Overwhelmed and New Here...K1 Help Pleaseeee

[Sun Wukong 2]

Hi everyone, this is my first post! I recently returned to the USA after living abroad in China for a year, and am now trying to bring my fiance over here while simultaneously looking for a job. I feel overwhelmed, stressed, and lost. I am yet to decide whether I should do the K1 on my own, using rapidvisa, or a lawyer. My case in some ways is straight forward, and in other ways a bit complicated. I have decided to try and fill out the I-29F and G-325A on my own, to see if the problems I run into can be overcome. I tried filling out some "practice" forms, and ran into some serious issues right off the bat. If anyone can help me solve any or all of these problems, I would greatly appreciate it! This is my first post on here, and I'm hoping that this community will be able to give me enough help so that I might be able to complete this process as quickly and cheaply as possible. Any advice and tips for someone just starting out on this journey would also be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

Questions about I-29F:

• Part 1, 1.a Family Name: I find that on some official documents, my last name is XXXXX, but on other official documents, my last name is XXXXX-XXXXXXXXX (My mother's maiden name at the end, a tradition common amongst many hispanics). For example, on my passport my last name is XXXXX, but on my drivers license it is XXXXX-XXXXXXXXX. Which should I put on the I-29F? Should I write my second, longer, last name in section 9.a (other names used), and if so, will they ask me for an explanation as to why I have two last names? Or should I simply put the name on my passport and omit any other names from the document?

• Part 1, 2.g. Postal Code, 2.h. Province: I am living in the United states. Above these are spaces reserved for my State and Zip Code. Do I simply leave postal code and province blank? Or do I repeat my zip code for my postal code?

• Part 2, 11 Alien Registration Number (A-Number): I have no Idea what this is, and neither does my fiance. She is not currently in the United States, and is living in China. Is this section only applicable for immigrants who are already here in the states? And if so, do I simply leave it blank?

• Part 2, 34.a. Describe the circumstances under which you met: Is "I met my fiance during an undergraduate study-abroad program to Beijing International Studies University in 2014" sufficient, or are they looking for something more? Should I write this in a certain way (legal speak), or is this ok?

• Part 3. 2.a., 2.b., 2.c.: At the beginning of part 3 of the document, there is a part that says "If you are serving overseas in the Armed Forces of the United States, please answer the following:" I do not know if this is for question 1.a.-1.h. only, or if it is for section 2 and 3 as well. 2.a.-2.c. asks me about possible criminal past. I do not know if this should be answered only if you are in the armed forces, or if this section applies to everyone?

Questions about form G-325A:

• File Number A: What should I put here?

• Applicant's residence the last five years, and applicant's employment the last five years: This is the hardest for me to answer. I have been living in my families home for the last few months, however prior to this, from February 2015- May 2016 I was living in Beijing. I was in China on an M visa, and thus I had to leave the country every 60 days. I would usually go to Korea, HK, or somewhere else for a few days, and then return to my residence in China. I did this for about a year and 2 and a half months. Since I left my apartment every two months, I do not know if this counts as a permanent residence, or if I should simply state my families home in the USA as my residence during the time I was in China. My second fear is that I was in China on an M visa, which is a business visa. While in China, my F visa was about to expire, so an English Education Company I did part time work for offered to help me attain a new visa (the M visa). I gave them my passport, and they returned it to me a few weeks later with the M visa. However, while in China, I was mostly doing studying, traveling, and then finding ways to fund my travels. In hindsight, I do not know if the M visa was the proper visa for me. What's more, I am a bit nervous as to the work I did in China. While my primary concern while being in China was to learn Chinese and self study/ study at a private school, I did make some income by helping out at the previously stated English Education Company. As it was very informal, and my boss was a westerner, he simply would give me some cash for the help I gave him. I never thought anything of it, but now that I have returned to the USA, I do not know if I should put this as employment within the last 5 years. Once again, as it was informal, almost volunteer like, I do not have any documentation regarding this. Should I simply omit this on my G-325A form? Lastly, regarding my address once more, if I am required to put my chinese adress, should I place it under (Applicant's residence last five years) and in the section marked (Applicant's last address outside the United States of more than 1 year), or should I only put it in one section? This part stresses me out the most, and I am horrified that a mistake in either the occupation section or the past residences section would cost me and my fiance a delay in the process of getting our K1. As this is all very confusing and seems to be legally complicated, I do not know if I should simply invest in hiring an immigration lawyer in order to avoid problems that may arise here, or if I am being overly worried and if I should continue to attempt this process on my own or maybe with rapid visa.I really don't want this to affect how soon I can have my fiance back with me again, but I have no idea how to answer these sections. I would greatly appreciate help and advice with thsi seciton!

