New to the site and about to propose...

[Barry and Ami 0]

I'm going to be proposing in December when my girlfriend visits me. She's Japanese and we're trying to get ready for marriage and everything. We want to get married in the summer so we need the visa process to go smoothly.

I'm new to the site and I thought it was really useful at first with the flow charts and the step by step guides. This led me to thinking that getting a visa would be simple, but the more I look into it, the more confused I am.

On this site there are too many abbreviations...I can't keep track. Too many forms. I don't know which ones are relevant to me and which ones aren't.

Can anybody help me out?

What do we have to do so my fiance can start work as soon as we're married and back from the honeymoon? (That's a question I've had recently that I can't find a simple answer to)

Thank you soo much! Sorry I don't know anything...I just need to start getting ready!

[kizza 1]

I'm going to be proposing in December when my girlfriend visits me. She's Japanese and we're trying to get ready for marriage and everything. We want to get married in the summer so we need the visa process to go smoothly.

I'm new to the site and I thought it was really useful at first with the flow charts and the step by step guides. This led me to thinking that getting a visa would be simple, but the more I look into it, the more confused I am.

On this site there are too many abbreviations...I can't keep track. Too many forms. I don't know which ones are relevant to me and which ones aren't.

Can anybody help me out?

What do we have to do so my fiance can start work as soon as we're married and back from the honeymoon? (That's a question I've had recently that I can't find a simple answer to)

Thank you soo much! Sorry I don't know anything...I just need to start getting ready!

Hey! welcome and congratulations.

Dont worry, I think most of us felt this way when we first started the process and soon enough, it all makes sense.

Here is a link with the definition of most abbreviations and acronyms:

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.ph...page=definition

Keep reading the guides and the wiki pages, check out the regional subforum for Japan, and dont hesitate to ask questions!

As per your wife working as soon as you get back from the honeymoon, she'll have to wait until she gets her employment authorisation (EAD), there is no way around it on a K1. Getting the EAD seems to take roughly 90 days from what Ive read. If she absolutely needs to work as soon as you're married (or enters the country), you might want to consider taking a different route (K3 or CR1 - getting married first then applying for a visa).

Good luck!

[Dakine 26]

I'm going to be proposing in December when my girlfriend visits me. She's Japanese and we're trying to get ready for marriage and everything. We want to get married in the summer so we need the visa process to go smoothly.

I'm new to the site and I thought it was really useful at first with the flow charts and the step by step guides. This led me to thinking that getting a visa would be simple, but the more I look into it, the more confused I am.

On this site there are too many abbreviations...I can't keep track. Too many forms. I don't know which ones are relevant to me and which ones aren't.

Can anybody help me out?

What do we have to do so my fiance can start work as soon as we're married and back from the honeymoon? (That's a question I've had recently that I can't find a simple answer to)

Thank you soo much! Sorry I don't know anything...I just need to start getting ready!

Why not marry now and do a CR-1 visa. That way she can start working within a month or so after she enters the US.

She won't have to go thru all the ####### of adjusting status, filing for EAD and AP [i-131].

[Anh map 2,098]

I'm going to be proposing in December when my girlfriend visits me. She's Japanese and we're trying to get ready for marriage and everything. We want to get married in the summer so we need the visa process to go smoothly.

I'm new to the site and I thought it was really useful at first with the flow charts and the step by step guides. This led me to thinking that getting a visa would be simple, but the more I look into it, the more confused I am.

On this site there are too many abbreviations...I can't keep track. Too many forms. I don't know which ones are relevant to me and which ones aren't.

Can anybody help me out?

What do we have to do so my fiance can start work as soon as we're married and back from the honeymoon? (That's a question I've had recently that I can't find a simple answer to)

Thank you soo much! Sorry I don't know anything...I just need to start getting ready!

This is a great self service site. Take some time and educate yourself about the laws and requirements that pertain to family immigration. The guides here on VJ are very informative. You will pick up the jargon and soon will not need to refer to the FAQ's already linked for you.

Each case is unique, so apply the collected advice as it applies. Do the work, and you should be successful.

You will also find Japan specific feedback in the Asia:East & Pacific regional forum.

Welcome to VJ

[Sam and Ben 2]

Good luck to you and your future fiancee!

There is certainly a lot of information here, which can all become overwhelming very quickly. But you'll find the guides to be a great start in comparing the variances between family visas, and to determine which suits you and your future wife best. After that, you'll find there are many folks here (or in the forum regarding whatever visa you decide on) that will be happy to answer any questions you find yourself wondering about.

[Justine+David 218]

I'm going to be proposing in December when my girlfriend visits me. She's Japanese and we're trying to get ready for marriage and everything. We want to get married in the summer so we need the visa process to go smoothly.

I want you to know that the reality of applying for a visa is that you give up the element of control. It may be that you apply for the visa in January 2010 and are able to get her here by summer 2010. But it's not guaranteed, there are any number of things that can delay your case that you have absolutely no control over; it's all on immigration (and we get the frustration; we're all going through it!). I don't say this to stress you out, but to just give you a realistic picture of what it's like.

Briefly, the K1 visa is a fiance visa which is the fastest route, but more costly (by a few hundred dollars) and more paperwork, as you apply for the visa and then she has to adjust status once in the U.S. to get a green card and you must get married in the U.S. after her arrival within 90 days.

The CR1 visa is a marriage visa (you have to already be married) takes a little longer but is more cost-effective and she can work as soon as she gets here and does not have to adjust status.

Welcome to VJ

Edited November 15, 2009 by Justine+David

[Arabella 4]

If you do a K1 Visa you might not be getting married by the summer. We started ours in March, and we are having our interview next week. So this process took us 8 Months. Just be prepared that it could be at least that long and possibly longer. We didn't have any RFEs, we were not stuck in AP at NVC. Some people had circumstances that made the process longer than anticipated.

Good luck!

[Nik+Heather 122]

If you don't know what forms are relevant to you, then you haven't found the guides yet. There is a link at the top of the page. There is a guide for each visa/filing type with links to the forms and very detailed step by step instructions for what to include in the packet and how to prepare the form. Yes, there are a lot of things and a lot of details, but it is all explained there in a tested and successful listing. The flow charts help you get an idea of the overall process and what to expect, but it's the guides that will help you get the whole thing put together.

Good luck (on the proposal and your visa journey!)

[Chris_Жанна 11]

It's great that you found VJ. Congrats and welcome! Defiantly take your time and read the guides and all the links about what visa best fits your needs. Ask a lot of questions. We will all be more then happy to help you with what we know and usually if some doesn't know they will refer you to the right people. Good luck, smooth sailing!