Using a Law Firm for Philippines K-1 Visa

[Joseph & Ana 0]

Yes - I can relate. I get little sleep, I constantly have a headache, and my thoughts revolve around this. I cannot keep busy without thinking about this. The only time I get respite is when I'm talking to Ana.

If they were rude to me like that, it would tempt me to go wherever they were and give them what-for if i didn't think it would end up hindering my case more. Why call back in 2 weeks? That is definitely BS. I don't understand why people can't just be nice and give us the tiniest bit of information to sate our appetites if for nothing else for a day or so until we call back .

The lawyer was supposed to help me in this matter, but so far no luck. I've already agreed to payment.

[muñequita linda 0]

Lol. You sound like me. I am so fed up with this BS visa process. I'm almost 200 days into it. I called the USEM yesterday and some ####### said they have our case, but to wait 2 weeks and call back. I literally just sat here flexing like the hulk for like 20 seconds until my eyes almost exploded after i heard that.

I called back and some ####### who was rude as hell told me the same thing and wouldn't answer my questions.

You're in for a bumpy ride if you have as little patience as i got.

PM me if you need any info.

Good luck.

Relax, man. The American Embassy does not act on a visa application before its time. Your words might make you an Ugly American and we Filipinos don't care much for Ugly Americans!

Edited August 13, 2009 by mariquita linda

[Joseph & Ana 0]

We're not asking to be processed before our time (although it would be nice), we're just asking for courtesy and understanding. Someone who at least TRIES to act as if they are helping wouldn't hurt either.

[rockhouse 1]

Lol. You sound like me. I am so fed up with this BS visa process. I'm almost 200 days into it. I called the USEM yesterday and some ####### said they have our case, but to wait 2 weeks and call back. I literally just sat here flexing like the hulk for like 20 seconds until my eyes almost exploded after i heard that.

I called back and some ####### who was rude as hell told me the same thing and wouldn't answer my questions.

You're in for a bumpy ride if you have as little patience as i got.

PM me if you need any info.

Good luck.

Relax, man. The American Embassy does not act on a visa application before its time. Your words might make you an Ugly American and we Filipinos don't care much for Ugly Americans!

Well, the first guy i spoke to giggled like a woman and was very effeminate, (believe me i've had enough of them flirt with me in Cebu to know), and the second guy was rude and didn't want to answer my questions. Hence, 1 ####### and 1 #######.

Anyway, i was basically trying to find out from them why other people's cases that are on the same time-line as mine, and have just recently been logged into their system like mine, could get interview dates so easily, while i was basically told to hang-up and call back in 2 weeks....it's very frustrating.

Sorry for the rant. It's nothing against the Filipino people, just those 2 guys.

[PhiLandShiR 18]

Hang in there. You have your entire life ahead of you to laugh about all this.

I also used a lawyer. Mostly cause I was not aware of this site before I filed.

As far as the lawyer goes...

You need to remember one thing. For you this K1 is a lifetime event, for the lawyer, its a task on his to do list.

I am not suprized at all to hear that the application was tabled while this guy went on vacation and you had to pitch a major ###### to get another to work on it. After all, it would only be another task on the 2nd guys to do list and I expect his was already full...

A lawyer is not going to see this process as anything more important than paying bills on a Saturday afternoon is to you...

As for you, its an event of biblical import...

Its all perspective...

Please do not think for an instant I share his opinion. I know how you feel and understand the pain completely.

Just hang in there, Have faith and it WILL work out!

Phil

Edited August 13, 2009 by PhiLandShiR

[SMOKE 1,426]

Because I'm a stupid dumbass who doesn't deserve to live I guess.

thats what i thought about myself too...then i realized i'm to cheap & broke to hire a lawyer....good thing i found VJ.

[AbbynSheryl 0]

i agree with u phil. my lawyer did not care about me or my case only thing lawyer cares about money he can get from u. i did not do about VJ before i hired a lawyer so i paid $1000.00 to do my I-130 and lawyer put my wifes name wrong,lol. i had to go through hell to correct it. my lawyer charged me $65.00 to ship the papers to immigration and i did the same package for $18.00. I say lawyer for immigration is a RIPOFF 100%.

I know it is so furstating to get answer but some time we have no choice but to wait. i saw an article that immigration get over 2.5 millions applicationa a month to process and the staff workd in 3 shifts means 24 hours a day. and if u miss on paper in ur application then it means it will take them 6-8 weeks to go back to look at ur application. My advice just follow the guide and check every thing 3 times before u send and wait. i did the same and i got my CR1 in only 5 months and 1 weeks, but i check my papers atleast 10 times before i sent to immigration. read the guide and follow it step by step and be patience i wish i can tell u more. that is my two cent., good luck to u all, abby n sheryl

[Joseph & Ana 0]

So Phil - when you used the Lawyer - can you tell your experience?

[PhiLandShiR 18]

So Phil - when you used the Lawyer - can you tell your experience?

I am afraid there is little I can say thats nice about it....

