Some questions about filing the 1-129F form/K1 Visa Packet from abroad?

[msrodan 0]

Hello all! 

 

Excited to start this journey, however, I've run into some questions about filing the K1 visa from abroad. I (US Citizen) am currently living abroad where my fiance lives in the UK. It is obviously more difficult and confusing when filing from abroad so I have some questions for you all. 

 

1) Where do I file this packet? Is it the Lewisville USCIS Lockbox location? Can I file from abroad at all? 

2) Can I use my mother's phone number/address for any correspondence between us and USCIS? She currently lives in the USA and I believe this would make our ability to get in touch with USCIS and vice versa a bit easier. Would this hurt our chances of the application getting approved seeing as this is not my number/address? 

3) Can I pay the filing fee with a debit card? Can I fill out the G-1450 form with debit card details even though this form explicitly says credit card? If so, what form do I use. I understand a check is more simple, but I writing a check from abroad might be difficult. To confirm, the debit card I intend to use is from a US bank account. 

 

 

That's all for now, though I'm sure I'll have more questions. Thanks and best of luck to you all :) 

[MalloryCat 179]

if you are already living with your fiance in the UK, it may be better for you to go the spousal visa route instead of K-1.

it is a better and cheaper route overall. it is far superior to the K-1 visa as once your partner arrives in the US, they will already be a LPR and be able to work immediately.

 

is there something preventing you from getting married right now?

 

1. Where do I file this packet? Is it the Lewisville USCIS Lockbox location? Can I file from abroad at all?  Yes, if you are mailing it via FedEx, UPS, or DHL it goes to the lewisville address

2. Can I use my mother's phone number/address for any correspondence between us and USCIS? She currently lives in the USA and I believe this would make our ability to get in touch with USCIS and vice versa a bit easier. Would this hurt our chances of the application getting approved seeing as this is not my number/address?  You can use your foreign address to receive correspondence from USCIS. and in part 2 where it says "address in the united states where the beneficiary intends to live" you could put your mothers address, if that is where you will be staying once you move back.

3. Can I pay the filing fee with a debit card? Can I fill out the G-1450 form with debit card details even though this form explicitly says credit card? If so, what form do I use. I understand a check is more simple, but I writing a check from abroad might be difficult. To confirm, the debit card I intend to use is from a US bank account. From the USCIS website "You can pay the fee with a money order, personal check, cashier’s check or pay by credit card or debit card using Form G-1450, Authorization for Credit Card Transactions." So yes, you would use the same G-1450 form. But be aware, a lot of times banks will detect these charges as fraud, if that happens USCIS may deny the application "If a credit card is declined, we will not attempt to process the credit card payment again. We may reject your application, petition, or request for lack of payment" https://www.uscis.gov/pay-with-a-credit-card

[Crazy Cat 41,761]

@msrodan, Have you considered a spousal visa instead of a K-1?  You are already together.

 

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 3-6 months) 
  Spouse can not work until she/he receives EAD (approx 3-6 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
  K-1 entrant cannot file for citizenship until after having Green Card for 3 years.
  Once an I-129F has been approved, delaying the case is difficult to impossible if the need arises.

CR-1/IR-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.
  The clock for citizenship filing starts immediately upon entry to the US.
  A CR-1/IR-1 case can be delayed indefinitely at NVC if the need arises. 
   

 

 

Edited August 27 by Crazy Cat

[msrodan 0]

@MalloryCat We don't live in the same apartment, we just live in the same city at the moment. I am currently working on my career here in the UK, so currently staying here. I would like to get married in the USA where my family is, so that's why we're opting for the K1 visa. 

 

To reply to your answer to question 2, could I use my mother's phone number to receive messages on the g-1145 form? 

 

To reply to answer to question 3, if I told my bank ahead of time about the transaction would that help? 

[MalloryCat 179]

3 minutes ago, msrodan said:

@MalloryCat  We don't live in the same apartment, we just live in the same city at the moment. I am currently working on my career here in the UK, so currently staying here. I would like to get married in the USA where my family is, so that's why we're opting for the K1 visa . 

 

To reply to your answer to question 2, could I use my mother's phone number to receive messages on the g-1145 form? 

 

To reply to answer to question 3, if I told my bank ahead of time about the transaction would that help? 

ahh fair enough, i can understand that completely.

 

you could. just fill it out with your name and her phone number. its not a required form, so they probably aren't gonna check that the phone number comes back to you.

 

you could definitely try, theres really not a guarantee that the bank still wont try and flag it.

would it be possible for you to order checks from your bank and have them shipped to you? that would be my recommendation to try that first.

[yuna628 9,667]

7 minutes ago, msrodan said:

@MalloryCat We don't live in the same apartment, we just live in the same city at the moment. I am currently working on my career here in the UK, so currently staying here. I would like to get married in the USA where my family is, so that's why we're opting for the K1 visa. 

 

To reply to your answer to question 2, could I use my mother's phone number to receive messages on the g-1145 form? 

 

To reply to answer to question 3, if I told my bank ahead of time about the transaction would that help? 

Is your only reason for selecting K1 to simply marry in the US? Do you intend to not live in the US with your new spouse? 

[h02ejmajja 57]

1 hour ago, msrodan said:

@MalloryCat We don't live in the same apartment, we just live in the same city at the moment. I am currently working on my career here in the UK, so currently staying here. I would like to get married in the USA where my family is, so that's why we're opting for the K1 visa. 

 

You could just go and...visit the US, your significant other on their ESTA and then get married and both of you go back to the UK if that's what you are wanting to do (stay in the UK for awhile). Keep in mind that with either option, unless you are working for a US company and your work will continue in the US, you will need a sponsor. Also - with the spouse visa, you can delay your timeline a little after USCIS approves your case, if you aren't ready to return yet. With the K1, once your future spouse arrives in the US, they can't leave the US without their travel documents, and they cant work without employment authorization - so it could take many months and thousands of dollars after they are here on a K1 before you get those items and their green card. However, since you could just VISIT the US and get married and do the spouse visa, that makes a lot more sense? 

 

[garebear397 68]

2 hours ago, yuna628 said:

Is your only reason for selecting K1 to simply marry in the US? Do you intend to not live in the US with your new spouse? 

This seems like a good question for OP....because it sounds like they are staying in the UK and mentioned growing their career there. If that is the case, @msrodan you don't need any sort of visa. K1 is only for immigration intent of your fiance....they are perfectly fine to go a visit the US, get married there, and return back to the UK. 

[msrodan 0]

@yuna628 No, we fully intend on living in the USA after we get married. 

@h02ejmajja Right now, for reasons I'd rather not share with strangers on the internet, the k1 visa is the best option for us. 

[MalloryCat 179]

1 hour ago, msrodan said:

Right now, for reasons I'd rather not share with strangers on the internet, the k1 visa is the best option for us. 

I get that lol

you can file the I-129f from abroad

and if you wanted to use your mothers address, there is an option on the form to indicate that the mailing address is different than your physical address, if you don't trust that anything from USCIS will make it to your address in the UK

[msrodan 0]

@MalloryCat thank you for understanding! I just had one last question lol! Do you know if we need to date and sign in ink for every single page we submit in the K1 Visa Packet?  

[MalloryCat 179]

of course!

not everything single page no

the only pages you need to sign are page 10 for the petitioners signature (you don't need to sign the preparers signature section as well if you are the one who puts the packet together, that is only if a third party puts your packet together)

if you use any of the additional information pages, you have to sign and date each page that you use, if you use any.