would a gofundme somehow mess up my fiancee's chances of an AOS?

[pudgypandas 0]

yea I think people see the go fund me accounts as only tragic but really it isn't. my friend set up her own go fund me account when she was starting her book publishing and all her friends and family helped her out. the go fund me account FYI to everyone can be used for many different reasons. from my original post I was just hoping you wasn't going to be using it for everything and you responded only because of the holidays. people can use the go fund me account has they wish. a kid set up a go fund me account to ask for help with a Christmas gift he wanted so he wanted his family to help that lived around the world.

go fund me accounts can be used for ANY and EVERYTHING . just because all you see is tragedy stories with go fund me account doesn't mean it has to be the same for everyone.

Yah I've had friends make them so they can travel abroad for school, or so they can jumpstart some personal projects. I am an artist and I have a lot of other freelance artist friends- a lot of them use it for freelance commissions and stuff.

OK, I understand that the holidays are amazing at draining bank accounts!

Personally, I wouldn't use a gofundme page incase it came back to bite me in the future but its obv your call - but putting out two other options:

1) Delaying the paperwork till after the holidays (I know that your keen to get it in the mail and done, but it may be worth recouping a little before going down this route - K1 or K3's are expensive!).

2) As you said its a temporary situation, borrow the money from a family member (I know not everyone can do this as times are tough, just floating it out there), as I assume it would be friends and family primarily paying into your gofundme page in the first place?

With the gofundme page, whats your plan if the page gets less than what you were hoping for?

If I was you, i'd prepare the paperwork now whilst he's there, get everything sorted out and use the time to double check everything is 100% right and all boxes are ticked (as you dont want an RFE from rushing the paperwork), relax a little and then actually file for it once you have recoup'd from the holidays. I'm all too familiar with wanting to get everything just sorted to be together with your loved one but just go with the flow.

Yah, we wouldn't be filling it out till January, but the problem is I wanna make sure I get in all the paperwork before the end of January so we don't run into any issues of him being in the country. The gofundme is really only because of the short deadline. If i had more time it wouldn't be an issue. I've also asked my immediate family, and they have already donated what they can.

I don't expect the gofundme to fill the whole amount I need, just something to add to what I'm saving up right now.

[ItsGonnaBeWorthIt 191]

I just want to make a point from the actual website. no one needs to lose their home or lose a loved one or escape from a tragedy to set up a go fund me account. for example

https://www.gofundme.com/Weddings-Honeymoons/ .. honey moon go fund me accounts

https://www.gofundme.com/Travel-Adventure/... travel go fund me accounts

https://www.gofundme.com/Education-Schools-Learning/ education go fund me accounts

https://www.gofundme.com/Competitions-Pageants/ ... competitions and pageants go fund me accounts

AND SO ON AND SO ON! no tragedies no sicknesses no urgent need of money. just simple go fund me accounts that people just want family friends or strangers to help with!

[Umka36 781]

To answer your question if using the gofundme to pay for the petition will cause problem, I doubt it. Personally, I don't participate through online portals like gofundme to donate. It's probably because I don't use social media systems when donating, but prefer personal contact from friends and family if they need help. To each their own.

[Cathi 5,755]

First off, congrats on getting engaged

I take it he be returning to Canada in the new year? and then if married file for a K-3?

As others have said before me, during the AOS phase (once married and your K visa is approved) you need to be able to prove you can support yourself and your fiance without being a ward of the state (wellfare), hence the need to file your IRS transcripts/ proof of ongoing employement (or if your self employed, proof of reliable income) as evidence along with proof of any savings you and your fiance have. Renember that untill EAD is approved he cannot work legally in the U.S and as such is entirely dependent on you. This can take a few months to get approved.

From memory you have to be earning about 125% over the poverty line (I could be wrong here - but its around that mark) in order to sponsor without requiring a co-sponsor (parent.etc).

