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Juliob

Do i need a lawyer to apply to a Fiance visa?

By Juliob in K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures

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Juliob Newbie

Juliob   0

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Filed: Other Country: Peru
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Hi everyone,

My girlfriend and i want to start the process with the fiance visa. However we want to hire a Lawyer but it is expensive so i am wondering if it will be easier if we do by ourselves?. she is in the US and i am in Peru. Besides, if we hire a lawyer the process will go faster or it will take the same time as we do by ourselves?

P.D. I have a visitor visa so i dont know if it will help with the process.

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EricAndOrn Explorer

EricAndOrn   30

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Filed: K-1 Visa Country: Thailand
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The process is not difficult and you do not need a lawyer unless you have an unusual situation. Read the guides on this web site and you will find that the process is not very difficult.

Having a lawyer generally does not make the process go faster.

Plenty of people here are ready to help.

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Juliob Newbie

Juliob   0

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Filed: Other Country: Peru
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Thanks.

We met in Guatemala when she was working here last year however i am still here for work. So If we apply to this visa while i am here and she is there while we wait for the six months.. do i have to be in Peru this six months or i just need to go there for the interview and to collect some documentation for the application ?

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canadian_wife Grand Master

canadian_wife   1,785

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Filed: Citizen (apr) Country: Canada
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Hiring a lawyer many times slows the process down for the following reasons. You send stuff to lawyer, lawyer reviews it, lawyer sends it to USCIS. Cut out the lawyer and you can send it directly to USCIS, you can see how that may affect the process.

your tourist visa has no affect on the process

good luck

USCIS
August 12, 2008 - petition sent
August 16, 2008 - NOA-1
February 10, 2009 - NOA-2
178 DAYS FROM NOA-1

NVC
February 13, 2009 - NVC case number assigned
March 12, 2009 - Case Complete
25 DAY TRIP THROUGH NVC

Medical
May 4, 2009

Interview
May, 26, 2009

POE - June 20, 2009 Toronto - Atlanta, GA

Removal of Conditions
Filed - April 14, 2011
Biometrics - June 2, 2011 (early)
Approval - November 9, 2011
209 DAY TRIP TO REMOVE CONDITIONS

Citizenship

April 29, 2013 - NOA1 for petition received

September 10, 2013 Interview - decision could not be made.

April 15, 2014 APPROVED. Wait for oath ceremony

Waited...

September 29, 2015 - sent letter to senator.

October 16, 2015 - US Citizen

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flfreddy Collaborator

flfreddy   92

Posted
Filed: K-1 Visa Country: China
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Posted

Hi everyone,

My girlfriend and i want to start the process with the fiance visa. However we want to hire a Lawyer but it is expensive so i am wondering if it will be easier if we do by ourselves?. she is in the US and i am in Peru. Besides, if we hire a lawyer the process will go faster or it will take the same time as we do by ourselves?

P.D. I have a visitor visa so i dont know if it will help with the process.

The lawyer is there to prevent errors on your part. Lack of front loading docs will result in RFE. The attorney also is a signal to the USCIS not to be careless in their handling of the case as its possible to be sued.

Slower not necessarily. About $1000 - $2000 depends on who you ask.

=============
5/20/2019 - I129 Submitted

5/22/19 - NOA1

 

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Unidentified Mentor

Unidentified   2,930

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Filed: Citizen (apr) Country: Sweden
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Hi everyone,

My girlfriend and i want to start the process with the fiance visa. However we want to hire a Lawyer but it is expensive so i am wondering if it will be easier if we do by ourselves?. she is in the US and i am in Peru. Besides, if we hire a lawyer the process will go faster or it will take the same time as we do by ourselves?

P.D. I have a visitor visa so i dont know if it will help with the process.

A lawyer can not magically make things go faster. Only thing he will do is fill out forms that you and your visa can do yourself.





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Ap&ChE Newbie

Ap&ChE   1

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Filed: AOS (pnd) Country: Nigeria
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I agree with flfreddy. Sometimes the cost is to decrease the headache of the papers. Though many Do and can file on their own, I was surprised to the comparison of what I put together and what my lawyer sent me to review before submission.

Definitely front load.

We Received our K 1 from Lagos Nigeria, and it wasn't without much worry.

