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Filed: K-1 Visa Country: Ukraine
Timeline
Posted

Lol I have a few red flags but I'm doing it without a lawyer. My red flags are I was recently divorced and

I'm 13 years older than my fiancé and I'm a woman which makes it more of a red flag.

But I sent a letter explaining i was separated from my ex for a long time before the divorce and I have lots of proof of bona fide relationship . My 14 year old daughter is coming with me to see him in three weeks and we'll get pics and get more evidence for the interview.

My NOA1 was August 4 and I'm constantly checking my status on USCIS website....... Even through the holiday weekend when I know nobody's working ???

Filed: Citizen (apr) Country: Canada
Timeline
Posted

Do you think 2 photos with his full family is enough? Also are written letters from his parents something to add as well?

Yes two photos should be fine, and the letters should be photocopied and attached since you won't get originals back.

I spent so much time over analyzing the photos and flight itinerary section I almost never wanted to send it because I felt it wasn't good enough.

As long as you fill out the correct information without errors for your I-129F and G 325a form the rest should be secondary.

Filed: K-1 Visa Country: Russia
Timeline
Posted

Yes two photos should be fine, and the letters should be photocopied and attached since you won't get originals back.

I spent so much time over analyzing the photos and flight itinerary section I almost never wanted to send it because I felt it wasn't good enough.

As long as you fill out the correct information without errors for your I-129F and G 325a form the rest should be secondary.

Ok I will deffinetly remember to photo copy them. Do i keep the originals or do I give the originals to USCIS? Also they are written in Russian from his parents'. I speak and understand Russian, but should i have them translated for the immigration USCIS?... Sorry for the tons of questions

Lol I have a few red flags but I'm doing it without a lawyer. My red flags are I was recently divorced and

I'm 13 years older than my fiancé and I'm a woman which makes it more of a red flag.

But I sent a letter explaining i was separated from my ex for a long time before the divorce and I have lots of proof of bona fide relationship . My 14 year old daughter is coming with me to see him in three weeks and we'll get pics and get more evidence for the interview.

My NOA1 was August 4 and I'm constantly checking my status on USCIS website....... Even through the holiday weekend when I know nobody's working ???

I hope you don't mind if i ask, but are you more or less than 2 years divorced?

Posted

Everything should be photocopies! Never send originals as you won't get them back. Originals are to be brought to the interview only.

Yes, you need to translate documents. Anyone can translate for you, including yourself. Please see below:

Please submit certified translations for all foreign language documents. The translator must certify that s/he is competent to translate and that the translation is accurate.

The certification format should include the certifier's name, signature, address, and date of certification. A suggested format is:

Certification by Translator

I [typed name], certify that I am fluent (conversant) in the English and [enter appropriate language] languages, and that the above/attached document is an accurate translation of the document attached entitled [enter title of document].
Signature
Typed Name
Address
Date

And look here: https://www.uscis.gov/forms/forms-and-fees/general-tips-assembling-applications-mailing


Married: 5-July-2015
I-130 Petition Sent: 11-May-2016
NSC Received (Our Priority Date): 12-May-2016
NOA2 Received: 30-September-2016 141 days for I-130 approval
NOA2 Hard Copy Received: 06-October-2016
Petition Sent to NVC: 17-October-2016 17 days for petition to be sent to NVC
NVC Received: 21-October-2016 4 days to be received at NVC
NVC Case Number Assigned: 31-October-2016 10 days for case number to be assigned
NVC Welcome Letter Received: 3-November-2016 @ 12:10 AM 3 days from case number assigned until Welcome Letter received and invoices unlocked
IV and AOS Fees Unlocked: 3-November-2016 @ 7:00 AM
IV and AOS Fees Paid: 3-November-2016
DS-260 Unlocked: 7-November-2016 2.5 business days for DS-260 to be unlocked
DS-260 Submitted: 8-November-2016
AOS and IV Documents Sent: 9-November-2016
Scan Date: 14-November-2016 5 days to receive scan date due to a holiday/weekend
Medical expedite requested: 14-December-2016
Medical expedite approved at consulate: 19-December-2016 Expedite approved with consulate but denied at NVC; still need to wait for case complete
Case on Supervisor Review: 22-December-2016
Case sent to the Review Department: 13-January-2017
Case Complete: 24-January-2017     10 weeks and 2 days at NVC before case completed
Case arrived at consulate/CEAC status "Ready": 1-February-2017
Interview: 21-February-2017   We scheduled our own interview because we had an approved medical expedite with the consulate. By sheer luck we got such a quick interview date because someone cancelled their appointment less than 20 minutes prior
Interview Result: Approved!!
Visa Issued: 21-February-2017     Visa issued same day as interview
DHL tracking information received: 22-February-2017     DHL tracking number appeared 28 hours after interview, scheduled for delivery the next day
Visa in hand: 23-Feb-2017
US POE (Minneapolis): 26-Feb-2017

Filed: K-1 Visa Country: Russia
Timeline
Posted

Everything should be photocopies! Never send originals as you won't get them back. Originals are to be brought to the interview only.

