Need help in picking a firm to help prepare K1 VISA

[jwk2003 3]

I was thinking of not using a lawyer but one of these companies that assist with the paper work. They charge from $249 to $495. One is called "Filipina Fiancee Visa Service" and they charge $289. I live in San Francisco, CA

Why pay when the guides here are completely free including the support!? I did all of this on my own. Anyway by the time you fill out all the necessary documents requested, at the end you are going to tell yourself that you really didn't need a lawyer and could have used the money for something else.

-no regrets!-

I look at what you are about to pay as close to 40% off her ticket to the USA...

[TracyTN 237]

Using 'one of those firms' is honestly a rip off to me. Not to mention that I think its a very good idea to have a good understanding of the process yourself - after all, this is your family's future so why not invest a little bit of time to do the research yourself and run with it? Trust me - the more you know about this process, the better off you are at protecting yourself. And you never know - you may end up finding it endlessly fascinating the way many of us have.

Everything you need is either here or at one of the other boards. Why throw good money after bad?

[jwk2003 3]

Using 'one of those firms' is honestly a rip off to me. Not to mention that I think its a very good idea to have a good understanding of the process yourself - after all, this is your family's future so why not invest a little bit of time to do the research yourself and run with it? Trust me - the more you know about this process, the better off you are at protecting yourself. And you never know - you may end up finding it endlessly fascinating the way many of us have.

Everything you need is either here or at one of the other boards. Why throw good money after bad?

I completely agree! - good point

[Tahoma 2,298]

I never used an attorney nor an online visa service. However, I had it pretty easy. My wife (then-fiancée) read the VJ guides and figured out everything for us ( muahhh).

Don't worry about your fiancée's interview at the U.S. Embassy in Manila. The American Consul Officers who conduct the interviews are fluent in Tagalog and can conduct her interview in Tagalog if she wants to. The pre-screeners are Pinoy and she can speak Tagalog with them too. Even the guards are Pinoy.

My advice: make three complete copies of your K1 visa package...one to send to USCIS, one for your fiancée, and a spare one for yourself (just in case).

Now, go get your fiancée busy reading the VJ guides!

~ Tahoma

[Lorenzoid 12]

It may look like a lot of work, but it's basically just filling out a few forms with information that you already have and mailing it in. As I've explained it to curious friends, unless one has special circumstances, applying for a K-1 visa is no more complicated than preparing and filing one's own tax returns (assuming you've dealt with some moderately brain-teasing issues like deducting mortgage interest and things like that). If you're the kind of person who goes to H&R Block to have his taxes prepared, then you might similarly want to have someone else fill in your K-1 application forms. There's no shame in that. But if you're capable enough with government forms and procedures to do your own tax returns, you can probably handle the K-1 forms.

Consider that no matter how dumb you may feel, someone dumber than you has done it before you. You're not the first to feel that the task is too difficult for you to handle.

[Jasman0717 9]

you do not need a lawyer. this website walkes you through everything you need to do? and if you need specific help just ask and someone will help you. i was thinking about hiring a lawyer but i after finding this site i did it myself.

I did everything based on the guides here on VJ. If I got stuck I asked questions. We had absolutely no problems until dumb ol' me used an old form to lift conditions but it still only took 5 months to get the 10-year card and I owe it all to VJ, the membership and the VJ guides. You can also get some additional hints by looking at the example forms.

Unless you have a complicated case, do it yourself and save some bucks for your wedding reception.

Good luck

[sara..... 371]

no one on can tell you not to hire an attorney because we are not attorneys and do not know your circumstances....with that being said i can tell you that we hired an attorney because we felt there were one or two issues that needed to be addressed in our petition.......they were not addressed it took us two years to get thru the petition stage at csc and we are now in AP at the embassy because one of those very issues came up and ended up being what the interview was about only three or four questions were asked about our own relationship.........do we even get a call from our attorney now to try to help us thru the mess im certain could have been avoided if those issues had been addressed? NO .......no email no call back nothing we have been the only ones trying to get our case thru and we have been the only ones trying to resolve the issue that has brought us to this point.......

if i had found vj before hiring the worthless attorney i would have known what to do and how to do it

sara

[GuardianOne 0]

I was thinking of not using a lawyer but one of these companies that assist with the paper work. They charge from $249 to $495. One is called "Filipina Fiancee Visa Service" and they charge $289. I live in San Francisco, CA

They won't make anything faster or easier. Infact, it will take longer since you have to send them everything first.

We knew nothing about the K1 Visa process and in an hour my fiance is landing. I owe it all to research and VJ.

[MRStee 19]

Do the math: K-1 Visa $455.00, dhl fee $131.00, AOS - EAD - AP $1,010.00, airfare - ????

Do you really think its necessary to hire a lawyer when you have everything you need right here on VJ?

Just some food for thought! Good luck

[Tom and Novie 1]

I agree with all the advice about lawyers.. Preparing for the interview, however. Be sure she knows you as well as a fiance should. She should have all the same knowledge of you that a fiance you met in your hometown would have. She should not only correspond with you, she should also get to know your family maybe exchange emails with them or join a social site where your family can interact with her. They asked Novie where I work, what I do, things about my town and family. She was prepared because she got to know my family on Facebook and we talked about such things. Other than that I would say if possible you should go with her to the embassy for emotional support. The pre-interviewer even asked me a few questions. I was not allowed into the actual interview.