USCIS K1 termination notice, questions for refile.

[SalishSea 17,970]

18 minutes ago, Dataunavailable said:

Did you hire a fixer to take care of all the paperwork? I've talked with others who have married in Cambodia and they all suggest to hire a fixer, someone who you pay money to take care of the process and speed it up so to say, whatever they do, under the table money, who knows. 

That sounds to me like a recipe for a messed-up immigrant visa.

[Dataunavailable 82]

16 minutes ago, Jorgedig said:

That sounds to me like a recipe for a messed-up immigrant visa.

Beleive me, I agree with you. That's just from my digging around online and talking with people about what it takes to marry in Cambodia, or at least speed up the process for a foreigner.

 

This is a long post from someone, it explains a bit the process in Cambodia. This is not my post, nor are they answering my question. 

 

 

Re: Wedding certificate in Cambodia

• 7
• Quote

Post Sat May 13, 2017 11:28 pm

First of all, you will need to go to the MoFAIC in Phnom Penh and meet and speak to Mr Ung Vantha in the Legal & Consular Department, this man will give you the application forms and lists of required documents, he will not accept any money. Do not deal with anyone else, as they will all ask for ridiculous sums of money. Mr. Ung Vantha's (MoFA) phone number, 016608586.

You will need to present the following to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs;

1. "Application for foreigner to marry Khmer citizen" (provided by MoFAIC)
2. Certificate of non-impediment/single status/divorce certificate (if applicable)/ex-spouses death certificate (if applicable)
3. Criminal record check from your country of citizenship
4. Passport with valid E type (Ordinary MEEV) visa, minimum 6 months validity
5. Letter of employment/proof of salary minimum $2500USD p/m (Male only). Work permit/work book/business license if employed in Cambodia.
6. Letter from your Embassy - permission/consent to marry
7. Pre-nuptial Medical certificate from Calmette Hospital (no older than 3 months)
8. 2x passport photos

NOTE: Foreign males must be under 50 years old to legally marry a Cambodian citizen in Cambodia.

All above documents must be notarised/certified from your nearest Embassy except 1,6 and 7.

Khmer partner will need to present;

1. "Certificate of celibacy, widowhood, divorce" (single status) from Sangkat
2. National ID card
3. Birth Certificate
4. Family Book and/or Carnet de Residence
5. Pre-nuptial Medical certificate from Calmette Hospital (no older than 3 months)
6. 2x passport photos

Note: The blood tests are for HIV, Hepatitis, and a few other diseases, chest x-ray is for TB. Cost from Calmette for the blood tests, x-ray and medical certificate is $120 per couple ($60 each). You will need to take your passport/national ID card, as well as 1x passport photo per person.

Once the MoFA processes the documents which takes about 1-2 weeks, you will be issued a letter which you must submit with all of your documents to the Ministry of Interior. You will both be interviewed by someone in the MoI, and if they are satisfied it will take approximately another 2+ months for them to issue an authorisation to marry letter, which you will then need to submit to your partners Sangkat, who will then issue you with your marriage certificate.

MoFAIC:

I'm not great at explaining directions, but I hope this helps...
When you go to the MoFA, enter the compound via the side entrance, do not go to the large main entrance on the riverside. There is a guard hut where you and your partner will have to show ID, and they will give you a visitors pass. Walk straight ahead to the large building straight ahead and to the right, and enter via the first side entrance.

As you enter, immediately on your left you should see a sign for e-visa on your right hand side, continue walking straight down the corridor. The 3rd or 4th door on the right hand side is Vanthas office. As you look at his office door, there should be a small alcove with a Buddhist statue to the left of his door, this is how you will know which office is his. Remember that this is a Cambodian Ministry, and they keep strange working hours...I think they take lunch from about 1100 - 1400.

MOI:

Do not go to the Main MoI compound. You need to go to an office called “National Committee to Lead the Suppression of Human Trafficking, Smuggling, Labour Exploitation and Sexual Exploitation in Woman and Children” (S.T.S.L.S), which is at the General dept of Identification building at this location…

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/Gen ... ation+(GDI )/@11.5344525,104.9511904,17z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0x4d2d71f75dee8eb6!8m2!3d11.5343962!4d104.9550942

Take all of your completed documentation and letter from the MoFAIC with you and try to arrive early (by 0900hrs at the latest). There all of your documentation will be checked, and if anything is not in order they will inform you of what you need to fix.

