What do you wish you knew in the beginning?

[Scotlandsgirl 0]

Hello! This process seems so difficult and we haven't even started! Seems like I get on VJ and make some progress with understanding the system then I get busy and I have to start all over again. So I am going to read on VJ every night to keep all this information fresh. I better stop resisting and just give in, learn to speak immigration. That being said I was wondering if anyone who has been through the fiance or spouse visa has anything that they would do differently, looking back on the process. Thanks for your thoughts!

[Rebecca616 38]

I would have not taken every word on this site as fact.... I say that only because I was freaked because my husband (then fiancé) is from Morocco and everything I read dealt with how hard the Consulate in Casa is. Sure its hard, I don't doubt it but my husband was approved w/o AP and just 1 RFE that was easily handled. I went through a lot of excess stress that wasn't needed. Sorry to those who had difficulty during their interviews in Casa. However the Guides here on VJ saved me a huge load of time considering I didn't know hardly anything when we started the process. Best of Luck!

[edelweiss 3]

I'm nearing the end of the K1 fiance visa and wouldn't really do anything different, I followed the awesome guides on VJ and studied others timelines and "so far so good" with the process. I just wish I could have started the process sooner so I could move on with my life...

[nolanbb 1]

Yes, I wish I would have researched each step of the way earlier and gathered all the information and filled out the forms sooner, while waiting for the National Visa Center's notification. After you get the first round of paperwork submitted to the Service Center there is a long wait until the next round at the NVC. That time should be used to get everything else ready to go. Then when you get the notification to proceed you could save time by just hitting "send" on your email (if electronic processing is allowed in your country). I lost about a month or two by not being ready. Good luck!

[RandR2013 1]

I am the US citizen. I filed for my spouse. The only thing I would have done differently is appointed myself as his attorney (I am an attorney but not an immigration attorney). That would have saved us the 5 business days it took the NVC to process the DS-261 (we still don't have the ability to pay - but we did receive an invoice for the IV Fee today). The DS-261 would not have been needed if I was the attorney of record (which I think I can be as the petitioner) and the IV Fee presumably would have been invoiced on August 28th when the AOS fee was invoiced.

Now, I don't know how much attorney's cost - and I'm not sure I would have hired one to buy myself 10-15 business days. But. that's the only thing "I" - being an attorney myself - would have done.

Good luck. The folks on VJ are very helpful!

[TBoneTX 45,329]

Here are some thoughts:

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/410945-k-1-journey-completed/

[Morningmist 76]

I would have not taken every word on this site as fact.... I say that only because I was freaked because my husband (then fiancé) is from Morocco and everything I read dealt with how hard the Consulate in Casa is. Sure its hard, I don't doubt it but my husband was approved w/o AP and just 1 RFE that was easily handled. I went through a lot of excess stress that wasn't needed. Sorry to those who had difficulty during their interviews in Casa. However the Guides here on VJ saved me a huge load of time considering I didn't know hardly anything when we started the process. Best of Luck!

I agree. I wouldn't take everything said here as fact either. Some of the users just repeat what they have read on here and that becomes a "self referencing fact", which isn't a good thing. Also users have their own biases here too and give advice according to their biases rather than what actually is legal.

The guides are great ...as guides. But you need to read up about the paperwork on the actual USCIS site too, to cater to your specific situation. Start with USCIS guides and then look into the guides here.

Some family based lawyers actually give first one hour free consultation. It gives you a general idea about what forms need to be filled and what you really need in terms of paperwork. I did that before I came on here and I do think that lawyer saved me from getting some RFEs.

[Scotlandsgirl 0]

Thanks so much!

[Scotlandsgirl 0]

Here are some thoughts:

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/410945-k-1-journey-completed/

Very insightful! Gives me hope we will come through the other side of this!

[NickD 203]

Never even heard of the USCIS, nor have any of my friends, associates, or relatives. Never found this site either, but did find the USCIS web site and all those forms. With two key questions, how do I bring my girls here and what forms do I need to fill out, plus was working on an extremely complex project and was near brain dead at night.

Since my fiancée was working for an American based company and shifting people all over the world, called her and got the name of their immigration firm. Called them for guidance and looked up the name of the attorney I would be working with. Learned that he wrote several books on this subject and also learned you don't have to deal with an attorney licensed in your state.

Told him my situation and was willing to do all the legwork, so we agreed on a flat fee for guidance, do have a lot of experience with working with attorneys and have to be darn careful. We agreed on a flat fee of $1,500, half now, other half after they received their green cards. What's a green card?

