Attorney situation...

[Palawan 131]

15 hours ago, PV&PL said:

Hi...I'm just starting out my I-129F paperwork journey for my fiancé and I...and it's already so overwhelming. He lives in Laos and the process to get him here with that country seem dawning if you're not doing the paperwork correctly as to their standard. While I was with him over there 2 months ago, we did all his documents that we needed him to have. I have taken copies of them with me when I came back to the states, like copy his passports, birth certificates, police records, etc... so I can start the I-129F asap. I have been watching youtube videos and researching alot on my own so I kind of have an idea how how the process goes but is still afraid of not knowing everything. I wanted to get an attorney to help me with the process. I've talked to 2 people, one is an attorney and one is a preparer that owns her own firm to help people with immigration issues and such. The attorney charges pretty expensive and the preparer is not very good at getting back to me with my questions. Both of them lives 5 hours driving from where I am so I decided to not work with them.

 

Two weeks ago I connected with one of my relative whose husband is an attorney. Yesterday, I met with him and we started the 129F paperwork from where I left off (because I've already started a little into it myself). He helped me with the rest of the 129F but doesn't want to provide his information on the i-129F where it ask for the preparer's information but he filled out the G-28 form, is that okay? I asked him why doesn't he want to provide his information on the I-129F but fill out the G-28 then? He said it's the same thing as he is already representing me when he fills out the G-28 form. Whatever paper I get from USICS, he will be getting them also so I don't need to worry...but I'm worry that might confuse USCIS. I perceive to ask him other questions, like do I need a cover letter? He said no...just sent all the forms, needed documents, pictures, etc.. in like a pile of papers. No need to assemble them nicely basically. But I'm seeing everyone on youtubes assembles their package neatly and nicely, with cover letters...but this attorney says I don't need to do that. On the top of the he was unsure of how to answer some of the questions on the 129F too... Prior to our meeting, my aunt had said he has helped many couple in the past...I thought to myself if he said he had done these paperwork for other people before why does he act unsure looking at mines? UGhhh...,we didn't get this package done, but I've already paid him $500 cause he says that's how much he's charging me upfront. So yeah I paid him but I don't feel good about his work. I left home (1hr 30 driving from his house) feeling like #######, more confused about the whole process than I did before I met up with him. 

 

Can the attorney just represent you using the G28 form and not be mentioned on the I-129F? Or it doesn't work that way?

 

And he's already filled the I-864 form for me to sent in with the I-129F package...is that even right? My understanding is the I-864 doesn't get fill out until my fiance is in the state and after we married within 90 days. I asked him shouldn't we wait to fill out this form after he comes to the states and that we should be filling out the 134 form first instead? He says we can't fill out the 134 form. The form is only filled out by fiancé in Laos when is time. Yeah totally confusing. 

 

I feel like he's not doing this right and just being sloppy with me...like he doesn't know what he is doing or doesn't want to me make better efforts in helping me...because he's not charging me the service fee amount that he would if I was a total stranger. He's charging me $500 instead of $1500 or $1800. 

 

They say never do business with families...isn't that right?  Someone tell me if I should just drop out of him continuing to help me any further and just take it as a loss of the money I already paid him. I feel like he might be pointing me in the wrong direction and may cause me delays in the future.  

 

 

I would rely on this forum to tell you everything you need to file your own paper work, they even have flowcharts and Guides to help you.

 

Do your own paperwork and don't rely on others, If for some reason I didn't have time or just didn't want to mess with doing the paperwork I would choose a place "Rapid Visa" or similiar over a lawyer any day.  Lawyers have their place but for just filing a fiance or spousal visa is not one of them.  

[Rocio0010 5,579]

Hi there! Please don't beat yourself up. You had the right mindset and came here to ask questions! At least you didn't submit anything yet. 

Even though I didn't file for a K1 (I was already in the States as an F1 student), we were in your very same shoes with my hubby, overwhelmed... We consulted two or three attorneys who were basically charging us bocoo money and beating around the bush. If I recall correctly, we even paid a deposit for one! 

That is... Until we discovered VJ. Long story short, we got our deposit back, and we started the process from scratch by ourselves, using VJ and at the end, some YouTube videos for ideas/suggestions on how to assemble the package.

As others have mentioned, VJ has a K1 guideline which is fairly complete and easy to follow. What we did with the AOS forms was to print several of them out, complete them in pencil (like a draft) and if we had any questions, we came here to ask. We had only one RFE because we sent the wrong tax forms (that one was on us!) and we were approved in exactly 6 months, with interview waived and everything. All this to say that if you or the beneficiary don't have any criminal records, you should be fine in ditching that attorney and DIY.

[Verrou 1,962]

print the USCIS information / tutorial sheet on the same link with the K1 form, read VJ forum for K1, if there's questions, can do extensive research on google ( read a lot and not just rely on one article),the only time i ran to youtube when i want to assembly the package ( i have lawyer for my package back in the day, but then i helped few friends with their AOS package), asked questions on VJ too. shouldnt need a lawyer for K1 applications in my opinion. 

[Boiler 45,449]

You Tube is just a platform, depends on what you are watching, I have seen some weird stuff there but have no doubt that there must be videos from people who do know what they are doing.

