Successful fiance entry for visit on the VWP

[JamesRenee 47]

I just wanted to share my fiancés experience coming into the States to visit me because if youre like me, youre

looking for stories of successful entries to calm your nerves. First let me start by saying that my fiancé is fromEngland, so he is able to use the VWP. However, there were people who told me that he would be given a very hard

time and probably turned away. To say that I have been a nervous wreck for the past month would be an

understatement. I want to be as thorough as possible for those of you who are thinking about having your fiancés

visit so that perhaps it can alleviate some of your stress. First, these are the documents he had with himthis isthe actual list I sent with him & had him put everything in order in a folder so if he needed to pull paperwork he

knew where to find it exactly:

Things to bring with you:

1. I-129F application

2. NOA1 email receipt from USCIS

3. Change of alien registration number email from USCIS (U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services)

4. Complete Travel Insurance document

5. Complete Flight Itinerary (showing proof of return ticket purchase)

6. Employment letter signed (work verification)

7. Letter from me (stating that I would be responsible for any emergency financial issues & also explaining that we have 100% intentions of going about the process legally)

8. Bank statement showing proof of funds/ make sure they know how much you have in American Dollars

9. Paystub from work to show you work there and get paid

I was told that even with all of this paper work, there was still a good chance that he would be turned away.

I also gave my fiancé a list of possible questions that he would be asked, along with answers to the questions. I

compiled this list from other VJ posts about questions at the POE as well as some that I thought might be asked. Igave this to him about a week prior to his departure so that he could study it & it did make him feel more at ease Here is the list of questions I gave him and I left our answers to questions when applicable:

Possible Questions & Responses:

Q. Why are you visiting the United States?

A. To visit my fiancé and her family for the holidays

Q. How long are you staying?

A. Until January 27th, 85 days

Q. When are you two planning on being married?

A. At this time we cannot make any plans until weve received our approved fiancé visa

Q. When were you two engaged?

Q. How long have you and your fiancé known each other?

Q. Where does your fiancé work/ what does she do?

Q. Her address and phone number/ date of birth

Q. Why are you staying in the U.S. so long?

A. We would like to spend as much time together on this visit as it will be the last time we see each other before the fiancé visa is issued. (** If they keep pressing why you are staying so long: According to the USICS timelines, our petition will take between 6-7 months to be processed and since we are able to use the VWP to visit, we would like to spend some time together during that process as weve already been apart for 3 months.)

Q. You were just here for 3 months over the summer- why are you coming back for so long again?

A. I came to visit friends on my last trip; I met my fiancé while I was here. This trip is to be with her and her family over the holidays as well as to meet her extended family. This is only my second time visiting the United States.

Q. Are you going to get married while youre here?

A. No.

Q. What do you do for a living?

Q. What job do you have that allows you to take 3 months off from work?

A. I work for an establishment that allows me to take extended holiday leave, which I am very fortunate to have. My employer knows my reason for my visit and was kind enough to give me this time off from work with the

understanding that I will be returning to work on Friday, January 30, 2015.

Q. So are you moving here?

A. Yes, if our fiancé visa is approved

And here is how his experience went. We had chosen for him to fly into Detroit as his POE. I had read both good andbad reviews of Detroit, so I was nervous. I also knew that a lot of it depended on the officers working that

day. The one POE we stayed away from was Philadelphia, only because on his first trip here he had been grilled forover 2 hours and had a bad experience- but again, that was his experience in Philly and I know its different for

everyone. When he approached the first officer in Detroit, he had a feeling it was going to be tough because the

officer did not seem to be in a good mood & had given the person in front of him a hard time as well. Here is how the exchange went:

Officer: Why are you here?

Fiancé: To spend the holidays with my fiancé and her family

Officer: How long are you here for?

Fiancé: Until January 27th, 85 days

Officer: Oh you think so do you? Well see about that

Officer: Are you a homeowner then? (he asked him this 5 different times, and each time my fiancé responded the same)

Fiancé: No, I live with my parents in England

Officer: Well this isnt looking good for you is it?

At this point the officer told him to go stand over there and kept his passport. Right then another officer cameup to my fiancé and said, Ill take it from here, follow me- hes just having a bad day. So my fiancé was brought back to secondary for more questioning, which we were expecting so it was ok. This officer was 100% different

from the first officer. He was kind, and very knowledgeable about the fiancé visa. He asked most of the questionsthat Ihave written above- so it was good that we had written those out. My fiancé said that he could tell the

officer was asking him questions to see if he really knew the process of the fiancé visa, and the officer seemed

pleased that my fiancé was able to answer those questions. He asked him about our relationship, about filing for

the fiancé visaat one point my fiancé said that our petition had unfortunately been sent to Texas and the officer seemed sympathetic and said that he understands what a long wait that is. The only other thing the officer made a point to discuss was the state of my fiancés passport. It is a little worn, so the officer very kindly said to himthat he should get a new passport before going for his interview in London, which we had already planned on.

Basically, as most people on VJ have said, my fiancé was honest and up front about all questions askedthe officer did ask a few questions more than once but I think he wanted to make sure my fiancé was being completely honest.

The officer then stamped his passport for February 1st (5 days after his return date) and said he wanted to make

sure in case there was a weather related delay, that my fiancé was able to return in the 90 days so that our visa

wouldnt be jeopardized. So all in all, although it began rough, my fiancé said that the other officers were very nice and respectful and he was so relieved that they obviously knew about the fiancé visa process. Also, even

though the first officer was outwardly rude, my fiancé did not react. He remained calm and did not give any

attitude back.

In conclusion, I have to say that I am 100% happy that we decided to risk this visit. Seeing my fiancé after

almost 3 months and getting to hold him in my arms again was worth the stress leading up to that point- at least

for me personally. I wanted to give people an accurate and detailed account of our experience, because I can

absolutely relate to the stress involved in planning a visit during the visa process. Did we encounter a minor

bump? Yes. But I now am able to spend the next 85 days with the love of my life and I would go through it again

in a heartbeat. Also, if anyone would like a sample of the letter I wrote for my fiancé to take with him, message me and I would be happy to send it. Thank you to all of you who wrote about your previous experiences because it

allowed us to be as prepared as we could be. That along with a lot of prayer allowed for my fiancé and I to be

reunited and for that I am so truly grateful.

[OLee 64]

Thanks for sharing, Good luck for you both!

[YamenWaad 45]

thanks a lot. there will be useful for all of us