Once everything is in order, you will pay the official $200 fee, which you will receive a receipt for, and then be interviewed by several people, mostly regarding things like how you met your partner, how long you’ve been together, have you travelled together on holiday, how long have you lived/been travelling to Cambodia, what is your job, family members names and contact details, what are your plans, do you plan to take her overseas and exploit her, etc…Its not as daunting as you may think. Your partner will be near you the entire time, so if there any language barriers, ask her to translate for you.

Once everything is in order, it can take anywhere up to 4 months before you receive the letter of permission to marry from the MoI, which you then take to your partner's Sangkat in order to be issued your official marriage certificate. There is no requirement for a wedding ceremony in order to be issued a marriage certificate.

For foreigners marrying a Cambodian citizen, the only official fees payable are;

- $200 fee paid to the 'National Committe to Lead the Suppression of Human Trafficking, Smuggling, Labour Exploitation and Sexual Exploitation in Woman and Children (S.T.S.L.S)' , which is a department of the MoI. The fee covers admin, interviews and background check costs. An official receipt is issued.
- 20,000 Riel fee paid to the Sangkat which issues the official Marriage Certificate. An official receipt is issued.

(Note: The interviewers at the MoI expect a small "donation" each, about $5 each covers it...probably a good idea to just pay this to ensure your application is approved)

Many people no doubt end up dealing with the wrong people and/or fixers and end up getting fleeced purely because the information on the whole process is not readily available and can be confusing.

[sineth 0]

32 minutes ago, Dataunavailable said:

Did you live in Cambodia while having the wedding set up? Or did you set it up and than travel, I know the wedding process there is not easy at all, which is why I can't just give up my job to move there for even half a year, they require the Male to make $2500 a month in wages, I can't stay in Cambodia longer than three weeks at a time without quitting my job, quitting my job is no income and no income I don't qualify to marry in Cambodia. 

 

Did you hire a fixer to take care of all the paperwork? I've talked with others who have married in Cambodia and they all suggest to hire a fixer, someone who you pay money to take care of the process and speed it up so to say, whatever they do, under the table money, who knows. 

I did not live in Cambodia. My fiancee (now wife) set up all the wedding details in Cambodia while I assisted from the states. You don't need to quit your job and move there. Yes, you need that $2500 monthly to be able to wed. 

 

We did not hire a fixer because we wanted to save the money. I was there for three weeks to do that paperwork and back for another week. They don't make it easy for a foreigner living in the foreigner's country to go and marry a Cambodian. Everything was hand written and along with Cambodian holidays, that's why it took us 3-4 months to get our marriage certificate. But a fixer would be easier and quicker, as you already know.

 

Personally, I think you will be fine with your second K-1 Visa process. That Embassy just want to see an on-going relationship. Make sure you go with her for the interview this time.

[Dataunavailable 82]

3 minutes ago, Sineth said:

I did not live in Cambodia. My fiancee (now wife) set up all the wedding details in Cambodia while I assisted from the states. You don't need to quit your job and move there. Yes, you need that $2500 monthly to be able to wed. 

 

We did not hire a fixer because we wanted to save the money. I was there for three weeks to do that paperwork and back for another week. They don't make it easy for a foreigner living in the foreigner's country to go and marry a Cambodian. Everything was hand written and along with Cambodian holidays, that's why it took us 3-4 months to get our marriage certificate. But a fixer would be easier and quicker, as you already know.

 

Personally, I think you will be fine with your second K-1 Visa process. That Embassy just want to see an on-going relationship. Make sure you go with her for the interview this time.

Is it alright if I send you a personal message about this and questions I have about the process? That way it doesn't keep bumping this old post. 

[Lemonslice 4,917]

You can also marry in a third country. 

[sineth 0]

1 minute ago, Lemonslice said:

You can also marry in a third country. 

What about obtain a marriage certificate? Which country would you get that from?

[Lemonslice 4,917]

1 minute ago, Sineth said:

What about obtain a marriage certificate? Which country would you get that from?

Whichever country where they get married.

 

Plenty of people, all over the world, elope or go for destination weddings.