The instructions I got were vague. They stated I shouldn't wear glasses in my passport style photos. To me, Shouldn't means generally not.... Well I am Required to wear them in my driver license photos and I was Required to wear them when I got my passport years ago so I assumed (me bad) I should wear them for the photos I sent to the lawyer... Bad move... 3 WEEKS after I FedEx'ed them I got a letter back saying I could not wear glasses....

If they meant COULD NOT, why did they say Should Not ??? To me those 2 have VERY different meanings...

If it was not allowed I should have been told DO NOT wear glasses...

I got the Letter of Intent to Marry from him with the instructions to "have Shirr sign it and send it back" to him... So.... I scanned it and email it to Shirr. She printed it, signed it, scanned it and emailed it back to me. I printed it and sent it on the the lawyer...

You guessed it.... That also came back to me with the statement they needed an original signature...

That was not stated in their instruction letter...

So... now we are 3 weeks into this process and still counting.... My FedEx'ed paperwork had set there on someone's desk for 3 weeks before they even looked at it....

Now I needed to have Shirr reprint the Intent Letter and snail mail it to me... That took another 4 weeks to get to me... Now we are down almost 2 months from the start...

I mail in the new letter and off it goes to the lawyer. And I wait................

Almost 2 months later and a number of emails that were never replied to, I finally call the Calif Service Center to check on progress. I get told, we sent your NOA1 letter off you your lawyer of record a month ago.... I finally got a copy of the NOA1 a week later...

So now we move on to NOA2.... I set myself up in the USCIS.GOV website to get emails and that worked out really well. I get NOA2 email the morning I am leaving to spend Christmas and New Years with Shirr, the best gift I could ever have gotten!!! I am gone for 2 weeks and when I return I still have no notice from the lawyer abbout NOA2... well, 2 weeks later I get a letter from him saying, Oh, we got your NOA2....and I needed to submit a I-134 back to the laywer.

Between NOA1 and NOA2 I found this site, I had the I-134 forms completed and packed long before I went over at Christmas. I hand delivered them to Shirr when I was there. I sent an email to the lawyer saying I did this. I never got a reply...

A few weeks later, about the end of January I had her interview and medical all set up and we were just waiting for the clock to run out so to speak...

After her medical and 2 days before her interview ( Feb 6th) I get another email from the lawyer saying I could call Manila to start getting things going there. I replied we had completed the medical and the interview was scheduled in 2 days.... I never got a reply....

To them its just another piece of paper, to me and my beloved, it was a whole lot more....

I suppose in a few years it will be funny but for now its a sore still trying to heal.

Phil

Edited August 13, 2009 by PhiLandShiR

[rockhouse 1]

And i thought my case was bad. That must have driven you mad. I must admit though, i did laugh at the part where the lawyer tells you it's cool to contact Manila. Lol.

[PhiLandShiR 18]

Oh yes, there are parts that I now laugh at...

I pity those who are still going through this. Specially those who use a lawyer...

My heart aches for them as I know how hard it will be. I take solace in knowing it will come out in the end but that is small comfort to many...

[Jasman0717 9]

Read the guides here on VJ and then ask questions for anything you don't understand. I did all the paperwork for Claudeth's visa, AOS and lifting conditions by just reading and following the VJ guides. Good luck

[rheanick 42]

I knew nothing about getting K-1 so i thought the safest bet was hiring a law-firm. Well, its been almost a month of back and forth back and forth and we're still not filed yet. Its like pulling teeth with them to get a simple update on their progress.

Anyone have similar experience?

I have a friend who hired a lawyer and the lawyer always tell her to wait. Since i have been through the process, I'm sharing my friends on the step by step process. I would advice her when to expect something from the USCIS that her lawyer should give her.

From our last discussion, her lawyer is asking her for additional $400+ for visa. I told her not to pay the additional money the lawyer is asking and continue the process.

So far, she is not satisfied with the lawyer performance .

[Joseph & Ana 0]

Read the guides here on VJ and then ask questions for anything you don't understand. I did all the paperwork for Claudeth's visa, AOS and lifting conditions by just reading and following the VJ guides. Good luck

Ok I'm going to start keeping a score card on how many times i'm told to read the guides.. '

Anyway - Phil thanks for the story. After ripping them again, our forms are sitting on the lawyer's desk. I will get final approval tomorrow so they say. fingers crossed.

Edited August 13, 2009 by Joseph & Ana

[Jasman0717 9]

Read the guides here on VJ and then ask questions for anything you don't understand. I did all the paperwork for Claudeth's visa, AOS and lifting conditions by just reading and following the VJ guides. Good luck

Ok I'm going to start keeping a score card on how many times i'm told to read the guides.. '

Anyway - Phil thanks for the story. After ripping them again, our forms are sitting on the lawyer's desk. I will get final approval tomorrow so they say. fingers crossed.

People aren't telling that just to tell you. I was recommending it to save you some money and the hassle of dealing with attorneys. Attorneys love to take your money but how many actually get the job done any better than someone doing the work themselves.