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Rene T

Help! I've never done this before!

By Rene T in General Immigration-Related Discussion

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Rene T Rookie

Rene T   3

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Hello Everyone! I have gotten myself into a situation and I am not sure where to go from here! 

 

I am a US citizen, originally from Florida, and a year ago I moved to New Zealand on a Holiday Work Visa. On the very first day here I met a man, that is now my serious boyfriend. He is from the UK and our visas expire at the end of October. We planned to go to Australia for a year,  then move back to the US Virgin Islands, where I have been living for the last five years. However, thanks to COVID, we can not get into Australia at the moment. I am not sure when their borders will open back up for us to apply for a work visa, and unfortunately I do not think we will have much luck getting our second year here in NZ because they are denying applications left and right. We do not want to go to the UK either, so we are thinking we could move to Florida for a couple months and live with my parents until the Australian borders open back up, hopefully the beginning of next year! 

 

My questions are, how should we go about getting my boyfriend into the states right now? are they still offering visitor visas right now? how long are they valid for? what is the best website to get a visitor visa from? does anyone suggest hiring an immigration officer?

 

Any and all information would help us right now!

 

Thank you  

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SteveInBostonI130 Experienced

SteveInBostonI130   3,447

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Filed: IR-1/CR-1 Visa Country: Ukraine
 Timeline
Posted (edited)

As far as I'm aware, your boyfriend is from a VWP country and should be able to enter with ETSA, as long as he does not transit through the Schengen countries, UK and Ireland.

 

https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/faq

 

EDIT: Typo for VWP

Edited by SteveInBostonI130
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SalishSea Grand Master

SalishSea   17,829

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Filed: Lift. Cond. (apr) Country: New Zealand
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Posted
35 minutes ago, Rene T said:

does anyone suggest hiring an immigration officer?

Immigration officers cannot be hired, they are civil servants paid by federal taxes.

 

If your BF is eligible for an ESTA, he can travel to the US and request admission at the port, just like anyone else.  He will be granted up to 90 days leave to enter.  If he has a B visitor's visa, he can do the same thing, with the possibility of up to 6 months.  All entries and duration of authorized stay is at the discretion of CBP.  ESTA/B cannot be used to live in the US however.  For that, you would need to petition him for a fiance (K-1) visa if unmarried, or a spousal (CR-1) if married.

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Sparkle Sparkle Proficient

Sparkle Sparkle   914

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Filed: K-1 Visa Country: Germany
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Posted

😁My dear if we allowed to hire Immigration officers I would have hired a dozen to make sure my fiance gets here....on a more serious not he can still get into the states and stay for 90 days using VWP which Britons qualify for...You dont need to go to any embassy all you need is a computer connected to the internet and a printer to print out your approved ESTA.

Speak the truth even if your voice shakes

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zochu Collaborator

zochu   255

Posted
Filed: IR-1/CR-1 Visa Country: Australia
 Timeline
Posted

Australian borders won’t be opening up until 2021, perhaps longer for US citizens given how the virus is going there at the moment. 
 

I would be thinking of a more permanent move for your boyfriend, but you may need to consider getting engaged/married for that to happen. 

 

good luck 

Our Visa Journey:

 

2 April 2018: Married in Santa Ana, California 💒

6 June 2019: Birth of our daughter 👶👨‍👩‍👧

14 October 2019: Sent I-130 package via AusPost 📮 

18 October 2019: NOA1 received - sent to Texas Service Centre :D

24 October 2019: USCIS processed filing fee 🤑 waiting game 🕰️

22 January 2020: Andy moved back to the USA😞 🇺🇸 - re-establish domicile & to get a job 👨‍⚕️

23 February 2020: Petition transferred from Texas Service Centre to Nebraska Service Centre 😞

15 May 2020: I-130 petition approved! 😭😍 Date changes leading up to the approval were: 1 May, 12 May, 13 May. 

16 May 2020: Received NVC email, paid all fees. Waiting for fees to process so we can upload and submit all documents

19 May 2020: Immigrant visa Fees PROCESSED; affidavit of support fee PROCESSED 

28 May 2020: Submitted VISA application, civil documents & affidavit of support documents. Patiently awaiting DQ. 

2 June 2020: Email received from NVC stating that we have been Documentary Qualified and that they will liaise with US Consulate in Sydney for Interview 🐨

27 June 2020: Expedite request submitted 🤞

7 July 2020: Expedite request APPROVED! 😃😭

15 July 2020: Email received advising of interview date and time. 
20 July 2020: Medical i: n Melbourne CBD 🏥     
28 July 2020: US visa interview at US consulate Sydney - refused 221(g) issued. Request for joint sponsor 😞

31 July 2020: uploaded joint sponsor to NVC, emailed consulate 

5 August 2020: emailed received advising they have received the joint sponsor 

7 August 2020: case i0n “administrative processing” 🤞

10 August 2020: visa ISSUED 😭 

12 August 2020: passport and visa in hand!

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Lucky2Lucky Experienced

Lucky2Lucky   2,526

Posted
Filed: Citizen (apr) Country: Haiti
 Timeline
Posted
1 hour ago, Rene T said:

Hehe 🥴 I guess I didn’t mean an Immigration officer, but more of an adviser or lawyer. I told you I am new to all of this 🤪

What nationality is your boyfriend? That matters when talking about immigration.

