Met a woman, but 90 days isn't enough

[whysodifficult? 31]

One week, language barrier, financial gap, etc... I guess it might eventually work out but the odds are not in your favor. Give it some time and a lot of thought. Don't get caught up in the "savior syndrome".

[On the Road Again 2]

Be very careful what information you receive here. A lot is dead wrong and cringe worthy. First getting a visa to enter the US from Colombia is much easier and soon will not be required under the newly signed agreement between the US and Colombia. Second it's very possible you can get a K-1 visa with only knowing her for 90 days as long as you meet the K-1 requirements. You don't need a lawyer, just research here how others have done it. Have her apply for a visa to enter the US. I would be surprised if she was denied under the current standards as my wife's entire family were approved after being denied in the past, some several times. Your biggest concern should be personal and that is spending enough time so that you really know this girl. That won't happen in 90 days, 180 days, 6 months, 9 months, it takes years. I will give you a word of advice, a lot more marriages that start on this board crash and burn then you realize. Walk slowly and wisely.

[Ontarkie 14,234]

~~Moved to What Visas Do I Need, from K1 Process and Procedure - As the OP has not filed for anything and seems to be researching their options~~

[baron555 934]

OK,

I met a wonderful woman while I was in Bogota, Colombia last week. I am going back to Bogota in a month to spend 2 weeks with her.

Good

There are two major problems we have at the moment: 1) I speak very little Spanish and she speaks even less English. We use Google Translate and it has been mostly fine. We communicate many times a day, even now that I'm back in the U.S.

Great.....but this is not visa related. It may be a factor on how to show you have a legitimate relationship when you can't speak each other's language.

and 2) she doesn't have a tourist visa and makes only ~$300/month.

Probably will not have a chance at one.

She does have a teenage son, but he is on the other side of Colombia and she hasn't seen him in months and doesn't believe she will be able to see him for a long time more, anyway.

This fact has no relationship to her obtaining a visa.

I rent a room in NYC with two awesome roommates and I really don't want to give it up just yet,

Why would you?

but then I hear that K-1 visas take forever and a day to process (12+ months)

You been hearing wrong....more like 10 months or so.

and I am NOT about to go even 2 or 3 months without being with her.

You've got a problem.

I run my own online web business, and so I am trying to figure out if relocating to Bogota is something I could do relatively soon..

OK

. But it would be incredibly nice if she could come to NYC under, say, a F-1 student visa and go take language courses at a local institute in Manhattan.

Nice to want; what you'll receive is different.

We've also discussed living in different countries neither of us need visas to get into for 2-3 months at a time until all this can get squared away.

Get what squared away?

I would really like your advice. Should I spend thousands on an attorney?

If you've got tons of money to burn, then go for it.

How hard is it for me to get a long-term visa in Bogota?

This is a US visa forum. Go to the regional forum, link below, for country-specific info.

[Marco&Bettina 502]

For those blasting me for my previous comment, it was taken out of context. What I meant, as for how it pertains specifically to the K-1 that the OP is inquiring about is as follows: 90 days is not enough. That's true, assuming that the 90 days is implying that there was some way for the OP to get a K-1 Visa for his potential beneficiary immediately (which we all know is not possible). Since we know that's not possible, & just taking what he said, which was that he wants to marry her, at face value, he is technically eligible to file for the I-129F petition. By the time it gets approved (if approved), 90 days will be plenty of time, because it will take quite a while to get processed. What many have done in this thread is judge the OP as to whether they personally believe he should file or not. I know the advice many have given is sound, but it is still judgmental. I have chosen not to judge whether or not the OP should file the I-129F. Based on what he put in his OP, yes, he is eligible to file. So please stop judging. He did not ask to be judged.

Edited April 2, 2015 by Marco&Bettina

[Pennycat 880]

For those blasting me for my previous comment, it was taken out of context. What I meant, as for how it pertains specifically to the K-1 that the OP is inquiring about is as follows: 90 days is not enough. That's true, assuming that the 90 days is implying that there was some way for the OP to get a K-1 Visa for his potential beneficiary immediately (which we all know is not possible). Since we know that's not possible, & just taking what he said, which was that he wants to marry her, at face value, he is technically eligible to file for the I-129F petition. By the time it gets approved, 90 days will be plenty of time, because it will take quite a while to get processed. What many have done in this thread is judge the OP as to whether they personally believe he should file or not. I know the advice many have given is sound, but it is still judgmental. I have chosen not to judge whether or not the OP should file the I-129F. Based on what he put in his OP, yes, he is eligible to file. So please stop judging. He did not ask to be judged.

But part of filing the i-129f is a declaration that you, at the time of filing, intend to marry this person within 90 days of their arrival in the US. So what you've suggested (file, get to know each other and figure out if they want to proceed with the petition while the petition is processing) is....not the correct use of the thing. Especially because you'd be including a signed statement declaring that you do intend to marry that person. If what you really intend is to spend the next 9 months figuring out if you want to marry the person---that letter is not the real truth.

