Abolish fiancee visas

[SMOKE 1,426]

Immigration fees should be waived for those making less than $45,000 a year

uhm ahh no.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

not entirely true either...depends on intent at POE that defines it as fraud or not.

Couldn't agree more. I think that some/many people like to romanticize the waiting as some sort of modern day Romeo and Juliet scenario. People are separated from their spouses all the time work, military, etc. No one's gonna die. You just get thru it, and focus on what happens afterward. I think if more people spent the time apart preparing for the foreign SO's arrival, things would be a lot easier - both before and after arrival.

Also, I've also said many times that the K-1 from a VWP country is just a bullsh!t visa to begin with. It should be done away with.

Oh, and one more thing, the K-1 is not the 'get to know you' visa. So many use it as such and it drives me insane when I read that on here.

Sorry but it is entirely true. There is no law against entering the US with the intent to get married, as long as you do not stay and try to adjust status based on an entry intending to get married. Thousands and thousands of people enter the US with the intent to get married every year. As long as they do not overstay and do not attempt to adjust status without the proper procedure, all is well.

Enter on VWP, with the intent to get married, get married and go home to wait for the CR-1 to be approved. No problem.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

The fiance visa is an interesting visa. My home country does not allow fiances to get visas (you must be married for 1 year or in a de facto marriage - 2 years co-habiting) to get a resident visa through family there. My motherland allows fiances to get resident visas but the regulations are more stringent than here i.e. english language requirement and both parties over 21. Maybe that is something that would improve the US K1 system.

It may also be why we shot the Brits off the front porch more than 200 years ago.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Technically, you're right. But the whole foreign issue aside, getting married typically requires some money. And while it's possible the foreign spouse will be able to support him or herself, it's not the typical situation, at least not at first. But I don't think the point is so much that bringing a fiance(e) or spouse to the US is expensive. It's just that adult life is expensive and if you're squeamish about a few hundred dollars to file for a visa, you have some growing up to do.

With that said, I think that the fees are outrageous. It's not just a question of whether or not living with the spouse you love is worth a couple thousand dollars. If the cost to renew a driver's license, for instance, was suddenly $1000, it would still be worth it for most people who simply can't get along without driving. But it's an outrageous price for the government to charge.

I see the whole thing as similar to the mafia and protection money. The government isn't providing you a service by allowing you to bring your foreign family member to the US; the government is simply getting out of your way. When a couple thugs come to your house and let you know that unless you pay them a couple thousand dollars they won't be able to make sure your house doesn't burn down, overall it's worth it to pay them off, assuming you know they really can burn it down. That doesn't mean that they are providing you a "service" that is worth what you are paying for it.

I think the fees are cheap. Jeezum, a brake job can cost near to $1000! A good TV costs that much (some are cheaper now), a decent skeet gun is that much plus 50%. How does that compare to a green card which gives you access to the largest economy on the world and a path to citizenship? Millions would scrape together 3 or 4 times that amount for the same opportunity and you can hardly buy a wedding dress for that amount.

[Wayne and Claudia 40]

MAN! How - as the 'instigator of the post' - did I not come up with this gem of a topic??!!!

*skulks away to reconsider her future and her member title* Hmph.

I had a vision and it's worked, lol.

[Richie Rich 70]

Fiancee visas are garbage. They are lifelong commitments for puppy love. If the USC doesn't have the guts to marry their "love" in his/her country or if that person doesn't have the means to get a tourist visa then maybe it's not "made to be." I will raise the stakes and say anyone who makes less than 45,000 a year should not even be considered to sponsor someone and no co-sponsors. I am just sick of reading things where people can't afford a 2,500 dollar trip at least every 6 months. Or they gripe about a 20 dollar charge for this or for that. Grow up folks. Life is expensive.

Speak for yrself and dont judge others . We do it for other reasons than ''doesn't have the guts '' and marry them in their country . Consider yrself lucky . In fact filing for a K1 visa to permanent residence costs MORE than a IR visa .

[tmma 467]

I have always wondered why on Earth you would subject someone you claim to love to come here unable to work for maybe 3 months or more and not have the means to support them at least during that period- or cover them with health insurance?

I don't get the whole ' co-sponsor' thing either.....Honestly i would absolutly never co sponsor someone elses fiance(e), husband or whatever...Sorry, but if you don't make enough over the poverty line, you need a better job to help fund the responsibility you ( not me) are taking on.

But that's just me...and don't bother critisizing my opinion...I said the same thing years ago and was attacked for it already for not being romantic.