• (Alien Registration Number) A: I have no Idea what me or my fiance should put here.

Those are all of my major questions that I can think of at the moment. I really hope that someone might be able to help me with this, as I really am overwhelmed. Am I in over my head, and with the last complications should I just invest in a lawyer? I am extremely thankful to anyone who took the time to read through all of this. Thank you so much! I look forward to everyone's answers! Thanks again all!

[NuZayetsPogodi 117]

Hi everyone, this is my first post! I recently returned to the USA after living abroad in China for a year, and am now trying to bring my fiance over here while simultaneously looking for a job. I feel overwhelmed, stressed, and lost. I am yet to decide whether I should do the K1 on my own, using rapidvisa, or a lawyer. My case in some ways is straight forward, and in other ways a bit complicated. I have decided to try and fill out the I-29F and G-325A on my own, to see if the problems I run into can be overcome. I tried filling out some "practice" forms, and ran into some serious issues right off the bat. If anyone can help me solve any or all of these problems, I would greatly appreciate it! This is my first post on here, and I'm hoping that this community will be able to give me enough help so that I might be able to complete this process as quickly and cheaply as possible. Any advice and tips for someone just starting out on this journey would also be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

Questions about I-29F:

• Part 1, 1.a Family Name: I find that on some official documents, my last name is XXXXX, but on other official documents, my last name is XXXXX-XXXXXXXXX (My mother's maiden name at the end, a tradition common amongst many hispanics). For example, on my passport my last name is XXXXX, but on my drivers license it is XXXXX-XXXXXXXXX. Which should I put on the I-29F? Should I write my second, longer, last name in section 9.a (other names used), and if so, will they ask me for an explanation as to why I have two last names? Or should I simply put the name on my passport and omit any other names from the document?

I'd put the last name on your passport.

• Part 1, 2.g. Postal Code, 2.h. Province: I am living in the United states. Above these are spaces reserved for my State and Zip Code. Do I simply leave postal code and province blank? Or do I repeat my zip code for my postal code?

Yes, anything that is not applicable to you, leave blank.

• Part 2, 11 Alien Registration Number (A-Number): I have no Idea what this is, and neither does my fiance. She is not currently in the United States, and is living in China. Is this section only applicable for immigrants who are already here in the states? And if so, do I simply leave it blank?

Yes, it is only for immigrants.

• Part 2, 34.a. Describe the circumstances under which you met: Is "I met my fiance during an undergraduate study-abroad program to Beijing International Studies University in 2014" sufficient, or are they looking for something more? Should I write this in a certain way (legal speak), or is this ok?

A lot of people include a more detailed statement (a paragraph or so, on a separate sheet of paper), including dates. However, what you have is technically fine.

• Part 3. 2.a., 2.b., 2.c.: At the beginning of part 3 of the document, there is a part that says "If you are serving overseas in the Armed Forces of the United States, please answer the following:" I do not know if this is for question 1.a.-1.h. only, or if it is for section 2 and 3 as well. 2.a.-2.c. asks me about possible criminal past. I do not know if this should be answered only if you are in the armed forces, or if this section applies to everyone?