It's called a fiance visa for a reason, not a girlfriend visa. You're supposed to be engaged or otherwise have made the decision to marry before you file the thing. Yes, this is a real serious hardship for people whose boyfriends/girlfriends can't come to the US to visit (and thus are forced to decide to immigrate or not to a country they've never even seen), but this is the system as it is. And, like many other parts of the system, it kind of stinks. Yep, some of the folks on 90 Day Fiance didn't do it this way (and openly admitted it), or at least were edited to make it look like that, but that's really not correct and is pretty sensational. I wouldn't be surprised if the producers edited it to make it look like a "trial run" just to make it seem more sordid.

[Marco&Bettina 502]

But part of filing the i-129f is a declaration that you, at the time of filing, intend to marry this person within 90 days of their arrival in the US. So what you've suggested (file, get to know each other and figure out if they want to proceed with the petition while the petition is processing) is....not the correct use of the thing. Especially because you'd be including a signed statement declaring that you do intend to marry that person. If what you really intend is to spend the next 9 months figuring out if you want to marry the person---that letter is not the real truth.

It's called a fiance visa for a reason, not a girlfriend visa. You're supposed to be engaged or otherwise have made the decision to marry before you file the thing. Yes, this is a real serious hardship for people whose boyfriends/girlfriends can't come to the US to visit (and thus are forced to decide to immigrate or not to a country they've never even seen), but this is the system as it is. And, like many other parts of the system, it kind of stinks. Yep, some of the folks on 90 Day Fiance didn't do it this way (and openly admitted it), or at least were edited to make it look like that, but that's really not correct and is pretty sensational. I wouldn't be surprised if the producers edited it to make it look like a "trial run" just to make it seem more sordid.

I understand the logistics of making a modern-day, real life drama. Which is why all the couples on both seasons of 90DF were edited to say things like "we have 90 days to figure it out." I understand that the OP is in a similar situation. I agree with you that the K-1 Visa is not supposed to be a "let's figure it out" or "test the waters" Visa. I'm not stating that the OP should do that. But let's face it, maybe he proposes to her next month during his 2-week visit with her, like I did, the 1st time I saw my Fiancee IRL. Then it would, in my opinion, be in both their best interests to file ASAP, as I did. I proposed to my Fiancee only after like 10 days actual face time. About 2-3 weeks later, I sent my I-129F petition. I don't understand what people's infatuations are with wasting so much time "figuring stuff out". When you know you know. I'm happy to admit that my now-wife & I are quite happily married in America & there is a little one on the way. Most people on this site don't know me. And I'm fine with that. I've been involved in many forums over the years & one thing I've learned is people will beat you to death with their opinions, trying to enforce them on you & trying to make you feel beneath them if you don't agree with them for some reason. I know that if I had posted my intentions or how fast I proposed or this that & the other on VJ at the time my Fiancee & I were "figuring it out", I would've been chastised. That's the reason that I don't think I posted anything until after I had proposed to her & the petition was in the mail. And then, instead of telling everyone my full story, all I said was "the petition has been sent." And I was not judged. And all was well. ///// -----Rant over.

Edited April 2, 2015 by Marco&Bettina

[PostOakGuy 13]

No way Colombia will get in the Visa Waiver Program this decade. The rejection rate for tourist visas is higher than 3%. Brazil and China have been in talks with US and you don't see them in.

[Pennycat 880]

I understand the logistics of making a modern-day, real life drama. Which is why all the couples on both seasons of 90DF were edited to say things like "we have 90 days to figure it out." I understand that the OP is in a similar situation. I agree with you that the K-1 Visa is not supposed to be a "let's figure it out" or "test the waters" Visa. I'm not stating that the OP should do that. But let's face it, maybe he proposes to her next month during his 2-week visit with her, like I did, the 1st time I saw my Fiancee IRL. Then it would, in my opinion, be in both their best interests to file ASAP, as I did. I proposed to my Fiancee only after like 10 days actual face time. About 2-3 weeks later, I sent my I-129F petition. I don't understand what people's infatuations are with wasting so much time "figuring stuff out". When you know you know. I'm happy to admit that my now-wife & I are quite happily married in America & there is a little one on the way. Most people on this site don't know me. And I'm fine with that. I've been involved in many forums over the years & one thing I've learned is people will beat you to death with their opinions, trying to enforce them on you & trying to make you feel beneath them if you don't agree with them for some reason. I know that if I had posted my intentions or how fast I proposed or this that & the other on VJ at the time my Fiancee & I were "figuring it out", I would've been chastised. That's the reason that I don't think I posted anything until after I had proposed to her & the petition was in the mail. And then, instead of telling everyone my full story, all I said was "the petition has been sent." And I was not judged. And all was well. ///// -----Rant over.

Ah, I see. I thought you meant to just file to save a space in line at while they spend 9 months figuring out if they *really* want to be engaged. In that way, the letter of intent would be a bit of a problem. But like you did--knowing that you want to get married and getting engaged quickly is one thing (feels right for some, others need/want more time), of course it makes sense to start sooner than later with the petition. But the OP seems like he is specifically asking how they can spend more face time together before making the engagement step. So for him, it sounds like it's not time for a fiance visa, to me anyway.

