CR1 OR K1? HOW TO OVERCOME RED FLAGS.

[TWISTIE 30]

3 hours ago, Crazy Cat said:

In Nigeria?????    I have been told, by a very well respected & expert  VJ member that there are 3 levels of fraud ratings for countries:

1.  Low level fraud

2.  High level fraud

3.  Lagos.

The fact is that more visits is always a good thing...but essential in some countries.  

We all know that Nigeria is considered a biggest fraud country...and I did mention that in my post. So, its my personal views that no matter how many trips one would take prior to marry, it wouldn’t make a difference because every case is automatically viewed there as a fraud. Even though India is not like Nigeria when it comes to fraud, yet still I went thru whole nine yards despite of having so many trips prior to marriage. Thus, its MY personal opinion that OP would go thru higher scrutiny regardless of how many trips s/he would make prior to marry. It would just a complete waste of time, money, energy and efforts to consider only this issue, rather OP should focus on everything about his/her relationship when it comes to collecting evidences/proofs....Its my personal opinion that making multiple trips prior to marriage won’t necessary guarantee a positive outcome. Thus, s/he should focus on the entirety of the relationship given every application for US visa is automatically considered a fraud in Nigeria. 

[ilikepotatoes 42]

44 minutes ago, davidvs said:

Most lawyers will say anything to get your deposit. Then the issues start... and their additional billings...

 

Our lawyer actually started our case without being paid. He also gave us a free consultation before we even started the process. He’s been in business for years, has hundreds of reviews, and a five star rating. Many of his previous clients have also commented on how he’s helped them out in their time of need, even with little to no pay. Sure, some lawyers suck. But saying “most lawyers” are like that is an exaggeration and exactly the kind of negativity I was talking about in the first place. 
 

[TWISTIE 30]

1 hour ago, ilikepotatoes said:

My husband and I got married on the first visit with one of the main reasons being the unpredictability of covid, and the fear of future lockdowns preventing us from meeting again for a very long time. We also had met online and had been in a relationship for about 3 years. 
 

This website has some very knowledgeable members, but you’re also going to find a lot of negativity and misleading information too. My husband and I decided to hire an immigration attorney; during our first Zoom meeting with him, we found out that all of the concerns that we had been warned about by VisaJourney’s voices of doom, weren’t actually issues at all.  He has told us that red flags are not the end of the world, and that he’s seen success with very complicated cases.
 

Yes, time spent together is important. My one month stay with my husband turned into four months and counting. So the longer you are able to stay, and gather evidence of time spent together, the better. 
 

I just wanted to comment and say that this isn’t the end of the world, and you just need to take some time and do some research before making a decision. Also, don’t let other people’s attitudes get you down; people only write based on their own experiences and by no means is that predictive of how your own case will turn out. Best of luck to you. 

 

So true...You nail it down...

 

For OP- one more thing- I know most people on here try to help, but then most people rubber-stamp each other...obviously, a few do this. Anyway, each case is unique and different. So, just do your best. You already have a very long time of relationship...11 yrs...meeting or not...its a very long relationship. To some people, personal meeting is so important to decide if that person is right for them or not, while personal meeting is not that important for others to know if a person is right or not. Getting to know could be done by phone calls, chats and emails...without meeting in person...Its just different strokes for different people. People are doing zoom marriage without even meeting once...and then they go and meet and then file the case....11 yrs is a VERY long time to ME in a relationship or even for a friendship. If I were you (OP), I wouldn’t waste one minute and get married on my very first visit...OP has a very long history with the partner...enough to rule out any fraud...so long s/he has some kinds of documented proofs...even as friends for that long..

[Crazy Cat 41,184]

1 hour ago, TWISTIE said:

It would just a complete waste of time, money, energy and efforts to consider only this issue,

The very best evidence of a bona fide marriage is evidence of time actually spent together........That is the bottom line.

-I'm out!

Edited September 8, 2021 by Crazy Cat

[JeanneAdil 6,399]

1 hour ago, ilikepotatoes said:

My husband and I got married on the first visit with one of the main reasons being the unpredictability of covid, and the fear of future lockdowns preventing us from meeting again for a very long time. We also had met online and had been in a relationship for about 3 years. 
 

This website has some very knowledgeable members, but you’re also going to find a lot of negativity and misleading information too. My husband and I decided to hire an immigration attorney; during our first Zoom meeting with him, we found out that all of the concerns that we had been warned about by VisaJourney’s voices of doom, weren’t actually issues at all.  He has told us that red flags are not the end of the world, and that he’s seen success with very complicated cases.
 

Yes, time spent together is important. My one month stay with my husband turned into four months and counting. So the longer you are able to stay, and gather evidence of time spent together, the better. 
 

