner and another by the beneficiary). http://www.uscis.gov/files/form/g-325a.pdf

Form DS-230 Part 1 - Biographic Data (completed and signed by the beneficiary). http://foia.state.gov/forms/newscripts/formlist.asp?type=V

2. Gather the following personal documents:

Passport of the petitioner (U.S. citizen) - original & photocopy of the biographic data page

Passport of the beneficiary (spouse) - original & photocopy of the biographic data page

Photographs of the petitioner & the beneficiary

Marriage certificate - original & photocopy

Photographs of the wedding ceremony and / or wedding party

Divorce decree(s) / annulment of previous marriage(s) / death certificate(s) of previous spouse(s) from the petitioner and beneficiary, if any, original & photocopy

Documents in languages (for example Farsi, Hindi, or Urdu) must be accompanied by an English translation.

Provide photocopies of all original documents.

All Legal Permanent Residents, as well as American Citizens resident in the United States or with a permanent address in the United States, must file their I-130 petitions at the USCIS Service Center having jurisdiction over their place of residence (as indicated on the I-130: http://www.uscis.gov/files/form/i-130.pdf).

Photograph Guidelines - each applicant, regardless of age, must present 3 recent 5 cm x 5 cm, front-view, color photographs on a white background.

After 2 months, my application got approved, after 1 year and half I became a citizen..

So if others can do it.. you can do it in your own as well.. Lawyer is just there to guide you but still you are the one who need to compile and submit all the documents.. Just keep reading and you will never make mistake if you dont understand just ask.

Goodluck!

Looking at your timeline I would say that your case is not the norm. You filed your citizenship under 319b. Look at this link and see if you qualify:

http://www.state.gov/m/dghr/flo/c21634.htm

My feeling is most people will not, and will have to wait the required 5 years.

[Completely 3]

Hello Everyone,

I am new to this forum so first off I would like to say hello to everyone, I am really happy that I have found this place. I am an American who is living in Boston and just got married to Virginia (my mozambican wife) on June 7th. I am getting ready to officially start the k-3 visa process but was wondering, in all of y'alls professional opinion, if you you think it is worth it to pay an immigration lawyer to handle the paper work? The one I am looking at is Allen Lolly of www.visa-fiancee-k1.com. Does anyone know anything about them good bad or ugly? I am looking at doing it this way because I know I can sometimes be easily confused by backwards government documents. Is it worth the money or is it really not that hard to do on your own? I guess what it comes down to is that I am really nervous about this whole process and just want to get to be with my wife again as soon as possible. If these same exact questions are posted somewhere else I am sorry for cluttering your forum. Thank you all for your time to help this "Newbie" get started.

Paul J. D.

Hi Paul,

Filing in your own will be the best way.. I am filipina and I married my husband who is American in 2005. I have read carefully all the information in the USCIS website what is applicable to me and guided my husband on what document to produce to file the I-130 (pETITION FOR ALIEN SPOUSE/RELATIVE

Here is what I compile together.

Spouse of a U.S. Citizen

A U.S. citizen may petition for his/her foreign national spouse to obtain legal permanent residence in the United States. An immigrant visa (CR-1 or IR-1) must be obtained prior to arrival in the United States in order to enter as a legal permanent resident. Minor children included in a parent's passport require their own petition.

HOW TO APPLY:

1. Download and complete the following documents:

Form I-130 Petition for Alien Relative (completed and signed by the petitioner). http://www.uscis.gov/files/form/I-130.pdf http://www.uscis.gov/files/form/I-130instr.pdf

Form G-325A Biographic Information Questionnaire (one completed and signed by the petitioner and another by the beneficiary). http://www.uscis.gov/files/form/g-325a.pdf

Form DS-230 Part 1 - Biographic Data (completed and signed by the beneficiary). http://foia.state.gov/forms/newscripts/formlist.asp?type=V

2. Gather the following personal documents:

Passport of the petitioner (U.S. citizen) - original & photocopy of the biographic data page

Passport of the beneficiary (spouse) - original & photocopy of the biographic data page

Photographs of the petitioner & the beneficiary

Marriage certificate - original & photocopy

Photographs of the wedding ceremony and / or wedding party

Divorce decree(s) / annulment of previous marriage(s) / death certificate(s) of previous spouse(s) from the petitioner and beneficiary, if any, original & photocopy

Documents in languages (for example Farsi, Hindi, or Urdu) must be accompanied by an English translation.