Yes, you need to translate documents. Anyone can translate for you, including yourself. Please see below:

Please submit certified translations for all foreign language documents. The translator must certify that s/he is competent to translate and that the translation is accurate.

The certification format should include the certifier's name, signature, address, and date of certification. A suggested format is:

Certification by Translator

I [typed name], certify that I am fluent (conversant) in the English and [enter appropriate language] languages, and that the above/attached document is an accurate translation of the document attached entitled [enter title of document].

Signature

Typed Name

Address

Date

And look here: https://www.uscis.gov/forms/forms-and-fees/general-tips-assembling-applications-mailing

Thank you so much for all of this information! I really thought I was going to have to pay an online site to translate those letters for me. ^_^

Filed: Citizen (pnd) Country: Canada
Timeline
Posted

You can easily do this yourself and like others said, unless you have any obvious red flags, it's not worth getting a lawyer. The lawyer won't speed up the process but they would tend to make less errors. If you follow the guides on this site and the advice of the members you should be fine.

Good luck !!

K-1 VISA
08-05-06 - Married in Sycamore IL


AOS / EAD
08-24-06 - AOS/EAD mail to Chicago (Day 1)

11-06-06 - GC & Welcome Letter arrive in Mail (Day 75)

I-751
09-23-08 - Sent Package via USPS (Day 1)
01-02-09 - Received GC in mail (with wrong Resident Since date) (Day 101)

Filed: AOS (pnd) Country: Philippines
Timeline
Posted

Hello,

I highlighted my questions in black bold. I'm new to this forum. I am an American woman, and my fiance is from Russia. I have to start the fiance Visa this month so that I can bring him over here as soon as possible. Is it going to be super difficult if I'm doing this all myself without a lawyer? I'm very organized, and if given the proper instructions on everything I can do it myself. Has anyone else done the K-1 Fiance Visa themselves, and was successful... or in the process like me? Also is that site (rapidvisa.com) a scam or is it a real help?

If we have all the relationship proof, and I filled the forms and everything correctly...is there anyway they can just deny him the visa...just for the heck of it?

Anyways basically if I cannot bring him to America, than we agreed that we will just live together in another country where we both don't need visas....That's just plan B if we couldn't be together in USA, but I prefer that I try to bring him to America so we can be close to my family, and for him it doesn't really make a difference where we live as long as we are together.

We did the K1 process ourselves without the help of a lawyer. Different blogs and of course visajourney helped us a lot. Check my signature for our timeline. :)

Previous U.S. Visa/Trips
03-10-2014 : B1 issued date
03-24-2015 : B1/B2 issued date
02-26-2016 : Visited my aunt in Corpus Christi
02-27-2016 : Meet Ryan and he asked me out 
03-30-2016 : He proposed before I left U.S.
04-01-2016 : I left U.S. I wish I had enough days to marry him.
But, I have a very important business meeting to physically attend in Cebu on 04/04. I also have a business trip due in Japan for May 2016. 
Circumstances lead me to K-1. 
K1 - Journey
Spoiler

 

04-22-2016 : Sent I-129F Packet
07-20-2016 : Received NOA2
08-01-2016 : NVC Case # assigned
08-25-2016 : Interview Date and APPROVED!!! 
09-03-2016 : VOH
AOS - Journey
Spoiler

12-14-2016 : POE

12-30-2016 : Wedding Day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
01-20-2017 : Sent I-485, I-765, I-131 Packet
01-24-2017 : NOA1 Received Date
02-03-2017 : Received NOA1 Hard Copy
02-04-2017 : Received Biometrics Appointment Scheduled on 02/17
02-08-2017 : Completed Biometrics
04-22-2017 : EAD Update - Card in Production
04-27-2017 : Received EAD & AP Approval Notice
05-01-2017 : Received EAD & AP Combo Card
05-01-2017 : Received EAD & AP Combo Card
11-17-2017 : I-485 Approved Date
11-25-2017 : I-485 Approved Notice Received
11-27-2017 : GC Received at the mailbox. No text/email notification. USCIS Case Status is still at "Fingerprint Fee Received" 
 
 
Posted (edited)

LoveuAlan, I was divorced less than a year ago

May not be a problem.

So you believe your red flags are:

Recently divorced

13 years older than your fiance

you're a woman

I'm 6 and a half years older than my fiance, a woman, and I started dating my husband within the same month that myself and my ex husband separated.

My divorce/dating time line looked like this:

March 2013 - Separated from ex husband (he moved out) started dating current husband

June 2014 - Divorce finalized (Did the divorce Pro Se, no lawyer which takes more time)

November 2014 - Husband (then boyfriend) proposed

April 2015 - Filed K1, less than a year divorced

We had a lot of face time under our belt though, he'd visit every couple of months. We had also known each other online since 2010, so our case was stronger than most. Mine was also an easier country to deal with ( in theory ), but at the end of the day real relationships will make it through no matter what they get thrown at them.

But as long as you can make a strong case for yourself, your divorce shouldn't hurt you.

