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.