K1 is almost impoosible now???

[DanielParul 50]

Get a new lawyer!

Not the best advice! You don't know what country she is from (high fraud country) who knows.

Do you have any advice or just monitoring others posts?

[sjr09 155]

Get a new lawyer!

Not the best advice! You don't know what country she is from (high fraud country) who knows.

Do you have any advice or just monitoring others posts?

You must have over look my advice.

Take Care.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

"The only good lawyer is a dead one" is a little silly.

It is not silly, it is black HUMOUR

It is just a way to say that lawyers, in easy cases such as a K1 applications, take advantage of the lack of information of people and let them believe they cannot do it alone.

USCIS is a pain in the neck BUT the process is fairly EASY if you follow the instructions (and ask questions on this forum if you are not sure)

The hardest parts are:

1- Get all the evidence documentation (and NO lawyer can do it for you)

2- Wait

The easiest parts are:

1- Making photocopies

2- Downloading the forms online

And that is what a lawyer will charge you for!!!!! A total rip-off if you come from a county without fraud and your relationship is legitimate.

excellent post and summation of what lawyers can and cannot do.

You mite want to rethink about using a lawyer. Because the best people and info is right here on this site. Dont be double talked and mislead by a greedy lawyer. Because the only good lawyer is a dead lawyer as they say.

You really hate lawyers.

It is not hate to say the truth. The only way lawyers can sell their service for such a high price for doing almost nothing is to scare you into believing you need them.

Except in a few instances K-1 visas are relatively easy to obtain if your relationship is legitimate. In those few instances where a consulate is difficult to deal with, a lawyer is more likely to cause problems than solve them. People here will be able to advise, based on their experience, how to deal with difficult consulates better than attorneys who have never been to an interview.

I mean, it has to be pretty tough to sell a $2000 (or more) "service" for filling in forms available to anyone online and making copies of documents and that is ALL an I-129f is. Would you give ME $2000 to do it? I promise I could do it correctly, quickly and efficiently. But you have to give me all the information and documents, I will fill out the forms, make copies and mail it. Deal? I will do it for $1000. However, if I scare you and tell you how difficult it is and you don't know better...but then you are hiring an attorney based on lies and that is no way to hire someone who is supposed to have confidential "privilege"

To simply tell the OP to 'self help' and avoid the services of a "seasoned immigration attorney" because it's a waste of time and money, or you had bad luck is judgmental and bad advice.

We truly don't know the capacity or circumstances

of the individual(s) we don't know if he/she is looking for legal advice, full service or simply have an attorney review the forms, the individual(s) may have series of circumstances that do require help, that no one on Visa Journey can or should give advice.

I'm not advocating he/she use an attorney over DYI ,but that we need to be careful of how we approach this subject and keep in mind a 'fare and balanced opinion' is the best advice we can give.

Just to clarify, my comment was made in jest. I'm not a big fan of lawyers myself but to say "The only good lawyer is a dead one" is a little silly. Abraham Lincoln was a lawyer and probably the best president this country has had (yes, this is debatable). Granted, lawyers are pretty much the scum of the earth I do not wish death upon them, maybe just a mild STD or foot fungus.

Lincoln became much more highly regarded AFTER he was dead...could be proof of the point... or just a coincidence.

I have faith in the capacity of my fellow man to fill out forms with known personal information (name address, date of birth, last five years work and residence history, name of parents if you know, etc.) I believe the average American, old enough to get married, can operate a copy machine or get help for free at the library, grocery store or Kinko's and not need an attorney's secretary to do it for them. I know some people believe their fellow man is too dumb to do this on their own but I am not one of them. I believe it is rather insulting to someone you don't know to suggest they can't fill out an I-129f and G-325a or print a letter of intent from this site and sign it, and run a copy machine.

