Total Cost Sheet

[marcella 0]

I'm trying to put together a Total Cost Sheet with all the expenses to get married with the k1 visa.. so i would like the help from you guys!

Here's and original idea to start..please remind me of what i I'm missing! (i know its a lot)

It might help someone too that wants to have control over the expenses. On my personal data sheet I'm also adding the money I spend on things like printing all the pictures I'm using it, how much money I've spend sending the documents, going to my Consulate for my enterview etc)

So the basic is:

I - 129F $340

Medical exams (in Brazil) $100

Visa fee (in Brazil) $100

Getting married (in Florida) $93.50 (including certified copy of license)

I - 486 $1010 (for what I understand includes the cost of the I-131 and I-765)

*what happens after that?

Total, so far $ 1643

sooooo what I am missing? please correct me if im wrong with those values!

Edited July 13, 2007 by marcella

[1HappyGuy 45]

It depends upon what exactly you are looking to list. I think you should add the cost of meeting your fiancee, the numerous telephone calls, gifts, photos during trips, possibly support money or money to travel here.

If you are looking for just the out of pocket costs for filing K-1, getting married and filing for AOS, you have a pretty good start on it. But, realistically, the cost of getting married is much more than the fees paid to USCIS. Do you figures take into account the new fees starting July 30th?

[pushbrk 12,881]

I'm trying to put together a Total Cost Sheet with all the expenses to get married with the k1 visa.. so i would like the help from you guys!

Here's and original idea to start..please remind me of what i I'm missing! (i know its a lot)

It might help someone too that wants to have control over the expenses. On my personal data sheet I'm also adding the money I spend on things like printing all the pictures I'm using it, how much money I've spend sending the documents, going to my Consulate for my enterview etc)

So the basic is:

I - 129F $340

Medical exams (in Brazil) $100

Visa fee (in Brazil) $100

Getting married (in Florida) $93.50 (including certified copy of license)

I - 486 $1010 (for what I understand includes the cost of the I-131 and I-765)

*what happens after that?

Total, so far $ 1643

sooooo what I am missing? please correct me if im wrong with those values!

Those are the "fees". The "costs" are much higher. There may also be a small fee for mailing the visa and visa package after the interview. This varies by country.

[Jeremy + Kristy 0]

With the new fees, it appears you are right. Since a lot more of the "hidden" fees are now included, such as biometrics and such. Oh, and the I-94 at the POE may cost you $6 or $7, or is that only at land crossings?

[TimsDaisy 0]

Those are the "fees". The "costs" are much higher.

Costs can include stomach lining, increase in gray hairs (which causes higher salon bills), extra martini costs, skyrocketing wine bills, high manicure costs for constant hand-wringing and nail chewing . . . .

[Cassie 8]

don't forget costs for photos, photocopies, costs for travel to the consulate for the interview, travel to the US after the visa is granted, costs for whatever kind of wedding you plan to have........

[Dan & Jovy 0]

I think its most useful to measure the increased cost of marrying someone from another country versus the cost of having a significant other and getting married all in the US. The travel back and forth for me is clearly the biggest expense (plane ticket alone around $1500), along with phone bills (about $120/month) and sending financial support to Jovy ($ varies). I spent about $75 on office supplies (not all were necessary for the 192F itself) and $170 on the I-129F filing fee, and did everything myself. Express mail to the VSC was $21, and the pictures I sent in the package cost maybe $5 to print on CVS.com.

On the flip side, when Jovy arrives and we're married, it will likely be more additional cost for living expenses, food, utiltities, clothes, etc. than the amount of support I currently send, and we'll still be sending some money to improve quality of life for her family. So, I don't really count the financial support as incremental to this process, its just a part of life now. If she lived here, we would spend much more going out to dinner, movies etc. whereas now I am eager to get home so I can call her on the phone (savings). The cost of wedding is going to be expensive, as it would have been if I were marrying someone that lived in my own neighborhood, so I wouldn't really count that either.

This topic is a good idea, it would be good if I can budget the remaining costs of the immigration process, as my journey has only just begun.

[marcella 0]

thanks a lot guys!!

Awsome tipos for the "extra" costs.

I did put just the basic fees... but on my personal sheet Im putting all the costs with the travels, copies, and (almost) everything!

hopefully my fiance wont give up on marrying me cause its too expensive and marry an american instead. haha

[jundp 191]

Nice topic, Marcella. Gah. I hate to add up all the costs. Even if I just count from when we got engaged and take into account plane tickets, engagement rings, phone bills, etc., the costs are ridiculous. But, even if it's expensive, I'd rather deal with it, work an extra job for the expenses and know that I'll be with him for the rest of our lives...eventually

[marcella 0]

ooh, btw, what is Biometrics? How much does it cost?

please dont say $2309482308940239,00.

[Toshtishtash 1]

Costs can include stomach lining, increase in gray hairs (which causes higher salon bills), extra martini costs, skyrocketing wine bills, high manicure costs for constant hand-wringing and nail chewing . . . .

Sooooooo so true...

ooh, btw, what is Biometrics? How much does it cost?

please dont say $2309482308940239,00.

They are in with the AOS forms... I think both of the forms cost $1010 in total?

[Kathryn41 3,205]

also, for the K-1 security and police checks are required and often have a fee associated with them; fees of obtaining a passport, copies of birth certificates,; costs of extra vaccinations if not already given - above and beyond the medical cost (which seems to vary from Doctor to Doctor). Afterwards, as part of the AOS application, she will need to obtain a vaccination supplement (copied from the vaccination worksheet from the K-1 medical) provided by a US Panel Physician - fees are set by the individual physician and can vary from $10 to $200 plus. Every application process seems to be person/country and geographic region specific which will involve different fees.

Edited July 13, 2007 by Kathryn41

[TracyTN 237]

Costs can include stomach lining, increase in gray hairs (which causes higher salon bills), extra martini costs, skyrocketing wine bills, high manicure costs for constant hand-wringing and nail chewing . . . .

Sooooooo so true...

ooh, btw, what is Biometrics? How much does it cost?

please dont say $2309482308940239,00.

They are in with the AOS forms... I think both of the forms cost $1010 in total?

The fee for biometrics is currently $70, which you add to the $325 fee for the I 485.

After July 30th, the $1010 that you pay will include the I 485, AP, EAD and biometrics fees.

After USCIS receives your AOS forms, you will eventually be notified about a biometrics appointment.

Edited July 13, 2007 by TracyTN

[payxibka 10,045]

With the new fees, it appears you are right. Since a lot more of the "hidden" fees are now included, such as biometrics and such. Oh, and the I-94 at the POE may cost you $6 or $7, or is that only at land crossings?

Yup, land crossings

[Ladylethal 12]

Did you send your K1 yet? If not there's the cost for the I-129F as well.