Concerned about length of visit for K-1

[Fuji1978 33]

After she gets to the US you have to marry and then pay $1070 to make her a permanent resident, in case you didn't know already.

$2400 for a flight is a lot, yikes

Yes, for AOS. Thank you....hence why I cannot afford another $3k.

[kehills 217]

You might want to try an aggregating website like Kayak or Hipmunk; I'm seeing flights to Accra from Alabama for about $1200 (roundtrip) for this summer. (We did 4.5 trans-Pacific flights in a year; learning the places to go for cheaper airline fees was a must!) Something else you might want to consider, from a reasonable person standpoint: making sure she has met the child she is signing up to co-parent. I'm sure other people who have gone through the K-1 process can chime in over whether or not there was interest in the immigrant having met minor children during the interview process. (We don't have children, so that wasn't an issue for us, but the Consulate was interested in whether we had met each other's families and what happened when we did meet.)

Good luck!

[Shiya&Maxwell 3]

Dear friend,

I have never paid 2400 for a ticket to Ghana and I have been there twice. You must watch your traveling time so you can get the cheaper ticket. I went to Ghana this past February and I only spent 1000.00 roundtrip for my ticket. Also I found a great house to stay in for 25 US dollars a day. Also I agree with traveling more than once because it does play a role when establishing your relationship. The more information you have regarding your relationship and statements from family and friends from both sides helped us out a lot. Be Bless

Shiya

[Fuji1978 33]

You might want to try an aggregating website like Kayak or Hipmunk; I'm seeing flights to Accra from Alabama for about $1200 (roundtrip) for this summer. (We did 4.5 trans-Pacific flights in a year; learning the places to go for cheaper airline fees was a must!) Something else you might want to consider, from a reasonable person standpoint: making sure she has met the child she is signing up to co-parent. I'm sure other people who have gone through the K-1 process can chime in over whether or not there was interest in the immigrant having met minor children during the interview process. (We don't have children, so that wasn't an issue for us, but the Consulate was interested in whether we had met each other's families and what happened when we did meet.)

Good luck!

Thank you! I've never heard from Hipmunk, I will check it out. My daughter knows her, they have skyped and chat on the phone occasionally.

Dear friend,

I have never paid 2400 for a ticket to Ghana and I have been there twice. You must watch your traveling time so you can get the cheaper ticket. I went to Ghana this past February and I only spent 1000.00 roundtrip for my ticket. Also I found a great house to stay in for 25 US dollars a day. Also I agree with traveling more than once because it does play a role when establishing your relationship. The more information you have regarding your relationship and statements from family and friends from both sides helped us out a lot. Be Bless

Shiya

Yes, but I am confined to travel based on my daugher's school schedule and when I can have someone care for her.....as well as my demanding job. That's what dictates my travel dates.

[Tiff&Babs 62]

Thanks, I'm aware of all the fees and cost of flights. That is why I'd rather save for that, and not fall into debt by trying to book another flight. Flying over there would simply double that cost, which I cannot afford. The medical, immunizations, visa fees, and flight have already been planned for. But to fly to Accra is running about $2,400 and I would then need a few hundred dollars for spending money. So figure another $3k. Medical, visa fees, and her one way flight runs about $2,300.

Emirates one way from Accra to Houston or New York is less than $1000. Purchase a one way ticket from one of those places to Atlanta. Drive from Huntsville to Atlanta. You'll be saving yourself about $$700 to 800.

[dbuizert 14]

I like how the initial question gets ignored and he gets travel advice...

[Tiff&Babs 62]

I like how the initial question gets ignored and he gets travel advice...

If you're directing that towards me which I'm sure you are (in addition to others) this is part of the solution to his problem. One of his reasons for not being able to travel to Ghana is lack of funds. If he sees that he can spend less money on the beneficiary's flight then he can budget for a trip to Ghana if necessary.His initial question has been answered by previous posters.

