Almost ready to submit petition

[Vicki1990 2]

Hi everyone,

 

I'm almost ready to mail the I-129F packet after taking a really long time getting it ready and I thought I would post about my case and packet here to get some reassurance before sending it, so thanks to anyone who takes the time to read this.

 

I'm American and my fiancé is Greek. I actually came to Greece during the height of the pandemic (from Spain where I was teaching English) and stayed here ever since. I didn't want to leave the country and not see him indefinitely because of travel restrictions, but now we are not able to get married in Greece since I have overstayed. I have read other posts on this forum stating that this was not an issue for another Greek-American couple filing for a K1, so I am hoping it won't affect our petition.

 

In my packet I've included the authorization for a Credit card transaction for $535, and an e-notification form, followed by a cover letter based on the sample one from this website.

I listed each supplement to the I-129f, which we needed several of because we needed to list many previous jobs and addresses in the US and abroad for me, and jobs for him. I even included addresses of temporary stays at AirBnBs and hotels when I was between apartments.

 

In the I-129f I wrote in the box asking about in person meeting, "I flew from Spain to Greece on 11/13/2020 and have stayed in Greece from then until the present day. Please see the attached supplement for more information." Then on a separate page I explained briefly that we met online and that visited him several times while I was teaching in Spain, and that I flew to Greece in 2020 and now live here and rent an apartment near my fiancé's home (he lives with his family but we spend about half the week together). I titled that page "evidence of in person meeting" and listed the included evidence under the explanation. I also added at the top "part 8: Additional information. Page 8, part 2, item 54. Now I'm wondering if I should have separated the list of evidence from the explanation of the circumstances of our meeting...

 

For evidence of the in person meeting I included boarding passes from my last flight to Athens, receipts for two AirBnBs that I stayed in and screenshots of a conversation with one host talking about how my Fiancé was staying with me, a copy of my current lease (it's just an electronic contract from a Greek government website. There's no normal written out contract) and finally, three photographs of us together. One is a photo with about 10 of his family members and us.

 

There's also a full color copy of every page of my passport  and a letter of intent from each of us, signed and dated. And passport photos in baggies that I will paperclip to some printer paper.

I think finally everything is in order and I am considering mailing it from Greece via FedEx.

Does this all seem correct? And does anyone have any tips or insight for anyone in our specific situation?

[Mike E 11,739]

7 minutes ago, Vicki1990 said:

see him indefinitely because of travel restrictions, but now we are not able to get married in Greece since I have overstayed.

Utah County, Utah, does not care. You can get married online and file I-130 after the ceremony if you are both  in the same room during the ceremony, or after you meet if you are not in the same room.

 

13 minutes ago, Vicki1990 said:

I am considering mailing it from Greece via FedEx.

 

Fedex or DHL. Do not use a postal service if mailing internationally.

 

8 minutes ago, Vicki1990 said:

I flew from Spain to Greece on 11/13/2020 and have stayed in Greece from then until the present day. Please see the attached supplement for more information.

I would be more concise:

 

“11/13/2020 - 4/10/2023 - Greece”

 

15 minutes ago, Vicki1990 said:

Does this all seem correct?

The rest looks good

 

[Crazy Cat 41,878]

31 minutes ago, Vicki1990 said:

I didn't want to leave the country and not see him indefinitely because of travel restrictions, but now we are not able to get married in Greece since I have overstayed.

Marry online (Utah Zoom Marriage) and start the spousal visa process.  

 

Every couple has their own priorities, and each couple must decide which visa is better for their situation.

K-1        
    More expensive than CR-1    
    Requires Adjustment of Status after marriage (expensive and requires a lot of paperwork)    
    Spouse can not leave the US until she/he receives approved Advance Parole (approx 6-8 months)    
    Spouse can not work until she/he receives EAD (approx 6-8 months)    
    Some people have had problems with driver licenses, Social Security cards, leases, bank account during this period    
    Spouse will not receive Green Card for many months after Adjustment of Status is filed.
    A K-1 might be a better choice when 18-21 year old children are immigrating also
    In some situations, marriage can affect certain Home country benefits, making a K-1 a better choice   
    A denied K-1 is sent back to USCIS to expire
    

CR-1
    Less expensive than K-1    
    No Adjustment of Status(I-485, I-131, I-765) required.    
    Spouse can immediately travel outside the US    
    Spouse is authorized to work immediately upon arrival.    
    Spouse receives Social Security Card and Green Card within 2 or 3 weeks after entering the US    
    Opening a bank account, getting a driver's license, etc. are very easily accomplished with GC, SS card, and passport.
    Spouse has legal permanent Resident status IMMEDIATELY upon entry to US.
   

 

[SteveInBostonI130 3,454]

Marry online and submit the I-130 online.  No physical mailing required.

[Vicki1990 2]

Well, I am glad I posted because getting married online is something completely new to consider. I hadn't even heard of it. Thank you for the replies.