What's the first step?

[paulandmaria 0]

Good Afternoon Everyone! I'm new to this, so bare with me.

My boyfriend/soon to be finace and I need to know just how difficult it's going to be for us to actually be together living in the US. He lives in the UK, but would like to be here as soon as he finishes school in about 2 years. He's a bit of a worrier so really we just need some reassurance and help from people that have done what we are doing and got through it successfully. What's the first step to us being together and how long does it take? Any help/guidance/pointers would be GREATLY appreciated!!!

[KimandRuss 0]

Well, the good news is that you've probably found the best resource possible for international couples wanting to be together in the US. Also, you have two years to get through the process so you have plenty of time to do your homework.

You will want to start here with the K-1 GUIDES This will tell you step by step what is needed to file a petition on behalf of your fiance.

There are several stages to the process. You can learn more by reading the K-1 flowchart here.

Basically the process can take from about 6 months to a year depending on how fast the processing centers are working and the Consulate you are going through. So much has changed over the past couple of years that it's hard to use the historical data to guage how long it will take. Also, if you're not filing any time soon ...things could change again.

Once you fill in your timeline with dates you will be given an estimated adjutication date range. This is based off of the vj users database but is normally pretty accurate. This is for the petition to be adjuticated at the uscis center. Once approved it will be sent briefly to the NVC (national visa center) and then off to the Embassy. I believe London is taking a couple of months to interview but you can learn a lot more about that in the regional forums here on VJ. We've got lots of very nice folks coming from London.

Once the visa is issued you will have 6 months to enter the US and then 90 days in which to marry before adjustment of status.

Start with this thread .... read all you can in the links above and then ask any questions you may have.

good luck to you

[CraigCam 0]

Without knowing any specifics of your case(like whether or not you will have any complications), we can safely say that the K1 Visa process will take anywhere from 6-12 months, probably on the shorter end of that range. The visa will expire in 6 months, so, even if it takes a year to get your visa, it will expire before your fiance finishes school in 2 years. You can ask for extensions and delay the process at certain stages before you receive the visa. For example, once your interview date is set, you can request to reschedule for up to one year, but I don't know if that could impact your case or not.

You have plenty of time, so, I would suggest to read what others have to say, study the guides(K1 Guide) and then make your own educated decision based on your specific case. Regardless of when you decide to start the process, start gathering your evidence now! The guides will tell you what you need.

Good luck!

[paulandmaria 0]

Thank you both so much! He will be happy to know that people are at least responding and willing to help us!!!