Very new at this and need advice

[Widhocc 0]

Hello all,

 

I have read most of the guides on here and I am so new at this that I just have a few questions about addresses to put on the forms.

 

Background: I am a US citizen who met my girlfriend who is Brazilian. She currently resides in Brazil and we are planning on getting married and having her come to the US. She lives in Goiania and will be hopefully doing her interview when the time is right in Brasilia. 

 

I am active duty military stationed in Tampa Florida and was confused about some of the following addresses: 

 

On the 129-F Cover Letter: US Citizenship and Immigration Services [ADDRESS OF FILING LOCATION]    

Would this be where I am sending the packet? Or a place here locally in Tampa? 

 

For the Fiance letter of intent for: US Citizenship and Immigration Services [ADDRESS OF FILING LOCATION] 

Also would this be a place in Tampa or the Dallas address provided in the guides? 

 

We have filled out most of the required paperwork, I just wanted to be sure about all of the addresses before I get the entire packet ready to send of. Thank you in advance for the assistance. 

 

 

 

[payxibka 10,045]

Interviews are only in RIO in Brazil

 

All I-129Fs go to the California Service Center

 

See above

 

You said marry and "move" to the USA.  For a fiancee visa, marriage occurs in the USA not outside the country so the "move" comes first

Edited February 23, 2019 by payxibka

[KULtoATL 1,551]

The address you may use for those letters would be either one of the following:

 

USCIS
P.O. Box 660151
Dallas, TX 75266

 

OR

 

USCIS
Attn: I-129F
2501 South State Highway 121 Business
Suite 400
Lewisville, TX 75067

 

We personally used the Lewisville address because we used FedEx to mail out the petition  Local field offices don't come into play until the AOS level.

[C90 376]

43 minutes ago, Widhocc said:

Hello all,

 

I have read most of the guides on here and I am so new at this that I just have a few questions about addresses to put on the forms.

 

Background: I am a US citizen who met my girlfriend who is Brazilian. She currently resides in Brazil and we are planning on getting married and having her come to the US. She lives in Goiania and will be hopefully doing her interview when the time is right in Brasilia. 

 

I am active duty military stationed in Tampa Florida and was confused about some of the following addresses: 

 

On the 129-F Cover Letter: US Citizenship and Immigration Services [ADDRESS OF FILING LOCATION]    

Would this be where I am sending the packet? Or a place here locally in Tampa? 

 

For the Fiance letter of intent for: US Citizenship and Immigration Services [ADDRESS OF FILING LOCATION] 

Also would this be a place in Tampa or the Dallas address provided in the guides? 

 

We have filled out most of the required paperwork, I just wanted to be sure about all of the addresses before I get the entire packet ready to send of. Thank you in advance for the assistance. 

 

 

 

Info about where to file is stated on the USCIS website https://www.uscis.gov/i-129f. You send everything as one file, so everything goes to the same address. Once the I-129F is approved USCIS will send it to NVC who will send it to local embassy/consulate (in your case Rio Brazil)

 

File Form I-129F at the USCIS Dallas Lockbox facility:
 

 

• For U.S. Postal Service (USPS):
  USCIS
  P.O. Box 660151
  Dallas, TX 75266
  
  For FedEx, UPS, and DHL deliveries:
  USCIS
  Attn: I-129F
  2501 South State Highway 121 Business
  Suite 400
  Lewisville, TX 75067

Keep in mind, you can't marry your GF and then bring her to the US on a I-129F. In that case you'd need I-130.

If you do go the K1 (I-129F) road and marry her in the US after she has the visa, keep in mind she won't be able to leave the US at least 4-6 months after filing AOS/EAD/AP.

[Lil bear 4,218]

As stated before.. if you are applying for I 129f, that is a visa for a FIANCÉ to enter the US, marry in the US and then apply for adjustment of status to permanent resident 

If you plan to marry first.. whether in Brazil or in the US if she visits you... or anywhere else in the world...she will need a spouse visa as the fiancé visa will no longer be available to you 

 

[carmel34 3,633]

If you get married in Brazil and then file the spousal visa, I-130 is the form, so read and study those guides here on Visa Journey as well.  This is what my husband and I did because he wants to work as soon as he gets here, hopefully later this year, as our I-130 just got approved two days ago.  With the fiance visa, K-1, you file the form (I-129F) and supporting documents and wait, then after approval (10-12 months), she comes to the US where you get married, but she can't work or leave the country for 5-6 months and you also have to file AOS (Adjustment of Status) which takes more than a year to get a green card.  We decided that I-130 was superior for so many reasons, so I suggest that you take a look at that and compare them before deciding on which way to go.  Getting married in Brazil as a US citizen is not easy either, it took us five months to get all the documents certified, translated, filed, etc., before we could marry in Brazil, but we wanted to do it in his hometown with his family so it was the best option for us despite the longer wait for the CR-1 visa (14-16 months) vs. K-1 (10-12 months).  Good luck!

