5 Year Relationship finally making the Move

[Tom & Kylie <3 48]

Just now, vocaledge said:

When did you file the K-1 Visa?

I'm from England too and just sent of the first packet of forms on Wednesday - looks like we may be taking this journey together!

I literally just started the paperwork and haven't filed. I have to save up 500 dollars first, lol! We should file in the next month or so. That would be amazing if we could keep in contact. Tom is in Kent, don't know where in the UK you are! 

[KimchiLumpia 315]

Congrats! 

To add to what others have posted:

• Make sure to update your timeline
• Have patience....the immigration process is not fast, and no lawyer or extra amount of money will make it go faster
• Check, double check, date, and sign your forms....then double check again
• Make sure you are submitting the latest forms
• Make sure you are submitting payment for the latest fees
• Ask lots of questions
• Viewing VJ on a laptop shows more content vs. viewing on a cellphone
• When things get tough, remember that thousands of ppl have gone through this process and have gotten their K1 Visas.....you'll be fine!

Edited June 9, 2017 by KimchiLumpia

[vocaledge 3,340]

Just now, Tom & Kylie <3 said:

I literally just started the paperwork and haven't filed. I have to save up 500 dollars first, lol! We should file in the next month or so. That would be amazing if we could keep in contact. Tom is in Kent, don't know where in the UK you are! 

I'm in Surrey - my dad was born in Kent in a town called Bexley - I know the south very well  :-)

Lets definitely stay in touch - if you want any direct help or advice on the initial filing, I have some really great documents I could send, but also I am pretty ####### and I went over everything about 50 times, so I know this pretty well and its all fresh in my mind.  This site is definitely great too.

[Tom & Kylie <3 48]

Just now, vocaledge said:

I'm in Surrey - my dad was born in Kent in a town called Bexley - I know the south very well  :-)

Lets definitely stay in touch - if you want any direct help or advice on the initial filing, I have some really great documents I could send, but also I am pretty ####### and I went over everything about 50 times, so I know this pretty well and its all fresh in my mind.  This site is definitely great too.

Awesome! I will definitely ask you any questions I have. I will start more of the paperwork tomorrow and am bound to have questions, lol! Thank you for being willing to help us out!

[vocaledge 3,340]

Just now, Tom & Kylie <3 said:

Awesome! I will definitely ask you any questions I have. I will start more of the paperwork tomorrow and am bound to have questions, lol! Thank you for being willing to help us out!

No problem at all - we're all in this together and its only been two days and already feels like a year, so we can keep each other sane!

PM me anytime, or just post here and I'll see it and help if I can... I'm not an expert but like I said, its all fresh and I checked it over 50 times... 

I will say this... get him to put together any tickets etc, and potentially send you VISA sized photos now.. that delayed our filing for a week while we waited on airmail... its definitely not too soon to start gathering the required evidence :-)

[Tom & Kylie <3 48]

Just now, vocaledge said:

No problem at all - we're all in this together and its only been two days and already feels like a year, so we can keep each other sane!

PM me anytime, or just post here and I'll see it and help if I can... I'm not an expert but like I said, its all fresh and I checked it over 50 times... 

I will say this... get him to put together any tickets etc, and potentially send you VISA sized photos now.. that delayed our filing for a week while we waited on airmail... its definitely not too soon to start gathering the required evidence :-)

Okay thank you so much, I will get on that now! And quick question, should he sign a letter of intent to marry and send that as well? I noticed we need to have one and he needs to sign it, and didn't know if he needs to physically sign it or sign it online. I followed you so I will PM you tomorrow! 

[vocaledge 3,340]

2 minutes ago, Tom & Kylie <3 said:

Okay thank you so much, I will get on that now! And quick question, should he sign a letter of intent to marry and send that as well? I noticed we need to have one and he needs to sign it, and didn't know if he needs to physically sign it or sign it online. I followed you so I will PM you tomorrow! 

I sent it so that it can be seen in "wet ink" simply because I felt it was more genuine, but I believe a scanned copy is acceptable to some people who would review your case.  Definitely a better bet for him to send the original though.

I wrote a statement of our relationship history, and a seperate intent to marry, both signed, and sent the originals...

With that I sent my original airline tickets, and boarding passes, VISA photographs (make sure he gets US VIsa size, and NOT UK passport size).

Then I sent him scanned copies of many other things, and we compiled 'evidence' of our relationship using call logs and a selection of text messages/photos...

Anyway - can help out and explain when you need - have a good evening!