[Marco&Bettina 502]

Ah, I see. I thought you meant to just file to save a space in line at while they spend 9 months figuring out if they *really* want to be engaged. In that way, the letter of intent would be a bit of a problem. But like you did--knowing that you want to get married and getting engaged quickly is one thing (feels right for some, others need/want more time), of course it makes sense to start sooner than later with the petition. But the OP seems like he is specifically asking how they can spend more face time together before making the engagement step. So for him, it sounds like it's not time for a fiance visa, to me anyway.

Your logic makes sense. I would hope the processing time alone should be enough to sway anyone from attempting to use it as a way to spend more face time together. I say that because if you never see a person again between applying for the I-129F petition & their POE, you are looking at months passing. If at TSC, maybe 1 year. If my then-Fiancee & I had used it as a way to spend more face time together & hadn't had any trips in between, we would've waited from Feb 17, 2014 to Dec 31, 2014 between seeing each other. That would've been more than enough to break us if we weren't already firmly resolved to be together. I can definitely see people's points though, because of what I just said. If you don't already have that firm resolve before filing, the wait on the Visa will destroy you.

Edited April 2, 2015 by Marco&Bettina

[sachin1 42]

Make sure you read some of the horror story here on forum before jump in.

Better to be safe then sorry.

[valverdeveslings 10]

If you have the means to go live in Colombia (even if it is for a 90 day period.. which is quite common in Latin America), that would be the best thing to do. Learn some Spanish, meet her family, get to know her & her country more...

[On the Road Again 2]

No way Colombia will get in the Visa Waiver Program this decade. The rejection rate for tourist visas is higher than 3%. Brazil and China have been in talks with US and you don't see them in.

As I said before be careful what you read here....this post/ statement is total bull by-product which has no factual support just a persons opinion. In the years on this board it never changes be careful people. Research! Be very cautious what advise you take here!!!!

US begins process of visa waiver for Colombians: Santos Jun 18, 2014

http://colombiareports.co/us-begins-process-visa-waver-colombians-santos/

Edited April 2, 2015 by On the Road Again

[Gosia & Tito 199]

OK,

I met a wonderful woman while I was in Bogota, Colombia last week. I am going back to Bogota in a month to spend 2 weeks with her.

There are two major problems we have at the moment: 1) I speak very little Spanish and she speaks even less English. We use Google Translate and it has been mostly fine. We communicate many times a day, even now that I'm back in the U.S. and 2) she doesn't have a tourist visa and makes only ~$300/month. She does have a teenage son, but he is on the other side of Colombia and she hasn't seen him in months and doesn't believe she will be able to see him for a long time more, anyway.

I rent a room in NYC with two awesome roommates and I really don't want to give it up just yet, but then I hear that K-1 visas take forever and a day to process (12+ months) and I am NOT about to go even 2 or 3 months without being with her. I run my own online web business, and so I am trying to figure out if relocating to Bogota is something I could do relatively soon... But it would be incredibly nice if she could come to NYC under, say, a F-1 student visa and go take language courses at a local institute in Manhattan. We've also discussed living in different countries neither of us need visas to get into for 2-3 months at a time until all this can get squared away.

I would really like your advice. Should I spend thousands on an attorney? How hard is it for me to get a long-term visa in Bogota?

You might want to pace yourself.

The purpose of the K1 is to ease the traveling of the to-be immigrant into the US, for the purpose of getting married. That is, you already have a relationshiop for some time and are now engaged and ready to marry. And that already presumes that she has made up her mind that she is leaving her country possibly for good, and at least for the next year after arrival.

The K1 is not to find out whether you want to marry once she is here.

Then there is the matter of the son, if the father is still around he might need to give permission for the son to leave the country, of is it that she is open to leave son behind (behind does not mean never to see again, but not able to bring him over with her)

Using a F-1 is ok, but she will have to demonstrate she has the means to do those studies.

Attorney: I'd not approach one until the relaitonship is more stable or longer and then, only if there is some special circumstance (which most likely will not). What is a special circumstance? Have you been in jail accused of a serious offense? Has she? Has she been in the US and overstay? there are some others, and you can ask here.

[PostOakGuy 13]

As I said before be careful what you read here....this post/ statement is total bull by-product which has no factual support just a persons opinion. In the years on this board it never changes be careful people. Research! Be very cautious what advise you take here!!!!

US begins process of visa waiver for Colombians: Santos Jun 18, 2014

http://colombiareports.co/us-begins-process-visa-waver-colombians-santos/

You need to get your facts straight. I realize that Colombia is in talks with the US about joining the VWP. Could it happen? yes Will it likely happen anytime soon? Probably not. You do realize that the US has had talks with other countries regarding the VWP, Brazil, China

Having "talks" and "letting them in" are two different things. It could go either way, but my opinion is that Colombia will not get in. Maybe I should have clarified that it was my opinion earlier.