I have no obligation to a "fair and balanced opinion" My opinion is MINE, it is posted under my name on a public forum with the equal opportunity for someone (like you) to post an opposing opinion. The OP, being an adult, can make up their own mind after reading various opinions. I will admit my opinion is not "fair and balanced". It is "informed and considered". YOU provide the balance by saying some people can't do it themselves...myself, I do not believe that, and will leave THAT opinion all to you. I will also state I do not agree with you. Nor do have to change my opinion, water it down, qualify it, or anything else to please you or anyone that does not agree with me. My opinion does not need to conform to yours in order for it to be a valid opinion.

If the OP or anyone else has other circumstances which need an attorney I believe they can decide this for themselves after reviewing the I-129f form and its instructions. Damn that unshakable belief in people I have, huh? Where would attorneys be if people were informed with the truth instead of mislead by attorney lies?

Incidentally, IF attorneys were required to disclose what they do with an I-129f petition, they would have no business.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Get a new lawyer!

Not the best advice! You don't know what country she is from (high fraud country) who knows.

Do you have any advice or just monitoring others posts?

Lawyer defenders rarely have any advice to offer, just throw rocks at others that suggest the OPs have the ability to do it themselves. Independence and information are the enemy of attorneys and attorney defenders whose best hope is to instill a sense of doubt in the mental capacity of the average American. I have no such doubts, real or imagined, and believe my fellow Americans CAN do this themselves. But it is only my informed (not balanced) opinion. "balancing" opinions if for spineless people unable to do things for themselves, inform themselves or make decisions. Opinions are balanced by other opinions. If the other opinions are not based in fact or demonstratable benefit, then we can choose to ignore them.

The reasons NOT to use an attorney have been well put in this thread. The reason TO use an attorney, so far, amounts to "Because you are too stupid to do it yourself" Other than that, we have the "pie in the sky" nebulous, maybe, could be in the future "problems".

The OP can make up their own mind.

[Mike B. 231]

Just to add to what people have already said, if your lawyer is having a lot of K-1s actually denied, the lawyer must suck. I spoke to an attorney before I filed my I-129F to ask about this, and she told me that she has done K-1s for hundreds of clients and never had a denial. She also told me "you have a degree from a good university, there is no way you lack the intelligence to do the whole K-1 process by yourself."

I willing to bet that the attorney I was talking to was being way more honest with me that the one you are talking to was with you.

[Kathryn41 3,205]

Just a reminder, while we can express opinions based upon our own experiences until we know more details about the OP's particular situation it may not be right to say a lawyer is not useful. For the run of the mill K-1 application, yes, the majority of VJers are more than capable of doing all of the work themselves and saving themselves expensive lawyers fees in the process. If, however, the OP is dealing with issues above and beyond the normal or have circumstances that make their application problematic, a consultation with a knowledgeable, competent immigration lawyer is often of use and recommended. It might be a good idea to keep in mind that we don't know all of the details of the OPs circumstances and restrict our comments to our own personal experiences.

[~ameriptian~ 54]

I personally don't trust immigration lawyers. They just want your money. Before we knew which visa to file my fiance asked a few lawyers for their opinion and they told him tell her to get a visitor's visa and get married. Later when he started reading on it and we joined VJ we knew it could result in a 10-YEAR-BAN!!! It certainly wasn't worth it. A lot of people do the process on their own and so many people get approvals every day. Just follow the guides on VJ and ask questions on what you don't know or not sure about, and you should be fine. Good luck, you can do it!!

[sjr09 155]

Get a new lawyer!

Not the best advice! You don't know what country she is from (high fraud country) who knows.

Do you have any advice or just monitoring others posts?

Lawyer defenders rarely have any advice to offer, just throw rocks at others that suggest the OPs have the ability to do it themselves. Independence and information are the enemy of attorneys and attorney defenders whose best hope is to instill a sense of doubt in the mental capacity of the average American. I have no such doubts, real or imagined, and believe my fellow Americans CAN do this themselves. But it is only my informed (not balanced) opinion. "balancing" opinions if for spineless people unable to do things for themselves, inform themselves or make decisions. Opinions are balanced by other opinions. If the other opinions are not based in fact or demonstratable benefit, then we can choose to ignore them.