Edited by Ash.1101

*More detailed timeline in profile!*
 
Relationship:     Friends since 2010, Together since 2013

 K-1:   2015 Done in 208 days - 212g for Second Cosponsor    

Spoiler

04/27/15- NOA1 Recieved                                                    
06/02/15 - NOA2 Recieved
09/22/15 - Interview       (221g for more documents (a SECOND cosponsor), see profile for more details!)                                            
11/09/15 -  ISSUED!!                                                              
11/10/15 - Passport received                                                
02/20/16 - Wedding!              

                                         
 AOS:   2016 Done in 77 days - No RFE, No Interview                                                                    

Spoiler

04/08/16 - I-485, I-765, I-131 AOS Application recieved by USCIS
04/12/16 - 3 NOA1's received in mail
05/14/16 - Biometrics for AOS and EAD
06/27/16 - I-485 Case to changed to "New Card being produced"  (Day 77)
06/27/16 - I-485 Case changed to Approved! (Day 77)
06/30/16 - I-485 Case changed to "My Card has been mailed to me!"
07/05/16 - Green Card received in mail! 

 


ROC:   2018 - 2019 Done in 326 days - No RFE, No Interview

Spoiler

 

05/09/18 - Mailed out ROC to CSC

05/10/18 - CSC Signed and received ROC package
06/07/28 - NOA1 

06/11/18 - Check cashed

06/15/18 - NOA received in the mail
08/27/18 - 18 month extension received (Courtesy Copy)

09/18/18 - Request for official 18 month extension
10/22/18 - Official 18 month extension received 

02/27/19 - Biometrics waived 

04/29/19 - New card being produced!
05/09/19 - USPS delivered green card! In hand now!

 

Filed: Lift. Cond. (apr) Country: Egypt
Timeline
Posted

Welcome! And, just to let you know, we went through the entire K-1 process without a lawyer and with very few pictures. Though I used the information from this site a lot, I posted very few questions, since I found early on that if I had a question, it's more than likely someone else, or many, had the same question too, asked and answered already. Best of luck!

Filed: K-1 Visa Country: Morocco
Timeline
Posted

Did it myself it was easier then I thought . Lawyers are not needed these days unless your case is special . It's all administration work . Just make sure you organize everything like a school project . We filed and four months later we had visa in hand

Filed: AOS (pnd) Country: Venezuela
Timeline
Posted

Don't use an attorney. One of the biggest mistakes we made was wasting that money. Good luck!

K-1

Spoiler

4/20/16: Application Mailed

4/26/16: NOA1 (Hard Copy Received: 4/30/16)

7/11/16: NOA2 (Hard Copy Received: 7/14/16)

7/28/16: NVC Case# Received!

9/27/16: Interview (APPROVED)

10/28/16: POE

11/26/16: Wedding

AOS

Spoiler

 

12/9/16: Package Delivered to Chicago

12/14/16: Check Cashed

12/15/17: NOA1 (All cases)

1/13/17: Biometrics Appointment

1/20/17: Status Changed (I485): Ready to schedule Interview

3/10/17: Service Request (I765) by phone (91 days)

3/10/17: EAD Approved ("New Card is Being Produced")

3/16/17: Received EAD/AP Approval notices in mail

3/21/17: EAD Status Changed: "Card has been mailed to me"

3/21/17: EAD/AP Combo Card received in the mail (102 days) (YAYYYY)

9/13/17: Date of Interview (Approved!)

9/13/17: Status changed to Card in production

9/14/17: Status changed to Case Approved

9/19/17: Green Card in Hand :D

 

 
ROC
Spoiler
5/15/19: NOA: Received reminder letter to file from USCIS
6/20/19: Mailed Package to USCIS PO BOX AZ
6/22/19: Package Delivered (signed for by USCIS)
6/26/19: NOA1 (hard copy received 6/28/19)
6/27/19: Check Cashed, text/email received to expect receipt. 
6/28/19: Hard Copy NOA1 Received (California Svs Center)
1/15/20: Biometrics taken
4/16/20: Case Approved
4/22/20: green card in hand 😄
Posted

Lol I have a few red flags but I'm doing it without a lawyer. My red flags are I was recently divorced and

I'm 13 years older than my fiancé and I'm a woman which makes it more of a red flag.

But I sent a letter explaining i was separated from my ex for a long time before the divorce and I have lots of proof of bona fide relationship . My 14 year old daughter is coming with me to see him in three weeks and we'll get pics and get more evidence for the interview.

My NOA1 was August 4 and I'm constantly checking my status on USCIS website....... Even through the holiday weekend when I know nobody's working ???

Well you did a good job. I would like to know ....

1. what kind of proof did you submit for explaining you was separated from your ex for a long time before the divorce?

2. What kind of evidence did you submit for proof of bona fide relationship?

I'm facing a same issue. My girlfriend also 7 years older than me and she's divorced recently. She's a U.S LPR and i'm a Bangladeshi.

 
Didn't find the answer you were looking for? Ask our VJ Immigration Lawyers.

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