Leave armed forces questions blank. That's just for part 1. The rest of the stuff on that page applies to you.

Questions about form G-325A:

• File Number A: What should I put here?

That's the same thing as alien registration number. You put nothing.

• Applicant's residence the last five years, and applicant's employment the last five years: This is the hardest for me to answer. I have been living in my families home for the last few months, however prior to this, from February 2015- May 2016 I was living in Beijing. I was in China on an M visa, and thus I had to leave the country every 60 days. I would usually go to Korea, HK, or somewhere else for a few days, and then return to my residence in China. I did this for about a year and 2 and a half months. Since I left my apartment every two months, I do not know if this counts as a permanent residence, or if I should simply state my families home in the USA as my residence during the time I was in China. My second fear is that I was in China on an M visa, which is a business visa. While in China, my F visa was about to expire, so an English Education Company I did part time work for offered to help me attain a new visa (the M visa). I gave them my passport, and they returned it to me a few weeks later with the M visa. However, while in China, I was mostly doing studying, traveling, and then finding ways to fund my travels. In hindsight, I do not know if the M visa was the proper visa for me. What's more, I am a bit nervous as to the work I did in China. While my primary concern while being in China was to learn Chinese and self study/ study at a private school, I did make some income by helping out at the previously stated English Education Company. As it was very informal, and my boss was a westerner, he simply would give me some cash for the help I gave him. I never thought anything of it, but now that I have returned to the USA, I do not know if I should put this as employment within the last 5 years. Once again, as it was informal, almost volunteer like, I do not have any documentation regarding this. Should I simply omit this on my G-325A form? Lastly, regarding my address once more, if I am required to put my chinese adress, should I place it under (Applicant's residence last five years) and in the section marked (Applicant's last address outside the United States of more than 1 year), or should I only put it in one section? This part stresses me out the most, and I am horrified that a mistake in either the occupation section or the past residences section would cost me and my fiance a delay in the process of getting our K1. As this is all very confusing and seems to be legally complicated, I do not know if I should simply invest in hiring an immigration lawyer in order to avoid problems that may arise here, or if I am being overly worried and if I should continue to attempt this process on my own or maybe with rapid visa.I really don't want this to affect how soon I can have my fiance back with me again, but I have no idea how to answer these sections. I would greatly appreciate help and advice with thsi seciton!

You kept coming back to the same apartment, right? So, that's a permanent address. I probably wouldn't include that job that was essentially cash under the table, especially if you didn't declare it on your taxes and if the income wasn't significant. It's probably not that serious whether you include the address in both places or not. The USCIS probably doesn't care about this minor detail. Just be sure you put that address under the "addresses abroad for more than 1 year" section.

• (Alien Registration Number) A: I have no Idea what me or my fiance should put here.

Nothing.

Those are all of my major questions that I can think of at the moment. I really hope that someone might be able to help me with this, as I really am overwhelmed. Am I in over my head, and with the last complications should I just invest in a lawyer? I am extremely thankful to anyone who took the time to read through all of this. Thank you so much! I look forward to everyone's answers! Thanks again all!

No, don't invest in a lawyer. Just fill out the form carefully and ask questions on Visa Journey. Paying a lawyer to fill out a form for you would be a terrible waste of money.

[NuZayetsPogodi 117]

And omg whatever you do, don't use Rapid Visa. Save your money!!

