Yes, you can visit!

[BaWa 0]

Well, looking at this thread and all the positive experiences really gave me the confirmation I needed.

That it's okay to visit while the K-1 application is running, because when I look at most people's time lines, there seems to be a huge gap between NOA1 and NOA2 (safe for a few lucky exceptions).

Thanks to all for the encouraging stories.

I'll drop my own story here after I go to visit my fiancee this summer (unless NOA2 arrives sooner)

--BaWa

[tyriun_j 0]

I want to run this by everyone whos ran into customs ALOT

I am currently going to Canada in 2 days to see my fiance. We haven't submitted our I-129F packet yet due to a real bad mix-up with the USPS. When I went through last time, All they asked me was how long I was staying, who I was seeing, and purpose of the visit. This time around, I have quit my job cause I am in the middle of a move back to Arizona. How difficult is it going to be when I hit Canadian Customs?

Heres what I have to show proof of ties back to the US:

- If needed, Copy of the entire I-129F packet, minus my fiancé's G-325A and Letter of Intent

- Proof of loans that I'm paying on ( car loan, personal loan, and school loans )

- Copy of my cars registration showing that I own it

- Proof of my address change for everything in my name ( Credit cards, cell phone )

- Roundtrip ticket/itinerary ( probably the best proof I got since it shows I am coming back )

- Copy of the U-Haul reservation that I have for when I get back to Utah to move the next day to Arizona

( For anyone asking why didnt I fly out to Canada once I was in Arizona, tickets are ALOT more expensive compared to flying from Salt Lake City )

I also have my aunt/uncle's phone numbers on hand as well to confirm my move down there. I'll have my fiance's numbers as well to confirm anything too.

If anyone has anything that may help or confirm anything here, please let me know.

Thanks Guys!!!

[settler72 0]

Hi!!!

I'm hoping to travel to the US to visit my fiancee next month and plan to go for around 84 days. She is a US Citizen and I'm British.

She visited me in the UK in August last year for 2 weeks. I then visited her and her family in November last year for 10 days. I then returned to see her again in December and stayed for 5 weeks. We got engaged on New Years Eve.

Our K-1 visa has been applied for and we received our NOA1 in February this year.

Just before leaving for my first trip in November i was made redundant from the job i had for 19 years. This enabled me to stay for the 5 weeks over Christmas and New Year.

Since returning in January and not having a job to come back to I have sold my house and moved in with my parents until my visa comes through.

My question is this....

Does anyone think I will have a problem entering the US under the Visa Waiver whilst my K-1 is pending bearing in mind that I have no job and no house/mortgage to come back to??? The only ties I now have to the UK are my family and friends. Any suggestions about what documents i could take with me???

I have every intention of returning to the UK after this trip as I'm not going to risk not getting the K-1 by not returning when i should.

Incidentally, I can afford to visit for this period of time and not work due to a reasonable profit being made from the sale of my house here in the UK. This should finance my move to the US and provide for me whilst there on this trip.

Many thanks in advance for your comments and assistance.

[Kathryn41 3,205]

I want to run this by everyone whos ran into customs ALOT

I am currently going to Canada in 2 days to see my fiance. We haven't submitted our I-129F packet yet due to a real bad mix-up with the USPS. When I went through last time, All they asked me was how long I was staying, who I was seeing, and purpose of the visit. This time around, I have quit my job cause I am in the middle of a move back to Arizona. How difficult is it going to be when I hit Canadian Customs?

Heres what I have to show proof of ties back to the US:

- If needed, Copy of the entire I-129F packet, minus my fiancé's G-325A and Letter of Intent

- Proof of loans that I'm paying on ( car loan, personal loan, and school loans )

- Copy of my cars registration showing that I own it

- Proof of my address change for everything in my name ( Credit cards, cell phone )

- Roundtrip ticket/itinerary ( probably the best proof I got since it shows I am coming back )

- Copy of the U-Haul reservation that I have for when I get back to Utah to move the next day to Arizona

( For anyone asking why didnt I fly out to Canada once I was in Arizona, tickets are ALOT more expensive compared to flying from Salt Lake City )

I also have my aunt/uncle's phone numbers on hand as well to confirm my move down there. I'll have my fiance's numbers as well to confirm anything too.

If anyone has anything that may help or confirm anything here, please let me know.

Thanks Guys!!!

You should be fine. You have a lot of evidence to show that you have no intentions of remaining in Canada. Enjoy your visit.

[PB&JAM 1]

We each visited each other once after getting engaged (and once each before that ). My British fiance didnt have much trouble getting through either time, they asked him Qs, and he said he was visiting, but he never said he was visiting his fiance...they didnt ask WHO he was visiting.

I just went out to UK this month and i stood in line to talk to them (i was praying!) and it was my turn, he as asking me why i was there n i said to visit. He said, visit anyone in particular? DOH! i couldnt lie, so i said my fiance...i was gibbering-gabbering a bit cause i do that when i'm nervous. He asked if i had my return plane receipt. No, i didnt. DOH! He asked how long i was staying there, and when i was returning to work at home and i answered him. (I had no evidence of any kind!). He just kinda looked at me (i was praying in my head like crazy) and he handed me my passport and let me on through. I didnt realize til i got through that i was drenched in sweat! haha, i was so nervous! But God allowed me to find favor with this guy. thank u Lord!