The reasons NOT to use an attorney have been well put in this thread. The reason TO use an attorney, so far, amounts to "Because you are too stupid to do it yourself" Other than that, we have the "pie in the sky" nebulous, maybe, could be in the future "problems".

The OP can make up their own mind.

Huh? who's definding a lawyer! It seems the only one throwing rocks is you. I like how you twist word’s to fit your own ideology.

[rsn 135]

Now for my two cents. To the OP, I agree with the general consensus here that a lawyer is typically not needed for simple cases. I certainly didn't need one for my case. I considered getting one before I started (out of fear) but, looking back, I'm glad I didn't - I didn't need one at all. If your case is fairly straightforward, you should be able to do it yourself if you can follow directions and read. However, if your case is unique and appears to be littered with red flags, maybe you should consult with an attorney, at least for your own piece of mind. It's sound advice to have someone you know and trust to recommend one. If that isn't possible, do some research before picking one (is the lawyer in good standing with the bar assn, etc, etc). I would also be cautious of those who seem to generalize all lawyers; they might be more interested in pushing an agenda and less interested in helping you, at least when it comes to this topic.

Edited August 2, 2009 by rsn

[Chris_Жанна 11]

"The only good lawyer is a dead one" is a little silly.

It is not silly, it is black HUMOUR

It is just a way to say that lawyers, in easy cases such as a K1 applications, take advantage of the lack of information of people and let them believe they cannot do it alone.

USCIS is a pain in the neck BUT the process is fairly EASY if you follow the instructions (and ask questions on this forum if you are not sure)

The hardest parts are:

1- Get all the evidence documentation (and NO lawyer can do it for you)

2- Wait

The easiest parts are:

1- Making photocopies

2- Downloading the forms online

And that is what a lawyer will charge you for!!!!! A total rip-off if you come from a county without fraud and your relationship is legitimate.

excellent post and summation of what lawyers can and cannot do.

You mite want to rethink about using a lawyer. Because the best people and info is right here on this site. Dont be double talked and mislead by a greedy lawyer. Because the only good lawyer is a dead lawyer as they say.

You really hate lawyers.

It is not hate to say the truth. The only way lawyers can sell their service for such a high price for doing almost nothing is to scare you into believing you need them.

Except in a few instances K-1 visas are relatively easy to obtain if your relationship is legitimate. In those few instances where a consulate is difficult to deal with, a lawyer is more likely to cause problems than solve them. People here will be able to advise, based on their experience, how to deal with difficult consulates better than attorneys who have never been to an interview.

I mean, it has to be pretty tough to sell a $2000 (or more) "service" for filling in forms available to anyone online and making copies of documents and that is ALL an I-129f is. Would you give ME $2000 to do it? I promise I could do it correctly, quickly and efficiently. But you have to give me all the information and documents, I will fill out the forms, make copies and mail it. Deal? I will do it for $1000. However, if I scare you and tell you how difficult it is and you don't know better...but then you are hiring an attorney based on lies and that is no way to hire someone who is supposed to have confidential "privilege"

Just to clarify, my comment was made in jest. I'm not a big fan of lawyers myself but to say "The only good lawyer is a dead one" is a little silly. Abraham Lincoln was a lawyer and probably the best president this country has had (yes, this is debatable). Granted, lawyers are pretty much the scum of the earth I do not wish death upon them, maybe just a mild STD or foot fungus.

Lincoln became much more highly regarded AFTER he was dead...could be proof of the point... or just a coincidence.

Touche. Lol

[Chris_Жанна 11]

BTW this threat has probably scared the hell out of the OP from all of us here on VJ with our peeing contest being that there has not been another post by the OP on this thread. We may have marginalized her by our collective sharp opinions on this subject. Basically, everyone here wants to help you with what they think is good advice for you.

