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Hovercat

Hello, hoping you can help my situation...

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Hovercat Newbie

Hovercat   0

Posted
Filed: Country: Taiwan
 Timeline
Posted

Introductions first: I am a Taiwanese citizen about to join the army here (mandatory, 1-year service) and my girlfriend (who is American) and I are hoping to get married. I would like to move to the States as I was raised in the West and I feel like my poor Chinese is a barrier to my fellow Taiwanese.

To get things out of the way: my girlfriend and I met in the States and have been together for five years. She was born and raised American, and we're both in our twenties. I have previously lived in the States for nine years.

Bluntly, my goals are to marry my girlfriend and become a permanent citizen of the United States, and a citizen in the long term. I am trying to figure out what forms I need to have, what materials I need to bring, and when I should file my forms. I will not be seeing my girlfriend often, if at all, over the course of the next year (I'll be in the army as mentioned earlier), although we correspond often through letters.

Any help is welcome!

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Boiler Grand Master

Boiler   45,516

Posted
Filed: K-1 Visa Country: Wales
 Timeline
Posted

Timing sounds good if she gets thing going.

Thank you for your service.

“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.”

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TBoneTX Grand Master

TBoneTX   45,291

Posted
Filed: Citizen (apr) Country: Ecuador
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Posted

Welcome to the forum.

06-04-2007 = TSC stamps postal return-receipt for I-129f.

06-11-2007 = NOA1 date (unknown to me).

07-20-2007 = Phoned Immigration Officer; got WAC#; where's NOA1?

09-25-2007 = Touch (first-ever).

09-28-2007 = NOA1, 23 days after their 45-day promise to send it (grrrr).

10-20 & 11-14-2007 = Phoned ImmOffs; "still pending."

12-11-2007 = 180 days; file is "between workstations, may be early Jan."; touches 12/11 & 12/12.

12-18-2007 = Call; file is with Division 9 ofcr. (bckgrnd check); e-prompt to shake it; touch.

12-19-2007 = NOA2 by e-mail & web, dated 12-18-07 (187 days; 201 per VJ); in mail 12/24/07.

01-09-2008 = File from USCIS to NVC, 1-4-08; NVC creates file, 1/15/08; to consulate 1/16/08.

01-23-2008 = Consulate gets file; outdated Packet 4 mailed to fiancee 1/27/08; rec'd 3/3/08.

04-29-2008 = Fiancee's 4-min. consular interview, 8:30 a.m.; much evidence brought but not allowed to be presented (consul: "More proof! Second interview! Bring your fiance!").

05-05-2008 = Infuriating $12 call to non-English-speaking consulate appointment-setter.

05-06-2008 = Better $12 call to English-speaker; "joint" interview date 6/30/08 (my selection).

06-30-2008 = Stokes Interrogations w/Ecuadorian (not USC); "wait 2 weeks; we'll mail her."

07-2008 = Daily calls to DOS: "currently processing"; 8/05 = Phoned consulate, got Section Chief; wrote him.

08-07-08 = E-mail from consulate, promising to issue visa "as soon as we get her passport" (on 8/12, per DHL).

08-27-08 = Phoned consulate (they "couldn't find" our file); visa DHL'd 8/28; in hand 9/1; through POE on 10/9 with NO hassles(!).

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aaron2020 Grand Master

aaron2020   11,651

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Filed: Country: Vietnam (no flag)
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Posted (edited)

Thank you all!

I've started looking at the guides and I'll let you know if I have any questions. So far I'm looking at the DCF option, which apparently in some cases may be faster than applying for a K-1.

DCF would only work if your girlfriend has legal status to live in Taiwan, and she would need to be living there for 6 months before she can file for you. This may inadvertently create another problem since she would need to show a US domicile and sufficient ongoing income for the I-134. Her income in Taiwan will not count.

If she is not already living in Taiwan, DCF will only makes things worse for you to immigrate to the US rather than help.