I have to admit everyone here is super wonderful and even if someone has advice that is a little off, someone else expounds on it.

Great moderators also, fair and consistent.

Best wishes

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Irmy Norah Rookie

Irmy Norah   0

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Filed: K-1 Visa Country: Brazil
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To fill the I-129 Form you will need someone (attorney) just to guide you with the documents you will send to the USCIS. You can see the form on google (PDF). If you feel you can fill it,do it yourself.

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trublubu2 Contributor

trublubu2   62

Posted
Filed: K-1 Visa Country: Dominica
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Posted (edited)

hi there @juliob

the guides on here teach how to do all types of immigration actions, there are examples of what the filled out forms should look like, a Google-powered search engine exists here, along with knowledgeable people who have done the process themselves and can give personal experiences--some of them are even lawyers.

i.m.h.o., a lawyer is not needed for straightforward cases that have not been compounded by dubious personal history. if the specific situation you're looking at has potentially sticky things like criminal charges, overstaying, denials, deportations, etc., then yes--those are more than likely going to require an immigration lawyer. even then, however, you still need to go to USCIS.gov (or any U.S. immigration site's formal rules) and cross-reference their information, with the legal information and any of VJ's advice. i've seen recently where poor legal advice was given in person and then when looked up via the USCIS site, the legal expert was incorrectly interpreting things (of course they were charging for that poor advice). i've even seen timelines where legal personnel have instructed people to do 2 unnecessary forms (i.e., a married couple was instructed to do BOTH the i-129f and the i-130) which, OF COURSE equated out to more legal hourly fees.

please just take the time to start reading through the site/guides/example forms, search for threads where the subject you're interested in has been discussed (look for the most recent) and be meticulous in all that you do. don't be in a rush! i found that out when i tried to skip over the guides and almost sent off the packet with just the bare minimum listed on USCIS' site. since i've registered here, i've learned to (1) give plenty of time to do forms, (2) double check EVERYTHING, (3) do a search/ask a question--someone else has most likely gone through the same thing and (4) providing more info/supporting evidence than needed is best.

lastly, i realize the D.I.Y. thing may not be for everyone, so why not go up to the top of the page, check out "Guides" and "Example Forms", find the immigration action you're planning on doing and start doing a little reading up to see if it's something you can handle--if not, that's cool and now you know that you'd rather work with a lawyer instead of D.I.Y.-ing it. that's one way to gain a little insight into the process.

best of luck on starting your ...*drumroll* ... Visa Journey. :luv:

Edited by trublubu2

TvhNm5.png


ZYKgm5.png

the K-1 visajourney
December 31, 2014/6pm: paid & checked in I-129F at FedEx/Kinko's; they said it should reach TSC by 2Jan15
June 26, 2015/9pm: received text/email that I-129F was approved--took 5 months/2 weeks/3 days

7Jan15: received notification via email and text of receipt at TSC
9Jan15: date of receipt on official NOA1 I-797 form that was mailed back from TSC
26Jun15/9pm: received text/email that I-129F was approved--took 5 months/2 weeks/3 days
3Jul15: received official NOA2 approval letter that said it was sent to NVC on 2Jul15
10Jul15: NVC received, created case number, and put into their system (at least that's what i was told on 17Jul15)
called NVC on July 17, 24 and will call Aug 7--STILL IN Administrative Processing
4Aug15 - checked CEAC site; finally "In Transit" (!!!)
7Aug15 - CEAC site says "Ready at Embassy (BGN)"
7Aug15 - 1st phone contact with BGN, was told everything is by email now, no phone calls are conducted :sleepy:
10Aug15 - 1st email contact with BGN--several auto responses, the American Consulate Service email address is the only one to reply after i sent screenshot of CEAC "Ready" page, saying they haven't received anything from NVC but that they sent Packet 3
11Aug15 - 2nd email contact with BGN--BridgetownACS replies the next day, ADMITTING that they sent Packet 3 via r-e-g-u-l-a-r INTERNATIONAL snail mail--not DHL--and attaches .pdf of Packet 3 :ranting:

