just getting started

[jeff y 0]

I have been doing research on the K-1 visa for my fiancee-she is leaving the USA tomorrow to go back to Latvia. I have a hard time decifering all those instructions and found conflicting information on what is supposed to be included in the first part of the application process. I even found the list on this website confusing. can anyone offer advice? I feel like i need a PhD in English to make sense of all this. Some empathy would be nice, at the least. lol

[Robert&Karen 264]

You came to the right place. The sheer number of forms scares folks into running into a lawyer's office, but you can do it!

[Inky 1,111]

print out the step by step guide and cross things off the list as you collect them and organize them into your petition - this can help with the overwhelming feeling of such a large list.

[ffp 2]

Before she leave let her sign G-325A and letter of intent to marry in 90 days. You can find info in guides.

[Pitaya 2,577]

I have been doing research on the K-1 visa for my fiancee-she is leaving the USA tomorrow to go back to Latvia. I have a hard time decifering all those instructions and found conflicting information on what is supposed to be included in the first part of the application process. I even found the list on this website confusing. can anyone offer advice? I feel like i need a PhD in English to make sense of all this. Some empathy would be nice, at the least. lol

Welcome to the forum. You can do it. Just take one piece at a time. My thoughts when i started the same process over 2 months ago, if I looked at the whole enchilada, i.e., the USCIS webiste....that was overwhelming. BTW, it is not written in English, it is "Bureaucratalese".....lol... The same folks that brought your the IRS code.

The info in the Guides , i.e., the flow charts and checklists, is much more palatable than the USCIS-speak. Become acquainted with the terms first, then tackle the forms....one at a time. You are not the first one to start down this path, and you likely won't be the last.

You can do it! Hang in there, focus on the end result.

Good luck,

YMMV,

The B of A&B

[MERIC061609 15]

exactly !!! this website and the forum is full of great folks who have tons of experience about this process. Let's begin by asking the specific questions you may have regarding the K-1 filling process and take a deep breath.

I recently sent mine, so I will list what I had:

Cover letter (listing all the documents you are sending)

check for $340

Form I-129F signed by petitioner

Form I-129F: answer to question 18 and signed by petitoner

Form G-1145

Form G325A Completed form petitioner

Form G325A completed form beneficiary

Copy of naturalization (if applied) or birth certificate (petitioner)

letter of intent to marry (petitioner)

letter of intent to marry (beneficiary)

passport copies (petitioner and beneficiary)

required passport style photographs (petitioner and beneficiary)

copy of birth certificate (beneficiary)

proof of having meet in person in the last two years

proof of ongoing relationship

Hope it gives you a good start!!!

ME

[meadowzephyr 26]

Hello! I can attest to the fact that checklist method works the best. In fact, you can print out the list of what is needed from the VJ guidelines and mark out the items as you gather them.

I bought a flash drive, solely dedicated to the fiance visa and saved all the needed USCIS forms and sample documents from Visa Journey on it. During my lunch break at work I would work down the list and save the completed documents on the flash drive. It felt good to know I had everything in one easily accessible place. I also had a three prong folder with sheet protectors where I stored printed documents that were completed. Although I didn't send the documents in the sheet protectors to USCIS (it's not recommended), it kept everything in good condition until I sent them off.

It's imperative that you have have your fiance sign the letter of intent before she leaves and any other documents that require her signature. Although she can mail the documents to you at a later date, it made it so much easier for me to have the documents at the beginning of the process.

Let us know if you have any other questions.

[jeff y 0]

you guys are awesome. Was feeling a bit discouraged by this whole daunting process! I think they purposely make it difficult to understand-perhaops to generate more revenue? or to keep immigrants from being able to decipher it on their own? who knows.

I will check on that form. I am throwing a surprise going away party for my fiancee tonight, with family and friends. wish me luck! they all love her...almost as much as I do!

[Robert&Karen 264]

Everything you send, scan it. Everything you get, scan it. Scan birth certs, passports (ALL pages, even blank ones), anything you can. Now email it to yourself and keep it on the email server (gmail, hotmail, etc) so that it is accessible anywhere in the world.

Plan on several thousands of dollars of expenses. I did not look at the costs to start, I incorrectly assumed that the monies paid at the start were all that they needed. Nope! I am glad I had the cash set aside. Physicals, plane tickets, train tickets, it all adds up and fast.

You WILL have very thick envelopes to send. one of mine was about three inches thick with all different sized paperclips and alligator clips trying to keep it all organized.

Fill in every blank. If you leave a question blank it will probably be sent back to you. Use NONE or N/A if proper.

Start gathering paperwork NOW. Birth certs, passports, old addresses and employers, you will need it all. Start now so you are waiting for them rather than they are waiting for you.

Charge on. It is very easy to quit and settle, but this is just another anybody you met. You KNOW this is different. You KNOW this is right.

[Liz&Nate 23]

Just use the checklist and go step by step. When you find yourself in a bind come here with a specific question and enough details. This process is sadly not as easy as it should be, but thankfully not as hard as it could be. Congratulations on your engagement!

[jeff y 0]

thanks again guys! She left today and I cried all the way to work like a little boy. I am dreaming of the day our visa gets approved.

[mugumogu 18]

The best information you'll find is in these forums. I knew nothing about immigration and didn't even know what a visa was when I started the process and now I feel like I could start up my own immigration consulting business. Find people going through the process from the same country, friend them, and ask them lots of questions. While the process is generally the same for everyone, different countries may vary slightly in what is required.