K1 Visa Attorneys

[Ano 0]

I am meeting my fiancée in Manila in two weeks, when I get back to the USA, we need to select an Immigration Attorney to help facilitate and assist us in our K1 Visa application processes.

Who has experience with a Visa Attorneys bringing their Fiancée to US from Philippines? Who has been satisfied with their attorney, and who has been disappointed?

We are looking for support, from start to finish, until she is here with me in the USA.

I need Attorney and Firm names and recommendations!

Thanks in Advance, and wish us luck!

Robert

[Mew 0]

You'll find useful info on these threads:

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.ph...lawyer+yourself

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.ph...lawyer+yourself

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.ph...lawyer+yourself

[sarah and hicham 3]

It is not hard to do yourself unless you have lots of complications!

Good luck,

Sarah

[Brandon and Sivling 0]

Yea like every body stated that doing it yourself is not that hard, because this site is the bomb and it has everything you need to help you with the K-1. Also there are lots of nice members who went through the same thing and they are more than willing to help.

Anyway, good luck to you both.

[ready4ONE 5,400]

If you have what you believe are complications, post them here before hiring an attorney. They may be no problem at all, or something veteran VJ'ers have seen others work through and can help you out.

I don't recall seeing anyone on here who was happy they hired an attorney!

Good luck!

[William33 110]

Dude, Don't waste your hard earned money on a useless immigration attorney. $2-3k? Ridiculous.

Hang out here, ask many questions, read the FAQ's and Guides. You can successfully do this yourself.

Heck, I filed before finding this site, got a second RFE, acknowledged by CSC 2 days ago and got approved today. Now I study the facts and try to help others not make mistakes.

You can do it; we can help you. Save your money for a nice wedding.

Have a nice visit in the PI!!!

[nfs 0]

Dude, Don't waste your hard earned money on a useless immigration attorney. $2-3k? Ridiculous.

Hang out here, ask many questions, read the FAQ's and Guides. You can successfully do this yourself.

Heck, I filed before finding this site, got a second RFE, acknowledged by CSC 2 days ago and got approved today. Now I study the facts and try to help others not make mistakes.

You can do it; we can help you. Save your money for a nice wedding.

Have a nice visit in the PI!!!

When I started the K1 I had the impression (probably due to reading various lawyer's websites) that a lawyer would make it much more likely that I would be successful. I was worried about getting RFEs and slowing the process down. I read about people waiting forever. Now here I am with a lawyer and waiting forever , just like everybody else. I have also found out that most people do get their visa eventually, some sooner and some later. A lawyer DOES NOT make it faster (I suppose unless you manage to really screw up). Lawyers can also make mistakes, as some unhappy VJers have documented.

If you have lots of money to blow and do not feel confident or happy about handling the paperwork yourself, or if you have complicating factors, and if you'd just feel better with a lawyer, then maybe you should get one. But I think the best plan is to consult with one but fill out and send the papers yourselves. Have the lawyer look your papers over before you send them.

Having the lawyer send the paperwork puts an extra step in there and more potential for problems, and you don't always get an RFE as quickly as you might if they just sent it to you. Lawyers aren't always all that concerned with YOUR paperwork.

I wouldn't necessarily recommend my attorney, even though some people have. He doesn't pay that close attention and mostly I'm working with an office assistant. Basically, we're all just waiting, lawyer or not.

[Sheriff Uling 3]

rturn280 - "William33" and "nfs" are correct. Check out my signature and download the packet 4 information that your fiancee must have for the visa interview, when you get to the next level. Oh, you might want to fill out the G-325 Biographic Information form before you go so she can sign it while you are there. It will save you some time. This process is a little intimidating when you first step into it, but once you learn the process the only problem is the waiting... waiting... and more waiting. You can do it and there is a wealth of knowledge here to help! Good luck!

[treed44812 0]

I am a paranoid person and I figured an extra set of eyes on my paperwork would help. We are using Hodgson Russ LLP and they have done very well by us(so far!). I know they have offices all over so that is a possible option. In hindsight, I would have done the work myself, but I didn't find this great site until after I paid the reatainer ($2500); which will cover us all the way through AOS/EAD and even an attorney at the interview.

Our case is nothing special and has no complications, but as I said, I am paranoid that I might miss something or could possibly have overlooked some piece of information.

I did most of the work for the lawyer and his paralegal, but I like the reassuring part of having one if we need it. Kind of like insurance. You hardly ever need it, but you are damn happy when you need it and it is there. I told the lawyer that if something goes wrong that I expect him to act like a pitt bull who has been fed nothing but gunpowder and crack for weeks.