12Aug15 - 3rd email contact with BGN
13Aug15 - BGN won't respond to 12Aug15 email; resent email asking for help with my 3 questions on how to proceed since they don't/won't answer questions via phone; signed Visa Interview Request letter DHLed to BGN
14Aug15 BGN received DHL visa interview request letter at 3pm...radio silence
4am 17aug15 - emailed embassy with .pdf proof of 14aug15 BGN receipt of signed interview request letter and made request for an interview date and time
9am 17aug15 - embassy emailed back with .pdf of packet 4 AND letter granting interview date and time! :wow:
official papers STILL on their way via INTERNATIONAL SNAIL MAIL though... :rolleyes:
4sep15 BGN confirms, via email, that the .pdf versions of Packet 3 & 4 they sent will be viable for use at the BGN interview and medicals
7-11sep15 - paper packet 4 arrived in DOM via international snail mail from BGN **AFTER** TS Erika came through (paper packet 3 is probably lost in the ether somewhere, lol)
22sep15 - interview AND APPROVAL at BGN!
5OCT15 - VISA IN PASSPORT & IN HAND VIA DHL!!!! :dance:


October 23, 2015 - POE: San Juan, PR & BWI, Maryland!!
:wub::wub: December 11, 2015 - MARRIED! :wub::wub:


2HbJm5.png
AOS journey
18jan16 - 430pm - i-485 packet overnighted to Chicago via UPS

16feb16 - biometrics appointment

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Advanced Aardvark Proficient

Advanced Aardvark   82

Posted
Filed: Citizen (apr) Timeline
Posted

Unless your situation is unusual or very complicated, you can certainly complete and submit the forms yourself. Read the NJ guides, look at the sample forms and letters and be sure to ask questions if you are unsure about something. VJ has a wealth of people who have been through the process and can offer informed guidance.

We went through the entire process without a lawyer. You probably can too.

Good Luck!

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baron555 Veteran

baron555   934

Posted
Filed: AOS (apr) Country: Kenya
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Posted

Hi everyone,

My girlfriend and i want to start the process with the fiance visa. However we want to hire a Lawyer but it is expensive so i am wondering if it will be easier if we do by ourselves?.

Yes DIY is easier, faster and cheaper.

she is in the US and i am in Peru. Besides, if we hire a lawyer the process will go faster or it will take the same time as we do by ourselves?

The lawyer will make it go slower.

P.D. I have a visitor visa so i dont know if it will help with the process.

Phil (Lockport, near Chicago) and Alla (Lobnya, near Moscow)

As of Dec 7, 2009, now Zero miles apart (literally)!

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Holdingon Enthusiast

Holdingon   16

Posted
Filed: K-1 Visa Country: Liberia
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Posted

Hi everyone,

My girlfriend and i want to start the process with the fiance visa. However we want to hire a Lawyer but it is expensive so i am wondering if it will be easier if we do by ourselves?. she is in the US and i am in Peru. Besides, if we hire a lawyer the process will go faster or it will take the same time as we do by ourselves?

P.D. I have a visitor visa so i dont know if it will help with the process.[/quote

I hired a lawyer and would not hire one again for a k-1 visa. Even with a lawyer you still have to do all the work and forms yourself. The lawyer did a terrible job tracking the case. They made many mistakes which used a lot of time. This website has all the information you need. Save your money.

As far as visitor visa I don't know but would guess it has nothing to do with getting a k-1 visa. Good luck.

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Ortolan Rising Star

Ortolan   381

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Filed: Citizen (apr) Country: Netherlands
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Posted

If you don't have a terribly complicated situation, a lawyer is a waste of time and money, in my opinion.

Invest a little time, read carefully, and do it yourselves. If you have a question, ask it here; that's what this site excels in doing: helping people figure it out. Good luck!

"Wherever you go, you take yourself with you." --Neil Gaiman

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DJ6372 Collaborator

DJ6372   111

Posted
Filed: IR-1/CR-1 Visa Country: United Kingdom
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Posted

Unless your situation is unusual or very complicated, you can certainly complete and submit the forms yourself. Read the NJ guides, look at the sample forms and letters and be sure to ask questions if you are unsure about something. VJ has a wealth of people who have been through the process and can offer informed guidance.

We went through the entire process without a lawyer. You probably can too.

Good Luck!

I agree, if your case is pretty straight forward do it yourself

I am not the most gifted paperwork wise and managed to do it

Save the money!

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