Provide photocopies of all original documents.

All Legal Permanent Residents, as well as American Citizens resident in the United States or with a permanent address in the United States, must file their I-130 petitions at the USCIS Service Center having jurisdiction over their place of residence (as indicated on the I-130: http://www.uscis.gov/files/form/i-130.pdf).

Photograph Guidelines - each applicant, regardless of age, must present 3 recent 5 cm x 5 cm, front-view, color photographs on a white background.

So if others can do it.. you can do it in your own as well..Its not that hard, just follow the instruction and simplify it carefully. Lawyer is just there to guide you but still you are the one who need to compile and submit all the documents.. Just keep reading and you will never make mistake if you dont understand just ask.

Goodluck!

[Completely 3]

Hello Everyone,

I am new to this forum so first off I would like to say hello to everyone, I am really happy that I have found this place. I am an American who is living in Boston and just got married to Virginia (my mozambican wife) on June 7th. I am getting ready to officially start the k-3 visa process but was wondering, in all of y'alls professional opinion, if you you think it is worth it to pay an immigration lawyer to handle the paper work? The one I am looking at is Allen Lolly of www.visa-fiancee-k1.com. Does anyone know anything about them good bad or ugly? I am looking at doing it this way because I know I can sometimes be easily confused by backwards government documents. Is it worth the money or is it really not that hard to do on your own? I guess what it comes down to is that I am really nervous about this whole process and just want to get to be with my wife again as soon as possible. If these same exact questions are posted somewhere else I am sorry for cluttering your forum. Thank you all for your time to help this "Newbie" get started.

Paul J. D.

Hi Paul,

Filing in your own will be the best way.. I am filipina and I married my husband who is American in 2005. I have read carefully all the information in the USCIS website what is applicable to me and guided my husband on what document to produce to file the I-130 (pETITION FOR ALIEN SPOUSE/RELATIVE

Here is what I compile together.

Spouse of a U.S. Citizen

A U.S. citizen may petition for his/her foreign national spouse to obtain legal permanent residence in the United States. An immigrant visa (CR-1 or IR-1) must be obtained prior to arrival in the United States in order to enter as a legal permanent resident. Minor children included in a parent's passport require their own petition.

HOW TO APPLY:

1. Download and complete the following documents:

Form I-130 Petition for Alien Relative (completed and signed by the petitioner). http://www.uscis.gov/files/form/I-130.pdf http://www.uscis.gov/files/form/I-130instr.pdf

Form G-325A Biographic Information Questionnaire (one completed and signed by the petitioner and another by the beneficiary). http://www.uscis.gov/files/form/g-325a.pdf

Form DS-230 Part 1 - Biographic Data (completed and signed by the beneficiary). http://foia.state.gov/forms/newscripts/formlist.asp?type=V

2. Gather the following personal documents:

Passport of the petitioner (U.S. citizen) - original & photocopy of the biographic data page

Passport of the beneficiary (spouse) - original & photocopy of the biographic data page

Photographs of the petitioner & the beneficiary

Marriage certificate - original & photocopy

Photographs of the wedding ceremony and / or wedding party

Divorce decree(s) / annulment of previous marriage(s) / death certificate(s) of previous spouse(s) from the petitioner and beneficiary, if any, original & photocopy

Documents in languages (for example Farsi, Hindi, or Urdu) must be accompanied by an English translation.

Provide photocopies of all original documents.

All Legal Permanent Residents, as well as American Citizens resident in the United States or with a permanent address in the United States, must file their I-130 petitions at the USCIS Service Center having jurisdiction over their place of residence (as indicated on the I-130: http://www.uscis.gov/files/form/i-130.pdf).