I guess to sum it up, if you can do it yourself, then go for it. Follow the guides, ask for info, double check and then have someone who has never seen the paperwork go over it again.

Just my $00.02

[mendeleev 67]

If all you want is another set of eyes to look over your documents, once you have them ready to file, you can probably find an attorney willing to do that at quite low cost ... not the $1800-3000 that people pay who hire they attorney and try to delgate everything to them.

But unless you have some peculiar difficulty in your past or your fiance's past, all you really need is a thoroughly ####### attention to details and ability to follow the directions on the forms and pay attention to information given in the guides.

[spiritee 0]

Hi,

In answer to your question I suggest that you register with this website http://www.aila.org/

They were very useful and put my fiancee in contact with an immigration attorney where he lives.

Good luck I pray you find an attorney soon.

S.

I am meeting my fiancée in Manila in two weeks, when I get back to the USA, we need to select an Immigration Attorney to help facilitate and assist us in our K1 Visa application processes.

Who has experience with a Visa Attorneys bringing their Fiancée to US from Philippines? Who has been satisfied with their attorney, and who has been disappointed?

We are looking for support, from start to finish, until she is here with me in the USA.

I need Attorney and Firm names and recommendations!

Thanks in Advance, and wish us luck!

Robert

[Ano 0]

I have nothing in my past that would prevent us from obtaining K1, and from the questions I have asked her, she has never been married, never been arrested, etc.

I have copies of my tax returns filed electronically thru HR Block, copies of my divorce degree, property settlement, etc. (One exception is on divorces papers, my Ex has legal custody, but my 2 children live with me currently, and I have claimed them on my taxes for last 3 years.) I just accepted a job only make $12/hour, but work for a municipality-city and with good job security and opportunities for advance. In 2005 my taxable income was 32K, in 2004 was 34K, and 2004 25K. But because of my household size and current earning, I received some government assistance, basically healthcare for kids, and some monthly food assistance. I have the letter from my employer, I have the letter from my bank’s branch manager, deposits for last year were around 26K, current balance around 2k. I get child support from Ex, whatever she can pay me, but it isn’t a court ordered thing, it is just that she helps us out when she can.

I am living for Manila on September 4th, and leaving for home on September 10th.

So some of my next questions would be:

1. Should I drop out of government assistance programs, I don’t want this to delay our obtaining K1

2. Do I claim my kids on information requested by our government?

3. What forms should I bring with me to Manila, to work on together while I am there?

4. What things will speed up our application process, and what common mistakes do people make that delay their approval?

5. What is the first step in the process, I think it is filing out the I-129 with payment and then waiting for a response?

6. What is the best proof to show our intent to marry, and that I was there in Philippines for her?

7. Any thing else I should know?

Is it just me, but I feel I am not marrying a citizen of another country, but the woman I chose to marry just happens to be from another country. Maybe I am a spoiled American, but come on, what right does my government have to keep us apart? She does not pose a threat to our national security!

Sorry, just PO’ed that I cannot just go and get my bride, I love her, she is the one!

[Mew 0]

rturn280, be sure to read the K1 guide - http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.ph...mp;page=k1guide -, the tips - http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.ph...amp;page=k1tips - and the two pinned threads on the K1 forum. They'll give you info as to what's needed for the first step, as well as what are the most common mistakes petitioners make when filing. You'll also find answers to most of your questions there.

Edited August 21, 2006 by Mew

[caagirl 0]

my fiance and I just did it by ourselves if your case is simple do it that way from what I have seen

hiring attornerys is not the greatest idea..They seem to mess their customers around a lot..If you are going oto go for one check out his or her sucess stories on getting you the visa...Good Luck with everything just warning you its a long process but will be all worth it when you see the love of your life again....

Sincerly a fiancee in waiting,

Christina

[John24689 0]

I know it is intimidating when you look at the forms and instructions. We completed the K-1 packet ourselves. If you get an attorney, you will have to furnish all the information to be put on the forms and you will have to give them all the attachments. To me, you can get the help on this forum and do it yourself. You will waste time sending them all the information and then they will have to put it all together for you. By the time they get the information, you could have it all together, punch holes a the top and use an ASCO fastener to bind everything and have it in the mail. It would be received by the Service Center by the time the attorney would get the information. No major issues, no problem. Do it yourself and save the time and the money. Just check everything 10 times and then sleep on it. Then check it again about 3 more times the next day and put it in the mail. Good luck on your decision.