Visa newbie! Proof of Support

[Rich87 0]

I posted this in the US area of the forum (oops!) so I'll quote most of it:

Hi guys,

I stumbled across the website tonight, it's been really useful and cleared up a lot of questions I had about the K-1 Visa process. I currently live in England and my fiancée lives in the US. We've been together two and a half years and engaged for 4 months, with plans for myself to move over there.

We want to start the process soon. It seems that we have almost everything covered (in regards to evidence of relationships, fees, etc), however I just have a few confusions over the Evidence of Support section.

Basically the current, general situation is this. I'm 25, I've been in full-time work for the past 6 months on a steady £15k salary (however that will be going up in the next few months), as well as £7k in savings currently (and obviously continuing to save over the processing time). My fiancée is 23, finishing university early next year and currently in part-time work at the same time as studying. She has never been on benefits or financial state help. Her parents are both in full-time work and earn salaries.

I was just generally hoping if this is a standard situation to be in, and looking for any general advice that I could take on board - I guess I'm classed as a newbie! I'm aware that we're probably seen as a 'young' case! However speaking to a lady on the plane from the US who went through the same scenario not too long ago, she assured me that we'd be okay and it's not too daunting!

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Thanks!

Rich

It's reassuring to see all the positive situations that many of you are in right now - I guess it all just seems a little daunting right at the beginning! Also if anyone has any personal experiences on how long the process takes from start to entry into the US, that would be great (we need a rough date for the wedding deposit!) Hopefully we'll be in a happier situation at the end of the year!

Thanks again,

Rich

[Boiler 45,585]

Assume a year, probably a bit less.

No deposits! Asking for trouble unless you can walk away from it.

[Sapphire1965 5]

Hi your US fiance needs to show evidence of support which if only working part time probably she will not be above the poverty line so you would need to have her parents as a co sponser, if they are willing to do this. Also from my own experience from date of filing which was Oct 4th 2010 to entry on May 17th last year it took 8 months from start to finish. Good luck with the process it really is not as bad as you think at first it seems a little daunting but you will get there in the end and use this site it is an absolute god send for questions and answers.

[Rich87 0]

Thanks for the responses guys!

The deposit doesn't sound as bad as it is - my fiancée's mum is a wedding planner and has got us a huge discount on a venue. Usually the venue requires a deposit for a certain date, however in our case they just want a deposit for a 'rough estimate' - they said they'll be extremely flexible with us, which is great. We're thinking March 2013, which lines up perfectly with your year-or-less estimate. But as I said, the flexibility would allow us to take that date back, or bring it forward - it's just difficult in regards to planning, especially since my (extremely small) family would probably be coming over for the wedding! Are there any useful tips in regards to planning - when to book flights, venues, other wedding arrangements, etc. Is it something that can be ongoing throughout the visa process?

I briefly saw the co-sponsor option and thought this may be the best route. They're both in full time work and on salaries. Is the co-sponsor route literally saying that the relatives of the fiancée are able to provide, in the case of the fiancée not being able to? Is this a common route to take regarding the application?

I think that once the process is underway we will be fine. The daunting bit to me is just the unknown factor before we've started! But as I'm sure everyone that has been through it probably agrees, it'll be worth it.

[Boiler 45,585]

Don not book anything until you have the visa.

[Elora & Rob 15]

Rich,

I am in almost the exact same situation as you. I am 25 in full time employment in the UK, my fiance is 23 and due to graduate in december. We wiled our petition last week, hopefully I will recieve my visa September/October time and I will be ready to move before Christmas. I hope to have a years salary saved up by then to love off for when I move. Her mother is sponsering us.

As long as your both over 18, and have met one another in person your eligable for K1.

If you were to send the I-129f before the end of March its likley that you would recieve you visa by Christmas or early in the New Year. However as others recomend you shouldn't book any weddings or flights until the visa is in hand because you never know whats going to happen. If you have family and friends from the UK that would like to attend the wedding they would be pretty pissed off if they had booked flights for a non event.

Myself and my fiance are both Roman Catholic. To get married in the church you have to go through 6 months of counselling. Due to having to be married within 90 days this will not happen, so we are going to do a quick registery ceremony and then begin to plan a proper ceremony for somepoint in the future in a church where my family and friends can attend with plenty of notice to book cheaper flights and hotels.

If you fiance is really botherd about having a huge wedding....I would say its a massive red flag, but each to there own.

PM me if you have any questions.

Robert

Edited February 13, 2012 by Elora&Robert

[Rich87 0]

Rich,

I am in almost the exact same situation as you. I am 25 in full time employment in the UK, my fiance is 23 and due to graduate in december. We wiled our petition last week, hopefully I will recieve my visa September/October time and I will be ready to move before Christmas. I hope to have a years salary saved up by then to love off for when I move. Her mother is sponsering us.

As long as your both over 18, and have met one another in person your eligable for K1.

If you were to send the I-129f before the end of March its likley that you would recieve you visa by Christmas or early in the New Year. However as others recomend you shouldn't book any weddings or flights until the visa is in hand because you never know whats going to happen. If you have family and friends from the UK that would like to attend the wedding they would be pretty pissed off if they had booked flights for a non event.

Myself and my fiance are both Roman Catholic. To get married in the church you have to go through 6 months of counselling. Due to having to be married within 90 days this will not happen, so we are going to do a quick registery ceremony and then begin to plan a proper ceremony for somepoint in the future in a church where my family and friends can attend with plenty of notice to book cheaper flights and hotels.

If you fiance is really botherd about having a huge wedding....I would say its a massive red flag, but each to there own.

PM me if you have any questions.

Robert

Thanks, Robert! That's actually crazy how similar our situations are. The co-sponsor has put me a lot more at ease about the whole thing, as the only concern was her still being a student. But her mother or father would be happy to co-sponsor. Does it only need to be one of them? Or both?

It's far from being a huge wedding, we definitely don't want that. Her family are Catholic, but she's not. We want to stay well away from a church wedding, in fact a large and expensive wedding over-all. But not touching that until the visa comes through makes perfect sense.

She plans to make the first move at the beginning of March, so I would love to be there for the new year. Is there a buffer period between receiving your Visa and actually moving there? I'm the prepared type so will probably know what I want to take with me the moment the Visa comes through! But ideally, if it does arrive before Christmas, I'd like to spend the holiday season here in the UK with family before moving.

Rich

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

it's just difficult in regards to planning, especially since my (extremely small) family would probably be coming over for the wedding! Are there any useful tips in regards to planning - when to book flights, venues, other wedding arrangements, etc. Is it something that can be ongoing throughout the visa process?

You can't accurately plan when immigration is involved. You may be the average timeline or you could get held up at USCIS, NVC, or Embassy. There are people who have an interview, then are put into additional processing that lasts weeks to many months longer. When you finally have the visa in hand, you have 6 months to use it. Finalize the invitations and travel plans for guests in that six months. If you get the visa in October, then you wait before going over for a March date because the wedding has to be within 90 days of your arrival. Unless you were not born in the UK or you have a Musim background, you should be fine for March 2013. I totally understand the need to book early from a mother-of the bride viewpoint. I've done two $$$$$ weddings and booked the church, reception, caterer, cake lady, and florist over a year in advance. The best people and places are already taken if you don't do that. Unfortunately immigration throws a spanner in the works.

I briefly saw the co-sponsor option and thought this may be the best route. They're both in full time work and on salaries. Is the co-sponsor route literally saying that the relatives of the fiancée are able to provide, in the case of the fiancée not being able to? Is this a common route to take regarding the application?

Yes people without income do this and have no problem in London.