An immigration lawyer from the area told me

[RFQ 110]

For us it was 8 months from start to interview and another 2 months of AP

So 10 months from filing till flying!!

Fantastic May the rest of your lives be blessed with love and happiness together

[RFQ 110]

BTW - if you don't have any huge red flags or anything, you don't need a lawyer. Doing the paperwork yourself is pretty easy. Plus, you'll be in total control of your case. Your paperwork won't sit on someone's desk until they get around to dealing with it.

I did pay an online service to do my paperwork, double check everything, etc. I did my research on the agency, and called them a few times. For me, I can be a bit scatter brained and the peace of mind of having double/triple checks is worth it for me. They take a bit of the headache out.

I decided against the attorney as you said since I'm a pretty simple case (insha'Allah/God willing)!

[LaL 418]

I am glad using an agency helped in allaying your fears about possible mistakes, however when I read "agency" and not "attorney", my immediate response is .. yikes and the post below is what I go back to. Again just a cautionary response to using a service rather than someone who is licensed in such an area. Of course I have no idea your vetting process, nor what agency used, so this is not intended to be any sort of backhanded comment.

http://www.uscis.gov...000b92ca60aRCRD

Notarios, Notary Publics and Immigration Consultants

Notarios, notary publics and immigration consultants may NOT represent you before USCIS. While in many other countries the word “Notario” means that the individual is an attorney, this is not true in the United States and they may not provide the same services that an attorney or accredited representative does.

A notario may NOT:

Give you legal advice on what immigration benefit you may apply for or what to say in an immigration interview

Hold him or herself out as qualified in legal matters or in immigration and naturalization procedure

If you are seeking help with immigration questions, you should be very careful before paying money to a non-attorney. Please use the following guidelines when selecting an individual to represent you:

How to Protect Yourself from Becoming a Victim:

DO NOT sign blank applications, petitions or other papers.

DO NOT sign documents that you do not understand.

DO NOT sign documents that contain false statements or inaccurate information.

DO NOT let anyone keep your original documents.

DO NOT make payments to a representative without getting a receipt.

DO NOT pay more than a nominal fee to non-attorneys or make payments on the internet.

DO obtain copies of all documents prepared or submitted for you.

DO verify an attorney’s or accredited representative’s eligibility to represent you.

DO report any representative’s unlawful activity to USCIS, State Bar Associations and/or State Offices of Attorneys General.

For more information on how to report unlawful activity, please see the links on the right side of this page for the National Association of Attorney Generals and the American Bar Association. These websites contain contact information for your state Attorney General or State Board.

Attorneys and Accredited Representatives

You may choose to have someone, such as an attorney or accredited representative of a recognized organization, represent you when filing an application or petition with USCIS. Only attorneys and accredited representatives may communicate on your behalf regarding your application with USCIS. For more information on finding an attorney or accredited representative to help you file an application or petition, please see the “Finding Legal Advice” link on the left side of this page.

[sandinista! 1,816]

5 years ago, my Moroccan then fiancé had his visa in passport just under 5 months from when we filed. I had 2 trips to morocco, only one of which could really be proved as having visited my fiancé because of a camera disaster, but the whole experience and process in our case was really simple and easy.