Edited January 19, 2020 by Lemonslice

[jaysaldi 213]

9 hours ago, SmallTownPA said:

Now have both people holding it?  You have stronger proof that it actually happened.

 

No, that's just proof that two people once held the piece of paper now being submitted.

 

The consular officers will know from the passport stamps and boarding passes that these two people were together. What the consular officers want to know is "Is this a genuine loving relationship or is this a sham?"  People in genuine loving relationships don't take photos of themselves holding up hotel receipts. That's what people do when they are trying to manufacture documents in support of K-1 visa application.

[SmallTownPA 72]

11 hours ago, jaysaldi said:

No, that's just proof that two people once held the piece of paper now being submitted.

 

The consular officers will know from the passport stamps and boarding passes that these two people were together. What the consular officers want to know is "Is this a genuine loving relationship or is this a sham?"  People in genuine loving relationships don't take photos of themselves holding up hotel receipts. That's what people do when they are trying to manufacture documents in support of K-1 visa application.

You're just parroting group think.

 

Please search and read up on what USCIS/DoS manual has to say about primary and secondary evidence.

 

The consulate KNOWS that you have to PROVE a relationship.  That means doing things to you know, PROVE the relationship.

 

Again:  primary and second evidence.  That's the key.  They have specific meanings and the COs know what to look for.

 

 

[jaysaldi 213]

Just now, SmallTownPA said:

You're just parroting group think.

 

Please search and read up on what USCIS/DoS manual has to say about primary and secondary evidence.

 

The consulate KNOWS that you have to PROVE a relationship.  That means doing things to you know, PROVE the relationship.

 

Again:  primary and second evidence.  That's the key.  They have specific meanings and the COs know what to look for.

 

 

How does submitting a staged photo of a couple holding up a hotel receipt like they are kidnapping victims prove a relationship more than simply submitting: (a) a photo of a couple in a non-staged natural setting, and (b) a copy of the hotel receipt?

[Dataunavailable 82]

1 hour ago, jaysaldi said:

How does submitting a staged photo of a couple holding up a hotel receipt like they are kidnapping victims prove a relationship more than simply submitting: (a) a photo of a couple in a non-staged natural setting, and (b) a copy of the hotel receipt?

Look, I don't appreciate your insinuation, you're fiance gets here and now you basically sit and hand out judgement of others? When was anyone on here accusing you of committing fraud/staging photos?

 

Our entire 221G is proving our relationship is legitimate, in what world does taking a picture of us holding a receipt together constitute a "staged photo"? 

 

I also have pictures of me and her out for dinner with her friends and co workers, is that staged photos to prove I met her friends? 

 

Yes I'm a little upset, because you're blatantly accusing me of staging a photo, when you have no idea how hard I work for us to be together. How small do we look from that mountain you're sitting on? 

[JonSeattle 202]

57 minutes ago, Dataunavailable said:

Yes I'm a little upset, because you're blatantly accusing me of staging a photo, when you have no idea how hard I work for us to be together. How small do we look from that mountain you're sitting on? 

Your being very frustrated is very understandable. But jaysaldi is making a valid point. A staged photo proves nothing to a suspicious person other than that you had the opportunity to stage the photo. A series of natural photos in different settings that show a real relationship in progress would seem more convincing to me.

 

We aren't here to judge you. We are here to give you another perspective.

[Dataunavailable 82]

26 minutes ago, JonSeattle said:

Your being very frustrated is very understandable. But jaysaldi is making a valid point. A staged photo proves nothing to a suspicious person other than that you had the opportunity to stage the photo. A series of natural photos in different settings that show a real relationship in progress would seem more convincing to me.

 

We aren't here to judge you. We are here to give you another perspective.

And I completely understand that, I don't come in and explain my situation and not expect opinions on the matter. But I also don't expect accusations thrown around, maybe word things a little differently, one photo out of hundreds taken so that they can't come with an argument that there is no proof we actually stayed at the hotel together. 

 

There is a difference between trying to cover all my bases, and doing things with the wrong intentions. All I want to do is make sure we can pass this interview and finally spend our lives together. Am I wrong for feeling completely disrespected? 

[jaysaldi 213]

1 hour ago, Dataunavailable said:

And I completely understand that, I don't come in and explain my situation and not expect opinions on the matter. But I also don't expect accusations thrown around, maybe word things a little differently, one photo out of hundreds taken so that they can't come with an argument that there is no proof we actually stayed at the hotel together. 

