K1 Visa Guide/Description for Fiance - What am I missing

[robp135 1]

I have been putting together a simple document to desribe the process to my fiance. She works and goes to school so doesn't have enough time currently to do the research I can.

Let me know if theres anything wrong with this, or I should add anything. Greatly appreciated.

K1 Visa

Timeframe – 8 months

Cost - $1,805

What is K1?

A K-1 Visa allows a Non-US Citizen fiancé (Me) engaged to a US Citizen (You) to legally enter the US, Marry and then Adjust Status to become a Legal Permanent Resident.

What is the process?

The process of obtaining a K-1 Visa starts with you filing an "I-129F: Petition for Alien Fiancé" packet with the USCIS (United States Citizenship and Immigration Services). Within a few weeks of sending the documents to The USCIS Dallas Lockbox you will receive notice that that your letter has been opened and is under review. The cost is $455. Around 4-5 months later you will receive a notification that your application has been approved. You will then need to send me the original copies of everything you filled out. The USCIS who are responsible for processing this petition will forward the petition to the National Visa Centre who then forwards it to the US London consulate. All in all this process takes about 5-6 months, and from there it all moves fairly quickly.

Upon receiving the approved I-129F petition, the US London Consulate will contact me by mail and request certain information be gathered and provided to the US London Consulate. This will include general info such as passport, birth certificate as well as a medical history and criminal record. I will then be given a date for an actual visa interview in person at the US London consulate for the K-1 Visa. Here I will provide them with the original copies of the I-129F. I will also need to provide the I-134 “Adviant for Support” document which will be filed by me, but filled out by our sponsor. A sponsor does not need to be decided until this point. When the embassy approves the K-1, they will issue the visa typically within a week after the interview and return my passport.

Once I receive the K-1 Visa I will enter the US at any time within six months of the visa being issued.

What happens when I arrive in the US?

After arriving in the US I will apply for a Social Security number and then a marriage certificate. We must then get married within 90 days. Next we apply for I-485 “Adjustment of Status” (AOS) to become a Legal Permanent Resident. The cost is $1,040.

Along with the AOS we will send a I-864 which is a more detailed “Advant for Support” document filled out by our sponsor along with a G-325A (Biographical information) for both is us and an I-131 “Application for Travel” which will allow me to leave the US for short periods throughout the next year while the process takes place.

I will also apply for an I-765 “Employment Authorization Document” (EAD). The EAD card, known popularly as Work Permit, is a document issued by United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) that provides its holder a legal right to work in the United States of America. A holder can work as long as they carry an unexpired valid EAD and maintain their Legal Status in the US. The cost is $340.

1 month after the application is made a Biometrics examination is arranged for you both to attend. This will takes place at the nearest USCIS biometrics office (California) where you will have you fingerprints and photos taken for an FBI check up.

An EAD shouldn't be confused with a green card (which indicates that its holder is a Legal Permanent Resident of the US. The EAD must be updated annually until a Greencard is issued.

At some point within the next you we will receive a letter informing us of an interview date. It will include instructions on what to bring to the interview and any required items you may need to complete beforehand. This will include copies of most the documents we have put together along with evidence of our relationship. This should include photos, joint account, joint lease etc. The interview lasts between 15-30 minutes. Once approved I will be mailed A "green-card" within weeks of the interview date.

What we need to do next??

What you need in the I-129F package. Make 2 spare copies of everything. Should be placed in the order listed.

1. $455 Payment required by the USCIS. Use a personal check so you can track the payment.

2. Cover letter which states everything in the package. Clip a completed G-1145, E-Notification of Application/Petition Acceptance. By completing this form and attaching it, USCIS will send you an email and/or text message to alert you when your application was received.

3. I-29F Form

4. Delectation of how we met and how many times we have seen one another in person in the last 2 years.

5. Written statement which declares our intent to marry signed by both of us.

6. Proof of having met in the last 2 years and proof of an ongoing relationship – Dated photos, plane tickets, hotel bills, phone bills, emails, letters, stamps etc

7. G-325A form signed by you. The G-325A is biographical information about me.

8. One passport photo of yourself with full name on the back.

9. G-325A form signed by me.

10. One passport photo of me with full name on the back.

11. Copy of your birth certificate.

[Girl from Celebes 588]

I thought beneficiary needs to filling biographic information and passport size photograph too?

Sorry, missunderstood about you and me words

Edited October 28, 2011 by Girl from Celebes

[Anh map 2,098]

Just have your fiancee read the guides here on VJ. All the information is there. Used by thousands (I would think) who have successfully completed the process. No need to reinvent the wheel.

[kzielu 1,149]

Any why exactly you just didn't use VJ guides ?

[az110965 252]

After arriving in the US I will apply for a Social Security number and then a marriage certificate. We must then get married within 90 days. Next we apply for I-485 “Adjustment of Status” (AOS) to become a Legal Permanent Resident. The cost is $1,040.

