K1 visa, just starting.

[pasaway na angel 2]

So you're here now? I have to look up the acronyms, not sure what AOS is, greencard?

AOS means Adjustment Of Status and yeah it is for the Green Card. After your fiancee enters US, and you get married within 90 days of entry, you apply for AOS so she can get her conditional Permanent Resident status.

Good Luck on your journey.

BTW, we also did K-1... our whole process from filing to interview took just 5 months (and we did it all by ourselves)... so even without a lawyer, depending on the Service Center handling your case, the process can take as short as 5 months!

Good Luck again!

[Ron and Rhea 42]

AOS means Adjustment Of Status and yeah it is for the Green Card. After your fiancee enters US, and you get married within 90 days of entry, you apply for AOS so she can get her conditional Permanent Resident status.

Good Luck on your journey.

BTW, we also did K-1... our whole process from filing to interview took just 5 months (and we did it all by ourselves)... so even without a lawyer, depending on the Service Center handling your case, the process can take as short as 5 months!

Good Luck again!

Oh ok...she lives in Manila, and I live in the DC area. Thanks for the info.

[Ben and Jill 37]

Hey all, new here. My fiance and I are just starting the F1 visa journey, should be fun...not, lol. I am American, she is Filipina. We've known each other for going on 2 years. We've met in person twice, once in May in Manila and in July in Bangkok. I've met her family and we are very much in love.

She has never been married, no kids, no criminal record. I am divorced, with 3 grown kids, no criminal record.

I interviewed several immigration lawyers, I live in the DC/Balt area. I have chosen Matthew Glinsmann of Gaithersburg. His firm is high recommended. I had an initial meeting and went over all particulars. Got a good vibe from him, the only thing is the fees..the seem high, but maybe not. He charges a little over 4k to secure the F1 visa, then more if we do the green card once here.

I don't mind paying for excellent service, but man, that seems a lot, but is it worth it? Do we need to go this route? Any advise would be helpful.

Oh my goodness, no no no nooooo, don't pay an attorney. You can do it yourself...most of us on Visa Journey did and we made out superfine. NO ONE knows you or your information better than yourself. Plus, I can't tell you how many people have used immigration attorneys and received an RFE! No way. You're smart...you can handle it.

[Ron and Rhea 42]

Oh my goodness, no no no nooooo, don't pay an attorney. You can do it yourself...most of us on Visa Journey did and we made out superfine. NO ONE knows you or your information better than yourself. Plus, I can't tell you how many people have used immigration attorneys and received an RFE! No way. You're smart...you can handle it.

Thank you so much...really.

[Ben and Jill 37]

Thank you so much...really.

You're very welcome. Read the guides on here...you can't go wrong. They're given step by step and it's really not hard...you just have to be super organized and triple check everything. You can do it all yourself...K-1, AOS, ROC...all of it. If you need any kind of help, just ask on here

Edited August 19, 2011 by Ben and Jill

[Ron and Rhea 42]

You're very welcome. Read the guides on here...you can't go wrong. They're given step by step and it's really not hard...you just have to be super organized and triple check everything. You can do it all yourself...K-1, AOS, ROC...all of it. If you need any kind of help, just ask on here

Thanks, will do..thats the advise from everyone on here....why make a lawyer even more rich..? hahah

[Lisa and Ian 7]

Thanks P.A.T...will do. I really do not understand how the lawyer made it seem like it would be better to use him, I guess its his job.

Yeah... lots of us do this ourselves. Use the 129F instructions from the USCIS website. If you read them carefully and ask VisaJourney when you need advise, you will have very few problems (if any) doing this on your own.

You can also refer to the GUIDES section on the top menu, as needed.

Good luck! It's not a difficult process... just kind of long.

[spikedog 2]

Hey Jim, good point. There is no record for either of us, I have a divorce, that is it.

Can I ask, from start to finish, how long was your process, since your fiance is Filipina, (mine lives in Manila), thx.

I'm divorced too, but just include a copy of your divorce decree with your package and that's all that is needed. Be sue to include ALL the pages. I submitted my papers in May and the they got them 5/12/2011. I was just approved last week, so it was right at 90 days.

My girl is from Manila too. I was there in late April of this year and really enjoyed myself.

good luck,

Jim

[Theresa0828 65]

BTW, I saw an Asian forum but not Filipino, am I missing it? The lawyer said he can't get it done quicker on the surface, but did say that he is proactive on forms to file and will request them in advance and they know what errors that are committed usually. He said the whole process can be done in 6 months if everything goes as planned and from when the forms are first filed.

