Yes, you can visit!

[CMJuilland 485]

I entered the country yesterday; POE was Washington Dulles, and it went smoothly. The CBP officer I spoke to was very nice, and the conversation went as follows: 

CBP officer: "Why are you coming to the United States?"

me: "Visiting."

CBP officer: "Visiting who or what?"

me: "My fiancée."

CBP officer: "Is your fiancée a U.S. citizen?"

me: "Yes."

CBP officer: "Okay. When are you getting married?"

me: "In June, I hope..."

CBP officer: "You hope?!?"

me: "Yes, I hope the visa will be ready by then."

CBP officer: "Oh, so it hasn't been granted yet?"

And overly confident (and in an over-motivated way), I said: 

me: "No, not yet. Our petition has just gotten approved by USCIS, and we're now waiting for it to make it to the embassy. Do you wanna see my package? I have it on me." 

And without even waiting for his answer, I just put in on his little desk, which forced him to take a quick look at it, even though he didn't seem to even want to. 

CPB officer: "Oh, okay. I see. You understand that the visa is a single entry, and that you have to get married once you use it." 

me: "Yes, within 90 days. I know that." 

CBP officer: "Well, we've had people here who didn't know and were quite surprised when we told them." 

me: "Well, I'm coming back one last time because of some last minute wedding preparations. Next time, I hope, it's for our actual wedding." 

CBP officer: "I see. Good luck to you!" 

And I got my admission stamp. So, pretty easy this time - even after having traveled in and out every 5-10 weeks in the past 2.5 years, and even after having spent almost 11 weeks in the country during my last visit that ended in January. 

Edited March 31, 2017 by CMJuilland

[Mootak 4]

Has anyone had experience with taking lots of personal belongs on a 'visit' trip? I'm from NZ and visiting with my fiance at Easter and because there's a few of us all travelling together I want to take advantage of the two suitcases per passenger, and bring across a lot of my personal belongings? I'm worried customs will pick us up and think I'm planning on staying with the amount of luggage 

[Jens79 64]

I did that last time I visited and I'm planning to do the same next time. Just one extra checked bag (2 checked bags in total), but still a lot of luggage for an 8 day stay. Last time when I brought an extra bag I went through the automated passport control kiosks, so I didn't get any questions about it. And the customs just didn't say anything about it. Just took the paper-slip and nodded, like they usually do. (If you look like I do, I guess...) 

Having said that, I was aware of the what bringing a lot of luggage on a short trip could potentially signal. Therefore I made sure to only bring things I felt comfortable with explaining if it was necessary, and that would make sense to bring when I will be moving in a couple of months. I filled up the remaining space (or weight, really) with books and clothes. When you're visiting you have to declare the value of all things that will remain in the US, so don't bring anything of high value. Used books and used clothes have a very low market value, so that would be fine/safe, I was thinking. (You can ship personal belongings of economic value without paying duty for it later, when you have your visa.) So that's a second aspect that you have to take into consideration, apart from explaining why you bring a lot of stuff for a short visit.

But as long as you're comfortable with explaining why you're bringing the extra luggage and that the stuff you're bringing matches your individual circumstances, doesn't violate any import regulations and you feel fine with the risk of answering a few more questions, there isn't any limit on how much luggage you can bring. I personally felt more comfortable with bringing the extra bag when I'm actually in the process of moving to the US in the near future, than when I was just visiting for a holiday and stayed at a hotel. That would have been more suspicious, I think.

[KierenHby 899]

7 hours ago, Jens79 said:

But as long as you're comfortable with explaining why you're bringing the extra luggage and that the stuff you're bringing matches your individual circumstances, doesn't violate any import regulations and you feel fine with the risk of answering a few more questions, there isn't any limit on how much luggage you can bring.

Well explained

[Zumbadaddy 57]

I'm very new here and seem to always get confused when filling out governmental forms... call me stupid if you like...but....

 

Anyway,

 

My girlfriend to be my fiance as of approximately 10:05 pm July 29, 2017 if she says yes... and based on the elaborate production to be done in front of 8,000 friends, coworkers and other people I have coordinated I am expecting her to say yes.  (I have already said will you marry me some day and she said yes.I'd be really surprised if she changes her mind, I even got her moms blessing). 

 

Now that that's out of the way.

Here's my questions:

 

1: Do I need to apply for a Fiance Visa... or a K-1 Visa or are they the same?

2: Should I do this on my own or should I hire a company like Rapidvisa.com?

3: Is there a better company to use or should I use a lawyer?

4: We want to get married September 2018, Am I starting this process to soon?

 

Darryl

[KierenHby 899]

1 yes

2 own, if confy with forms  (this is a DIY do-it-yourself site) 

3 ^^

4 apply K1 in the winter (process is 6-8 mos from filing to interview, then 90 days after entry to complete the wedding)

[rdwall7 4]

2 minutes ago, Zumbadaddy said:

I'm very new here and seem to always get confused when filling out governmental forms... call me stupid if you like...but....

 

Anyway,

 

My girlfriend to be my fiance as of approximately 10:05 pm July 29, 2017 if she says yes... and based on the elaborate production to be done in front of 8,000 friends, coworkers and other people I have coordinated I am expecting her to say yes.  (I have already said will you marry me some day and she said yes.I'd be really surprised if she changes her mind, I even got her moms blessing). 

 

Now that that's out of the way.

Here's my questions:

 

1: Do I need to apply for a Fiance Visa... or a K-1 Visa or are they the same?

2: Should I do this on my own or should I hire a company like Rapidvisa.com?

3: Is there a better company to use or should I use a lawyer?

4: We want to get married September 2018, Am I starting this process to soon?

