Necessary to go Back a Third time?

[Melrose Plant 1]

Hello, I am new here, though I am not new to the K-1 process. We've been waiting 3 months now since we filed our 129F. Boy, I wish I'd got on the ball and got all this stuff in sooner. Anyway, it sure looks like now it takes much longer than it did a year ago, and since my wife (oops, not supposed to call her that) is in Vietnam, which has one of the LONGEST turnaround times of any country, it's going to be, say, maybe 8-10 months since I last saw her when she goes for her interview.

We've discussed this at length (we talk every day), and we've decided we need to save our money and not have me come until she's able to come to the U.S. with me. However, now I am worried that the people at the Consulate will say that we don't have a strong enough continuing relationship, or something like that, because it's been so long since we met in person.

Is there anything to that? Should I go back a third time, say in March (an expense which would be a real burden)?

Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

James

[JenT 0]

Is she your wife, or is she your fiancee?

[Melrose Plant 1]

Is she your wife, or is she your fiancee?

She is my fiancee in the eyes of the law.

[mox 298]

The requirement for a K-1 is that you have met your fiancee within the last 2 years from the time you filed.

Nobody can tell you if the consulate will think you haven't spent enough time with her to have a bona fide relationship. HOWEVER, anecdotal evidence seems to suggest that the more visits the petitioner has with their fiancee, the stronger the perceived relationship.

So to answer your question, another visit *could* look better. It may or may not be necessary, nobody can really say for sure. How strong is your other evidence, such as phone bills, emails, etc?

[Brian & Kathy 0]

There is certainly no requirement that you need to see her again before her interview. It certainly looks great and helps prove the relationship with extra visits. If nothing else, you'll have a wonderful time seeing your fiancee, and breaking up the long difficult wait for the visa. Of course, if you can't make it happen, then you can't.

In my opinion, a lot of the questions asked at the interview will determine the extent of the relationship. They will likely ask your fiancee about your previous wives, your children, or your parents. If you are holding a continuous relationship, then these questions should be easy for her to answer, as you should have talked about nearly everything.

As for other kinds of evidence, you need to focus on using the evidence and sources you have available in your relationship. If you can't visit, then be prepared to show emails, love snail-mails, phone bills and such, the possible kinds of evidence are only limited to what you can think of.

Still, I feel her ability to answer these basic questions about you is very important. She should know everything about you as submitted in the petition.

Edited November 20, 2007 by Brian & Kathy

[SWA2 1]

Hello, I am new here, though I am not new to the K-1 process. We've been waiting 3 months now since we filed our 129F. Boy, I wish I'd got on the ball and got all this stuff in sooner. Anyway, it sure looks like now it takes much longer than it did a year ago, and since my wife (oops, not supposed to call her that) is in Vietnam, which has one of the LONGEST turnaround times of any country, it's going to be, say, maybe 8-10 months since I last saw her when she goes for her interview.

We've discussed this at length (we talk every day), and we've decided we need to save our money and not have me come until she's able to come to the U.S. with me. However, now I am worried that the people at the Consulate will say that we don't have a strong enough continuing relationship, or something like that, because it's been so long since we met in person.

Is there anything to that? Should I go back a third time, say in March (an expense which would be a real burden)?

Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

James

No, it's not necessary to go back a third time. I visited my fiancee in September of 2006. I had hoped to visit her again in the spring of 2007, but was unemployed, unable to find a new job as soon as I had hoped, and couldn't afford to go back. I didn't get a good paying job until June and by that time my fiancee was already scheduled for her interview in a couple of weeks. We kept records of all our email. We also used Yahoo messenger almost every night. This way we could also see and talk to each other. You can also text message with Yahoo and save the files. My fiancee printed out all my email and Yahoo messages. My lawyer suggested selecting selecting 10 to 15 email messages and several Yahoo messages where we discussed our future relationship. My fiancee had also been sending email back and forth with my parents and two of my nieces. My lawyer told me to be sure to include these in the evidence of an ongoing relationship as it showed that she had been accepted by my family. We also sent a few cards (Birthdays, Christmas, Valentines Day, etc.) back and forth by snail mail so we would have the postmarks.

For the interview my fiancee selected about 20 emails and printed them out. She attached a list describing what each email contained. We mutually selected email where we wrote about marriage plans, decorating the house, selecting bedding and furniture, my fiancee's plans for a future garden, etc. etc. She also selected a similar number of Yahoo Messenger messages, printed them out, and attached a similar list. The other pieces of evidence we used were cards and letters from me to her and email to her from my family. The interviewer only looked the email messages and approved her visa. He didn't even bother to look at the other evidence. We only selected email that discussed our future plans together, not the routine stuff. Now's the time to plan. Discuss some of these things with you fiancee via email and have her save them for the interview. You can visit my timeline and check my review of the Embassy for more details.

[Melrose Plant 1]

Thanks all, for your replies. I feel much better now. It's so difficult, even if money were not an issue, to plan trips to Asia. I basically have to quit my job and hope there's another when I come back. Or hope I'm laid off anyway, but that's difficult to predict. Thanks again.