Next time (well if there were a next time). I would bring return plane ticket receipts and maybe a letter from work haha. God is good!

Edited March 31, 2009 by PB&JAM

[Gil + Pel 2]

Hi everybody !

I have a question about this scary POE stuff too what if I do not say that I am visiting my fiancee when he/she asks me the question ??? what if I say I am here for vacation and I am going to visit my friends ( I have stayed in the US before for 2 and a half years then came back to my country and then went to see my fiancee last october too )

sorry if I sound complicated but my question is do I have to say that I am visiting my fiancee ?? can I just say my friend ?? can the officer see that I applied for K1 on his/her computer ?? if he can and If I dont say I will visit my fiancee then I will be in big trouble huh ??

I am planning on visiting him at the end of this month and I am scared ...

[Nik+Heather 121]

My opinion is that you should be honest. I have read that they cannot see any pending visa petitions in their computer.

Our experience (and I have read the experiences of others which concur) is that if you show your NOA1 (this shows that you DO know the legal process AND are following it) and have a RETURN TICKET (with itinerary to show that), people frequently don't have many problems, even if they say the word "fiance"

Other things which are helpful are letters from your employer stating that you are merely on vacation and are expected back by a certain date (should match the date on your RETURN TICKET), lease, etc.

[Gil + Pel 2]

Hmmm... I c. thank you so much for your answer. I hope I will be fine... a copy of NOA1 would be ok right ?

[Nik+Heather 121]

Hmmm... I c. thank you so much for your answer. I hope I will be fine... a copy of NOA1 would be ok right ?

Copy is fine. Everything went really well for Nik when he pulled out a printed out copy of the NOA1 which I had scanned and emailed to him.

[Gil + Pel 2]

Hmmm... I c. thank you so much for your answer. I hope I will be fine... a copy of NOA1 would be ok right ?

Copy is fine. Everything went really well for Nik when he pulled out a printed out copy of the NOA1 which I had scanned and emailed to him.

alright then thank you it is still pretty scary tho ... to think that they might turn me down ....

[attaya_girl 1]

This is a stupid question, maybe, but I was only worried about his chances of getting a visitor visa in the first place at the embassy in Dakar (really tough to get a visitor visa from), and I didn't even think about POE. He's self-employed but he does own his home, but he doesn't have a bank account etc. I'm more thinking out loud than anything, I guess, but most of the stories here (except for a few) are from visa waiver countries....After the hell of attempting to get a visitor visa from a non-visa waiver country, would they really turn you away????

[BaWa 0]

Well, tomorrow's gonna be a nerve wrecking day for me.

Gonna catch a flight to the States to visit my fiancée, so I'm preparing the documents for Customs and Immigration.

Got a copy of the NOA1 and a letter from my employer.

*crosses fingers* Wish me luck. I'll drop a line here after I passed Customs.

--BaWa

[BaWa 0]

There I stood, almost first in line at customs at Washington Dulles International. Guess our plane was the first of a batch of international flights.

Had a copy of the NOA1 and a letter of my employer in my backpack, ready to explain it all.

Then the customs officer called me over. Gave him my passport and Visa Waiver, he asked what my main purpose was (visiting) and how long I would stay. Two stamps and some fingerprint scans later I was done. That's it. No in-depth questions, none of that.

I just stood there dumbfounded wondering why I got nervous about this.

And now I'm happy that I can spend time with my sweetie

--BaWa

[John&Desi 3]

Hi everyone. I'm new here and I just found out that i can actually visit my fiance in the states. I went through all the posts in the this tread and it was very helpful. It definitely encouraged me to go on and try to visit my baby. I have a few questions thought ... I got really confused about the visa waiver countries and when i checked my home country ( Bulgaria ) was not in the list of the VWCs. So I was wondering if visitors from VWCs do need an issued visa from the american embassy int their countries or they actually go only through officers questions when they get to the POE in the US. Im really confused ... did i got it right that if i have a tourist visa issued from the american embassy in my country i still can be turned down by the officer at the POE. I would like to hear if anybody from a non-visa waiver country have any experience with visiting the US during the K-1 visa process.

thanks in advance

[Nik+Heather 121]

Hi everyone. I'm new here and I just found out that i can actually visit my fiance in the states. I went through all the posts in the this tread and it was very helpful. It definitely encouraged me to go on and try to visit my baby. I have a few questions thought ... I got really confused about the visa waiver countries and when i checked my home country ( Bulgaria ) was not in the list of the VWCs. So I was wondering if visitors from VWCs do need an issued visa from the american embassy int their countries or they actually go only through officers questions when they get to the POE in the US. Im really confused ... did i got it right that if i have a tourist visa issued from the american embassy in my country i still can be turned down by the officer at the POE. I would like to hear if anybody from a non-visa waiver country have any experience with visiting the US during the K-1 visa process.

thanks in advance

Yes, people from Visa Waiver countries usually tend to visit on the VWP even during the K1 process. I have heard less encouraging results for countries where a tourist visa is required. You are more than welcome to try, if you are willing to loose the money (generally around $131) you spend on applying for a tourist visa.

Yes, even if you have a visa in your passport, you may still be denied at POE if you do not convince the officer that you will return. The visa merely gives you permission to board a conveyance and present yourself to a border official. It does not guarantee that you can get in.

Each couple must individually assess the cost of the airfare and other things and determine if it is an amount that their finances can safely absorb if they are denied at PoE.