yet another new member post (don't you just hate these things?)

[Kim 0]

Hello everyone,

I'm Kim, and I met my fiance last spring while I was studying abroad in Florence, Italy. His name is Paolo, and while he is currently living in Italy, he's a citizen of Albania. We decided we need to do the k-1 visa so that he can come live here with me. He's going home to Albania for Christmas, and I'm not sure if he's going to stay there until he's able to come here, or if he's going to return to Italy. I would think that he'd have to stay in Albania while this visa is getting processed, since that is where he'd be filing from.

I haven't started any paperwork yet, I'm just trying to get as much information on things as possible. This process is intimidating me :/

I am leaning towards getting an immigration lawyer. I did talk to a law firm near me who handles k-1 visas. The only thing is that their fee is... a lot. And as I understand it, if you do it yourself, it's only a couple hundred to file everything. So I'm really wondering what I should do. The main reason why I want to do everything through a lawyer is because my fiance doesn't speak very good english yet, and I'm worried about being able to tell him everything he'd need to do, and get the forms to him. I couldn't send him any forms I'd get off the internet in english to him; he'd need them in either Italian or Albanese. And also just looking at everything we have to do... well, like I said, I'm intimidated. I think I'd feel much more comfortable doing it through a lawyer who has done this for years.

What do you guys think? You've all done this, or in the middle of doing this, I guess.... I'd appreciate any advice you might have.

Kim.

[lynamon 0]

Hi Kim ... welcome to VJ .. unfortunately I have no advice for you as I live very close to my fiance and we do not have an immigration lawyer ... Hopefully someone here will have some advice you can use.. good luck on your journey

[Vagina Journey 0]

Welcome to VJ

[meauxna 15]

Kim, the next couple of weeks that you spend researching will pay you back well if you can have the patience to dig through the requirements. Pretty soon, the lingo will start to make sense and you'll be better equipped to make your decision.

There is also the less-discussed option of consulting with a lawyer to make sure you understand what you're doing and have a plan. A US lawyer will probably not help you with Albanian language issues.

If your intended has long term legal stay in Italy, it is OK for him to apply for his visa there--we did a third country case, as do many others.

Just do lots of reading for a bit.

[mawilson 2,133]

Ask "Karen L" - I believe her fiance (now husband) is also Albanian who lived in Italy.