Do we really need a lawyer?

[billyjack 0]

Hello guys and girls! Im glad i found this website!

On the 28th of april 2011 i got down on one knee before i went through the security gates at detroit airport and asked my darling to marry me before i headed back to london. She said yes which brings me to you guys!

We have looked at what we need to do with the k1 visa process and we are on a bit of a small budget this year. We was wondering do we REALLY need an attorney to file for a k-1 visa application? (fiancee visa) It would help me finacially this year if i diddent have to.

the only service i have found that i can afford is a guy called calvin nickerbocker from california. are any of you guys familiar with him?

any advice is greatly welcomed!

from billy and amie!

[Aztec&Taino 144]

Hello guys and girls! Im glad i found this website!

On the 28th of april 2011 i got down on one knee before i went through the security gates at detroit airport and asked my darling to marry me before i headed back to london. She said yes which brings me to you guys!

We have looked at what we need to do with the k1 visa process and we are on a bit of a small budget this year. We was wondering do we REALLY need an attorney to file for a k-1 visa application? (fiancee visa) It would help me finacially this year if i diddent have to.

the only service i have found that i can afford is a guy called calvin nickerbocker from california. are any of you guys familiar with him?

any advice is greatly welcomed!

from billy and amie!

Hello and welcome to VJ,

Most of us here have filed our petitions on our own, thereby saving lots of money on attorney fees. Make sure to read the GUIDES (at the top of your screen) so you can understand the process. If your situation is uncomplicated (no issues with the police or previous overstays, etc.) the packet completion is pretty easy to do. Also, if you have questions as you go along in the process, you can post your question(s) and some helpful member will always be ready to offer advice.

Best wishes!

[billyjack 0]

Hello and welcome to VJ,

Most of us here have filed our petitions on our own, thereby saving lots of money on attorney fees. Make sure to read the GUIDES (at the top of your screen) so you can understand the process. If your situation is uncomplicated (no issues with the police or previous overstays, etc.) the packet completion is pretty easy to do. Also, if you have questions as you go along in the process, you can post your question(s) and some helpful member will always be ready to offer advice.

Best wishes!

Hello there!

i think we shall file by ourselfs. am i correct in saying she has to file all the paperwork in america? and how would the powers that be contact me regarding my interview?

[Brad and Vika 130]

Never heard of the attorney you mentioned. We filed ourselves, and many on VJ would say the same, for various reasons. Look over the guides (click on the word guides in the blue bar at the top of this page). Loads of how-to information there. The forms for K-1 are up there too.

Beyond that, ask questions that may be specific to K-1 interviews for you in the UK sub-forum. There are lots of long term members there with great knowledge to share.

[KiwiBird 132]

No, you don't need a lawyer. My suggestion is really read through posts, guides, and Flowcharts here on VJ. That should answer a lot of your questions.

She files the paperwork in America. The NVC will send the paperwork to the embassy that will handle your K1. They will contact you for an interview... but if you haven't even filed the first form (I-129F petition), then that step is at least 5 months away.

[Póg mo 1,749]

There is absolutely no need for a lawyer, unless you've been deported or overstayed your visa in the past.

Good luck,

InKorea.

[billyjack 0]

thankyou everyone we have observed just 1 problem with our case and that would be the affadavit of support. She is in school right now but graduates in december. she will be a teacher. but right now she dose not meet the requirement of around $18000 a year income. how big of a problem is this?

[KittyPollitt 284]

thankyou everyone we have observed just 1 problem with our case and that would be the affadavit of support. She is in school right now but graduates in december. she will be a teacher. but right now she dose not meet the requirement of around $18000 a year income. how big of a problem is this?

That could be a deal breaker- good news is, she can use a co sponsor who does meet the income requirement, or she could count assets if she has any. A co sponsor could be any US citizen or legal permanent resident who meets the requirements and is willing to sign. The affidavit of support isn't needed until the interview stage, which comes several months after filing, so there's plenty of time to find a co sponsor good luck!

[Andie 147]

So long as you are able to find a co-sponsor and follow the guides/timelines per this site it is possible. Your fiancee needs to petition but easier if you both familiarise yourselves with the process as laid out in the guides and flowcharts and monitor these forums so you both stay informed. Knowledge of pitfalls, and support during the journey makes it easier. Good luck.