Photograph Guidelines - each applicant, regardless of age, must present 3 recent 5 cm x 5 cm, front-view, color photographs on a white background.

After 2 months, my application got approved, after 1 year and half I became a citizen..

So if others can do it.. you can do it in your own as well.. Lawyer is just there to guide you but still you are the one who need to compile and submit all the documents.. Just keep reading and you will never make mistake if you dont understand just ask.

Goodluck!

Looking at your timeline I would say that your case is not the norm. You filed your citizenship under 319b. Look at this link and see if you qualify:

http://www.state.gov/m/dghr/flo/c21634.htm

My feeling is most people will not, and will have to wait the required 5 years.

Hi,

What you are saying above is for DA employees.. We are both civilian and I work in the food industry when we filed the I-130. Our petition got approved in two months and flew to the US and received my conditional greencard. we did the same process as other K-3 FILER did.

I just found out by reading stuff online in Feb2008 that I can be categorized under 319b, so I tried it even I am not sure about it..I dont want to spend any more money just going back and forth to the US to meet the resident requirement as we both work overseas... So instead of filing Lifting Condiition, I have filed the N400 with a cover letter attached (with intention on why I am covered under 319 B)..I just followed the instruction and luckily got approved in just 2 months.. I dont know if its by luck or because of the immigration center we filed our documents..

Yes, with regards to citizenship application, my situation is different, the normal requirement is :

"You have been married to and living with the same U.S. citizen for the last three years,"

Edited August 18, 2008 by Completely

[Let it Be 0]

Hello Everyone,

I am new to this forum so first off I would like to say hello to everyone, I am really happy that I have found this place. I am an American who is living in Boston and just got married to Virginia (my mozambican wife) on June 7th. I am getting ready to officially start the k-3 visa process but was wondering, in all of y'alls professional opinion, if you you think it is worth it to pay an immigration lawyer to handle the paper work? The one I am looking at is Allen Lolly of www.visa-fiancee-k1.com. Does anyone know anything about them good bad or ugly? I am looking at doing it this way because I know I can sometimes be easily confused by backwards government documents. Is it worth the money or is it really not that hard to do on your own? I guess what it comes down to is that I am really nervous about this whole process and just want to get to be with my wife again as soon as possible. If these same exact questions are posted somewhere else I am sorry for cluttering your forum. Thank you all for your time to help this "Newbie" get started.

Paul J. D.

Welcome to VJ Paul!!!

Ok, I know that "lawyer" is a dirty word on VJ, and I know that many have had really bad experiences, but....

I love my lawyer. He answers my emails within minutes. He has all our forms complete and waiting for the next step. He sends me beautiful check lists to help me get everything together. He is patient and answers all my questions.

My husband and I did all the leg work, true. We found all the documents, translated everything, gathered all the materials and sent them to the lawyer. BUT, he put it all together, he filled out all the forms, and he overnights our paperwork at lightning speed.

Our I-130 was approved in 39 days. Our I-864 and DS-230 are completed and ready to go. We paid the lawyer for his experience, knowledge, and the peace of mind we get from knowing we have back-up in the event of a problem.

Side-note: My attorney is married and brought his wife to this country on a K-3 visa! He understands the process, and he is worth every cent (not that many cents either!) we paid.

Bottom line, it is a personal decision. Everyone is absolutely capable of doing it on their own. Make the choice that will let you get some sleep at night, whatever that may be.

Good luck on your journey.

[GlobeHopperMama 95]

It IS a personal decision. I personally think that if you are willing to invest the time required to research the process yourself (and VJ has all the resources you need!), you should have no reason to pay someone else to do this for you. It is primarily filling out forms and assembling documents and evidence. The VJ guides, the immigration wiki, Loto's Guide, James' shorcut, and the forums...these will get you through the whole thing!

Like others have said, there are good lawyers, mediocre lawyers, and bad ones. In my opinion, the mediocre and bad lawyers greatly outnumber the good ones when it comes to immigration. You are best to go off the recommendations of people on this forum who have had great experiences with their lawyers IF you decide to go that route.

Good luck!