Cost is $1070

1. $455 Payment required by the USCIS. Use a personal check so you can track the payment.

Cost is $340

I will also apply for an I-765 “Employment Authorization Document” (EAD). The EAD card, known popularly as Work Permit, is a document issued by United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) that provides its holder a legal right to work in the United States of America. A holder can work as long as they carry an unexpired valid EAD and maintain their Legal Status in the US. The cost is $340.

EAD is included with AOS

Really - is better to use the K-1 guides here on VJ. The costs have changed since you started to compile your "Guide" and most likely other things have changed as well (such as now all petitions are sent to Texas lockbox)...

No reason to reinvent the wheel.

[GnBnL 50]

That was kind of you to break it down for her and do all the info gathering. Yes, the VJ guides are amazing and are up to date, which is very important as if you send the wrong fee to the wrong place, it will get sent back to you and you'll have to start again! You may also want to look into getting married and filing for AOS as these days its hard to tell which takes longer. Are you currently in the same city? it might be an idea since she is already occupied with studying.

[bigdog 376]

Make it simple use the VJ guides, you can read uscis stuff also.

[robp135 1]

Ok the reason for this is because although the VJ guides are amazing, it will take her hours and has taken me hours to read them.

I want something she can read in 10-15 minutes, understand it and then when we actually begin the process we can use the full guides.

If some of the information on there is wrong, then the VJ guides must be wrong or I have taken the info down wrong as thats where I got it from. I compiled my guide yesterday.

That was kind of you to break it down for her and do all the info gathering. Yes, the VJ guides are amazing and are up to date, which is very important as if you send the wrong fee to the wrong place, it will get sent back to you and you'll have to start again! You may also want to look into getting married and filing for AOS as these days its hard to tell which takes longer. Are you currently in the same city? it might be an idea since she is already occupied with studying.

I live in London, she is in the US.

Edited October 28, 2011 by Mirage Man

[robp135 1]

if there is anything drasticly wrong please let me know.

[Lainie B 465]

Whatever you have been reading seems out of date. You will need to refer to the guide http://www.visajourney.com/content/k1guide, and check for current fees with USCIS - don't skip the official USCIS instructions, these are just as important to read. Also you will need to read up on country-specific information when it comes to the actual K-1 visa application (there are additional costs for medical, police reports, etc which vary by country).

This is not an easy process. It is worth spending the time reading up on the process now, because mistakes now will delay you weeks or months during the process.

[mugumogu 18]

Looks like a good summary to me, though I don't know where you got $1805 for the total cost. The current filing fee is $340.00. You pay a filing fee for another form later on in the process, but it still doesn't come close to $1805. Aside from the details of what is included in your initial package, it seems that you know the process well. Good luck!

[baron555 934]

Why have them worry about the costs? You should be footing the bill.....along with all the other costs for them to move to this country and restart their lives here. If they don't speak English, that alone will add to your cost outlay since they will need to learn that to be able to obtain any type of productive work.

[mugumogu 18]

Why have them worry about the costs? You should be footing the bill.....along with all the other costs for them to move to this country and restart their lives here. If they don't speak English, that alone will add to your cost outlay since they will need to learn that to be able to obtain any type of productive work.

Baron, did you read anything in this forum? The poster is the foreign fiance and I do believe people from England speak English.

[Lainie B 465]

Why have them worry about the costs? You should be footing the bill.....along with all the other costs for them to move to this country and restart their lives here. If they don't speak English, that alone will add to your cost outlay since they will need to learn that to be able to obtain any type of productive work.

Agree with mugumogu - some of us applicants do speak English very well!

A lot of applicants pay part or even the entire cost of the process themselves. That is between the applicant and the petitioner to figure out.

I do think it is very good of the OP to summarise the costs for the entire process (though I'm not sure he has included all the costs for the petition, visa application and AOS).

[Michael & Amy 3]

You write very well.

A few notes-

1. I felt underinformed on the post- I-129F stage. This document cleared up a lot of questions for me on the actual K-1 stage (you applying for the visa). http://photos.state.gov/libraries/canada/303578/pdfs/K1-K3-packet3.pdf (It's for the wrong embassy, of course, but it gives you the general idea. Might be worth a read.)

2. I also had no idea about how involved preparing for the medical would be. Again, wrong country, but check it out (or find a similar for yours):

https://www.securewebexchange.com/wokingmedical.com/Appointments.html

3. The petitioner is required to be the primary sponsor; if the petitioner does not meet the poverty guidelines, you can try to find a joint sponsor. This can prove more difficult than people expect, as the burden is huge and, potentially, never ending. *please verify; this may only apply to the sponsoring of spouses*

Good luck! And... honestly, I've been wishing that we went the marry-first route instead of the marry-in-the-US, so you might consider it. It actually has a lot more benefits... and as a previous poster alluded, the time savings on the K-1 right now is imaginary. (Actually, you could still marry in the US, then return and file for the spousal visa.)

Edited October 29, 2011 by Michael & Amy