Thing is romance is great in the bedroom...but there's nothing romantic about a sick immigrant spouse who needs medical care that you cannot provide or no food in the cupboard.....

[tmma 467]

Immigration fees should be waived for those making less than $45,000 a year

why?

[Trompe le Monde 1,107]

Thing is romance is great in the bedroom...but there's nothing romantic about a sick immigrant spouse who needs medical care that you cannot provide or no food in the cupboard.....

QFT

The visa fees are cheap compared to the cost of not working while waiting for an EAD to come through...the fees are really just the tip of the iceberg.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

It may also be why we shot the Brits off the front porch more than 200 years ago.

Warm beer and boiled mutton. Enough said.

[Jenn! 918]

I will raise the stakes and say anyone who makes less than 45,000 a year has less than $200,000 in cold hard cash should not even be considered to sponsor someone and no co-sponsors.

IFYP. People can lose their jobs and go on unemployment and then how will they fulfill their duties as a sponsor? If we're gonna raise the bar, let's go ahead and set it high enough to avoid any possibility of default.

[tmma 467]

QFT

The visa fees are cheap compared to the cost of not working while waiting for an EAD to come through...the fees are really just the tip of the iceberg.

Yep.

back then I said all that and many people wrote that i was 'unromantic' because I planned and saved and made sure as much as I could that all was set in place ( health insurance..practical stuff) before I even filed. That caused a delay of a couple of months.

But in hindsight it was the very best thing I could have done... because that time before they can work is difficult and expensive. It just is and although it's not ' romantic' to mention this truth...It is non the less the truth and I am really happy Mark and I took the time to prepare as much as poss. Helped us thru that really difficult time financially and emotionally and the 'romance' is so much better when you know you have the money for AOS saved up and food in the cupboard.

Edited February 4, 2011 by tmma

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

Yep.

back then I said all that and many people wrote that i was 'unromantic' because I planned and saved and made sure as much as I could that all was set in place ( health insurance..practical stuff) before I even filed. That caused a delay of a couple of months.

But in hindsight it was the very best thing I could have done... because that time before they can work is difficult and expensive. It just is and although it's not ' romantic' to mention this truth...It is non the less the truth and I am really happy Mark and I took the time to prepare as much as poss. Helped us thru that really difficult time financially and emotionally and the 'romance'; is so much better when you know you have the money for AOS saved up and food in the cupboard.

You do realize, that the tax benefits alone more than cover the cost of the fees, and even the plane ticket. As far as waiting for the spouse to get a job, that sorta happens with many new relationships, not just a spouse fresh off the boat. Matter of fact, the K-1 spouse is more likely to take any job, just to alleviate the boredom of being left alone all day long.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

I have always wondered why on Earth you would subject someone you claim to love to come here unable to work for maybe 3 months or more and not have the means to support them at least during that period- or cover them with health insurance?

I don't get the whole ' co-sponsor' thing either.....Honestly i would absolutly never co sponsor someone elses fiance(e), husband or whatever...Sorry, but if you don't make enough over the poverty line, you need a better job to help fund the responsibility you ( not me) are taking on.

But that's just me...and don't bother critisizing my opinion...I said the same thing years ago and was attacked for it already for not being romantic.

Thing is romance is great in the bedroom...but there's nothing romantic about a sick immigrant spouse who needs medical care that you cannot provide or no food in the cupboard.....

You are not very romantic, but 100% correct. I look at it this way. If one of my sons lost his job and needed help, I would gladly give it, and that goes for his wife and children also. But if one of them came to me and said "Will you co-sponsor my fiancee?" NO WAY!

On the other hand, I would be just as happy if they eliminated the silly affidavit and just make people ineligible for welfare and such for 10 years after the green card is issued.

[tmma 467]

You do realize, that the tax benefits alone more than cover the cost of the fees, and even the plane ticket. As far as waiting for the spouse to get a job, that sorta happens with many new relationships, not just a spouse fresh off the boat. Matter of fact, the K-1 spouse is more likely to take any job, just to alleviate the boredom of being left alone all day long.

Mark had a job before he got here too....We'd spent years flying back and forth every few months, so him immigrating actually saved us money...lol.

My point is that I was attacked for delaying our visa filing a couple of months to use that time to check that my Health insurance would apply to him & other practical stuff as well as ensuring that we had enough liquid $$ in the bank to cover all expenses up to and including AOS ( after which he was working himself ). I said all that and got a whole load of ####### about being unromantic....