K1 Visa....To lawyer up or not?

[jadegreen 1]

Hi all,

I am new to this site but so far have found it an invaluable resource (the K1 visa timelines and example forms are great). I got engaged about a month ago to an American man and I was just wondering what people's thoughts were on getting a lawyer? I would really appreciate advice from those who didn't go though the lawyer route to see how they found it.

Ours should be a straight forward case, no criminal records or anything. I have had a couple of J1 visas in the past but I don't think that would affect anything.

Was this site enough to do your K1 visa journey without a lawyer?

I'm a little worried that things might get confusing when it comes to preparing the affidavit of support and AOS..

Advice is welcome!!!

Thanks!!

[Darnell 8,478]

Darnell, on 06 May 2012 - 11:38 AM, said:

I'll suggest a coupla things, maybe (maybe...) help you to decide whether you need an attorney or not.

a. read the VJ guides. map the steps out on paper and pencil. See if anything doesn't make sense to you.
b. Read the USCIS web portal about the forms. Map out the steps on paper and pencil. See if anything doesn't make sense to you.
c. Practice filling out the forms, at least 5 times. See if anything still doesn't make sense to you.
d. Have any red flags? Practice writing up attestation letters about each red flag.

Now, after doing (with major emphasis on DOING ) all of the above, if you do NOT understand the forms and the process and potential red flags for your petition,

then I'd suggest getting a good IMMIGRATION lawyer. You are concerned with time, I am concerned with your 'knowledge acquisition', as knowledge is power. You can have 'it' good, fast or cheap - pick 2.

Welcome to VJ, btw - this is a GREAT DIY Immigration Web Portal, with emphasis on 'Y', and 'D'.

[sweet cakes 326]

Hi all,

I am new to this site but so far have found it an invaluable resource (the K1 visa timelines and example forms are great). I got engaged about a month ago to an American man and I was just wondering what people's thoughts were on getting a lawyer? I would really appreciate advice from those who didn't go though the lawyer route to see how they found it.

Ours should be a straight forward case, no criminal records or anything. I have had a couple of J1 visas in the past but I don't think that would affect anything.

Was this site enough to do your K1 visa journey without a lawyer?

I'm a little worried that things might get confusing when it comes to preparing the affidavit of support and AOS..

Advice is welcome!!!

Thanks!!

Hi Jadegreen! Welcome to VJ! We used a lawyer at the start of our I-129f, because my then-fiance and I were both busy with work. It turned out that they only slowed-down the process. That is, they didn't file the forms on time after we forwarded them our documents and they also left out some of what we have given them, leading to a RFE after 6 months of waiting. You are very lucky that you have discovered VJ at the onset of your I-129f filing, unlike me who found it only after we got our NOA 2.

That said, if I were you I would save up those $$$ and just follow through the guides here in VJ. As you said, you have a straightforward case anyway. As long as both of you are legally free to marry and have seen each other at least once within 2 years before filing, you're good to go.

Edit: Also, do check if you have or done with the 2 year home residency requirement for a J1 prior to filing, just to be sure.

Edited June 10, 2014 by sweet cakes

[ds10 0]

Hi! & welcome to VJ

We're new to the game as well and just submitted our K-1 paperwork last month. I was really considering a lawyer at first as well but decided against it after reading EVERYTHING I could find on this website and others. The guides and forums here on VJ were SO helpful in preparing all the documents - especially the examples that are uploaded here. After reading over everything and checking all the paperwork multiple times we sent it all away and felt very secure about everything.

If your case is straightforward and you find that it's simply a matter of filling in the boxes and compiling your evidence, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend you go about it on your own (using VJ as a guide of course!).

Then again I can keep you updated on my own progress as a better testament to DIY-visas...mailed out on 19 May and we're patiently awaiting our NOA2 at the moment

Best of luck!

[HK12 273]

If your case is straightforward, there is no need for a lawyer. In fact, we often have posts on here from members whose lawyers screwed up their applications and who are asking for our help. K1 and AOS are both very feasible without a lawyer as long as you read the instructions carefully. And, we're here if you have any questions.

[Zedayn 485]

Was this site enough to do your K1 visa journey without a lawyer?

Yes it is. This site is a great starting point with the guides and example forms. You should also thoroughly read the actual form instructions available on the USCIS website. If you have any questions feel free to ask.

[novedsac 355]

It would behoove you to understand the process, otherwise you'll have no idea if a lawyer is screwing with you or not.

Don't like paperwork, don't have the time to fill out the forms, etc? Hire a paralegal or legal secretary, at a much more reasonable hourly rate, to fill out the paperwork for you. You review, sign and send.