I just wanted to comment and say that this isn’t the end of the world, and you just need to take some time and do some research before making a decision. Also, don’t let other people’s attitudes get you down; people only write based on their own experiences and by no means is that predictive of how your own case will turn out. Best of luck to you. 

 

congratulations to ilike potatoes

but the difference here is Ukranie and Nigeria

Nigeria is high high fraud with many buying fake documents (look to internet on this one)

and you can't compare the 2

 

and over and over we see a K1 from Nigeria denied as the USC sends photos of "an engagement party" that the Lagos embassy says "too married for K1"

[JeanneAdil 6,399]

just some infomation 

anyone marrying an African has a difficult job as they are all on high fraud list and it is not laughable

it took us 6 years to get our visa

the process is not easy nor fast nor cheap when u have to have multiple visits  to prove a real relationship

 

and this poster states CR1 or K1?  How do i overcome red flags so he already knows this will be hard

[ilikepotatoes 42]

2 minutes ago, JeanneAdil said:

just some infomation 

anyone marrying an African has a difficult job as they are all on high fraud list and it is not laughable

it took us 6 years to get our visa

the process is not easy nor fast nor cheap when u have to have multiple visits  to prove a real relationship

 

and this poster states CR1 or K1?  How do i overcome red flags so he already knows this will be hard

I’m sorry that with your own case you faced a lot of difficulty. However, I think it’s unfair to just make a blanket statement that implies that your particular situation will somehow be predictive of all other cases where the beneficiary is African.

 

My husband is not Ukrainian, he is actually African, from Zimbabwe. I was informed that usually countries with high marriage fraud rates also have high B2 visa refusal rates; I believe Zimbabwe’s visa refusal rate is at 26%, which doesn’t seem all that bad to me. Ukraine’s is even higher. My lawyer also reassured us that this should not be an issue at all.

 

Everyone’s case is different. While it’s important to know the pros and the cons of a situation, and to also face reality, a little hope goes a long way too. 

[SalishSea 17,464]

13 hours ago, Lighkas said:

I'm Nigerian, west Africa. 

Very high fraud embassy.  As the beneficiary, the burden will be on you to demonstrate that you are not just after a green card (you can thank your fellow Nigerians before you for that).  Marrying on the first visit is one of those 'red flags' you hear about.  

 

IMHO, your key to success will be more time spent in person together before marrying/filing.

[SalishSea 17,464]

10 hours ago, arken said:

US embassy in Nigeria has listed the photos and chat logs as important supporting docs.

I agree, but would like to clarify that this would not be in lieu of actual time spent together.

[Just Paul 4,594]

18 minutes ago, planningahead said:

There are 54 countries in Africa. Is every African country high fraud? 

A good corollary is looking at the passport strength. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henley_Passport_Index  None of the African Nations are in listed high.

[SalishSea 17,464]

2 hours ago, TWISTIE said:

11 yrs is a VERY long time to ME in a relationship or even for a friendship. If I were you (OP), I wouldn’t waste one minute and get married on my very first visit...OP has a very long history with the partner...enough to rule out any fraud...so long s/he has some kinds of documented proofs...even as friends for that long..

OP, I would be very careful taking this type of advice.

 

11 years of an online friendship/relationship will not be given the same credibility as 11 years of an in-person relationship by the US department of state.

[SalishSea 17,464]

26 minutes ago, planningahead said:

There are 54 countries in Africa. Is every African country high fraud? 

Well, no African countries are in the visa waiver program.  There are member countries from Europe, Asia, Oceania, South America, North America etc.

[OlgaA 67]

We went K 1 rote and even pre covid time we thought it's better to meet twice before making that decision to be together. One thing is to know each other online and another to live together. 

You should know that immigrating process is never easy or fast, especially with covid, just do it wisely, meet first then decide what's next. Best wishes!

[LuluNzenwa 1]

9 minutes ago, Jorgedig said:

Well, no African countries are in the visa waiver program.  There are member countries from Europe, Asia, Oceania, South America, North America etc.

One would assume that was more down to the socio-economic strength of these countries than fraud, though. There is indeed an unhealthy bias towards African countries as fraud is more wide-spread than most would to like to accept. But it is what it is, and OP has to play by the rules. Time spent together physically is mandatory for either of the visa routes.

[Rocio0010 5,579]

10 hours ago, TWISTIE said:

d get married soon as 11 yrs is already too long but focus on having tons of pictures together and with family...and just do your best. Good luck...

Not to be mean, but it’s quite the contrary: the focus should be on spending time together. Pictures are secondary evidence when it comes to USCIS. I can meet someone for two days, change outfits several times and even take pictures with random people.