We did everything by email, send me a bunch of forms, special ones not available from the USCIS that could be saved and could use different fonts. Also that part about fraud, 5 years in prison and if any errors on the forms, can be rejected and the USCIS will keep your fees. With two people, wife and daughter, those fees were very steep.

Our AOS went very easy, perhaps with the name of that law firm on our applications, they corrected any errors I made on those forms and also sent them in.

This was about the first time in my life I was more than happy to pay that law firm fee. Ha, even gave a tip. And they got my two girls here the fastest legal way. Also reviewed our ROC and USC applications at no extra charge. Perhaps from making lots of money from my now wife's previous employer.

[Anna Grant 169]

What I wished I'd known at the outset?

Not engaged a lawyer - he gave us wrong advice and told us to stop looking at the internet. That was $1000 wasted. He also wanted $500 to do AOS. I did that all myself.

I wished I had found this site earlier

I wished we had got married rather than did K1 - I may have felt better about the wait and I could have worked as soon as I entered the US.

Mainly. I wished I had married my fiance when I came to the US for 3 months last summer and AOSed from within the US. Although we had already discussed marriage, I did not enter the US on that occasion intending to emigrate. Our lawyer told us it was dangerous to marry and AOS but I have since realized that it should not have been a problem. As it was, it took 11 months from submitting the K1 to me arriving in the US on my K1 visa.

[NickD 203]

What I wished I'd known at the outset?

Not engaged a lawyer - he gave us wrong advice and told us to stop looking at the internet. That was $1000 wasted. He also wanted $500 to do AOS. I did that all myself.

I wished I had found this site earlier

I wished we had got married rather than did K1 - I may have felt better about the wait and I could have worked as soon as I entered the US.

Mainly. I wished I had married my fiance when I came to the US for 3 months last summer and AOSed from within the US. Although we had already discussed marriage, I did not enter the US on that occasion intending to emigrate. Our lawyer told us it was dangerous to marry and AOS but I have since realized that it should not have been a problem. As it was, it took 11 months from submitting the K1 to me arriving in the US on my K1 visa.

Vast majority of attorneys I met are tantamount to crooks, takes a bit of research to find a good one, and one that would agree to a flat fee for everything. He never asked for or got his second check for $750 until my girls received their green cards.

Ha, just checked my email file, for the entire AOS process, we have 28 e-mails between us. Scanned all of our evidence and sent that to him, e-mail are brief and to the point. Sent forms back with corrections, and this was for two applicants, not one.

Gathering since our IO saw his law firm on our applications, she never wanted to see all of our original evidence and knew everything was done correctly.

[slvrfx576 15]

What I wished I'd known at the outset?

Not engaged a lawyer - he gave us wrong advice and told us to stop looking at the internet. That was $1000 wasted. He also wanted $500 to do AOS. I did that all myself.

I wished I had found this site earlier

I wished we had got married rather than did K1 - I may have felt better about the wait and I could have worked as soon as I entered the US.

Mainly. I wished I had married my fiance when I came to the US for 3 months last summer and AOSed from within the US. Although we had already discussed marriage, I did not enter the US on that occasion intending to emigrate. Our lawyer told us it was dangerous to marry and AOS but I have since realized that it should not have been a problem. As it was, it took 11 months from submitting the K1 to me arriving in the US on my K1 visa.

I echo your thoughts. I wish that we had married last summer when my now wife, then girlfriend, visited on her B2 visa. When she entered we had no intent to marry, but we became engaged towards the end of that visit. Like you, I spoke to an attorney (although it was a free initial consultation) and was spooked by the advice of the attorney not get married while she was here on the visitor's visa. So I went to Bulgaria in December and we got married there. I returned to the US after two months and filed for CR1 while she remained in Bulgaria. Interview is set for 10/3 in Sofia....but we could have been together all of this time !!!! Sure, it might have cost a little more.....but being together for the last 8 months would have been priceless !

[Hollyday 122]

Sometimes i wonder if we should've gone for a K-1. With the current speed of I-130s processing - if we did that i'd had the interview by now. But yes, it gives the advantage of being able to work and everything. And my parents were at the wedding. Not sure it'd be the case if it was in the US.

[NikLR 13,227]

To be honest we had a very smooth trip. I wish I'd made sure my husband had gotten forms earlier for me, but it honestly wouldn't have saved me much time interview wise (2 people who had case completes 2 days before me recieved interviews all of 3 days before mine... not a big deal in the scheme of things at all!) I'm happy.