USCIS can and do look at social media/ online for evidence of a relationship and I suspect that they could find a gofundme page however as long as your evidence is strong I doubt it would be an issue, but it may raise questions on why you need a go fund me page in the first place

K-3 is an obsolete visa and virtually not issued anymore

[Transborderwife 4,666]

Personally it disgusts me to see gfm accounts for anything and everything. Instead of setting one up, are you having a wedding? Why not put on your invitation "donations in lieu of gifts greatly appreciated". Personally, if you cannot afford it or don't have people to help, save until you do. I'm sorry if it sounds harsh.

I saw a gfm account for people wanting the cost of their $50k wedding and immigration covered. Ridiculous!

[SunflowerSweet 1,321]

I don't think the problem has anything to do with if you CAN make a gofundme account, I already knew that.

It's more about whether or not you SHOULD. I personally wouldn't ever ask for funding for something like that since being married and applying for a visa is a lotttt safer with an actual steady income, which donations from gofundme is not.

And yeah, a lot of people are touchy when people ask for hand outs. That's not my problem with it, I just think it would be better to be more prepared through your own funding.

[ItsGonnaBeWorthIt 191]

I don't think the problem has anything to do with if you CAN make a gofundme account, I already knew that.

It's more about whether or not you SHOULD. I personally wouldn't ever ask for funding for something like that since being married and applying for a visa is a lotttt safer with an actual steady income, which donations from gofundme is not.

And yeah, a lot of people are touchy when people ask for hand outs. That's not my problem with it, I just think it would be better to be more prepared through your own funding.

Edited December 18, 2015 by ItsGonnaBeWorthIt

[mallafri76 1,012]

As long as it doesn't hurt anything or anyone, I say to each their own. If you want a gofundme account to try and get some money for the immigration fee and people are willing to fund you, why not?! People donate out of their own free will. And I doubt that US immigrations will care about it.

As part of the immigration process you do need to meet the federal poverty guidelines for the affidavit of support or have a joint sponsor, because without it, your future husband can't immigrate. At present, for a household of two you need to have an annual salary of just under $20,000.

[pudgypandas 0]

Personally it disgusts me to see gfm accounts for anything and everything. Instead of setting one up, are you having a wedding? Why not put on your invitation "donations in lieu of gifts greatly appreciated". Personally, if you cannot afford it or don't have people to help, save until you do. I'm sorry if it sounds harsh.

I saw a gfm account for people wanting the cost of their $50k wedding and immigration covered. Ridiculous!

I am going to have a ceremony, but that was one of the reasons we are handling it the way we are. This way he can be here and we can plan our wedding together and save up together. I make enough over the poverty line to meet the requirements, it was literally just this small amount that I was looking into getting help with since he would technically have to leave after 6 months I think?

Unless I've completely interpreted this wrong, but if we get legally married here in the states, can we wait and save up money for it even if the amount of time he should be in the states has passed? or does the paperwork need to be filed and in before that time frame runs out?

**I should also mention in case anyone is confused, I'm not asking anyone in here to donate. I never posted the link anywhere here, the whole post was if this could reflect badly or ruin my fiancee's chances of his AOS.

Edited December 18, 2015 by pudgypandas

[ItsGonnaBeWorthIt 191]

I am going to have a ceremony, but that was one of the reasons we are handling it the way we are. This way he can be here and we can plan our wedding together and save up together. I make enough over the poverty line to meet the requirements, it was literally just this small amount that I was looking into getting help with since he would technically have to leave after 6 months I think?

Unless I've completely interpreted this wrong, but if we get legally married here in the states, can we wait and save up money for it even if the amount of time he should be in the states has passed? or does the paperwork need to be filed and in before that time frame runs out?

**I should also mention in case anyone is confused, I'm not asking anyone in here to donate. I never posted the link anywhere here, the whole post was if this could reflect badly or ruin my fiancee's chances of his AOS.

you have two options.

1. he can stay and adjust his status based on marrying a US citizen ( he can not leave the country or work until proper work and travel documents)

2. after the 6 months he can go back to home and you file for a CR1

[pudgypandas 0]

you have two options.

