AboynamedSue

Thank you for the conversation and letting me process this. I have been crazy not been able to think clearly, but clarity came. It will hurt if we are denied and there are no exemptions for pre-filed. It will scar us deeply, but we won't live with regret. We never planned to meet each like we did and actually avoided falling in love for over a year, but it has been magical and amazing since our first visit. She is the sweetest woman who loves to spread joy. It feels like we grew up on the same neighborhood block, despite being so separated by distance. I can still feel our first hug. Thanks all.

The new Travel Bans are being placed into 3 categories of Red, Orange, and Yellow this time. While Venezuela had one of the lenient bans last time, it looking at a complete ban now. Trump recently revoked Chevron's oil license from Maduro. Recently the administration sent 238 Venezuelan 'gang members' to El Salvador prisons without due process and against a judges order. Maduro closed down the US embassy in Caracas in 2019 and the US followed suit in 2023. Last time, in 2017, we still had embassies open. It feels hopeless, and all this materialized over the course of the last few days with the Travel Ban leaks. We had hope before this given the past ban on Venezuela. The lawyer has not been advising well. We were ready to submit it early January of 2025, but the lawyer advised to wait for the ban. We foolishly went along. And now he is not given any advice with a 10AM deadline tomorrow. Grok AI is all I have.

I agree and hate looking at this way. We wish Maduro was rightfully removed. Harris won. Or if my fiance had a different nationality. I haven't been eating, showering, filled with pains in the chest, and feel my teeth cracking. I know I am not thinking clearly. My fiance understands. We weren't expecting a full ban on Venezuela since last time they had one of the lenient bans. But as the new rolled, the horror and nightmare took over. What are our options? Chances are we need to let each other go under a full travel ban. I would wait for 4 years if we knew there was a guarantee change in administration, which means waiting 6 years total. Waiting for 4 years with uncertainty will be hell. Then we are both getting older for children. She will get Chilean citizenship in 7 years, but then her daughter will be 21. I can move down there, but that will take 4-8 years at the earliest. We did everything right, and the world is punishing us. And we have to make a decision by tomorrow morning. I do not want to be in this situation. It is breaking me. I do not want to go off of AI, but is there any advantage of filing before?

I am reading Meta and Grok AI and they say that filing preban may improve our chances at waivers and exemption under a complete ban. I am torn because I love this woman, and the relationship will lead to a happy marriage and warm home with her daughter. If it is not with her, then I will most likely try again with someone else from Latin America since share similar values regarding home and family. After sobering up 6 years ago, I am not sadly finding that in America and I am getting older. All this takes time. Then I will have to start over with a K-1 already filed. I may have to ask for a waiver. I do not know whether to go for it and maximize every advantage, or realize that we did everything possible, and take a wait and see approach so we can make an informed decision as a couple. I do not want to regret filing soon an potentially missing even the slightest opportunity to be with my fiancé nor to do I want to waste a K-1 application on a country facing a complete ban, potentially jeopardizing a future application. I can travel in 2 months....and I just do not know. We are caught in ethical quagmires and a nightmare decision that I would not wish on anyone.

Thanks for the replies. Does anyone have insights on whether or not applications will be "grandfathered" in? Venezuela looks like it will be in a red tier list facing a complete ban. I know no one can give a guaranteed answer until the travel ban is announced, but I am curious.

What does this mean? Check over the petition package? Thank you.

Thank you. The relationship is solid with 4 visits (5 if we include last trip), letters of support, pictures, conversations, hotel receipts, boarding passes, and other receipts. It is an extremely healthy relationship that will lead to a lasting marriage. I am feel blessed each and every day. We were about to file, but I asked for a few more days to settle a matter, but it extended it for like 6 weeks as the lawyer went MIA. We were not too worried given the last ban on Venezuela, but the recent announcements, our worse nightmare feels like it is materializing as Venezuela is being lumped in the "red tier" list with North Korea. I am calling first thing in the morning to submit the application to hopefully beat the ban.

Thank you. We have not filed the K-1 visa yet. Reaching out to my Congresswoman is not an option right now. From my understanding, this Congress will be ineffective challenging the Travel Ban. Any challenges to the travel ban will end up in the courts. Recent reports hint at a full ban for Venezuela. We ere not expecting this. I don't know how to comprehend this. Would filing before the ban allow "grandfathering"? Of course, no one knows, but any thoughts?

Does "grandfatherhing" in applications help? My Venezuelan fiance and I were about to file the fiance visa a few months ago, but the lawyer advised waiting for the ban to be announced. Given the lenient restrictions last time on Venezuela, we were not too concerned until a few days ago. Seeing Venezuela on the red tier list is heartbreaking. Is it over for us? Her and her daughter are my family now.....I can hardly breathe or think. As of right now, I can't get a hold of the lawyer. He was super responsive for a long time except for the past few weeks. Really bad timing, but should I be pressing his legal assistants ASAP!!! I ask Grok Artificial Intelligence, and it recommends to file be the ban is announced. For a Venezuelan fiancé: No Impact Pre-Approval: 80–90% chance your case sails through USCIS if filed now (e.g., March 17), assuming strong evidence (photos, visits). Ban timing doesn’t touch this phase. Post-Approval Risk: 70–80% chance of grandfathering—interview proceeds under pre-ban approval—dropping to 10–20% if waivers are required post-ban. Bogotá’s backlog could delay into stricter enforcement, but approval odds hold with a solid case. Bottom line: A travel ban won’t likely derail an already-filed K-1 before USCIS approval—your receipt date shields you. Impact hits at the consulate, where ban rules could snag issuance, but precedent favors processing over cancellation. File fast, stack evidence, and odds stay high (75–85%) unless Trump rewrites the playbook mid-game—possible, but not his past pattern.