[jkelly07 120]

to help you file the forms you need, look at the examples of all the forms thats needed,any thing you don't understand ask a vj member,read, research, research,guides.you can down load the latest forms from uscis website,do it yourself you save hundreds of dollars,good luck

[jrmejia 31]

You have the answer. But let me repeat it. NO. You don't need a lawyer.I was about to hire a lawyer until I found this WS.

[Helen Louise Pile 80]

Hello guys and girls! Im glad i found this website!

On the 28th of april 2011 i got down on one knee before i went through the security gates at detroit airport and asked my darling to marry me before i headed back to london. She said yes which brings me to you guys!

We have looked at what we need to do with the k1 visa process and we are on a bit of a small budget this year. We was wondering do we REALLY need an attorney to file for a k-1 visa application? (fiancee visa) It would help me finacially this year if i diddent have to.

the only service i have found that i can afford is a guy called calvin nickerbocker from california. are any of you guys familiar with him?

any advice is greatly welcomed!

from billy and amie!

Hello!

Congratulations on your engagement and deciding to move to the States!!

As everyone else has said...unless there is something that would be a problem (overstays, deportation, criminal history, children and custody issues), there is no need to use a lawyer.

Just take some time to read over the guides and this section: http://www.visajourney.com/content/examples : was invaluable for us!

Make sure you become anally retentive for detail and you can get a dropbox file or similar to be able to share copies of scanned documents/letters/pictures etc that you need. (we found this worked when we were apart so we both had access to everything) When your fiancee files, she will only file photocopies of all evidence then you will take originals and affidavit of support to your interview in case they are needed.

My advice would be to browse around visa journey and educate yourselves in this process Expect a wait of 5 months for approval, though many people are approved before this and some have to wait longer. Once you receive notification of 'approval', you can go ahead and do things on your end. You will be notified of how to do this and there will be help here when you get to that stage. It seems daunting when you start but it was actually much easier than I imagined it would be. Take a look at current costs for K1 petition, K1 medical, K1 visa, AOS fee etc to make sure you budget for all that now rather than be surprised by it!

Good luck!!!

[payxibka 10,048]

thankyou everyone we have observed just 1 problem with our case and that would be the affadavit of support. She is in school right now but graduates in december. she will be a teacher. but right now she dose not meet the requirement of around $18000 a year income. how big of a problem is this?

not an issue until interview time. You probably have 6+ mos. to formulate a solution. Don't know how solid your finances are but I believe London is one of the few consulates that allow the alien to self-support for the K-1. If true, this would buy you more time before the green card application is made.

[james&olya 1,121]

SOME lawyers might actually be helpful. MOST lawyers will just get in your way and screw things up. Unless you have something that might need appeals and waivers you are definitely better off using the excellent advice you will get here. Even if the lawyer was free I would still recommend doing it yourself with this site to help you! There is nothing better than experience and here you have the collective experience of literally thousands of people that have done exactly what you are doing now. Most lawyers have little interest or experience with this.

[Indy90 21]

Hello guys and girls! Im glad i found this website!

On the 28th of april 2011 i got down on one knee before i went through the security gates at detroit airport and asked my darling to marry me before i headed back to london. She said yes which brings me to you guys!

We have looked at what we need to do with the k1 visa process and we are on a bit of a small budget this year. We was wondering do we REALLY need an attorney to file for a k-1 visa application? (fiancee visa) It would help me finacially this year if i diddent have to.

the only service i have found that i can afford is a guy called calvin nickerbocker from california. are any of you guys familiar with him?

any advice is greatly welcomed!

from billy and amie!

As most people here have said, you do not need an attorney as long as you have a straight forward case. Assuming that your case is straightforward, the only benefit would be that an attorney would save you a quite a bit of time, because you do have to spend quite a bit of time researching. Seeing that money seems to be an issue, I highly doubt that it would be beneficial to you to hire an attorney.

As far as Calvin Nickerbocker, I found this VJ thread. http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/151171-visa-attorney-calvin-knickerbocker/

Now, these might be isolated cases. However, his website does raise a couple of red flags, like the failure to provide any biography, he makes guarantees, willingness to take cases from around the country, etc. If you do seek an attorney in the future, I would make sure that they are local and that you can look at important biographical information like where they graduated from, how many years they have been practicing, etc. etc.