Should I wait until I can properly propose before starting to file K1?

[Dustin&Caro 5]

A little background - I'm a US citizen (31), my girlfriend is in Peru (30). We met online in November 2017 while I was down in Peru with friends. Didn't get to meet her in person until June 2019. I stayed at her family house for a week over Christmas/New Years and we traveled together throughout Japan in March. During the last year, she was denied a visitor visa (B-1) twice to come see me.

 

With everything going on, I won't be able to go down and propose until July or August most likely. But hearing how long this K1 process could take, we mutually decided to start the paperwork now. Will the fact we have not had an official announcement, proposal, ring, party or anything raise red flags and potentially cause a denial? Should I wait to turn anything in until after I'm able to go down there? I'm worried about the processing time, but also that not waiting would cause a rejection.

[payxibka 10,045]

1 hour ago, Dustin&Caro said:

A little background - I'm a US citizen (31), my girlfriend is in Peru (30). We met online in November 2017 while I was down in Peru with friends. Didn't get to meet her in person until June 2019. I stayed at her family house for a week over Christmas/New Years and we traveled together throughout Japan in March. During the last year, she was denied a visitor visa (B-1) twice to come see me.

 

With everything going on, I won't be able to go down and propose until July or August most likely. But hearing how long this K1 process could take, we mutually decided to start the paperwork now. Will the fact we have not had an official announcement, proposal, ring, party or anything raise red flags and potentially cause a denial? Should I wait to turn anything in until after I'm able to go down there? I'm worried about the processing time, but also that not waiting would cause a rejection.

Much ado over nothing 

[Allaboutwaiting 2,503]

A formal proposal is not a requirement. No need to wait as long as you fulfill the actual requirements. 

[Just Paul 4,595]

There is no legal status for the USCIS of being "Engaged".   To file you just need to include the letter of intent to marry by each party.  

[Limey 551]

14 hours ago, Dustin&Caro said:

A little background - I'm a US citizen (31), my girlfriend is in Peru (30). We met online in November 2017 while I was down in Peru with friends. Didn't get to meet her in person until June 2019. I stayed at her family house for a week over Christmas/New Years and we traveled together throughout Japan in March. During the last year, she was denied a visitor visa (B-1) twice to come see me.

 

With everything going on, I won't be able to go down and propose until July or August most likely. But hearing how long this K1 process could take, we mutually decided to start the paperwork now. Will the fact we have not had an official announcement, proposal, ring, party or anything raise red flags and potentially cause a denial? Should I wait to turn anything in until after I'm able to go down there? I'm worried about the processing time, but also that not waiting would cause a rejection.

You don't need to be engaged in the sense of a proposal, ring etc. All that is required is that you've made a decision that you want to be married.

We filed our paperwork before any formal engagement (about 18 months after meeting for first time), and a few months later got formally engaged in Canada with ring etc (i'd avoided the US due to a finger wagging from US immigration on my previous visit about frequency of trips). Its not an issue for USCIS at all.

[Greenbaum 12,259]

Boom! There you have it. No need to "formally" ask her just get moving on the I-129f, Petition for Alien Fiancé(e), if this is what you want to do. Best of luck to you guys.

[jaysaldi 213]

It's not needed to do this before filing the I-129F. 

 

However, by the time of her interview, you'll need to be able to prove that you guys really intend to get married, and they may ask whether there was a proposal, is there a ring, an engagement party, etc.  None of those things are "required" but the absence of all of them could raise questions.