 

There is a difference between trying to cover all my bases, and doing things with the wrong intentions. All I want to do is make sure we can pass this interview and finally spend our lives together. Am I wrong for feeling completely disrespected? 

I'm sorry you feel disrespected. The point I was trying to make to the other guy was that applicants should avoid submitting photos together that have obviously been taken for no reason whatsoever other than to later submit it to the embassy.   Because that is what fraudsters do. They run around for a weekend staging photos in different settings and in different outfits so they can submit them later. I'm not suggesting you are a fraudster. I'm just saying that concocting such photo evidence is what they also do.

A photo of two people holding up a hotel receipt does not naturally indicate a  genuine, loving relationship. It screams "Hey, consular officer, look at us, we are standing here in a hotel lobby holding up this receipt in front of someone with a camera who will take our photo for no reason except to send to you to prove that we are in a relationship."   And that may make the consular officer suspicious.

 

If you want to prove you stayed at the hotel together, just submit the hotel receipt and a photo of both of you at the hotel. Easy. Lose the kidnapping victim photo, and lose the weird letters from people who haven't met her vouching for the relationship.  These things don't help. More is not always better.

[Dataunavailable 82]

2 hours ago, jaysaldi said:

I'm sorry you feel disrespected. The point I was trying to make to the other guy was that applicants should avoid submitting photos together that have obviously been taken for no reason whatsoever other than to later submit it to the embassy.   Because that is what fraudsters do. They run around for a weekend staging photos in different settings and in different outfits so they can submit them later. I'm not suggesting you are a fraudster. I'm just saying that concocting such photo evidence is what they also do.

A photo of two people holding up a hotel receipt does not naturally indicate a  genuine, loving relationship. It screams "Hey, consular officer, look at us, we are standing here in a hotel lobby holding up this receipt in front of someone with a camera who will take our photo for no reason except to send to you to prove that we are in a relationship."   And that may make the consular officer suspicious.

 

If you want to prove you stayed at the hotel together, just submit the hotel receipt and a photo of both of you at the hotel. Easy. Lose the kidnapping victim photo, and lose the weird letters from people who haven't met her vouching for the relationship.  These things don't help. More is not always better.

And that's the trouble with so many different outlets of research. You have one end saying less is more, you have another end saying submit as much as you can. You have people saying to submit letters, submit extra pictures, because everyone's case is different. 

 

I'm trying to do what I feel is a happy middle ground and not send stuff that is pointless, things that in my eyes show our relationship and at the same time send things that show that family knows of her, friends know of her, I don't hide our relationship and both sides parents approve of us. 

 

That's the frustrating side of things because you read consulate reviews, talk with other people who have gone through Cambodia specifically, and each person has a different thought on what is or isn't enough to send. Even this thread alone, what one sees as "staged", others see as evidence to prove being together. I've already tried doing this on my own, and obviously we failed, because I didn't have any guidance, I went off of the USCIS website, I never would of googled information on K1 denials and been led to these forums. 

 

Do you understand how stress inducing it is, already on top of the stress currently with immigration, to come here and open up and explain my situation to people I don't know, and trying to find a semblance of direction here, but then torn with people of different ideas on what to do, what not to do.  And I'm using my best judgment on what is right for us, what I feel is the best for me and my fiance. Because in the end, because things work for one couple,  doesn't mean it will work for another, and I'd rather do things I feel are right, than follow exactly what someone else has done. 

 

And maybe that's where I failed, because I didn't know where to go, or more so, had nowhere I knew to go. Her sister came here 11 years ago on a K1, everything is different now, they vaguely remember the process. Her husband was the one who told me to go to our local congressmans office and ask for help, I've spent money on attorney consultations, which after being a member here, realized that anything they can do for you,  you can basically do yourself and sometimes they can be detrimental. 

 

I am grateful for all the great members here that take the time to answer questions, even when it isn't the answer you want to hear. Because I don't want to be coddled, told that everything will be fine, I've opened up and been completely truthful about our situation and that's what I expected from responses in return. 

 

Thank you for your apology and I apologize as well, if I came off as rude or was out of line. I just want to have my life with my fiance already and it's a stressful time. It was wrong of me to take that out on you.