Not sure if any of this was BS

Please do not hire the lawyer... my fiance did (now my husband) and truthfully... we can do it on our own... but for him that time, he just wanna make sure... 4K for a K-1 is quite pricey... we did pay for around like that also but its a package up to my citizenship... We already sent our change of status and I have proven to my husband that we do not need the lawyer coz basically what she did... was sent the package... and she did not even do a good job during our K-1 process, she was asking a lot of documents that was not necessary, made my husband print a lot of stuff that she (the lawyer) did not sent to me and missed a lot of information on the affidavit of support that I have to point out... i wasn't impress!

[Lynn n Sam 57]

We retained a lawyer and then we found Visa Journey - unfortunately. But over $4K is quite expensive. Ours at least is $2500 including AOS help and they're very quick with replies thankfully but wish we would have found this site first!

Best of luck to you!

[Adam&Noory 0]

WE wish you all the best!! <3 you both will succeed !!

Edited August 19, 2011 by Adam&Noory

[Tahoma 2,292]

Hi jetdoc...welcome to VJ...

Chinook and I are K-1erz too.

Thanks to Chinook, we successfully completed the K-1 fiancée visa process, the adjustment of status process, and the removal of conditions process without using an attorney.

Before we started the K-1 process, I consulted with a well-regarded immigration attorney here in Seattle. He quoted me $1500 to complete the K-1 fiancée visa process. The quote didn't include adjusting status or removing conditions.

Chinook found VJ and convinced me that we could do this ourselves. And she was right. I now realize that an attorney would not only have been an unnecessary expense, but they also would have slowed down the process. Brit Abroad said it best!

Save your bank for the wedding and the honeymoon.

[Ron and Rhea 42]

Yeah... lots of us do this ourselves. Use the 129F instructions from the USCIS website. If you read them carefully and ask VisaJourney when you need advise, you will have very few problems (if any) doing this on your own.

You can also refer to the GUIDES section on the top menu, as needed.

Good luck! It's not a difficult process... just kind of long.

Thanks, will do...what is also comforting is you guys that seem to be done come back to help....kewl

[Ron and Rhea 42]

I'm divorced too, but just include a copy of your divorce decree with your package and that's all that is needed. Be sue to include ALL the pages. I submitted my papers in May and the they got them 5/12/2011. I was just approved last week, so it was right at 90 days.

My girl is from Manila too. I was there in late April of this year and really enjoyed myself.

good luck,

Jim

Hold on, it took you 90 days? Am I reading that right Jim? Wow we were there around the same time, I was there in May, had a blast...then we just got back from Bangkok, had a super blast there. 90 days, really? She used the Manila consulate then..?

[Ron and Rhea 42]

Please do not hire the lawyer... my fiance did (now my husband) and truthfully... we can do it on our own... but for him that time, he just wanna make sure... 4K for a K-1 is quite pricey... we did pay for around like that also but its a package up to my citizenship... We already sent our change of status and I have proven to my husband that we do not need the lawyer coz basically what she did... was sent the package... and she did not even do a good job during our K-1 process, she was asking a lot of documents that was not necessary, made my husband print a lot of stuff that she (the lawyer) did not sent to me and missed a lot of information on the affidavit of support that I have to point out... i wasn't impress!

Oh ok, thanks for the info...I have given this link to my fiance and hopefully she will read and click link and be happy to do this, lol

WE wish you all the best!! <3 you both will succeed !!

aww, thanks

Hi jetdoc...welcome to VJ...

Chinook and I are K-1erz too.

Thanks to Chinook, we successfully completed the K-1 fiancée visa process, the adjustment of status process, and the removal of conditions process without using an attorney.

Before we started the K-1 process, I consulted with a well-regarded immigration attorney here in Seattle. He quoted me $1500 to complete the K-1 fiancée visa process. The quote didn't include adjusting status or removing conditions.

Chinook found VJ and convinced me that we could do this ourselves. And she was right. I now realize that an attorney would not only have been an unnecessary expense, but they also would have slowed down the process. Brit Abroad said it best!

Save your bank for the wedding and the honeymoon.

Great post and thanks so much...you guys have given me so much confidence to do this on our own, with all the support from you guys.