[Karam and Jamie 44]

Can someone please inform me if they suppose it would be an issue that we have only met in person one time? I flew to Ghana in February but was only able to stay for 9 days. We are in love but my demanding job and the fact that I am a single father makes it very difficult to get there again. Financially it is nearly impossible, and I have nobody to care for my daughter and make sure she makes it to school. I had my mother fly down from NY to care for my daughter for the 9 day visit in February. I'm just concerned that one visit for nine days may not be enough for the CO in Accra to justify our petition. We have chat logs and communicate everyday. We have several photos, receipts for dinner when I proposed, hotel receipts, and she has an engagement ring. Should I try and take out a loan to get there again before the interview? I'm torn because I love this woman and want to spend my life with her, but I don't want to start off in debt when she will not be able to work for about six months after she arrives. Can anyone share with me their thoughts?

I know someone who was approved and she only saw her fiance for 3 days one time.

[Fuji1978 33]

Emirates one way from Accra to Houston or New York is less than $1000. Purchase a one way ticket from one of those places to Atlanta. Drive from Huntsville to Atlanta. You'll be saving yourself about $$700 to 800.

thank you for this information, it will help in a few months

[martink 0]

From my experience nine days is more than enough if everything else is in order. Good luck and pleases do not worry, I have seen where three days together was enough!

[Boiler 45,541]

Ghana?

[Aya_P 17]

my Ghanaian friend was visited once for 12 days. K1 visa was approved.

I'd say its enough once everything else is in order.

exchange some snail mail for evidence, it carries more points at the embassy than email.

[Dave&Roza 748]

Can someone please inform me if they suppose it would be an issue that we have only met in person one time? I flew to Ghana in February but was only able to stay for 9 days. We are in love but my demanding job and the fact that I am a single father makes it very difficult to get there again. Financially it is nearly impossible, and I have nobody to care for my daughter and make sure she makes it to school. I had my mother fly down from NY to care for my daughter for the 9 day visit in February. I'm just concerned that one visit for nine days may not be enough for the CO in Accra to justify our petition. We have chat logs and communicate everyday. We have several photos, receipts for dinner when I proposed, hotel receipts, and she has an engagement ring. Should I try and take out a loan to get there again before the interview? I'm torn because I love this woman and want to spend my life with her, but I don't want to start off in debt when she will not be able to work for about six months after she arrives. Can anyone share with me their thoughts?

This is a two stage process. Stage one is filing the I-129F and showing that you have meet within the last two years, you are both free to marry, and that you both plan to get married within 90 days of entering the US on the K-1 visa and the petitioner is a USC. Period. End of stage one. Now comes stage two which is at the Embassy or Consulate where your intended spouse resides. Each Embassy/Consulate handles this process differently. Your fiancée is at one of the harder Embassies to get through due to a high rate of fraud in the past. So you will have to show that she is not entering into a marriage with a USC in order to just get a GC and immigrate to the US. So how you met, how you proposed, how the relationship develops, and how many times you visit will be weighed more heavily than my evidence of continuing relationship I submitted to the Consulate in Almaty. So you may want to plan to save for another trip especially around the time of the interview she will have at the Embassy. I understand about the cost of airfare as each trip to Almaty runs $1800-$2400 depending on the travel season, but if this is something you want you will need to figure out a way to make it happen. Just image how it will be after the marriage and you travel back to her home country--the cost is now double and around $5,000 per visit before adding in spending money .

Good luck,

Dave

[Cathi 5,755]

I like how the initial question gets ignored and he gets travel advice..

several people answered the original question. The reason the conversation changed to flights is that people were trying to explain there are flights that cost less than $2400, therefore making it easier for him to perhaps visit a second time, giving him more evidence and therefore a better chance of being approved.That's what this site is all about. people helping others. Obviously you aren't smart enough to put 2 and 2 together and figure that out. Your comment here is contributing zero to the question at hand. Grow up and stop trying to cause trouble.Stop being a troll

[Poolshark 0]

Two comments...My husband and I decided to marry after spending 11 days together. I was introduced to him over the phone by a friend of the family who knew I was planning a trip alone to his country, Honduras.

I flew there twice a year, 7 times in all, counting going to get him in February 2013. We got married in March, 2013.

Yes we had to immediately pop up with $1070 to Adjust his status.

BTW he received his card yesterday. In all , it took 3 years 10 months and over $12,000. Now we are severely broke and trying to pay off all the loans. TSP will paid back April 2016.

Second, if at all possible you should go to the interview so that you can explain how expensive the flights are and how you have kept in touch thru Skype. Save every reciept, boarding pass, credit card bills, everything.