[bora bora 1]

This is what I sent for proof of having met in the last two years (we also sent proof of ongoing relationship with it):

Copy of Brazilian visas from passport

Copy of stamped entries into Brazil

Copy of teaching certificate from Brazil

Copy of both sides of Brazilian residency card with translation

Copy of Flight Coupons and the itinerary from last trip

Receipt from hotel and business card with translation

Pictures (6) from 2004 to 2006

[MR2nice 0]

I'm heading back next month to see my fiancee (only for 1 week). It will be my 3rd time within a year. I agree that it "can" help show a continuous relationship.

[bora bora 1]

I'm heading back next month to see my fiancee (only for 1 week). It will be my 3rd time within a year. I agree that it "can" help show a continuous relationship.

I think so too, but there are other ways as well.

I lived with my husband during the beginning of our relationship (but we met in Brazil so it was easier). I went back twice before we applied, and then although we REALLY wanted to spend another Christmas/New Years toghether, we decided to save our money (my personal days from work) for me to attend the interview.

I think that when the USC attends the interview it proves a lot.

The CO who interviewed us was happy knowing we had lived together in Brazil.

The COs know that it is not always possible for either of us to travel to see each other as much as we want. That is why e-mails, letters, phone bills, gifts, pictures, etc. are important.

[MR2nice 0]

I'm heading back next month to see my fiancee (only for 1 week). It will be my 3rd time within a year. I agree that it "can" help show a continuous relationship.

I think so too, but there are other ways as well.

I lived with my husband during the beginning of our relationship (but we met in Brazil so it was easier). I went back twice before we applied, and then although we REALLY wanted to spend another Christmas/New Years toghether, we decided to save our money (my personal days from work) for me to attend the interview.

I think that when the USC attends the interview it proves a lot.

The CO who interviewed us was happy knowing we had lived together in Brazil.

The COs know that it is not always possible for either of us to travel to see each other as much as we want. That is why e-mails, letters, phone bills, gifts, pictures, etc. are important.

Originally I wanted to go back on for my fiancee's interview, but it looks like the interview date will be in Feb/March due to the delays. There are projects for my work that will need to be done by March 2008 and so I won't be able to leave. That's why I plan to surprise my fiancee with next month's visit eventhough if it's only for a week.

[2007K1 0]

Originally I wanted to go back on for my fiancee's interview, but it looks like the interview date will be in Feb/March due to the delays. There are projects for my work that will need to be done by March 2008 and so I won't be able to leave. That's why I plan to surprise my fiancee with next month's visit eventhough if it's only for a week.

I can either go to see my fiancee for 3 weeks now at X-mas or wait to her interview around Feb./March, but I cannot go both times due to work situation. So please give me your opinion which one is a better trip in the CO:s eye. If I wait to Feb./March then it will be more than 15 months I have not seen my fiancee. Will that be a question for the CO at our interview? My last visit was Dec. 2006.

Thanks in advance!

2007K1

[pushbrk 12,878]

Is she your wife, or is she your fiancee?

She is my fiancee in the eyes of the law.

If one of you slips up and refers to the other as husband or wife at the Consulate, you won't like the result.

At the very least, I would provide your fiance with an updated letter of intent and make sure she has as recently dated communication and affidavit of support as is practical when she walks into the interview. You'll want her to be very confident in her answer to any question about how long its been since you were together. She should have a clearly acceptable reason for the decision not to visit in the past 10 months. Something like...

We decided it was better to come right after I have the visa, so he can be with me during farewells and help me pack and travel.

or

We decided to save the money he would spend on another trip, for a nice honeymoon in the USA.

etc.

[1HappyGuy 45]

Telephone records and email letters work well to show a continuing relationship. Of course visits are great but the expense is understood by most consulates. You can send copies of the telephone bills and selected email letters to your fiancee to have her bring to the interview.

The slowdown is a result of the increased fees and so many people filing applications of all sorts before the July 31st fee increase. Just be patient, save your money and plan for her arrival. Hang in there a little longer.

[bora bora 1]

I can't tell you what to do - only what we did and why.

I spent June & July of last year with my husband in Brazil. When I came back to the U.S. we sent out the K1 application (in early September).

We both wanted to be together for Christmas/New Years like we had the years before. However, we decided it better to wait for me to meet my husband in Brazil for his March interview (we had an idea when it'd be but not the date yet) than for me to go in December. I couldn't do both because it's expensive!

We spent 8 months apart - the longest time ever for us.

I'm happy with our decision though because we met in Rio de Janeiro (a BEAUTIFUL city) a few days before the interview - and stayed a few more after my husband got his visa. The best was that we were together for the interview and together when he moved to the U.S. He didn't speak English and I was able to help him at the POE. I also wanted to be with him for this experience. My husband had to have his medical exam in Rio and I was there too (though it was a piece of cake).

And like I said, we were together again after 8 months apart - and in Rio. We had a perfect (pre-) honeymoon for 10 days at the beach and sightseeing.

It was my hubby's first time there too....