Edited February 23, 2019 by carmel34
*

[Widhocc 0]

***EDIT*** Sorry I meant to say bring her to the states then marry her. Which is why I am inquiring about the K1 and not the K3 Visa. Sorry for the mix up

[Widhocc 0]

1 minute ago, carmel34 said:

If you get married in Brazil and then file the spousal visa, I-130 is the form, so read and study those guides here on Visa Journey as well.  This is what my husband and I did because he wants to work as soon as he gets here, hopefully later this year, as our I-130 just got approved two days ago.  With the fiance visa, K-1, you file the form and supporting documents and wait, then after approval (10-12 months), she comes to the US where you get married, but she can't work or leave the country for 5-6 months and you also have to file AOS (Adjustment of Status) which takes more than a year to get a green card.  We decided that I-130 was superior for so many reasons, so I suggest that you take a look at that and compare them before deciding on which way to go.  Getting married in Brazil as a US citizen is not easy either, it took us five months to get all the documents certified, translated, filed, etc., before we could marry in Brazil, but we wanted to do it in his hometown with his family so it was the best option for us despite the longer wait for the CR-1 visa (14-16 months) vs. K-1 (10-12 months).  Good luck!

Thank you for the information! We considered actually getting married in Brazil instead then applying for the K3 Visa instead. I will definitely look into both options. Thank you again!

[Lil bear 4,218]

1 minute ago, Widhocc said:

***EDIT*** Sorry I meant to say bring her to the states then marry her. Which is why I am inquiring about the K1 and not the K3 Visa. Sorry for the mix up

😁 all good !! The reaction from many of us is because we have experienced the consequences of not being clear ourselves !! and the government processes work on very specific meanings etc.. zero leeway !! 

BTW.. K3 visa category is still theoretically possible but not used now 

[Widhocc 0]

13 minutes ago, C90 said:

Info about where to file is stated on the USCIS website https://www.uscis.gov/i-129f. You send everything as one file, so everything goes to the same address. Once the I-129F is approved USCIS will send it to NVC who will send it to local embassy/consulate (in your case Rio Brazil)

 

File Form I-129F at the USCIS Dallas Lockbox facility:
 

 

• For U.S. Postal Service (USPS):
  USCIS
  P.O. Box 660151
  Dallas, TX 75266
  
  For FedEx, UPS, and DHL deliveries:
  USCIS
  Attn: I-129F
  2501 South State Highway 121 Business
  Suite 400
  Lewisville, TX 75067

Keep in mind, you can't marry your GF and then bring her to the US on a I-129F. In that case you'd need I-130.

If you do go the K1 (I-129F) road and marry her in the US after she has the visa, keep in mind she won't be able to leave the US at least 4-6 months after filing AOS/EAD/AP.

Thank you for the information and the addresses. 

[carmel34 3,633]

Just now, Widhocc said:

Thank you for the information! We considered actually getting married in Brazil instead then applying for the K3 Visa instead. I will definitely look into both options. Thank you again!

There is no K3 anymore, as it takes just as long as CR-1 these days.  So if you decide on the marriage in Brazil route, it will be CR-1.  I loved getting married in Brazil despite having to deal with the bureacracy there to do it, and our honeymoon on the northeast beaches of Brazil was amazing!

[payxibka 10,045]

6 minutes ago, Widhocc said:

***EDIT*** Sorry I meant to say bring her to the states then marry her. Which is why I am inquiring about the K1 and not the K3 Visa. Sorry for the mix up

K-3 is obsolete.  The visa is CR/IR 1

[Widhocc 0]

I also had question about submitting the pages of your passport. I only have about 8 of 49~ pages stamped. Do I need to include pictures of the blank pages as well?

 

I just got done moving back to the states from the UK and cannot locate my birth certificate at the moment which is why I'm choosing the passport option. 

[DaveAndAnastasia 2,092]

You don't need submit blank pages of your passport even when using it as proof of citizenship.

At least, I didn't, and it was fine.

Edited February 24, 2019 by DaveAndAnastasia

[Widhocc 0]

Just now, DaveAndAnastasia said:

You don't need submit blank pages of your passport even when using as proof of citizenship.

At least, I didn't, and it was fine.

Thank you for the response!