1. he can stay and adjust his status based on marrying a US citizen ( he can not leave the country or work until proper work and travel documents)

2. after the 6 months he can go back to home and you file for a CR1

right, and we are going for the first one- but I just wanted to make sure we wouldn't get in trouble if we got married and didn't have the money for the paperwork just yet, so we didn't file until we got the money? I was under the impression we had to get all the paperwork in before the 6 months were up, even if we were already married.

[ItsGonnaBeWorthIt 191]

right, and we are going for the first one- but I just wanted to make sure we wouldn't get in trouble if we got married and didn't have the money for the paperwork just yet, so we didn't file until we got the money? I was under the impression we had to get all the paperwork in before the 6 months were up, even if we were already married.

its ideal to get everything done before his visa expire because then he will start gaining overstay but OVERSTAY is forgiven when you file paperwork being married to you which means if you don't start the paperwork for another 10 years he will be good when you do file( please don't wait 10 years) hahah . the risk is if his visa is expired and you didn't file paperwork between those time if he gets stopped by a police or whatever anything can happen then he can be deported. so the best thing is within these 6 months try your hardest to make up enough money to start the process. remember filing the paper work you can request work authorization so he can work when he get his work permit which can help. when is his 6 months up?

Edited December 18, 2015 by ItsGonnaBeWorthIt

[pudgypandas 0]

its ideal to get everything done before his visa expire because then he will start gaining overstay but OVERSTAY is forgiven when you file paperwork being married to you. the risk is if his visa is expired and you didn't file paperwork between those time if he gets stopped by a police or whatever anything can happen then he can be deported. so the best thing is within these 6 months try your hardest to make up enough money to start the process. remember filing the paper work you can request work authorization so he can work when he get his work permit which can help. when is his 6 months up?

Yah that's what i thought. His 6 months are up in the end of January (so a month away), so that's why we were scrambling for money to cover just the fees for the paperwork alone. I will be saving money for everything else, it was just the initial costs, cause we read that they cost about $1,700 total. We will be filing for a work permit. I heard that those take 2-3 months to obtain though.

[ItsGonnaBeWorthIt 191]

Yah that's what i thought. His 6 months are up in the end of January (so a month away), so that's why we were scrambling for money to cover just the fees for the paperwork alone. I will be saving money for everything else, it was just the initial costs, cause we read that they cost about $1,700 total. We will be filing for a work permit. I heard that those take 2-3 months to obtain though.

yea even if he overstayed 10 years it will be forgiven once paperwork is filed but the risk is there.. oh yes January is close! well sit down and make a decision. once his visa expire just know his overstay starts but once paperwork is filed and approved his overstay is forgiven.

yes it takes 2-3 months to get that but lets say you take out a loan for the meantime once he starts working it will be easy to pay back or if you asked others for money it can be easy to pay back. but things happens and situations happen trust most if not all have been out of money for a month or two or more . you say you will have the money after the holidays? well then send your paperwork off then. its all what you can do and when you can do it.

good luck! need anymore help I and many others are here to help . we all fall on hard times and it looks like your hard time is just the holidays. it will be over soon!

[pudgypandas 0]

yea even if he overstayed 10 years it will be forgiven once paperwork is filed but the risk is there.. oh yes January is close! well sit down and make a decision. once his visa expire just know his overstay starts but once paperwork is filed and approved his overstay is forgiven.

yes it takes 2-3 months to get that but lets say you take out a loan for the meantime once he starts working it will be easy to pay back or if you asked others for money it can be easy to pay back. but things happens and situations happen trust most if not all have been out of money for a month or two or more . you say you will have the money after the holidays? well then send your paperwork off then. its all what you can do and when you can do it.

good luck! need anymore help I and many others are here to help . we all fall on hard times and it looks like your hard time is just the holidays. it will be over soon!

Oh! I had no idea about the overstay thing. That makes me feel a bit better now, and I might not put up that gofundme then. I had no idea there was some leeway.

Thanks! I appreciate your help and kindness in this whole discussion!