Timing when to apply for K1 Visa, still undecided!!! HELP

[april14MC 0]

Situation:

Im a US citizen thru Naturalization, my fiancee is based in PI. She has a multiple entry visa.

Options:

A. Spouse visa- if she will be allowed to have vacation by july 2013, she will come here and will have civil wedding and apply for spouse visa. Still not sure if she will be allowed get time off, other reason financial issue, we are saving for our church wedding in the Phils. feb. 2013.

B. Fiancee- We are planning to get married in the church in Phils feb. 2013( still checking if we can delay the filling of oour marriage certificate after the church wedding there so we can do civil wedding once she arrives here in the US).

questions: 1.when is the good time to apply if we will go thru this option. thinking end of May 2013- still gathering all documents.

2.ive been reading different cases, seems like its between 4-6 months to be approved.

3. once visa is approved- must enter US within typically 6 months of the K1 being issued? got it from K1 flow chart.is this right?

4. who dictates the date of interview? embassy or the applicant?

5.any sample of cover letter.

6. Declaration of how you met in person- is this an essay type or just a timeline-like presentation?

7. how many copies of pictures usually prepared?other evidence to prepare. will i send just the copies of most documents right?

thanks a lot. Hope you can help me.

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

If you want to get married abroad, then the K-1 will not work for you. It is illegal (fraud) to enter the US on a fiance visa when you are actually married. She will be banned from the US for life if she does that. Delaying the registration of the certificate does not change that fact.

[Kali & Steven 1]

If you plan on marrying in the Philippines, you'll need a spouse visa, which I'm not sure you can get before you marry. I don't know anything about the country, you'll have to take someone else's advice that knows better. Otherwise, follow Harpa's post. Don't file for a K-1 if you're married.

If you do change your wedding plans to wed here, then you have 6 months while the visa is active. During these 6 months, your fiancee must come through a POE, all that good stuff. You need to marry within 3 months of her entry to your country, and before her visa expires.

I'm pretty sure that the embassy notifies you of an interview date, but don't quote me on it. She'll be sent for her medical first!

There is a sample of a fantastic cover letter right here on VJ!

When I filed for K-1, we basically just put that we had met online and dates when visited in paragraph form. We didn't have any circumstances that needed to be explained better. I'm sure it wouldn't hurt to be either/or/and any information about your meeting(s), but make sure that you add an attachment if this is the option you choose.

I put about 10 pictures of us together in my packet. I don't think they'll want to look at hundreds of pictures.

Hopefully this helped you a little!

Edited May 7, 2012 by krypton0891

[april14MC 0]

if she will be approved and interview is finished before our church wedding (Feb 2013) will it cause any red flag? planning to file before june 2012.thanks.

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

if she will be approved and interview is finished before our church wedding (Feb 2013) will it cause any red flag? planning to file before june 2012.thanks.

Yes, I repeat. She cannot enter the US on a fiance visa if she is married. K-1 is only for marrying in the US, for the first time. If you want to marry in PI then you must get a spousal visa (apply for visa after you are married). If you get the K-1, then marry in PI, then come to the US (as is your plan) your wife will be banned from the US forever for fraud. Yes, that has happened. She must be unmarried at the time she enters the US on a fiance visa.

Edited May 7, 2012 by Harpa Timsah

[B_and_G 2]

If you are planning to get married in the Philippines in feb 2013, you file the spousal visa after that.

If you want to go the fiancee visa route, you'll have to apply for the fiancee visa (7-8 months), get married in the US and file for AOS and advance parole in order for her to leave the country. I doubt you can do all that by February of 2013.