What type of Visa is best for me and my Brasilian fiancee?

[Ladylethal 12]

I dunno about the logistics of having the USC attend the interview. Unless they're getting stricter now the day of my interview only one person had their USC fiancé with her and they were actually the only ones not approved right away, they had some issue with their paperwork and would have to hand the proper papers in the next day before being approved. The fact my (then) fiancé wasn't there didn't even come up in the interview. I guess they would prefer if the USC was present but with a strong case I don't see why their absence would necessarily be an issue.

[Bobby+Umit 161]

I would recommend the CR-1.

[K and L 27]

I guess they would prefer if the USC was present but with a strong case I don't see why their absence would necessarily be an issue.

Oh, yeah, the Brazilian consulate's not at all like Ecuador or Colombia (where people are routinely denied if the USC isn't present). They like the USC being there, because it demonstrates that it's a real relationship, but it's not necessary. The person who was denied the day of our interview definitely had something major going on, as they were interviewed *forever* (seriously, she was in there for nearly an hour and the rest of us were in and out in less than 10 minutes).

[Ladylethal 12]

Yeah, my interview was less than 10 min long as well, as pretty much everyone else's that day, and like I said before, except for one couple we were all without our USCs.

[Journeyer 17]

Do be advised that foreigners marrying a Brazilian in Brazil can take some quality time. Luckily, your fiancee lives in Recife, where there's a consulate that can take care of your consular needs... but there's a 30 day waiting period and the license is only good for 4 months, so you will probably need two trips to Brazil to take care of it there, or just do it in the US with no problems.

And your fiancee is also welcome to PM me. I'm decently fluent in written Portuguese (though much better at reading than writing; my husband can check my Portuguese before we respond)

Thanks for all the good info, much appreciated. We will not be getting married in Brazil. It's just too easy here once the K-1 is approved We can drive to TN(I live in Maryland), get the license and get married the same day. We don't want a big expensive ceremony anyways, we have decided to just elope and get it done,

Thanks for the PM offer. I can understand almost all that I read in Portuguese, and definitely write better than I can speak. I think that is just all about the time your brain has to process information. The thing that is most difficult for me still is understanding what Brazilians are saying when they are all talking at the same time, and/or talking very fast.

[Journeyer 17]

I can sympathize with your fiancee's nervousness, as I was pretty nervous about our visit, and of course bad luck with a cranky immigration officer is always a possibility. But considering that she already has her tourist visa, has solid ties to Brazil, and has always returned, I think it's worth a try.

You can add us to the list of people who would be happy to provide feedback on the process--I know my fiance would be happy to answer questions. Good luck!

Thanks for the reply and offer to help with questions. I have received so much good feedback here, it is really a pleasant surprise, I didn't expect so much. I am hopeful that all will go well for us too. I can't think of any reason why there would be a problem. As I mentioned in an earlier post, for some reason, my fiancee thinks they might give her a hard time because she spent so much time here with me, on a tourist visa. But I just don't see it happening and we have lots of solid proof of a real relationship as well as her solid ties to Brazil.

[Journeyer 17]

If you choose to get married in Brazil, you really just need to have your original papers certified at a brazilian embassy here in the states. It does take about a month or more to do. Those papers when certified you take with you to Brazil. They then have to be translated, then you can legally marry in Brazil. It is a hair pulling project to say the least, ( I chose this option ), my wife wanted to be married where her family could attend the ceremony. I was actually in Brazil, when the papers arrived at my home, I needed to have them Express'd out to me so that we could get married. If you choose this option..... Plan Plan Plan, and leave some extra time for goverment efficiency, or should I say inefficiency?

Thanks for the info. We have already decided to get married here. We don't want to spend lots of money or time on a ceremony. We may still have family attend though, if they want to travel here. But if they don't show up, we will not be upset about it.

[Journeyer 17]

I dunno about the logistics of having the USC attend the interview. Unless they're getting stricter now the day of my interview only one person had their USC fiancé with her and they were actually the only ones not approved right away, they had some issue with their paperwork and would have to hand the proper papers in the next day before being approved. The fact my (then) fiancé wasn't there didn't even come up in the interview. I guess they would prefer if the USC was present but with a strong case I don't see why their absence would necessarily be an issue.

Hey Ladylethal, how is it going? I have not been out here for a few days because I have just been busy with work.

I hope you are right about me not really needing to attend. I really would not look too forward to flying from Baltimore to Miami, to Salvador, to Recife, to Rio, and then turning around and doing that in reverse again on short order, for a short interview. I really have this vision of my first trip to Brazil being a little more relaxing and pleasant than that,

[Journeyer 17]

I would recommend the CR-1.

