K-1 Fiance Visa to the USA; Lawyer or help needed

[RobertAtlantaUSA 1]

Im looking to file for a K-1 USA Fiance Visa for my Thai GF, we are both currently in Bangkok and have been together for almost 2 years. I dont have much faith in my own ability to fill out paperwork, so I am looking for assistance from a Lawyer.

Im wondering if I should hire a Thai lawyer to help, or should I wait to get back to the USA and hire an American lawyer. Im going back next month for a few weeks.

Thanks for your help.

[AmerFila 10]

It is easier than you would think to fill out the forms the hard part is gathering all the evidence but even that isn't too bad. Take a look at he guides on this site and it will tell you everything you need and should do. If you have a question about a form, ask on here. That is why most of us are on here to help each other out through the process. i have asked several questions already and received a lot of good answers and advice. Unless you have a specific issue that makes your case more difficult its not worth the price of an immigration attorney. I checked into it and attorney i spoke with wanted $3,000, and i still had to gather all the information for him anyway. All he was going to do was fill out the forms and mail it off, which i was going to get charged for. I filed on my own. You should at least down load the forms and guides and give it a shot. you dont have to send it off if you are unsure.

[RobertAtlantaUSA 1]

Thanks! Another member has mentioned an online service that might be able to help, I will take a look at them. I just dont want to make a mistake or leave anything off the forms, which I have a bad habit of doing with government forms.

[Jim Smith 0]

Hi,

According to me, hire Thailand attorney for your partner K1 visa assistance.

[Al422 221]

For most of us, a lawyer would just slow us down. The work is not difficult, but it is voluminous. You don't need lawyer training to do it, just a lot of stamina and patience.

For you, this is your life, and you will put in the effort to speed it up. For a lawyer this is just a day at work, so he will get to yours in the normal course of his business. So which one of you will get it done sooner?

I would only recommend a lawyer if you have a hard case, for example a criminal record for three or more drug violations.

[VOL 425]

I thought Thailand offered DCF visa.

That visa only takes a few weeks to complete

Have you checked into that visa?

[Ning 619]

Thanks! Another member has mentioned an online service that might be able to help, I will take a look at them. I just dont want to make a mistake or leave anything off the forms, which I have a bad habit of doing with government forms.

No matter who you hire it wont change what has to be done to petition for the visa. The only source of info needed is you so you end up gathering the info anyway. Filling out the forms is pretty easy and you have V J as an adviser. In the end the lawyer slows the process because they function as a filter.

The K 1 forms are the tip of the iceberg as far as the volume needed for the journey to end at becoming a USC but they are done one page at a time.

Make a mistake? You might but even if you do its not that hard to repair the damage. See the guides here on V J for some very helpful info.

If you are have been a legal resident of Thailand while living there with the correct visa for at least 6 months you can file some cases DCF in BKK but I am not sure about K 1s. If you are there as a tourist forget this concept.

Find on Amazon the book Thailand Fever. If you are in BKK you can buy it there is most bookstores that sell to farangs. Buy two. Leave one with her and keep one with you. You will see the value of the book.

[RobertAtlantaUSA 1]

I thought Thailand offered DCF visa.

That visa only takes a few weeks to complete

Have you checked into that visa?

I havent checked into it yet, but it looks like a good option. I have had a Non tourist Visa in Thailand for more than 6 months so I will look in to it.

No matter who you hire it wont change what has to be done to petition for the visa. The only source of info needed is you so you end up gathering the info anyway. Filling out the forms is pretty easy and you have V J as an adviser. In the end the lawyer slows the process because they function as a filter.

The K 1 forms are the tip of the iceberg as far as the volume needed for the journey to end at becoming a USC but they are done one page at a time.

Make a mistake? You might but even if you do its not that hard to repair the damage. See the guides here on V J for some very helpful info.

If you are have been a legal resident of Thailand while living there with the correct visa for at least 6 months you can file some cases DCF in BKK but I am not sure about K 1s. If you are there as a tourist forget this concept.

Find on Amazon the book Thailand Fever. If you are in BKK you can buy it there is most bookstores that sell to farangs. Buy two. Leave one with her and keep one with you. You will see the value of the book.

I bought Thailand Fever years ago when I first got here and it really helped, thanks. I might just get married and try DCF. Would you know if I need to be living here consistently for the past 6 months or just have a Visa for 6 months?

Thanks for all the suggestions.

[CowBoE 429]

Im looking to file for a K-1 USA Fiance Visa for my Thai GF, we are both currently in Bangkok and have been together for almost 2 years. I dont have much faith in my own ability to fill out paperwork, so I am looking for assistance from a Lawyer.

Im wondering if I should hire a Thai lawyer to help, or should I wait to get back to the USA and hire an American lawyer. Im going back next month for a few weeks.

Thanks for your help.

When your eye are closed (meaning not having read what's involved),

you obviously can't see the whole picture, but when they are open

you can see (most) everything clearly (meaning you have read few Guideline pages

and looked at the required forms on this site).