[Stevephoto 230]

The "A" number will be assigned to your fiancee later and will be used throughout the rest of the process (AOS, ROC, Citizenship). I agree with rest--save your money--the process costs enough without an attorney! Good luck

[Sun Wukong 2]

Thank you all so much! You have no idea how much this all means to me! The fact that all of my questions were answered is amazing! I can't wait to get this thing turned in. Hopefully I'll be able to get it all in by Friday! Once again, thank you all so much! 3 quick follow up questions: 1) While my description is technically fine, would it be better/ more advantageous to have a longer description attached to another page for the question of how me and my fiance met? and 2) If I put the name on my passport, should I include my other last name on the "other names used section" or is this not applicable to me as it was not a name change or divorce related name etc. etc. etc. 3) Lastly, I was wondering how in depth the residence history and work history have to be? Technically, I only had one official part time job while I was in college, and I have no idea how to get the information pertaining to that job. I also moved to several different apartments and dorms while I was in College. I don't really remember all of the different apartment room numbers and the exact dates that I lived in each place. Would it be ok if I just put the address of the apartment complex without the room number? Also I'm assuming I shouldn't include any "unofficial" part-time work such as working at a mom and pop restaurant and at a small local car dealership if I don't have paperwork for these places on file somewhere? Is that correct? Sorry if this comes across as a bit redundant, I just want to be 100% sure that none of these questions will affect the K1 visa negatively in the near future... Better safe than sorry. Thanks for the help all!

[NuZayetsPogodi 117]

Also, when you put together your petition, be absolutely sure you use a cover letter explicitly stating what you're applying for and include a table of contents for everything in your packet. You might want to google "checklist for i-129f petition" to make sure you have everything. Check and double check that you have every form, that everything is signed, and that every space that needs to be filled out is indeed filled out.

Thank you all so much! You have no idea how much this all means to me! The fact that all of my questions were answered is amazing! I can't wait to get this thing turned in. Hopefully I'll be able to get it all in by Friday! Once again, thank you all so much! 3 quick follow up questions: 1) While my description is technically fine, would it be better/ more advantageous to have a longer description attached to another page for the question of how me and my fiance met? Probably yes. In this situation, too much information is unlikely to hurt you, but too little information could cost you time. The USCIS cares about seeing some sort of evidence that you two met - so, you need to enclose copies of plane tickets, passport stamps, something that proves you were in China and met your fiance. Many of us "front-loaded" our petitions. We enclosed this type of evidence, chat logs to show the relationship is on-going, and copies of pictures of us with our fiance. The USCIS probably doesn't care much about it, but when your fiance goes to the embassy for her interview, the embassy will have a copy of this petition and everything you enclosed, so all the details of your relationship can help the embassy make a decision. and 2) If I put the name on my passport, should I include my other last name on the "other names used section" or is this not applicable to me as it was not a name change or divorce related name etc. etc. etc. Yes, I would put your other name(s) here. The USCIS has dealt with many people before you who have atypical name situations. If you're worried, just enclose a short explanation of why you have two different last names. 3) Lastly, I was wondering how in depth the residence history and work history have to be? Technically, I only had one official part time job while I was in college, and I have no idea how to get the information pertaining to that job. Put as much info as you have. There's not that much space anyways. If it was a campus job, just put your university's address. For my work history, I included the fact that I was a student at University of Blah-de-Blah from years 20XX-20XX. I also moved to several different apartments and dorms while I was in College. I don't really remember all of the different apartment room numbers and the exact dates that I lived in each place. Would it be ok if I just put the address of the apartment complex without the room number? Probably. I didn't include all my addresses from college because I didn't remember them. Also I'm assuming I shouldn't include any "unofficial" part-time work such as working at a mom and pop restaurant and at a small local car dealership if I don't have paperwork for these places on file somewhere? Is that correct? I don't want to tell you to break the law. It's technically lying because you worked without your employer or yourself declaring your income, and this is illegal because nobody had to pay taxes for your under-the-table work. I'm not saying this in judgment. Almost everyone does this - babysitting, tutoring, etc. I can't tell you DON'T include it. What I can tell you is if there's no way to track it, it may not be worth putting it down. Sorry if this comes across as a bit redundant, I just want to be 100% sure that none of these questions will affect the K1 visa negatively in the near future... Better safe than sorry. Thanks for the help all! Just pay it forward and do something nice for someone today.