We don't have pictures together. Am I screwed?

[jaysaldi 213]

16 hours ago, Sadie.c.c said:

 I appreciate your help so much! It seems like the Chilean embassy isn't processing any visas right now, so I guess we will have to wait until they do and then follow your directions. 

The I-129F K-1 fiancee visa is filed by the American petitioner in the USA and generally processed by USCIS for 4-7 months before being preliminarily  "approved" and sent to the embassy for further review and approval and the medical exam and in person interview.

 

USCIS offices are conducting work, though slower than normal, they just aren't doing in person interviews.

 

What you COULD do is file the K-1 petition now and hope that the embassy is conducting interviews by the time USCIS processes and approves it.  

[TGregorio 60]

On 5/9/2020 at 2:56 AM, Sadie.c.c said:

Hello! 

Thank you for reading my question. I am trying to bring him to the states from Chile to get married, but we have no photos together!!! Is there any way that we could get the visa approved and bring him over? 

 

A little context.

I met my fiance while I was studying abroad. We were both renting rooms in the same house, and as that goes we fell in love and it has been a year of long distance and we want to be together. The thing is, we only have one picture together and you can even see his face (I've included it for the sad irony, I'm in the mirror) I was going to go spend a few months with him this summer but with coronavirus that was not a good idea, so no pictures. Since we did live together for a while,  I have to pictures of myself in our apartment, and pictures of him in our apartment, just not together. Is there any point in filing an application for a K-1 visa without couples photos?

 

Thank you for your insight!!

Hello, you definitely will want to travel back to Chile to take photos not only with your potential fiancée, but also photos with his family and friends if possible. Try to also take photos of you and your loved one with landmarks in Chile. This will help prove that your relationship is bonafide. Best wishes and congratulations! 

[SalishSea 18,015]

On 5/9/2020 at 6:57 PM, MrHanky said:

While photos are secondary, they help put the whole story together.

There can also be varying quality in photos, meaning what they portray.

I'm willing to bet they'd want to see at least some.

This thread definitely has some blurring of the petition vs. consular stages of the K-1 visa process.  

 

Pictures are not a requirement for filing the I-129F, nor is evidence of an "ongoing relationship."  We sent no pictures and our petition was approved without any RFEs.  The best primary evidence for satisfying the one time in-person meeting requirement is passport stamps and boarding passes.  

 

My now-husband did take pictures to his consulate interview.

Edited May 12, 2020 by Jorgedig

[Sadie.c.c 0]

On 5/11/2020 at 7:54 AM, jaysaldi said:

The I-129F K-1 fiancee visa is filed by the American petitioner in the USA and generally processed by USCIS for 4-7 months before being preliminarily  "approved" and sent to the embassy for further review and approval and the medical exam and in person interview.

 

USCIS offices are conducting work, though slower than normal, they just aren't doing in person interviews.

 

What you COULD do is file the K-1 petition now and hope that the embassy is conducting interviews by the time USCIS processes and approves it.  

This is really good advice. It would be great if we can at least cut down the wait time a bit by starting now.

[Sadie.c.c 0]

9 hours ago, Jorgedig said:

This thread definitely has some blurring of the petition vs. consular stages of the K-1 visa process.  

 

Pictures are not a requirement for filing the I-129F, nor is evidence of an "ongoing relationship."  We sent no pictures and our petition was approved without any RFEs.  The best primary evidence for satisfying the one time in-person meeting requirement is passport stamps and boarding passes.  

 

My now-husband did take pictures to his consulate interview.

I agree that there is some blurring between the stages It sounds like there is a good chance that we would make it through the initial petition, but will hit some hurtles in the interview. It seems like my fee money would be best spent visiting once things have settled down. We've waited a year, what's one more year

[JonSeattle 202]

2 hours ago, Sadie.c.c said:

I agree that there is some blurring between the stages It sounds like there is a good chance that we would make it through the initial petition, but will hit some hurtles in the interview. It seems like my fee money would be best spent visiting once things have settled down. We've waited a year, what's one more year

I applied for a K-1 because I was more concerned about the time than the money. If the reverse is true for you, then you should consider getting married first, take a bunch of pics, and apply for a CR-1. I believe that process has less total fees overall, and doesn't have the 6 month period of not being able to work in the US (in many cases not even being able to drive). 

[Sadie.c.c 0]

2 minutes ago, JonSeattle said:

I applied for a K-1 because I was more concerned about the time than the money. If the reverse is true for you, then you should consider getting married first, take a bunch of pics, and apply for a CR-1. I believe that process has less total fees overall, and doesn't have the 6 month period of not being able to work in the US (in many cases not even being able to drive). 

That makes sense. It looks like either way I will have to wait to bring him here until I can go to Chile and snap some pics, so that sorta takes the timeline further out of my control.