I can understand your intimidation in the beginning, as I and many of us here

went through the same thing, but it's really not bad at all.

Besides, if you go to a lawyer, you would have to provide all of this information anyway.

And lawyers don't guarantee doing everything correctly and timely.

On this site there (nearly) complete step by step information on

which forms to fill...and many already filled-out sample forms are also available.

And there are perhaps thousands of VJ-ers on this site that have gone through this

and you can post questions and get reasonably quick and accurate answers

to fill the gap on any unclear sections.

I encourage you to spend one weekend on reading through suggested guidelines

and required forms. Start from this and it contains links to more information.

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/300-general-k1-guides-and-info/

I think I spent about 6 hours over the weekend to go through the suggestions

and make summary notes and proceeded from there.

I also double-triple checked my documents and confirmed with this site

before I submitted. So far, all is going reasonably smoothly without a major glitch.

Good luck.

[Ellie and Fron 10]

I hired a lawyer and it has been very helpful thus far. I was worried that I would fill out the paperwork wrong or miss something and my lawyers have been extremely helpful. Most of my friends who have been through the process have also used lawyers and said it was helpful. It's up to you though

[Elizabeth+Fred 35]

Thanks! Another member has mentioned an online service that might be able to help, I will take a look at them. I just dont want to make a mistake or leave anything off the forms, which I have a bad habit of doing with government forms.

Hi Robert,

First of all.. congrats on the plans!

And really... assuming neither you nor your fiancee have had any Bad Stuff happen in the

past, are both free to marry, and you (as the U.S. petitioner) make enough money to make the

federal poverty guidelines, there is NO NEED to spend money on a lawyer. The only thing they

can really do is filling out the same forms you'd have to, and they'd ask you to provide the same

supporting documentation.

Since you two have obviously met within the last 2 years prior to filing (make sure you have enough

evidence of this... passport stamps, pictures together, with her family, etc etc, anything on paper that

shows you share a place together, etc etc!) the only hurdle could be your (U.S.) income.

Check out the K-1 Visa Guide here on the VJ site (go to Guides) and read up on it.. then ask us

specific questions.

You can do this, and many, many people here will be able to guide you through it!

Good luck on the voyage with your fiancee!

[Ning 619]

I havent checked into it yet, but it looks like a good option. I have had a Non tourist Visa in Thailand for more than 6 months so I will look in to it.

I bought Thailand Fever years ago when I first got here and it really helped, thanks. I might just get married and try DCF. Would you know if I need to be living here consistently for the past 6 months or just have a Visa for 6 months?

Thanks for all the suggestions.

To file DCF you must be a legal resident of Thailand for at least 6 months. My husband lived there for two years but wasn't a legal resident.

[StrawberryKiss 170]

I really agree with Elisabeth+Fred! Save yourself the money, study the guides on here (very helpful!) and file the I-129F yourself. If neither you nor your fiancée have anything that could represent a red flag to your case (e.g. overstayed visa, criminal history, etc.), you will be fine!

[Gosia & Tito 199]

When your eye are closed (meaning not having read what's involved),

you obviously can't see the whole picture, but when they are open

you can see (most) everything clearly (meaning you have read few Guideline pages

and looked at the required forms on this site).

I can understand your intimidation in the beginning, as I and many of us here

went through the same thing, but it's really not bad at all.

Besides, if you go to a lawyer, you would have to provide all of this information anyway.

And lawyers don't guarantee doing everything correctly and timely.

On this site there (nearly) complete step by step information on

which forms to fill...and many already filled-out sample forms are also available.

And there are perhaps thousands of VJ-ers on this site that have gone through this

and you can post questions and get reasonably quick and accurate answers

to fill the gap on any unclear sections.

I encourage you to spend one weekend on reading through suggested guidelines

and required forms. Start from this and it contains links to more information.

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/300-general-k1-guides-and-info/

I think I spent about 6 hours over the weekend to go through the suggestions

and make summary notes and proceeded from there.

I also double-triple checked my documents and confirmed with this site

before I submitted. So far, all is going reasonably smoothly without a major glitch.

Good luck.

No lawyer will be near the level of know how, expertise and direct, 'been there, done that, got the t-shirt' knowledge of VJ as a whole, from general form questions to specific Thailand questions with people who have just been or are in the process of Thai visa/K1/CR -basically, you name it and someone would have been in the same situation already-; and as noted this is for non complicated cases (for which anyone here will tell you to get a lawyer; and yours does not look like complicated at all) AND with a total cost of zero, zilch, nada

Edited January 8, 2015 by Gosia & Tito

[Jamnan_n_Steve 17]

If you are on the ground to help with the Thai side of the paperwork (single cerificate, birth certificate, police report, clearance for children from earlier relationships, etc.) and someone in the states to help with your (tax transcripts, domicile (C1R and DCF) paperwork you should be fine and a lawyer will be of no help.