April 2009 K-1 Filers

[endoftheroad 1]

Oh yes, being in a tizzy is MY department too! lol. Just waaaaaaaaaaaaating for that NOA2 to come in the mail.....I sure hope that touch on the 5th was the approval...........we'll see this week if I get anything.........i donnoooo...

As I said, I am almost sure the touch was an approval and it is probably close to being in and out of NVC by now. Allie, you are driving me crazy, just call fer gawd's sake! WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAITING FOR YOU!!!!

Edited August 9, 2009 by endoftheroad

[Jauque 1]

Agreed to above and Ken y Leidis, please register for the USCIS website so we can see if you got your approval!!

[attaya_girl 1]

Agree to the two statements above. Allie, call USCIS!!!! Ken, I hope you get your NOA2 soon!

Can I just say that it is a such a pain (amusing, but still a pain) gathering 10 years worth of detailed employment history and living information from someone whose culture places little/no value on dates or the concept of time? It's one of the reasons I love him, but I'm going to get an ulcer trying to get all this information from him. Just when I think we have it, he'll say something like, "Well, maybe I worked there until 2002, not 2000." #######? Really? A few months I can understand--two years??? He'll be fine when it comes to memorizing everything for the interview, it's just trying to get the information out of him in the first place.

[Jauque 1]

Agree to the two statements above. Allie, call USCIS!!!! Ken, I hope you get your NOA2 soon!

Can I just say that it is a such a pain (amusing, but still a pain) gathering 10 years worth of detailed employment history and living information from someone whose culture places little/no value on dates or the concept of time? It's one of the reasons I love him, but I'm going to get an ulcer trying to get all this information from him. Just when I think we have it, he'll say something like, "Well, maybe I worked there until 2002, not 2000." #######? Really? A few months I can understand--two years??? He'll be fine when it comes to memorizing everything for the interview, it's just trying to get the information out of him in the first place.

Haha, I can imagine that must be frustrating. I've had over 16 jobs in the last ten years, it was really hard for me to remember them all and I'm still not sure that the dates were exact. I alos realized after faxing my packet 3 that I had accidently marked a trip to texas in 2007 as being in 2008, which on its own probablly not a big deal except that it now looks like it overlaps a trip to kansas that was correctly labelled as 2008. Hopefully I can correct it when I go to my interview.

Another boo-boo I wrote under languages written/spoken for my four year old daughter "none". It seemed correct when I was doing since technically she doesn't write at all or speak fluent english but now I'm sure their going to think she's a deaf/mute. Bah.

Edited August 9, 2009 by Jauque

[Rhiannercakes 14]

I found about 3 mistakes on in my package, but oh well. Minor mis-typing mistakes of one letter/number.

[endoftheroad 1]

We hired an advisor in the beginning who is a specialist in China to inspect and advise on all our forms and the process. It has been a big help since he can speak both our languages (neither my girls nor I are fluent in both languages) and he has done this specific service for many years. It has eliminated (cross my fingers) mistakes.

[Rhiannercakes 14]

We hired an advisor in the beginning who is a specialist in China to inspect and advise on all our forms and the process. It has been a big help since he can speak both our languages (neither my girls nor I are fluent in both languages) and he has done this specific service for many years. It has eliminated (cross my fingers) mistakes.

An immigration lawyer (whom I didn't want to do it) did our application. So 2 of the 3 mistakes are hers. One is mine. My mistake was a mistyped date in the Question 18 attachment.

[endoftheroad 1]

An immigration lawyer (whom I didn't want to do it) did our application. So 2 of the 3 mistakes are hers. One is mine. My mistake was a mistyped date in the Question 18 attachment.

Exactly why we did not hire a lawyer, especially one that did not speak Chinese/English and not handled thousands of cases in China. Lawyers think because they took a class in immigration law and can google stuff, they can charge $$$ and handle immigration cases. Too many bad stories about them. I got a dozen referrals on our guy and he has been a dream come true. If my girl and I did not have language/culture fluency obstacles, we would not have hired anyone. Many things the USA govt. does and wants is VERY foreign to the Chinese.

Edited August 10, 2009 by endoftheroad

[attaya_girl 1]

Hmmm. I didn't hire a lawyer, though I did consult one (at my family's request) before filing the I-129F. She was nice enough, but did not give the most sound advice. We've done everything ourselves with the help of VJ, which seems to have been good enough. Lamine doesn't speak English well, but I speak French, so I've just translated all the questions for him. When he gets packet 3, he'll fax everything over to me so that I can explain it him and make sure that we've done all the paperwork.

We actually made one mistake that I'm really concerned about now. We could not for the life of us find his parents' birth records and no one seemed to know anything. We put "unknown" on the G-325a, but last week he finally tracked them down. We'll put the dates on the DS-230 and pray that they accept our explanation at the interview....

[Rhiannercakes 14]

An immigration lawyer (whom I didn't want to do it) did our application. So 2 of the 3 mistakes are hers. One is mine. My mistake was a mistyped date in the Question 18 attachment.

Exactly why we did not hire a lawyer, especially one that did not speak Chinese/English and not handled thousands of cases in China. Lawyers think because they took a class in immigration law and can google stuff, they can charge $$$ and handle immigration cases. Too many bad stories about them. I got a dozen referrals on our guy and he has been a dream come true. If my girl and I did not have language/culture fluency obstacles, we would not have hired anyone. Many things the USA govt. does and wants is VERY foreign to the Chinese.

