Preliminary Questions

[Arazia 0]

Greetings,

A little background before I go into questions:

My boyfriend and I have been friends for nearly three years now, although we got together as a couple last fall. He's 19 and I'm 25. He lives in the Netherlands and I live in the United States. The separation has been really hard on us, especially after he spent most of the summer here with me. He loves it here in this country, and neither of us really wanted him to go back. I'm sure you've all been there.

So, my questions are this:

- Do you think the age difference might be a hinderance at all to getting this kind of Visa?

- I've read about having to proove that we've met. Can you -only- use the methods listed on this website? Do aphadavids from family and friends help? We have pictures of us together, but nowhere really recognisable, and we have passport stamps and he has his boarding passes from the last trip he took out here. Would that be enough?

- How exactly do you go about describing how you met? Do you just tell it in story format or is there some particular way of doing the question 18 add on sheet?

- Question 20 mentions your fiancee' applying for a visa at a consulate. Is this just the name of the consulate that the visa packet will be sent to when it is approved? Does he have to do anything or contact the consulate prior to the packet being sent from NVS?

- For proof of citizenship, do I need an actual original copy of my birth certificate (with colored stamp) or can a photocopy be used?

I'm sure I'll have more questions when I actually start compiling the information for the 129F form, but I wanted to clear some things up in my own mind first. Thank you in advance for your help and support, it is highly appreciated.

[neptune970 0]

Greetings,

A little background before I go into questions:

My boyfriend and I have been friends for nearly three years now, although we got together as a couple last fall. He's 19 and I'm 25. He lives in the Netherlands and I live in the United States. The separation has been really hard on us, especially after he spent most of the summer here with me. He loves it here in this country, and neither of us really wanted him to go back. I'm sure you've all been there.

So, my questions are this:

- Do you think the age difference might be a hinderance at all to getting this kind of Visa?

- I've read about having to proove that we've met. Can you -only- use the methods listed on this website? Do aphadavids from family and friends help? We have pictures of us together, but nowhere really recognisable, and we have passport stamps and he has his boarding passes from the last trip he took out here. Would that be enough?

- How exactly do you go about describing how you met? Do you just tell it in story format or is there some particular way of doing the question 18 add on sheet?

- Question 20 mentions your fiancee' applying for a visa at a consulate. Is this just the name of the consulate that the visa packet will be sent to when it is approved? Does he have to do anything or contact the consulate prior to the packet being sent from NVS?

- For proof of citizenship, do I need an actual original copy of my birth certificate (with colored stamp) or can a photocopy be used?

I'm sure I'll have more questions when I actually start compiling the information for the 129F form, but I wanted to clear some things up in my own mind first. Thank you in advance for your help and support, it is highly appreciated.

I don't think age will be a hindrance. You are both of legal age (over 18) and there have been couples with much bigger age differences that have been approved.

I'm not sure the afidavits are valid. I think the picture and definitely the passport stamps will be bigger sources of evidence. We relied on my passport stamps and only submitted one photo and we never got an RFE (well, except for IMBRA).

To describe how you met, try to avoid too many mushy details...just the facts will do. You met on ___ date and describ the circumstances, and have seen each other this many times, for this amount of times, have been together for x number of years. My answer was just a short paragraph. Because there's not really enough room on the I-129F, you add a supplement to the form. I put "see supplement, attached sheet at end of application" on the answer line.

He does not need to contact the consulate. In my case I called the consulate to see if it was there and they said he could come pick it up whenever. Some consulates will mail you the packet. Perhaps you call call a few days after it was sent out and see what the embassy tells you. Also, check out their website and see what you can find. http://netherlands.usembassy.gov/

For citizenship you can use a birth certificate copy or complete copy of your US passport. You don't send the originals.

Hope this helps some!

Also don't forget to check out the guides!

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.ph...mp;page=k1guide - this helps you with the actual application

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.ph...amp;page=k1flow - and this takes you through the whole k-1 visa process

Edited August 17, 2006 by neptune970

[Mew 0]

- I've read about having to proove that we've met. Can you -only- use the methods listed on this website? Do aphadavids from family and friends help? We have pictures of us together, but nowhere really recognisable, and we have passport stamps and he has his boarding passes from the last trip he took out here. Would that be enough?

No, the examples provided by the site aren't the only ones that could be used. Send them pictures of you guys (date them on the back) and definitely the visa stamps and tickets he has. I think statements from family/friends would be helpful too. Also, you can include receipts he's gotten - credit card bills, for example.

- How exactly do you go about describing how you met? Do you just tell it in story format or is there some particular way of doing the question 18 add on sheet?

We did as neptune described. Just a short paragraph including how/when/where you've met. My fiance just said we've met online and how it then escalated to our meeting in person. Be sure to include evidence that substantiates the story.

- Question 20 mentions your fiancee' applying for a visa at a consulate. Is this just the name of the consulate that the visa packet will be sent to when it is approved? Does he have to do anything or contact the consulate prior to the packet being sent from NVS?