 

Darryl

Hey Darryl, here is my opinionated answers to your questions! See below!

 

1) the Fiancee visa and K-1 are the same. it is a "K-1 Fiancee Visa"

2) I did the entire process on my own... took about 8 months start to finish. you can easily do it on your own if you are willing to be organized and patient.

3) I used an online company called "just ask" to talk to an immigration lawyer 1 time through the entire process but it was only because i needed an immediate answer because i felt i had made a mistake. if i wouldn't have been rushed, i could have easily found the answer on a site like this one. ( this site is all you will need to go through this process on your own)

4) I started this in Oct 2016 and got approved March 21, 2017 so being more than a year away, you may want to wait. Only because once you have your final interview, your visa is only valid for 6 months... meaning if you applied at the end of july, take  8 months to go through the process,that puts you at March 2018 - giving you until September 2018 before your visa expires.... that could cause you some problems. I have a hard time "advising you" because i am not a professional but if i were in your shoes, i would wait until october 2017 to begin this process

[rdwall7 4]

4 minutes ago, KierenHby said:

1 yes

2 own, if confy with forms  (this is a DIY do-it-yourself site) 

3 ^^

4 apply K1 in the winter (process is 6-8 mos from filing to interview, then 90 days after entry to complete the wedding)

just to elaborate on point #4 for the new people here....

 

6-8 months for filing is very accurate, however once you have your interview you have 6 months before your visa expires (so you really have up to 6 months to stay in Canada before going to get married) however, the second your cross the border into the US, that 90 day clock starts ticking regardless of how much of your 6 month visa has left.

[Zumbadaddy 57]

2 minutes ago, rdwall7 said:

Hey Darryl, here is my opinionated answers to your questions! See below!

 

1) the Fiancee visa and K-1 are the same. it is a "K-1 Fiancee Visa"

2) I did the entire process on my own... took about 8 months start to finish. you can easily do it on your own if you are willing to be organized and patient.

3) I used an online company called "just ask" to talk to an immigration lawyer 1 time through the entire process but it was only because i needed an immediate answer because i felt i had made a mistake. if i wouldn't have been rushed, i could have easily found the answer on a site like this one. ( this site is all you will need to go through this process on your own)

4) I started this in Oct 2016 and got approved March 21, 2017 so being more than a year away, you may want to wait. Only because once you have your final interview, your visa is only valid for 6 months... meaning if you applied at the end of july, take  8 months to go through the process,that puts you at March 2018 - giving you until September 2018 before your visa expires.... that could cause you some problems. I have a hard time "advising you" because i am not a professional but if i were in your shoes, i would wait until october 2017 to begin this process

Thanks RDWall:

 

Would you recommend me starting the paperwork and having it basically completed and ready to submit but wait until the proper time?

[Zumbadaddy 57]

1 minute ago, rdwall7 said:

just to elaborate on point #4 for the new people here....

 

6-8 months for filing is very accurate, however once you have your interview you have 6 months before your visa expires (so you really have up to 6 months to stay in Canada before going to get married) however, the second your cross the border into the US, that 90 day clock starts ticking regardless of how much of your 6 month visa has left.

OK just so I'm clear...wedding to be Sept 2018... we want the application submitted in  February 2018... then she comes to the US from japan End of August 2018... we can expect to be able to be married on time... Sept 2018?

[rdwall7 4]

Just now, Zumbadaddy said:

Thanks RDWall:

 

Would you recommend me starting the paperwork and having it basically completed and ready to submit but wait until the proper time?

starting early is NEVER a bad idea. Again, this is my experience from Canada to the US.... use this website to find similar cases to yourself to check on processing times for the filing portion from your country to the US. don't just take my word for it, do your research! It helped me a lot!

[KierenHby 899]

Just now, Zumbadaddy said:

OK just so I'm clear...wedding to be Sept 2018... we want the application submitted in  February 2018... then she comes to the US from japan End of August 2018... we can expect to be able to be married on time... Sept 2018?

Earlier than Feb 2018 preferably. The immigration process is unpredictable, never know a hiccup may pop up to delay K1 processing. 

[rdwall7 4]

1 minute ago, Zumbadaddy said:

OK just so I'm clear...wedding to be Sept 2018... we want the application submitted in  February 2018... then she comes to the US from japan End of August 2018... we can expect to be able to be married on time... Sept 2018?

Feb to August is only 6 months, your visa will not even have been processed yet. i would recommend oct or nov of this year to have your application in. that will put you around june or so of 2018 when you get approved. you then have 6 months to have her travel here (of which you would only use 2 or 3 of) and again, once she enters the US, you need to be married within 90 days.... so if she enters the US with the visa before July, you would have to get married before your wedding date 

[Zumbadaddy 57]

She will most likely not be coming here permanently until the end of August for the wedding to be the 1st week of September... and if you say we have 6 months from the time it's approved to be married and 90 days from her entering the US then it should all fall in our timeline... but I see what your saying... yes submit the application October-November 2017 and it should be approved by 6-8 months... if the application is approved in 6 months that means October to April and we have 6 months from April... would be October... we want the wedding in September... 5 months.

 

Or am I missing something

[rdwall7 4]

2 minutes ago, Zumbadaddy said:

She will most likely not be coming here permanently until the end of August for the wedding to be the 1st week of September... and if you say we have 6 months from the time it's approved to be married and 90 days from her entering the US then it should all fall in our timeline... but I see what your saying... yes submit the application October-November 2017 and it should be approved by 6-8 months... if the application is approved in 6 months that means October to April and we have 6 months from April... would be October... we want the wedding in September... 5 months.

 

Or am I missing something

You are correct. Again, things never work out perfectly, but the best we can estimate, that timeline should work out for you