DCF would only make sense if she is already living in Taiwan.

Furthermore, DCF is not an alternative to applying for the K-1. You would be applying for a K-1 using DCF rather than the lock box in the US.

Edited by aaron2020
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Hovercat Newbie

Hovercat   0

Posted
Filed: Country: Taiwan
 Timeline
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Posted

Thank you very much for that information. I only took a passing glance at the DCF option and now that I've read into it more carefully I realize that it's simply not an option for me. She has only been to Taiwan for one month, as a visitor.

I have a friend who married his Taiwanese wife in Taiwan before going back to the States where she now resides with him as a permanent resident. According to him and her, the process only took five weeks and it was much faster and less painful than trying to get married in the States and applying for permanent residency there. Do any of you have any experience in this?

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Boiler Grand Master

Boiler   45,516

Posted
Filed: K-1 Visa Country: Wales
 Timeline
Posted

You can marry in Taiwan and go for a CR1 visa, takes about a year.

“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.”

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Boiler Grand Master

Boiler   45,516

Posted
Filed: K-1 Visa Country: Wales
 Timeline
Posted

I did not appreciate how long it was going to take.

“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.”

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courage87 Apprentice

courage87   10

Posted
Filed: Timeline
Posted

Welcome in the long wait hall man, you are not alone trust me :)

Here the form and the instructions from the official website:
http://www.uscis.gov/i-129

Here and in other websites you can find tips (but always get updated from official website):
http://www.visajourney.com/content/k1guide

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MacUK Proficient

MacUK   983

Posted
Filed: Other Country: United Kingdom
 Timeline
Posted

Might seem a silly question, but the devil is in the details.

The 9 years you lived in the US, I assume you was legally living there that whole time?

August 2000: We start e-mailing. I'm in Bosnia, she's in Florida

October 29th 2000: She sends me e-mail asking if I would marry her

October 29th 2000(5 seconds later): I say yes

November 2000: She sends me tickets to Orlando for when I get back

December 6th 2000: Return from Bos

December 11th 2000: Fly to Orlando, she meets me at airport

December 22nd 2000: I fly back to UK

January 3rd 2001: She flies to UK (Good times)

Mid February 2001: Pregnancy test Positive

Mid February 2001: She flies back to US

March 2001: Miscarriage, I fly to US on first flight I can get

May 2001: I leave US before my 90 days are up

June 2001: I fly back to US, stopped at airport for questioning as I had only just left

September 2001: Pregnancy test Positive again

September 2001: She falls sick, I make decision to stay to look after her as I am afraid I may have problems getting back in.

April 16th 2002: Our son is born, we start getting stuff together for his passport

March 6th 2003: We leave US for UK as family

Early April 2003: Family troubles make her return to US, I ask Embassy in London about possibilities of returning to US

April 16th 2003: London Embassy informs me that I will be banned from the Visa Waiver Program for 10 years, my little boys first birthday

June 13th 2006: I-129f sent

August 11th 2006: NOA1 Recieved

After our relationship breaks down she admits to me that she had never bothered to start the application process

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Hovercat Newbie

Hovercat   0

Posted
Filed: Country: Taiwan
 Timeline
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Posted

Welcome in the long wait hall man, you are not alone trust me :)

Here the form and the instructions from the official website:

http://www.uscis.gov/i-129

Here and in other websites you can find tips (but always get updated from official website):

http://www.visajourney.com/content/k1guide

I cannot begin to express how grateful I am to know others who have been or are going through this :) it's very stressful. Thank you for the links!

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Hovercat Newbie

Hovercat   0

Posted
Filed: Country: Taiwan
 Timeline
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Let's talk timing for a minute.

Is there such a thing as doing everything too early? I will be in the army for a year and a month; what if my application for the fiance visa gets approved when I'm only six months in? Will I be forced to let it expire? Can I choose when I can enter the states after I (fingers crossed) obtain a fiance visa?

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