OP Yes, you can do this by yourself. If you need help then consult a lawyer if you feel it is necessary. Either way a K-1 is not impossible, just look on the home page and you will see almost daily posts by other VJer's of having success with the K-1 visa. If you choose to "go it alone" which many of us here on VJ have (myself included) all the more power to you I think you will find this more rewarding and much more cost effective for you. As you can see you will never have a lack of advice or opinions be it good or bad. It will be your job to discern what is best for you. I think everyone that has responded has had very good points on both sides of the spectrum. In the end as with most things in life it is your choice. Best of luck to you, and welcome.

[sjr09 155]

Now for my two cents. To the OP, I agree with the general consensus here that a lawyer is typically not needed for simple cases. I certainly didn't need one for my case. I considered getting one before I started (out of fear) but, looking back, I'm glad I didn't - I didn't need one at all. If your case is fairly straightforward, you should be able to do it yourself if you can follow directions and read. However, if your case is unique and appears to be littered with red flags, maybe you should consult with an attorney, at least for your own piece of mind. It's sound advice to have someone you know and trust to recommend one. If that isn't possible, do some research before picking one (is the lawyer in good standing with the bar assn, etc, etc). I would also be cautious of those who seem to generalize all lawyers; they might be more interested in pushing an agenda and less interested in helping you, at least when it comes to this topic.

I Consent!

[Chris_Жанна 11]

BTW this threat has probably scared the hell out of the OP from all of us here on VJ with our peeing contest being that there has not been another post by the OP on this thread. We may have marginalized her by our collective sharp opinions on this subject. Basically, everyone here wants to help you with what they think is good advice for you.

OP Yes, you can do this by yourself. If you need help then consult a lawyer if you feel it is necessary. Either way a K-1 is not impossible, just look on the home page and you will see almost daily posts by other VJer's of having success with the K-1 visa. If you choose to "go it alone" which many of us here on VJ have (myself included) all the more power to you I think you will find this more rewarding and much more cost effective for you. As you can see you will never have a lack of advice or opinions be it good or bad. It will be your job to discern what is best for you. I think everyone that has responded has had very good points on both sides of the spectrum. In the end as with most things in life it is your choice. Best of luck to you, and welcome.

Thread*, not Threat. I do not proof read...... sorry.

[TBoneTX 45,291]

To the OP, I agree with the general consensus here that a lawyer is typically not needed for simple cases. I certainly didn't need one for my case. I considered getting one before I started (out of fear) but, looking back, I'm glad I didn't - I didn't need one at all. If your case is fairly straightforward, you should be able to do it yourself if you can follow directions and read. However, if your case is unique and appears to be littered with red flags, maybe you should consult with an attorney, at least for your own piece of mind. It's sound advice to have someone you know and trust to recommend one. If that isn't possible, do some research before picking one (is the lawyer in good standing with the bar assn, etc, etc). I would also be cautious of those who seem to generalize all lawyers; they might be more interested in pushing an agenda and less interested in helping you, at least when it comes to this topic.

This advice -- and that of Kathryn41 earlier -- are the only words above that you should heed in this thread. An added suggestion is to seek the counsel of an immigration attorney who has also served as a consul overseas, on the "review" side of K-1 and other visa applications, in order to learn whether your case indeed carries any potential or actual red flags. Such an attorney can help you tailor your package and the evidence therein so that the consulate may be less likely to give you grief at the interview stage... and, you can pick up crucial interview hints and advice from the same attorney. The posters who flatly say "you do not need an attorney" or "all attorneys are worthless in the K-1 process" are providing exceptionally short-sighted information, indeed with a personal agenda that very well might not mesh with your best interest. Edited August 2, 2009 by TBoneTX

[KGH 0]

You don't need a lawyer to bring your LOVE ones here to the Us. in most cases you can do it yourself and I have never seen this before.

But if you want to get a lawyer get a good lawyer.