I wish we could do that. Unfortunately, it won't work for us because my fiancee has to go back to Brazil now for her daughters wedding, not just to attend, but to help with planning. So, I think at this point, we will just have to get started with the K-1.

[Ladylethal 12]

Yep, I believe that as long as your fianceé is prepared with all her papers in order and answer honestly and calmly things will go well, at least, that's the norm.

[K and L 27]

I hope you are right about me not really needing to attend. I really would not look too forward to flying from Baltimore to Miami, to Salvador, to Recife, to Rio, and then turning around and doing that in reverse again on short order, for a short interview. I really have this vision of my first trip to Brazil being a little more relaxing and pleasant than that,

You're craaaaaaazy to do all that flying for a short trip. My husband (who's from Salvador) and I met outside the international flight area at GIG after I arrived for the interview. He was very understanding about me not flying with him - I could only go for a few days, and he would rather spend those extra hours together NOT in an airplane, and the extra money doing something much more fun (in our case, going to a nice restaurant to eat dinner most nights and still spending less than the extra airfare would have been). If you go to the interview, fly Baltimore/DC to Miami to Rio -- you may need to go Miami/Sao Paulo/Rio. Don't bother meeting up with your fiancée in Recife; it's expensive and very time consuming and will make your trip far more stressful than it needs to be. Meet her up in Rio, get a hotel in Copa nearish the beach, and relaaaaaaaaaax after the interview.

(But while the interview time itself is short, your time at the consulate is not likely to be so. We were there roughly 5 hours for our interview, and there were people - for K3/CR1 visas - after us.)

Edited August 27, 2010 by K and L

[BennyJax 5]

Her tourist visa is valid through 2013 and was valid the first time she arrived. She has never overstayed and had no issues getting through immigration. However, the last time she came, they asked her some questions about if she lives here and works here now, obviously because of the amount of time she has spent here in the last 2 years. She told them truthfully, that she has never worked here, and that she is a resident of Brazil and has proof of residence(she owns her own home there), which is also true. But that is the part that has her all worried. I hope that she is just being overly worried and that is not a real issue. I guess we will find out.

I just told her she has to go to Rio for the K-1, and she is hoping you are wrong on that one, . But if that is what needs to be done, then I guess she is getting a surprise trip to Rio.

My gf is the in the same situation with her tourist visa. It's still good for a few years at least. She came last year for six months. Went back to Taipei, her home country, for six months and then just came back this past February. The first time, no problem through immigration. This time through San francisco, she went to the room and got grilled about why she was here. He said he could send her back right now, which she knew was true. He told her to not come back for a couple years and when she did she could only stay 2-3 weeks. She's 30 so he felt like she's some spoiled rich girl (she's not) traveling to the US all the time. So did get to stay for six months this time and just had to leave last week. She's afraid to come back on a visitor visa anymore after that.

We are going with the K-1. This is my first time here. Lots of info! Deep breath......

[Journeyer 17]

My gf is the in the same situation with her tourist visa. It's still good for a few years at least. She came last year for six months. Went back to Taipei, her home country, for six months and then just came back this past February. The first time, no problem through immigration. This time through San francisco, she went to the room and got grilled about why she was here. He said he could send her back right now, which she knew was true. He told her to not come back for a couple years and when she did she could only stay 2-3 weeks. She's 30 so he felt like she's some spoiled rich girl (she's not) traveling to the US all the time. So did get to stay for six months this time and just had to leave last week. She's afraid to come back on a visitor visa anymore after that.

We are going with the K-1. This is my first time here. Lots of info! Deep breath......

Wow, your situation definitely sounds a little similar to ours. Although immigration were not quite that rough with my fiancee, they didn't actually make her go to a room. What they did do, was ask her the same questions over and over again, 'you live here now?', 'you work here?'. So now she is also afraid to come back on her tourist visa. Looks like we are in the same situation, just dealing with consulates in different countries. Good luck, I hope it works out for you. I am going to continue to post about our experience here throughout the process.

[Journeyer 17]

Haven't been here for a while, got side tracked big time, too many pans in the fire. But, I am ready to do this. Can anyone confirm for me, that the I-129F is the first form I need to complete. Thanks.

[desert_fox 32]

Haven't been here for a while, got side tracked big time, too many pans in the fire. But, I am ready to do this. Can anyone confirm for me, that the I-129F is the first form I need to complete. Thanks.

yup....and the 134 regarding financialol support

make sure you read the instructions/

Edited September 19, 2010 by desert_fox