Visiting with the K-1 in process

[Ben&Sara 3]

Hey guys, this isn't exactly about the K-1 as it is more about visiting my fiancee while the process is happening.

I've made two trips in the past year, both for two months with four months in between. My fiancee's birthday is in may and I only just returned from my last trip on the 30th of January. My question is, am I allowed to visit and if so, do you think I'll have any problems due to my recent travel history. I'd like to stay for 2-4 weeks if at all possible, I'm just worried about border security rejecting me. I haven't overstayed the visa waiver program ever and have always entered and left the country legally but I just feel worried that they will think I'm trying to immigrate sooner than the K-1, which is not my intention at all. I have strong ties to my home country (Australia) I even have a contract with the Australian Defense force to be able to work on a military base. I'm tied to the Australian government for 5 years, what I mean by that is that I have to inform them of everything I do. Should I bring some sort of proof of my employment and security clearance or will that just be overkill?

Again, in the past 12 months, I've been there for a total of 4 months, two trips for two months, with 4 months in between. Will this be an issue if I want to take a third for a month, with only three months in between or should we maybe wait?

I really don't want to miss her birthday, she means the world to me and missing it would be a little heartbreaking not going to lie.

Thanks in advance.

Ben.

[Cody and Daisy 373]

No one can tell you.

It's all on the officers at the border if they let you in or not.

Always bring proof of ties to your home country.

Never lie to them.

Visiting so often in such a short time could be suspicious, they might ask how you could afford to, and how did you get time off work?

Read the yes you can visit thread.

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/67796-yes-you-can-visit/

Lots of stories and situations like yours in there.

[HislittleSecret 21]

It shouldn't be a problem. My fiancé was approved for a two year visitors visa during our first i129f petition. You should be cool as long as you have a return flight.

[Ben&Sara 3]

Thank you guys, I appreciate it.

[Limey 551]

As others said, its all down to the immigration officer at your POE. The thread linked to about travelling while under a K1 application has many interesting stories. You'll find that its only in rare cases that people are denied, and usually for something quite extreme (like lack of return ticket, etc).

I'd made a few long trips in the past, and last summer I was returning to the US about 7 weeks after I'd left and the immigration guy at Charlotte gave me a hard time, claiming I was virtually living in the US. In the past 7 months I'd spent about 5 weeks there, so he was rather exaggerating, though I'd had a couple of trips prior to those 7 months. He indicated that he would admit me for that occasion but I needed to sort out something more permanent (which we had in hand as we were just about to apply for k1). I was worried he'd put some kind of flag about me in the system.

The next time I entered was just over 4 months later, via Atlanta, and I had no problems at all.

As others have said, if the immigration officer asks any questions, answer truthfully. If he doesn't ask who you are visiting, don't mention your fiancee, but if he does, then don't conceal it (ie don't say "a friend"). My view was that it would be better to be denied entry for being honest (which would not affect my K1 application) than be caught out lying to immigration (which might well affect a k1 application).

[James&Jhon 5]

Well i think there should be not problem as long as you talk clear at the POE, making sure you explain to them who are you visiting, that you are making a K1 process and you need to go back home for X or Y reason.

My fiance and me keep visiting each other every 3 weeks since April last year and i can tell it is always the same questionnaire, and i'm totally agree with the people here that says that is all up to the immigration officer. Since in my experience i had 1 trip that i was afraid to be rejected (you must to consider i'm from Colombia so i struggle a bit more than a person from other Countries do), they checked my bag twice and asked me lots of questions, i had to be there for almost 20 minutes explaining to them i was just visiting my fiance and we were doing a K1 visa process, that we will get married by the end of this year and explaining to them how we met mainly... but by the end of the interrogatory they were more curious and got to joke with me a bit. Still was scary... but the others times i've been visiting it's just like why are you going to NC? for how long? visiting who? when are you comming back? - are you planning to get married? (i always answer "No yet! just until my K1 is done", and they smile). So they pretend they don't know anything about your visits even when they got register of all of them. But it is pretty easy in general.... once again is my experience ... friday i'm flying to visit my fiance for a week again so hopefully it will be the same history of the last 11 months... i think they understand that part of having a Long Distance Relationship is to visit each other constantly (if you can afford it), and as long as your work/situation make it possible.

Best luck in your trips!

James and Jhon.