New On This Journey Advice! K-1 or Marry first n go with K-3?

[VisaParaUnSueno 9]

We are new on this Journey but we are willing to do and wait as long as it takes. Any suggestions, advice, answers are a blessing as we begin this Journey together... Thanks in advance for the response!

Here's Our Story... Morocco LOVES Colombia

We meet on the once popular Myspace! From all those people online we found each other with a click on the browse button; a sec would have made a difference of never meeting but we both believe it was meant to be... Love at first "site" We have talked since Aug, 2007... Because of our age at the time and our focus on school, we kept our relationship long distance. It was the only thing we could do and I also lost my Father. For those reasons we have never been able to meet in person but... I became a U.S. Citizen I am from Colombia and he is Moroccan but currently living in the U.K. now on a Student Visa for 2 years. We never lost touch and we have been glued to the computer for each other ever since and have grown closer and closer. Before anything we are best friends and he is a blessing in my life. On Aug, 2011 we decided to take our relationship to another level and we have decided to get married. Now 26 he 25. I am currently waiting on my U.S. Passport and I plan to travel to the U.K. and get married with him there. We have kept records of messages since 2007, pictures, money transfers, gifts, letters, and I'm currently having trouble getting my phone records of him calling me long distance with my Metro phone... :(IF THERE ARE OTHER WAYS OF OBTAINING THESE RECORDS PLEASE SHARE SUGGESTIONS...) TNK He's talked to my Mother and Family through Skype and asked for my hand in marriage and recorded that meeting. We plan to record the first time we meet at the airport and also of course the formal proposal in person. !!! AND The civil marriage it's self as proof for (K-3)... if that is the best route for us to take instead of the (K-1)?

1) I'm not sure what is best for our situation. He's been living in the U.K. for 2 years on a student visa, will that favor us in any kind of way?

2) I think that asking for him as a Fiance (K-1) would be a little bit more difficult or take longer? Since we haven't met each other yet... Does this mean I have to wait a while to file for him after we meet or I can file right away...?

"You met each other, in person, at least once within 2 years of filing your petition. There are two exceptions that require a waiver:

1. If the requirement to meet would violate strict and long-established customs of your or your fiancé(e)’s foreign culture or social practice.

2. If you prove that the requirement to meet would result in extreme hardship to you"

WHAT DOES THIS STATEMENT REALLY MEAN... IT'S A LIL CONFUSING FOR ME SORRY...

(K-3)

3) I want to know when we meet in the U.K. get married and I'm planning on staying with him for like 3-4 months there; will that will be enough time to apply for him as my spouse (there at the U.S. Embassy) ? or I need to come back here and have to file from Georgia?

4) Will he have to leave the U.K. and go to Morocco at any point since he is there in school and can lose his visa and not finish school?

WE JUST WANT THE FASTEST WAY POSSIBLE AND THE ONE THAT MIGHT MAKE US WAIT A LIL LONGER FOR HIS LEGAL STATUS TO CHANGE BUT WILL ALLOW US TO BE TOGETHER IN THE PROCESS... DON'T WE ALL WANT TAHT!

GOD BLESS!

THANK YOU!

HERE WE GO!

[JoannaV 174]

Before you can do anything you have to meet face to face. Therefore, as you need to fly to meet each other before you can file any petition, it would make sense for you to get married at the same time and so apply for CR-1 visa rather than K-1. You will want to check what the requirements are for you to marry in the UK. If you find you can't marry in the UK you can always apply for K-1 after meeting.

Once you are ready to file (ie after you have either met or married) you will file the relevant petition: I-130 if married and I-129F if engaged. You will mail this to an address in the US, but you can indeed send it whilst in the UK: ie as soon as you get your marriage certificate you could send off the application. You then must wait for approval of the petition. Once approved there will then be more paperwork to apply for the visa, and your fiance/husband will have to have a medical exam and then be interviewed at the Embassy. The process will take more than 3-4 months, so you will have to return to the US before he can join you.

So if you really don't want to be apart after marriage then you will want to go the K-1 route, although that will be more expensive and it will be longer till he actually gets his green card.

How much longer does he have left on his student visa in the UK? If he will be able to stay in the UK for the duration of the process, then he will be able to interview at the London Embassy rather than the one in Morocco. This should make for an easier interview as well. Because he is from Morocco there may be additional processing time involved however.

Unfortunately video is one thing that cannot be used as evidence. Of course you can print stills from any video you make. (So one thing you could do is take a screenshot showing a skype session with him and your family.) But pictures are only secondary evidence, and actually the London Embassy isn't too interested in them. If you spend a while in the UK with him you should be able to get together some additional evidence of financial involvement and also evidence that you are living with him. If you apply for a K1 then proof of meeting will involve your boarding pass, UK entry stamp from your passport, time-stamped photo of the two of you (with newspaper?).

[VisaParaUnSueno 9]

@JoannaV Thank you so much for this information it helps clear somethings for me. I will be staying with him for like 3-4months and he has extended his Student Visa for another 2 years. This this mean I can file Can you explain a little more about the CR-1 visa? First time I hear about that. And when you said a "time-stamped photo of the two of you (with newspaper?)" How I go about that? Can I send it to the U.S. or the U.K. too, both at the same one or I have to pick one, the paper work?