You include the name of the consulate that will handle his petition. For example, in Brazil, there are several consulates (and, of course, the embassy) but only the consulate in Rio deals with immigration visas (a K1 is a nonimmigrant visa, but is processed as if it were). Even if my fiance stated in the petition that we wanted the visa to be processed by the consulate in the city I live in, they'd send it to the one responsible for it.

- For proof of citizenship, do I need an actual original copy of my birth certificate (with colored stamp) or can a photocopy be used?

A photocopy would be enough.

[Arazia 0]

Thank you both for the response. Unfortunately we're a little strapped on some types of evidence for the meeting. While we have the passport stamps, and the boarding passes and visa waver from his most recent trip here, my trip to see him is largely undocumented. It was tossed during a massive spring cleaning. I may have a hotel bill from that month though, so maybe I can pull that out. Would a frequent flier miles page showing a flight from Chicago to Amsterdam in February be good enough as a suppliment to the passport stamp?

Anyways, I'll be speaking with my boyfriend about things over the next few days, and hopefully you'll hear more from us soon. I am a bit worried as it seems that the Nebraska Service Center (which serves my area) forwards to the California Service Center that everyone seems to be complaining about. Oh well, we'll just have to see. I kind of want to have things go through the first time without having to go through RFEs.

[Mew 0]

Thank you both for the response. Unfortunately we're a little strapped on some types of evidence for the meeting. While we have the passport stamps, and the boarding passes and visa waver from his most recent trip here, my trip to see him is largely undocumented. It was tossed during a massive spring cleaning. I may have a hotel bill from that month though, so maybe I can pull that out. Would a frequent flier miles page showing a flight from Chicago to Amsterdam in February be good enough as a suppliment to the passport stamp?

Anyways, I'll be speaking with my boyfriend about things over the next few days, and hopefully you'll hear more from us soon. I am a bit worried as it seems that the Nebraska Service Center (which serves my area) forwards to the California Service Center that everyone seems to be complaining about. Oh well, we'll just have to see. I kind of want to have things go through the first time without having to go through RFEs.

The frequent flier miles page you mentioned would be good evidence. Also, you don't have to document any and all meetings you've had - you certainly can do that though, if you think you have enough evidence. You just have to send them evidence that you've met within the past 2 years. So, if you say you've met last summer, submit evidence of such meeting and describe it shortly when answering Question 18.

As for CSC (California Service Center), there's nothing you can do about it. So... gather everything to send out the petition, do your share. And hope things start moving faster at CSC.

[Caroline and Phil 14]

I found these hints here on visajourney and we did and i think it helped:

"hightlight or place post-it notes indicating the dates and locations on the copies"

our photos: we wrote our names, date and locations on the back of every photo and placed them in a plastic sheet.

we put all forms, attachments (indicating the form and question) and copies of documents and evidences, our passport style photos (with our name on the back of the photos and each photo inside a plastic photo bag with a label with our names written) and our photos of us together (as said above).

they are some details that can help a lot.

Good luck.

[Milka 0]

Hi, your age difference is totally fine. If you are over 18 you can decide for yourself. My fiance is 8 years older than I am and we had no problems at all getting the K1 visa.

Good luck on your journey.

[Arazia 0]

I have a few more questions to ask, if that's alright, rather than making another topic:

My boyfriend and I have plans for him to come visit in December for the holidays. This will definitely be after we submit our I-129F. He will only be staying for a few weeks. This is okay, right? I also figure this wouldn't be too much of a problem as I doubt he will even have had his interview by that point. What should we do if by some freak chance he actually has his interview by that point in time?

[john_and_marlene 162]

Hi, your age difference is totally fine. If you are over 18 you can decide for yourself. My fiance is 8 years older than I am and we had no problems at all getting the K1 visa.

Good luck on your journey.

Be careful when giving this type of advice for other countries. 18 is not the age when you can decide for yourself to get married in all countries.

[mozplay 28]

Hi and welcome to VJ!

About your hotel receipt ... if you did indeed throw it out during spring cleaning, you can try calling the hotel you stayed at to get a copy sent to you. I did this as well for our petition.

Good luck!

Mo

[faal4anisa 0]

HI AZARIA

I dont believe the age difference matter until u know each other and love each other but to the counselor officer it have to be proved that your relation is true and purely purely love then i dont think there will be any hurdle i feel LOVE MATTERS NOT THE NUMBERS MATTERS

[rebeccajo 14]

You only need to prove you have met once in the last 2 years. Proof from other journeys is only gravy. When you describe how you met you can list your travel dates and if you have some documentation from each visit send it.

You will need an original birth certificate for yourself. You will however just send a copy to file the K1.

The age difference is your case is probably insignificant.

Please read the K-1 guides. That should help you.

Edited August 17, 2006 by rebeccajo