Should I Hire a Lawyer?

[ammercer24 0]

My boyfriend and I are just beginning the long process of applying for a K1 Visa in the US. He is from New Zealand and we are looking at all that is needed and are debating whether or not it is a good idea to hire a lawyer? Would a lawyer be able to speed up the process much or is that entirely in the hands of those processing the visa?

A little about our situation:

He and I have been together for two years. We met while I was backpacking through New Zealand on a working holiday visa. I left for 5 months at the end of the year-long visa to apply for a Partners Visa which allowed me to live and work in New Zealand because of my relationship status with a New Zealand citizen (how nice of their country!). Now we want to live in the States because I want to go back for my Masters in Minnesota. He has visited to meet my friends and family and said he liked the lifestyle etc.

Is this case going to be simple enough to process without a lawyer? Would the fact that our relationship is already recognized by his government as a legitimate long term relationship aid us in this application process?

Any tips or information would be amazing!

Cheers!

[p-ana 933]

A lawyer can't speed anything up. If you read the guides here on vj and understand them, I don't see why you wouldn't be able to do that yourself.

Good luck

[soulstriker 274]

there is honestly no reason to get a lawyer unless you intentionally want to waste money ,they dont speed up anything , in fact alot of ppl on here have delays in their journeys because of lawyers

[Unlockable 7,306]

Asked a million times but a lawyer can't speed up squat.

[ammercer24 0]

Thank you for your input!

The guides on here--are they pretty up to date with immigration laws and procedures then?

[cdneh 3,112]

Thank you for your input!

The guides on here--are they pretty up to date with immigration laws and procedures then?

On the whole, they are up to date. However, if you have questions, feel free to ask. There isn't really anything at all a lawyer can do to move things along. If your case is fairly straightforward, no criminal history, you can do it on your own. Many people here have. Welcome to Visa Journey

[Hanane S 4]

K1 visa is easy steps to take but need hard proof and evidence .. do it yourself and gather as hard evidence as you can .. and everything will be fine . No lawyer needed...

[Chris2870 721]

This is a good question, I am just getting started on the K-1 process and was wondering the same thing....also any tips on how to take some of the stress out of this process? My Filipina Fiance could use some good advice, me too to be honest. Thanks

[ceisenbruch 53]

Your biggest resources will be the Guides, the Sample Forms, and the Regional Discussion forum. Read them once, read them again, walk away for a week, read them a third time. Eventually, the process becomes clear and the forms compile naturally

Once you've submitted your petition, join the K-1 progress report forum thread of the month you submitted. There are generally dozens of people in your exact situations that pick up more tips and info that can help you.

[Adil & Jeanne 296]

Had a lawyer for 1 and all he did was copy my documents for his files and mail them in documents i gathered for the application / we were denied

i did the appeal myself and the new application and we were approved

[zilchfox 296]

My fiance hired a lawyer, however I personally felt it was a bit of a waste of money despite things going smoothly for us thus far, but he hired them just for "peace of mind". I'm fairly confident in the process, and I've been able to convince my fiance that we no longer need the lawyer moving forward, especially since there were many things that I was able to get done without the assistance or guidance of the lawyer such as applying for an SSN, or what to do with my drivers license once I'm in the US.

After we get married, the next step is AOS/EAD/AP and we can do that on our own.

Edited October 26, 2016 by zilchfox

[LionessDeon 2,060]

Many many prior threads on this subject. Follow guides and info tabs. Fairly straight forward. Not much an attorney can do that you cannot do yourself.

search tool -- "Should I hire a lawyer"

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/547103-should-i-hire-a-lawyer-and-other-questions/

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/598490-do-i-really-need-a-lawyer-or-professional-help/

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/380100-just-starting-the-k-1-process-lawyer-needed-fees/

[jasper383 23]

This is a good question, I am just getting started on the K-1 process and was wondering the same thing....also any tips on how to take some of the stress out of this process? My Filipina Fiance could use some good advice, me too to be honest. Thanks

Best resource for you will be in the Philippines regional forum. Read Greenbaum's guide and listen to anything that he or Philippines Sagot say and you will be fine.

[Beth & Achraf 328]

My boyfriend and I are just beginning the long process of applying for a K1 Visa in the US. He is from New Zealand and we are looking at all that is needed and are debating whether or not it is a good idea to hire a lawyer? Would a lawyer be able to speed up the process much or is that entirely in the hands of those processing the visa? Save your money, you can do this yourself, all a lawyer does is lick the envelope with the forms you filled out and provided him with.

A little about our situation:

He and I have been together for two years. We met while I was backpacking through New Zealand on a working holiday visa. I left for 5 months at the end of the year-long visa to apply for a Partners Visa which allowed me to live and work in New Zealand because of my relationship status with a New Zealand citizen (how nice of their country!). Now we want to live in the States because I want to go back for my Masters in Minnesota. He has visited to meet my friends and family and said he liked the lifestyle etc. You have nice evidence there of being together, included pics of you, him, family, etc. trips here to the USA when he met your family and friends, include that as evidence, boarding passes, receipts of any kind, etc.

Is this case going to be simple enough to process without a lawyer? Would the fact that our relationship is already recognized by his government as a legitimate long term relationship aid us in this application process? NO it wont help you here with USCIS.

Any tips or information would be amazing!

Your going to do well on the K1 journey. Very best wishes. Just follow the guides , its that simple

Cheers!

[David & Diana R 1,005]

My boyfriend and I are just beginning the long process of applying for a K1 Visa in the US. He is from New Zealand and we are looking at all that is needed and are debating whether or not it is a good idea to hire a lawyer? Would a lawyer be able to speed up the process much or is that entirely in the hands of those processing the visa?

A little about our situation:

He and I have been together for two years. We met while I was backpacking through New Zealand on a working holiday visa. I left for 5 months at the end of the year-long visa to apply for a Partners Visa which allowed me to live and work in New Zealand because of my relationship status with a New Zealand citizen (how nice of their country!). Now we want to live in the States because I want to go back for my Masters in Minnesota. He has visited to meet my friends and family and said he liked the lifestyle etc.

Is this case going to be simple enough to process without a lawyer? Would the fact that our relationship is already recognized by his government as a legitimate long term relationship aid us in this application process?

Any tips or information would be amazing!

Cheers!

In general, a lawyer slows things down because he/she has to ask you for the information, then he/she has someone fill out the forms with the information you provided. If you follow the steps on VisaJourney you can do it yourself. I followed the steps for a CR-1 visa for my wife in the Philippines. She arrived in the US 8 months later. That was pretty good time for a spousal visa. No attorney needed. Good luck and God Bless, david