Legal consults are a good idea if you have specific questions that cannot be answered here or have a particularly thorny issue to resolve.

You'll still need to keep up on the timelines as any lawyer will have a multitude of clients to figure out and you're rarely at the top of the priority list on any given day.

Blindly paying a set fee for the entire k1 is probably going to take longer than it otherwise should.

[Girl from Celebes 588]

Hi all,

I am new to this site but so far have found it an invaluable resource (the K1 visa timelines and example forms are great). I got engaged about a month ago to an American man and I was just wondering what people's thoughts were on getting a lawyer? I would really appreciate advice from those who didn't go though the lawyer route to see how they found it.

Ours should be a straight forward case, no criminal records or anything. I have had a couple of J1 visas in the past but I don't think that would affect anything.

Was this site enough to do your K1 visa journey without a lawyer?

I'm a little worried that things might get confusing when it comes to preparing the affidavit of support and AOS..

Advice is welcome!!!

Thanks!!

If you don't have any problem subject breaking the US immigration prior filing I-129F, you should not be worried too much. My husband and I did not use lawyer or agency, we were approved for I-129F in 38 days without RFE. Sometimes lawyers - as many VJ members had experience- could slow down your process. Follow the guide on VJ, feel free to post any questions that you hesitate about the process, and you are good to go! There are many valuable information you can dig here through members who already have been through the process. Good luck!

[kehills 217]

Was this site enough to do your K1 visa journey without a lawyer?

Yep. We carefully followed the flowchart kindly provided by Visa Journey, we read (and then read and read a few more times) our specific regional subforum, and we decided that although all told, we were probably going to have an easy case (given where he's from and such), that we would treat it like we had to provide the sort of evidence required from a high-fraud country.

We didn't have any problems - in fact, our process moved so fast, we had to petition the Consulate to slow down and give us more time (to complete outside commitments).

Now, that said, we're both academics and paperwork doesn't phase us, and we're very accustomed to having to jump through hoops sideways while juggling lit torches in order to have paperwork approved.

The biggest "help" for us, though, was definitely printing out the flowchart and then going over each piece together (video calls if we weren't in the same country) to make sure everything was in the packet. We proofread each other's letters, made copies of everything so we each had a duplicate copy, etc.

It's totally do-able, but it also definitely helps if your paperwork-inclined.

Good luck!

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

We did the whole thing without a lawyer. I thought it was easy, but I read instructions well. There is help for all steps you might encounter. We have a guide for the London part of the process in the UK FORUM http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/474161-london-k1-a-complete-guide/

I personally think it is a little faster without a lawyer because you deal straight with USCIS and the Dept of State (Embassy) instead of sending back and forth via a third party (lawyer) who may not be in a hurry to work on your case. At least you feel in control of your side of submitting things. Here's a breakdown of fixed costs you will have without paying additional for a lawyer.

K1 London route = $1680 + £280

$340 (USCIS) I-129F petition

£45 (ACPO) Police certificate just before petition approval

£235 (Knightsbridge Doctors) medical exam. Pay at exam.

$240 (Embassy) Visa fee prior to interview. Online pay.

$30 Courier fee if home delivery, $0 to pick up at a depot. Online.

$1070 (USCIS) Adjustment of Status/Work Authorization/Advance Parole

Add to that two trips to London, many passport photos, postage sending things across the pond, photocopying, etc.

[Weston3220 4]

Well we both found it easy to do, its just reading everything and going through it to make sure you didnt miss anything, and if you did miss something well they just send a REF which my fiance had to do forgot original divorce sent a photocopy instead

but again I think its fairly easy to do and straight forward, and you save what 6000$ and all the lawyer does it fills out the same pages they dont get it fast tracked for you so you dont benefit other then if they screw up you may get a refund lol

[HHI123 0]

Hi all,

I am new to this site but so far have found it an invaluable resource (the K1 visa timelines and example forms are great). I got engaged about a month ago to an American man and I was just wondering what people's thoughts were on getting a lawyer? I would really appreciate advice from those who didn't go though the lawyer route to see how they found it.

Ours should be a straight forward case, no criminal records or anything. I have had a couple of J1 visas in the past but I don't think that would affect anything.

Was this site enough to do your K1 visa journey without a lawyer?

I'm a little worried that things might get confusing when it comes to preparing the affidavit of support and AOS..

Advice is welcome!!!

Thanks!!

No need for a lawyer. I highly suggest you read Robb and Ann's blog on their K1 journey. Visit K1-Visa.net. Helped me A LOT! You should be fine after 2 J1s! Actually a plus if you spent your time with your fiancee over in the States. Less questions at the embassy! Just be healthy for the required medical exam, good luck to you!