[caliliving 606]

you are from the UK its pretty easy.. u dont need much evidence.. just follow the guides and it is easy! the UK is not a high fraud country!  good luck and enjoy the process;) 

[Randyandyuni 2,682]

best of luck, you are smart to have avoided that lawyer, he perhaps should be reported

[Pennycat 880]

Well done on avoiding the smarmy lawyer. They were basically going to charge you $5000 to hold your hand through a $1500 process after you and you alone took a giant risk (breaking the terms of your VWP/tourist visa). Think about it from that guy's perspective: if your fiance was turned around at the border, what's he got to lose? Heck, he'd probably still keep the money and help you with the new (and much more expensive) problem that he walked you right into! So, really win-win for him. You make it through after taking the risk, he gets $3500. You don't and he stands to get even more out of you. Gross.

 

And when I say "turned around at the border", it's nowhere near that nice. You're found inadmissible and if there's not a flight available immediately, you're detained, like a criminal, and if you need to be somewhere overnight, apparently they take you to a real federal jail/prison of some sort. An Australian woman recently learned this one the hard way. I can't find any actual reputable sources for her story (because I think most real news outlets can smell that she's lying through her teeth about "just visiting")-- which explains why it's only sensational news organizations that picked this up.

 

Here's the most reasonable story I could find. Elsewhere, I read that this resulted in a three year ban. From any visa, spouse/fiance included (you can apply to have the ban waived for "extreme hardship" reasons and *that* is where the lawyers get expensive!). For what it's wroth, in addition to quitting her job and "going away drinks" it appears that she was travelling with all of her important documentation-- car loan info and that kind of stuff. Of course, CBP cannot say what they found that proved well enough to them that she was intending to stay, but if she herself is admitting to quitting the job, having a going away party and travelling with unusual documents for you to bring along on a vacation... I can only imagine that they found even more proof. So this right here is the direction that that lawyer was pointing you towards. Hopefully he'd have at least provided you with $5k worth of advice on how to commit fraud and lie to immigration officers so that you don't get caught as easily as this woman did but.... yeah. No. Not worth it.

Edited June 9, 2017 by CatherineA

[Ray & Andrea 39]

Congrats!  My fiance and I were just approved after a 5 year relationship. Her country was Mexico, but if you need any help or advice from someone who just completed the process, feel free to message me.  We did it without any help from lawyers, but did need help from my congressman's office, who did an excellent job.  My fiancee just crossed into the US on June 2nd and we are so happy.  By the way, it is illegal to get married on a tourist visa.  Don't do it.  Just wait and do it right like your finance said!  

[mallafri76 1,012]

22 hours ago, David & Zoila said:

I have to say your boyfriend is smart.  Entering the US with the intent to marry on a visitors visa is visa FRAUD.  You could be banned up to 10 years if you were caught.  Good luck, follow the guides and God Bless

That's wrong. Entering the US with a tourist visa or on the VWP with the intent to get married is perfectly legal. Entering the US with the intent to get married AND adjusting status is illegal. Those are two very different things. 

[David & Diana R 1,005]

6 minutes ago, mallafri76 said:

That's wrong. Entering the US with a tourist visa or on the VWP with the intent to get married is perfectly legal. Entering the US with the intent to get married AND adjusting status is illegal. Those are two very different things. 

If you READ what the OP originally posted you would see the intent was to STAY in the US once married.  There was no mention of marrying and the spouse leaving to wait for CR-1.

 

Posted 22 hours ago · Report post

Hello everyone, 

My name is Kylie and I have been in love with my now fiance, Tom, for 5 years now. Last year, he proposed, and we want to get married in a year. We would want him to come during next summer for good. He is from England and will be moving to Montana in the US with me. I am just starting the paperwork and need some advice, help, tips, encouragement, and all of the knowledge you guys have. We were almost scammed $5000 worth over a lawyer who claimed he could speed the process up by us getting married on a tourist visa. Tom did not want to risk our future together and waste that much money, so we are doing it the RIGHT and legal way! Needless to say, after that, I am stressed. We have plenty of photos, hotel and flight receipts, etc. for evidence, but I am concerned over that, the paperwork, and the processing time. Are there any other couples out there who are currently in the process or just finished? 

PLEASE HELP ME! <3

Thank you for your time,

Kylie

 

The operative word here is GOOD.  But if you continued to read you would have seen that the whole point is now moot.  They have both decided against their attorneys stupid advice and are going the correct route.

Edited June 9, 2017 by David & Zoila