Lied for a previous visa interview...HELP!

[Natalie Rose 10]

Hello, My fiance and I are apply for a K-1 visa to the US. I am a US citizen and he is a Cambodian citizen. We met in Cambodia in 2015 when I was volunteering with a ministry (he was also volunteering). We stared dating about a month after we met. I went back to the US in Nov 2015 and in March 2016 we decided to apply for a Tourist visa so he could meet my family. Apparently he got some really bad advice from his Christian employers and he lied at his visa interview saying that I was only his friend and that he wanted to visit me. Of course they failed him. I visited him in April-May 2016. Then in August 2016 I accepted a teaching position in Cambodia and moved there short term. I wanted to learn more about his culture and his family. Long distance was hard on us. Well he proposed in October 2016 after our 1 year anniversary. We’ve now been engaged for 6 months and we have decided to apply for a K-1 visa. I am terrified since he lied on his last interview involving me saying that I was his friend and now we’re engaged. Do you have any advice for us? I’m so stressed. I’m ready to go to the US and I want to marry him there and I want him to meet my family. Any advice helps!! Thank you!

[Jojo92122 1,924]

Relax.  Lots of people lie about having boyfriends/girlfriends on visitor visa applications before successfully getting fiance visas.  This is considered a small lie that is ignored for the K-1.

[glmg21 330]

Being denied for a tourist visa doesn't usually mean you'll get denied for a non-immigrant visa. The general explanation is that if you attempt to get a tourist visa when it looks like you're visiting someone you might be dating, and thus have the intention to never return, you're likely to get declined. For the K1, the requirement is that you simply prove the legitimacy of your relationship with intent and tangible proof of meeting, which doesn't sound like it will be hard to do.

 

For future reference though, never EVER lie to Homeland Security, USCIS, or anyone in the government! It never ends well.

[Natalie Rose 10]

6 minutes ago, Dee elle said:

He said you were his friend... that was true  .. you were not engaged at the time, so there was nothing else to say..

They asked him if we were dating or just friends and he said just friends. Do you think that will be a problem?

[Jojo92122 1,924]

5 minutes ago, Natalie Rose said:

They asked him if we were dating or just friends and he said just friends. Do you think that will be a problem?

It's not a problem.  Lots of people have been in your situation.  Lying about a girlfriend/boyfriend at the visitor visa interview has not been a problem for many others who have gotten K-1 visas.

Your "problem" is very common.  Lots of people lying about boyfriends/girlfriends.  Do a search on this site as this might put your mind at ease.

Edited April 27, 2017 by Jojo92122

[Natalie Rose 10]

35 minutes ago, glmg21 said:

Being denied for a tourist visa doesn't usually mean you'll get denied for a non-immigrant visa. The general explanation is that if you attempt to get a tourist visa when it looks like you're visiting someone you might be dating, and thus have the intention to never return, you're likely to get declined. For the K1, the requirement is that you simply prove the legitimacy of your relationship with intent and tangible proof of meeting, which doesn't sound like it will be hard to do.

 

For future reference though, never EVER lie to Homeland Security, USCIS, or anyone in the government! It never ends well.

Thank you!! I think he was just very nervous and took some bad advice. He learned his lesson though! We are being very careful this time to be truthful with everything.

[Natalie Rose 10]

1 hour ago, Jojo92122 said:

Relax.  Lots of people lie about having boyfriends/girlfriends on visitor visa applications before successfully getting fiance visas.  This is considered a small lie that is ignored for the K-1.

Do you know anyone that has experienced this personally? We had been dating for 6 months already and were very public and they asked him if I was his girlfriend or friend. He said I was his friend and they told him no immediately. They didn't look at any of his documents or ask him any other questions. 

[Randyandyuni 2,682]

the requirements for a tourist vs a K1 visa are vastly different, failing one does not predict a failure in the other unless the cause for the rejection was very agregious, relax and apply

[EandH0904 1,184]

11 hours ago, Natalie Rose said:

 We had been dating for 6 months already and were very public and they asked him if I was his girlfriend or friend. He said I was his friend and they told him no immediately. 

If he would have said you were his girlfriend I'm sure they would have denied him anyway  

[geowrian 22,337]

15 hours ago, Natalie Rose said:

They asked him if we were dating or just friends and he said just friends. Do you think that will be a problem?

Probably not.

 

That said, if the evidence you provide for the K-1 visa shows otherwise, there's always the possibility that they will notice the discrepancy.

[ConOfficer 167]

It's only fraud if the lie was material to the visa adjudication. He would have been refused regardless of what he said, thus not fraud. 

It is fraud if you say you're visiting Disney World in your visa interview and then immediately marry after entering the country and attempt to adjust status.

[Peot 161]

Confirming what ConOfficer said above. A denial of entry (or denial of obtaining a tourist visa) can be for several things. Some have records, some don't.

 

Let me give you two case examples:

1. If he was denied entry because he couldn't provide ties to his country for example, that's likely NOT going to come back to bite him now. They routinely deny travelers who cannot prove they are just going to visit. That's especially the case when you're not honest about being in a relationship or about how much money you have. I had a girlfriend in the past get denied because she couldn't prove that she had anything to go back home to.

 

2. If he got denied entry because he claimed he wasn't going in to work and they found evidence that he was.... that might hold more weight to them. Not only will they deny you, but they might also ban you entry at that point. I'm more than positive you are flagged for additional checks at that stage, and they just might scrutinize things more now.

 

In the one case he got denied for "better safe than sorry" and in the other example it would have been fraud.

[Anthonysmithlove1 0]

On 4/27/2017 at 3:36 AM, Natalie Rose said:

They asked him if we were dating or just friends and he said just friends. Do you think that will be a problem?

What was the outcome of your visa?

[Ontarkie 14,324]

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