 

But how do you know if you do not know?

[Ontarkie 14,218]

~~Non contributory and derailing posts have been removed.~~

[PV&PL 0]

On 8/28/2022 at 7:37 PM, EM_Vandaveer said:

FYI having a lawyer does not, in any way, make the process quicker.

I echo other posters, consider marrying in Laos or a 3rd country & filing for a spousal visa instead.

The timeline, filing to visa in hand, is similar but spousal visa is cheaper and your spouse will have LPR status (be able to work & travel) as soon as he arrives to the US on a spousal visa.

Ok thanks...yes i'll consider it...have a talk to my fiance and see what he thinks. 

[PV&PL 0]

On 8/29/2022 at 11:26 AM, Boiler said:

You Tube is just a platform, depends on what you are watching, I have seen some weird stuff there but have no doubt that there must be videos from people who do know what they are doing.

 

But how do you know if you do not know?

heheh yeah i don't know...but i feel confident that im at the right place here for guidance...

[PV&PL 0]

On 8/29/2022 at 11:24 AM, Misscloud said:

print the USCIS information / tutorial sheet on the same link with the K1 form, read VJ forum for K1, if there's questions, can do extensive research on google ( read a lot and not just rely on one article),the only time i ran to youtube when i want to assembly the package ( i have lawyer for my package back in the day, but then i helped few friends with their AOS package), asked questions on VJ too. shouldnt need a lawyer for K1 applications in my opinion. 

okay thanks...

[TC-YA 0]

Hello, 

I am getting ready to file mine too and was wondering if you heard anything on your case? I have heard that since Covid hit, things have gotten longer timeframe and slower. Could you update? 

[TC-YA 0]

On 8/28/2022 at 1:58 PM, PV&PL said:

Hi...I'm just starting out my I-129F paperwork journey for my fiancé and I...and it's already so overwhelming. He lives in Laos and the process to get him here with that country seem dawning if you're not doing the paperwork correctly as to their standard. While I was with him over there 2 months ago, we did all his documents that we needed him to have. I have taken copies of them with me when I came back to the states, like copy his passports, birth certificates, police records, etc... so I can start the I-129F asap. I have been watching youtube videos and researching alot on my own so I kind of have an idea how how the process goes but is still afraid of not knowing everything. I wanted to get an attorney to help me with the process. I've talked to 2 people, one is an attorney and one is a preparer that owns her own firm to help people with immigration issues and such. The attorney charges pretty expensive and the preparer is not very good at getting back to me with my questions. Both of them lives 5 hours driving from where I am so I decided to not work with them.

 

Two weeks ago I connected with one of my relative whose husband is an attorney. Yesterday, I met with him and we started the 129F paperwork from where I left off (because I've already started a little into it myself). He helped me with the rest of the 129F but doesn't want to provide his information on the i-129F where it ask for the preparer's information but he filled out the G-28 form, is that okay? I asked him why doesn't he want to provide his information on the I-129F but fill out the G-28 then? He said it's the same thing as he is already representing me when he fills out the G-28 form. Whatever paper I get from USICS, he will be getting them also so I don't need to worry...but I'm worry that might confuse USCIS. I perceive to ask him other questions, like do I need a cover letter? He said no...just sent all the forms, needed documents, pictures, etc.. in like a pile of papers. No need to assemble them nicely basically. But I'm seeing everyone on youtubes assembles their package neatly and nicely, with cover letters...but this attorney says I don't need to do that. On the top of the he was unsure of how to answer some of the questions on the 129F too... Prior to our meeting, my aunt had said he has helped many couple in the past...I thought to myself if he said he had done these paperwork for other people before why does he act unsure looking at mines? UGhhh...,we didn't get this package done, but I've already paid him $500 cause he says that's how much he's charging me upfront. So yeah I paid him but I don't feel good about his work. I left home (1hr 30 driving from his house) feeling like #######, more confused about the whole process than I did before I met up with him. 

 

Can the attorney just represent you using the G28 form and not be mentioned on the I-129F? Or it doesn't work that way?

 

And he's already filled the I-864 form for me to sent in with the I-129F package...is that even right? My understanding is the I-864 doesn't get fill out until my fiance is in the state and after we married within 90 days. I asked him shouldn't we wait to fill out this form after he comes to the states and that we should be filling out the 134 form first instead? He says we can't fill out the 134 form. The form is only filled out by fiancé in Laos when is time. Yeah totally confusing. 

 

I feel like he's not doing this right and just being sloppy with me...like he doesn't know what he is doing or doesn't want to me make better efforts in helping me...because he's not charging me the service fee amount that he would if I was a total stranger. He's charging me $500 instead of $1500 or $1800. 

 

They say never do business with families...isn't that right?  Someone tell me if I should just drop out of him continuing to help me any further and just take it as a loss of the money I already paid him. I feel like he might be pointing me in the wrong direction and may cause me delays in the future.  

 

 

 

 

Hello, 

 

I am getting ready to file mine too and was wondering if you heard anything on your case? I have heard that since Covid hit, things have gotten longer timeframe and slower. Could you update?