K-1 visa help - Pakistan consulate

[Imagination 15]

A friend of mine is petitioning (I-129f) her fiance from Pakistan. Please advise if she has everything she needs for the process, and how difficult her petition will be, based on her situation.

Situation:

1. Its going to be an arranged marriage [it was arranged by their parents a year before they met and had their engagement ceremony]

2. She will be getting married to her cousin [legal in the state where she lives]

3. She made 2 visits to Pakistan to visit him [only one (30-day) visit at the time she filed petition]

Relationship proof with petition:

1. Engagement pictures

2. Boarding passes and copy of passport with entry stamps

More relationship proof:

1. Chat/email logs

Does she need more proof to establish relationship? Would she face problems because it will be an arranged marriage to her cousin? Does she need to include actual conversations on chat/email or just logs showing time stamps and duration of chat/call? Any ideas about what else could be evidence of relationship? She has the engagement ring and some gifts he got her, but don't know how to prove it is from him. She got them when she visited him in Pakistan (not sure if he kept the receipts).

Any suggestions, advises, recommendations. (Please don't reply if your purpose is to judge cousin marriages http://www.cousincouples.com/?page=facts)

[worth_the_wait 12]

So the basic requirements of a K-1 Visa are as follows:

1. You must be a U.S. citizen.
2. You have met your Fiancee in person within the previous two years.
3. Both you and your Fiancee are legally free to marry.
4. You meet certain minimum income requirement.
5. Your Fiancee does not have a criminal record.
6. Your Fiancee has not violated U.S. immigration laws

US Embassy in Islamabad is pretty tough on its applicants. Although I don't have personal experience with how they would handle an arranged marriage, I can say that it certainly helps that they have indeed met, had an engagement party and have continued the relationship to date. All evidences that they can provide to support this would be very beneficial.

I hope this helps your friend!

Good Luck!

Edited March 8, 2012 by worth_the_wait

[catknit 144]

When you say cousin - do you mean 1st degree cousin? As in children of two siblings marrying? Or, is it a larger cousin gap? I'd be darn sure that the US state of residence law about family marriages completely allows 1st degree cousin marriage [if that is what they are].

Otherwise, it sounds like it is a traditional Pakistani relationship . The consulate staff knows that these are the traditions and actually expect relationships to look like this!

A couple of things that may come up - if the family is that traditional, will there be problems with the fiance coming over while not being married??? This is probably more forgiving as it is a man, not a woman [yes, double standard]. Also, if there are skeletons in the closet like prior marriages [divorce not widowhood] or kids - that may warrant a bit of a second look/slow down on an approval.

Please have your friend keep in mind that if everything is otherwise perfect and grand - there will be AP. Islamabad is notorious for looooooong AP times. That doesn't mean that they are questioning the relationship but that name checks, etc are being done.

[bigdog 377]

Be prepared as past threads have shown Islamabad to run a tight ship. We will keep our fingers crossed.

[Imagination 15]

So the basic requirements of a K-1 Visa are as follows:

1. You must be a U.S. citizen.
2. You have met your Fiancee in person within the previous two years.
3. Both you and your Fiancee are legally free to marry.
4. You meet certain minimum income requirement.
5. Your Fiancee does not have a criminal record.
6. Your Fiancee has not violated U.S. immigration laws

US Embassy in Islamabad is pretty tough on its applicants. Although I don't have personal experience with how they would handle an arranged marriage, I can say that it certainly helps that they have indeed met, had an engagement party and have continued the relationship to date. All evidences that they can provide to support this would be very beneficial.

I hope this helps your friend!

Good Luck!

Yes, meet all those requirements (citizen, income, free to marry).

No law breaking, no immigration law violations, no previous marriages. -clean background

Would the 2nd visit, and recent chat/call/email logs be good enough to prove continued relationship?

[Imagination 15]

When you say cousin - do you mean 1st degree cousin? As in children of two siblings marrying? Or, is it a larger cousin gap? I'd be darn sure that the US state of residence law about family marriages completely allows 1st degree cousin marriage [if that is what they are].

Otherwise, it sounds like it is a traditional Pakistani relationship . The consulate staff knows that these are the traditions and actually expect relationships to look like this!

A couple of things that may come up - if the family is that traditional, will there be problems with the fiance coming over while not being married??? This is probably more forgiving as it is a man, not a woman [yes, double standard]. Also, if there are skeletons in the closet like prior marriages [divorce not widowhood] or kids - that may warrant a bit of a second look/slow down on an approval.

Please have your friend keep in mind that if everything is otherwise perfect and grand - there will be AP. Islamabad is notorious for looooooong AP times. That doesn't mean that they are questioning the relationship but that name checks, etc are being done.

Because they are cousins and families are very close to each other, they don't have any problem with him coming over and getting married in the US. The girl's whole family is here, so it's also not like he will be staying with her alone before they got married (which would have been a problem for both families). They don't have much age gap (just a couple of years). No previous marriages. Both are young, educated (if that makes a difference).

What is "name checks"? What do they do? or check exactly? Do they if his name is actually his real name?

[Imagination 15]

Be prepared as past threads have shown Islamabad to run a tight ship. We will keep our fingers crossed.

Yea, heard its just getting tougher n tougher. Just praying for them!

[worth_the_wait 12]

Yes, meet all those requirements (citizen, income, free to marry).

No law breaking, no immigration law violations, no previous marriages. -clean background

Would the 2nd visit, and recent chat/call/email logs be good enough to prove continued relationship?

Yes, and everything else that they do together. Skype history, greeting cards, photos of the gifts he has given her with explanations included on them. ANYTHING that could support an ongoing bonafide relationship will only help their case.

What is "name checks"? What do they do? or check exactly? Do they if his name is actually his real name?

Because Pakistan is listed at a T Country where terrorism activities are ongoing, anyone applying for a visa undergoes name checks. They basically submit the applicants name to a database that is a combined effort with DHS, FBI, etc. They check to see if the person has been engaged in anything illegal, unlawful or otherwise categorized as terror activity. This is only for the Applicant of the Visa. Because of this they can take anywhere from 2 weeks to six months or longer depending on the name and any potential hits that they have to investigate further. You can read more about what those exactly are here: http://travel.state.gov/visa/a_zindex/a_zindex_4353.html It is actually called Administrative Processing. Although there are some who don't seem to require these and I am not entirely sure why. It really is on a case by case basis.

[Imagination 15]

Yes, and everything else that they do together. Skype history, greeting cards, photos of the gifts he has given her with explanations included on them. ANYTHING that could support an ongoing bonafide relationship will only help their case.

Because Pakistan is listed at a T Country where terrorism activities are ongoing, anyone applying for a visa undergoes name checks. They basically submit the applicants name to a database that is a combined effort with DHS, FBI, etc. They check to see if the person has been engaged in anything illegal, unlawful or otherwise categorized as terror activity. This is only for the Applicant of the Visa. Because of this they can take anywhere from 2 weeks to six months or longer depending on the name and any potential hits that they have to investigate further. You can read more about what those exactly are here: http://travel.state.gov/visa/a_zindex/a_zindex_4353.html It is actually called Administrative Processing. Although there are some who don't seem to require these and I am not entirely sure why. It really is on a case by case basis.

Thank you! That was very helpful

[worth_the_wait 12]

You are very welcome. Good Luck to your friend!

[macpaf 3]

Hello,

I wanted to check of the outcome of this topic. Did they receive a visa, and how long did it take? I am also in the same situation, except not marrying a relative.

Thanks.