Meeting with an immigration attorney regarding K-1 visa

[bsoraya 6]

Hello guys, 

i have a zoom appointent with an immigration attorney tomorrow regarding a K-1 visa. i want to know what are the questions my fiancé and i should ask if you can help me with suggestions.

Thank you  

[Crazy Cat 41,982]

4 minutes ago, bsoraya said:

Hello guys, 

i have a zoom appointent with an immigration attorney tomorrow regarding a K-1 visa. i want to know what are the questions my fiancé and i should ask if you can help me with suggestions.

Thank you  

What can an immigration attorney do that you, yourself, cannot do?

[Just Paul 4,595]

Ask them why you should retain an attorney rather than filing it yourself.

 

Ask them if the only do family immigration or do family/ work immigration and handle other cases.

 

Ask how many K1's they successfully helped  each year in the last 3 years.

 

Ask how long the process takes.

 

Ask what are the issues to be aware of in your fiance's country that impact a successful k1.

 

Ask them what the hardest question was on their bar exam

 

[bsoraya 6]

2 minutes ago, Lucky Cat said:

What can an immigration attorney do that you, yourself, cannot do?

lack of time, my fiancé (US citizen) is very busy and won't be able to follow the process. We thought maybe hiring an attorney may help.

[Crazy Cat 41,982]

Just now, bsoraya said:

lack of time, my fiancé (US citizen) is very busy and won't be able to follow the process. We thought maybe hiring an attorney may help.

You and the petitioner still have to do all the legwork of gathering required documents and information........

[Just Paul 4,595]

2 minutes ago, bsoraya said:

lack of time, my fiancé (US citizen) is very busy and won't be able to follow the process. We thought maybe hiring an attorney may help.

K1 is super easy for the petitioner.   File the I-129f and then that is all.

 

Even if the petition uses an attorney or other service, they still have to get all of the documents together and answer all the questions and pray the attorney does it correct.

 

Unless there is a complex issue it is really DIY

Edited August 17, 2020 by Paul & Mary

[bsoraya 6]

4 minutes ago, Paul & Mary said:

Ask them why you should retain an attorney rather than filing it yourself.

 

Ask them if the only do family immigration or do family/ work immigration and handle other cases.

 

Ask how many K1's they successfully helped  each year in the last 3 years.

 

Ask how long the process takes.

 

Ask what are the issues to be aware of in your fiance's country that impact a successful k1.

 

Ask them what the hardest question was on their bar exam

 

i appreciate  my fiancé is an attorney himelf (but not the same predilection), i'll ask him what are the hardest questions immigration attorneys might have at the bar exam, i hope he has an idea  

[Just Paul 4,595]

Just now, bsoraya said:

i'll ask him what are the hardest questions immigration attorneys might have at the bar exam, i hope he has an idea  

State bar exams aren;y done by specialty.   They are asked questions about all cases / law.  Immigration is solely a federal issue and rew, if any, immigration questions of substance are on the bar exam.   Some states have additional  specialty certifications such as bankruptcy, personal injury,  death sentences.

[bsoraya 6]

that's right, gathering all the required documents is exhausting. I'm really affraid that the attorney gets paid and doesn't do things correctly. the attorney we are meeting tomorrow said the process takes between 12 and 18 months while in US embassy website it's mentionned between and 8 months.

[bsoraya 6]

3 minutes ago, Paul & Mary said:

State bar exams aren;y done by specialty.   They are asked questions about all cases / law.  Immigration is solely a federal issue and rew, if any, immigration questions of substance are on the bar exam.   Some states have additional  specialty certifications such as bankruptcy, personal injury,  death sentences.

Oh i got it, i hope we tfind the one and there will be no disappointments. We didn't decide which attorney to hire yet as we are still scheduling meetings to make a choice. Thank you so much for your help.

[In4theJourney 171]

3 minutes ago, bsoraya said:

that's right, gathering all the required documents is exhausting. I'm really affraid that the attorney gets paid and doesn't do things correctly. the attorney we are meeting tomorrow said the process takes between 12 and 18 months while in US embassy website it's mentionned between and 8 months.

I think 12-18 months is spot on during this pandemic, heck might even be longer. But I agree with most here, an attorney is not needed most of the time especially if you there is no red flags on either side 

[Just Paul 4,595]

Just now, In4theJourney said:

I think 12-18 months is spot on during this pandemic, heck might even be longer. But I agree with most here, an attorney is not needed most of the time especially if you there is no red flags on either side 

And a lot of delay not depends on which country the beneficiary will interview in.  Some countries are re opening and others are still processing 0 visas.

[Just Paul 4,595]

2 minutes ago, In4theJourney said:

I think 12-18 months is spot on during this pandemic, heck might even be longer. But I agree with most here, an attorney is not needed most of the time especially if you there is no red flags on either side 

Getting the documents together for a K1 is pretty easy and you can help.  The form is also very easy.  And we are all here to help. It took us about an hour to fill out and check our spousal petition and about 2 or 3 hours to pull together all of the other submissions. I already had a certified copy of my previous divorce.   K1 just needs the I-134 financial document at the interview.   But there are far more forms to do and potential complications in the K1 AOS process.

 

Ask the attorney why shouldn't marry and file a spousal.   Many consulates that are processing spousal visas now are not processing any fiances.

[bsoraya 6]

she mentionned 12 to 18 months as an average processing time from start to finish depending on where the alien fiancée lives, but didn't mention anything about my country (Morocco). We also noticed that attorneys fee changed from the time before the pandemic (between 4000$ and 5000$ now).

[SteveInBostonI130 3,471]

29 minutes ago, bsoraya said:

that's right, gathering all the required documents is exhausting. I'm really affraid that the attorney gets paid and doesn't do things correctly. the attorney we are meeting tomorrow said the process takes between 12 and 18 months while in US embassy website it's mentionned between and 8 months.

You do realize that it is you and your fiance that will need to gather all the required documents, right?  The lawyer will tell you what to do (basically tell you the exact same thing the guides here tell you to do).  They will fill out the relatively easy I-129F form, send it to your fiance to review and sign, and send it back.  Then the lawyer will take your work, plus that form, do a simple check to see if the documentation is complete, and mail it.

 

$4000+ for basically documentation check and mailing.

 

If your case is complicated, like criminal convictions in the past, or denied visas, then I can see their worth.