Thank you! God Bless!

Before you can do anything you have to meet face to face. Therefore, as you need to fly to meet each other before you can file any petition, it would make sense for you to get married at the same time and so apply for CR-1 visa rather than K-1. You will want to check what the requirements are for you to marry in the UK. If you find you can't marry in the UK you can always apply for K-1 after meeting.

Once you are ready to file (ie after you have either met or married) you will file the relevant petition: I-130 if married and I-129F if engaged. You will mail this to an address in the US, but you can indeed send it whilst in the UK: ie as soon as you get your marriage certificate you could send off the application. You then must wait for approval of the petition. Once approved there will then be more paperwork to apply for the visa, and your fiance/husband will have to have a medical exam and then be interviewed at the Embassy. The process will take more than 3-4 months, so you will have to return to the US before he can join you.

So if you really don't want to be apart after marriage then you will want to go the K-1 route, although that will be more expensive and it will be longer till he actually gets his green card.

How much longer does he have left on his student visa in the UK? If he will be able to stay in the UK for the duration of the process, then he will be able to interview at the London Embassy rather than the one in Morocco. This should make for an easier interview as well. Because he is from Morocco there may be additional processing time involved however.

Unfortunately video is one thing that cannot be used as evidence. Of course you can print stills from any video you make. (So one thing you could do is take a screenshot showing a skype session with him and your family.) But pictures are only secondary evidence, and actually the London Embassy isn't too interested in them. If you spend a while in the UK with him you should be able to get together some additional evidence of financial involvement and also evidence that you are living with him. If you apply for a K1 then proof of meeting will involve your boarding pass, UK entry stamp from your passport, time-stamped photo of the two of you (with newspaper?).

@JoannaV Thank you so much for this information it helps clear somethings for me. I will be staying with him for like 3-4months and he has extended his Student Visa for another 2 years. This this mean I can file Can you explain a little more about the CR-1 visa? First time I hear about that. And when you said a "time-stamped photo of the two of you (with newspaper?)" How I go about that? Can I send it to the U.S. or the U.K. too, both at the same one or I have to pick one, the paper work?

Thank you! God Bless!

[KittyPollitt 284]

@JoannaV Thank you so much for this information it helps clear somethings for me. I will be staying with him for like 3-4months and he has extended his Student Visa for another 2 years. This this mean I can file Can you explain a little more about the CR-1 visa? First time I hear about that. And when you said a "time-stamped photo of the two of you (with newspaper?)" How I go about that? Can I send it to the U.S. or the U.K. too, both at the same one or I have to pick one, the paper work?

Thank you! God Bless!

@JoannaV Thank you so much for this information it helps clear somethings for me. I will be staying with him for like 3-4months and he has extended his Student Visa for another 2 years. This this mean I can file Can you explain a little more about the CR-1 visa? First time I hear about that. And when you said a "time-stamped photo of the two of you (with newspaper?)" How I go about that? Can I send it to the U.S. or the U.K. too, both at the same one or I have to pick one, the paper work?

Thank you! God Bless!

A CR-1 visa is the spousal visa that replaced the K3 when it became obsolete some time ago. It takes just a bit more legwork on your part during the process, but it's worth it, as the intending immigrant gets a greencard shortly after entry into the US. You're not going to be able to file in the UK. The process takes well over 6 months, and they discontinued direct consular filing recently. You can begin filling out your papers while you're in the UK, and send them to USCIS while you're there, but you'd need someone reliable to receive your mail in the US, in the event that more evidence is requested, and for when the packet reaches the National Visa Center. here: http://www.visajourney.com/content/i130guide1

[skiptex 225]

jus becareful with all of this

a Cyber relationship is not the same in when OFFLINE..>.

[VisaParaUnSueno 9]

jus becareful with all of this

a Cyber relationship is not the same in when OFFLINE..>.

Thank you so much for the advice... I'm sure it will take a lot of adjusting but we are both willing and have waited for each other for a long time... We have decided to put in the work because we are aware that it won't be easy... No one is every really ready for marriage, you have to ask you self if your ready to fight and work on building the best relationship possible. If I have that mind I'm sure God willing things will be in our favor

[VisaParaUnSueno 9]

A CR-1 visa is the spousal visa that replaced the K3 when it became obsolete some time ago. It takes just a bit more legwork on your part during the process, but it's worth it, as the intending immigrant gets a greencard shortly after entry into the US. You're not going to be able to file in the UK. The process takes well over 6 months, and they discontinued direct consular filing recently. You can begin filling out your papers while you're in the UK, and send them to USCIS while you're there, but you'd need someone reliable to receive your mail in the US, in the event that more evidence is requested, and for when the packet reaches the National Visa Center. here: http://www.visajourn...tent/i130guide1

Yes thank you for informing me about the CR-1 Visa. I wasn't aware of it and I see many people have suggested that to me. Thank you for the link I will research more about it. We are thinking of getting a Lawyer to make sure we do everything right and the best, fastest way possible to be together. I think that's what we all look for and hope for in these situations, it's just nerve wracking not exactly knowing what is best and favorable in our situation. It's like where to begin?!!! lol but Thank you again and God bless I hope all goes well for me in my 4 month visit to the U.K. in NOV... We need all good energy!