My fiance insisted on it. I kept saying no that I could do it myself, but he went and spent the money anyway. Oh well. They said that if anything happens to our petition we'd get a full refund.

And I think he only paid 150 for them to do it. I don't know why really, but I guess it's not that bad.

I just hated it because they didn't give him an exact photocopy of the petition and they didn't use all the evidence I gave and didn't even use the pages I had signed in ink and the visa bill copies I had with red ink on them (photocopied again I used red for a reason)... he just gave in to what they wanted because "they're professionals".

I'm probably going to be angry about it till I get my NOA2.

Edited August 10, 2009 by Rhiann

[Starlight95 1]

An immigration lawyer (whom I didn't want to do it) did our application. So 2 of the 3 mistakes are hers. One is mine. My mistake was a mistyped date in the Question 18 attachment.

Exactly why we did not hire a lawyer, especially one that did not speak Chinese/English and not handled thousands of cases in China. Lawyers think because they took a class in immigration law and can google stuff, they can charge $$$ and handle immigration cases. Too many bad stories about them. I got a dozen referrals on our guy and he has been a dream come true. If my girl and I did not have language/culture fluency obstacles, we would not have hired anyone. Many things the USA govt. does and wants is VERY foreign to the Chinese.

My fiance insisted on it. I kept saying no that I could do it myself, but he went and spent the money anyway. Oh well. They said that if anything happens to our petition we'd get a full refund.

And I think he only paid 150 for them to do it. I don't know why really, but I guess it's not that bad.

I just hated it because they didn't give him an exact photocopy of the petition and they didn't use all the evidence I gave and didn't even use the pages I had signed in ink and the visa bill copies I had with red ink on them (photocopied again I used red for a reason)... he just gave in to what they wanted because "they're professionals".

I'm probably going to be angry about it till I get my NOA2.

I used an immigration attorney as well, and I thought I could do it myself faster. But, I am not disappointed because I have heard her process a bit more complicated cases and they still got approved.She had here legal secretary type the forms which I could have easily done that myself. If I had known VJ before I applied, I would have saved some money. A good immigration attorney knows what USCIS is looking and tell you what evidence is needed. Lets see how it turns out. I have seen some of the March 09 filers get delayed, but when they contacted the congressman or senator they seem to be taking action. I just have to be patient.

[Jauque 1]

And I think he only paid 150 for them to do it. I don't know why really, but I guess it's not that bad.

Attayagirl - I remember a guy who didn't have his fiances fathers name and then he found his name on some paper and the consulate could have cared less. He did explain it and it was absolutly no problem.

Rhiann - That's a crazy good deal for lawyer, wow. If I'd known there were ones for 150 I might have considered it. (Though I'm kind of a hands on don't want help with anything kind of person so I still probablly wouldn't have.) My fiance talked to a lawyer and she wanted 1200$ but I told him not to bother. So yes point being 150$ wow!

[Rhiannercakes 14]

And I think he only paid 150 for them to do it. I don't know why really, but I guess it's not that bad.

Attayagirl - I remember a guy who didn't have his fiances fathers name and then he found his name on some paper and the consulate could have cared less. He did explain it and it was absolutly no problem.

Rhiann - That's a crazy good deal for lawyer, wow. If I'd known there were ones for 150 I might have considered it. (Though I'm kind of a hands on don't want help with anything kind of person so I still probablly wouldn't have.) My fiance talked to a lawyer and she wanted 1200$ but I told him not to bother. So yes point being 150$ wow!

Yeah, these lawyers only deal with Chinese people... I think. It's located in a Chinese town and they don't speak much English. He also filed Citizenship with them, so he trusts them.

Though, we're doing the rest of the process ourselves. We could hardly afford the petition's money, I had to pay for it.

[endoftheroad 1]

... We've done everything ourselves with the help of VJ...

Once my girl and I became a couple 2 years ago I joined a few Chinese fiance/e forums so I was was pretty sure I could handle it until I began it with my girl. When she balked at "giving the govt" information (typical for Chinese), why do they to know this/that/etc. I knew there would be problems. hahaha I knew I had to have a Chinese person to sooth her worries and explain it to her. I tried, really I did. Now she has a phone number to call in China she can call and ask anything... me too! I have called him dozens of times for clarifications. Even on stuff not having to do with the visa (Chinese culture stuff, etc.). Just peace of mind. He charged a flat fee for the whole sheebang, start to finish. hee hee - I do pass him on info from here and the other sites but he reads them too! (hello Roger!)

[endoftheroad 1]

Yeah, these lawyers only deal with Chinese people... I think. It's located in a Chinese town and they don't speak much English. He also filed Citizenship with them, so he trusts them.

Though, we're doing the rest of the process ourselves.

Wait, your SO is Chinese? If you don't mind, from what province in China?

AFAIK, no lawyer charges $150 for the entire K-1 visa process (start to final finish), especially not bilingual and going to the USEMs in China. I researched it pretty good. Our advisor is not a lawyer, don't really need one unless there are major issues.

Edited August 10, 2009 by endoftheroad