Our K1 Journey    I-129f

Service Center : Texas Service Center   Transferred? California Service Center on 8/11/14

Consulate : Port au Prince, Haiti             I-129F Sent : 4/14/2014

I-129F NOA1 : 4/24/14                            I-129F NOA2 : 9/10/14

NVC Received : 9/24/14                          NVC Left : 9/26/14

Consulate Received : 10/6/14 CEAC status changed to ready

Packet 3 Received : 10/27/14 packet received by petitioner in USA ( beneficiary never received packet 3)

Medical: 10/30/14 Dr. Buteau                  Medical picked up: 11/3/14

Packet 3 Sent : 11/10/13.. Had to schedule interview appointment and attach confirmation receipt to packet

Interview Date : 12/1/14                           Interview Result : Approved !

Visa Received : 12/10/14 picked up at Jacmel location

US Entry : 12/15/14 Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Apply for Social Security Card: 12/30/14 Connecticut

Marriage: 1/26/15

 

Adjustment of Status

CIS Office : Hartford                                  Filed : 3/18/15

NOA : 3/25/15                                            Biometrics : 4/15/15

Approved: 8/31/15                                     Received: 9/8/15

 

EAD

CIS Office : Hartford                                  Filed : 3/18/15

NOA : 3/25/15                                            Approved: 6/12/15

Received: 6/20/15

 

Removal of Conditions I-751

Filed: 8/14/17 at VSC                                 NOA: 8/15/17 Received 8/21 by mail

Biometrics: Dated: 8/25/17   Received 9/2/17   Appointment 9/11/17 

Approved: 10/23/18 -no interview

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payxibka Grand Master

payxibka   10,045

Posted
Filed: AOS (apr) Country: Philippines
 Timeline
Posted
1 hour ago, Luckycuds said:

What nationality is your boyfriend? That matters when talking about immigration.

First post from OP.  UK.

YMMV

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JeanneAdil Grand Master

JeanneAdil   6,505

Posted
Filed: Citizen (apr) Country: Morocco
 Timeline
Posted
5 hours ago, Luckycuds said:

What nationality is your boyfriend? That matters when talking about immigration.

Actually that is a good question as many that have written in here say i am from UK or Canada but turns out that is not their nationality 

so, it does matter to know all

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TBoneTX Grand Master

TBoneTX   45,288

Posted
Filed: Citizen (apr) Country: Ecuador
 Timeline
Posted

A noncontributory post has been removed.

06-04-2007 = TSC stamps postal return-receipt for I-129f.

06-11-2007 = NOA1 date (unknown to me).

07-20-2007 = Phoned Immigration Officer; got WAC#; where's NOA1?

09-25-2007 = Touch (first-ever).

09-28-2007 = NOA1, 23 days after their 45-day promise to send it (grrrr).

10-20 & 11-14-2007 = Phoned ImmOffs; "still pending."

12-11-2007 = 180 days; file is "between workstations, may be early Jan."; touches 12/11 & 12/12.

12-18-2007 = Call; file is with Division 9 ofcr. (bckgrnd check); e-prompt to shake it; touch.

12-19-2007 = NOA2 by e-mail & web, dated 12-18-07 (187 days; 201 per VJ); in mail 12/24/07.

01-09-2008 = File from USCIS to NVC, 1-4-08; NVC creates file, 1/15/08; to consulate 1/16/08.

01-23-2008 = Consulate gets file; outdated Packet 4 mailed to fiancee 1/27/08; rec'd 3/3/08.

04-29-2008 = Fiancee's 4-min. consular interview, 8:30 a.m.; much evidence brought but not allowed to be presented (consul: "More proof! Second interview! Bring your fiance!").

05-05-2008 = Infuriating $12 call to non-English-speaking consulate appointment-setter.

05-06-2008 = Better $12 call to English-speaker; "joint" interview date 6/30/08 (my selection).

06-30-2008 = Stokes Interrogations w/Ecuadorian (not USC); "wait 2 weeks; we'll mail her."

07-2008 = Daily calls to DOS: "currently processing"; 8/05 = Phoned consulate, got Section Chief; wrote him.

08-07-08 = E-mail from consulate, promising to issue visa "as soon as we get her passport" (on 8/12, per DHL).

08-27-08 = Phoned consulate (they "couldn't find" our file); visa DHL'd 8/28; in hand 9/1; through POE on 10/9 with NO hassles(!).

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JFH Grand Master

JFH   12,190

Posted
Filed: Citizen (apr) Country: United Kingdom
 Timeline
Posted
8 hours ago, Sparkle Sparkle said:

 all you need is a computer connected to the internet and a printer to print out your approved ESTA.

And $14 to pay for it. 

Timeline in brief:

Married: September 27, 2014

I-130 filed: February 5, 2016

NOA1: February 8, 2016 Nebraska

NOA2: July 21, 2016

Interview: December 6, 2016 London

POE: December 19, 2016 Las Vegas

N-400 filed: September 30, 2019

Interview: March 22, 2021 Seattle

Oath: March 22, 2021 COVID-style same-day oath

 

Now a US citizen!

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