attorney? yes? no?

[karina&alex 0]

hey there! im fairly new to this site. . my fiance and i are looking into the k1 visa.. hes in mexico and i am in the U.S!

im just wondering how many of you out there filed this petition on your own and went through the whole process on your own without an attorney?...i feel its something i can handle!.. but what do you recommend?.. is it any faster with an attorney?

[Penguin_ie 6,000]

This is a DIY site so most people here will not have used an attorney. If your case is straightforward, there is no need for an attorney unless you have difficulty filling in forms. An attorney tends to slow thigns down rather than speed them up, as you send info to them, they fill int he forms and send them off, rather than you sending stuff directly.

[wilfon 30]

My fiance and I did not use an attorney, we did it ourselves. The forms are straight forward. This website is very helpful and will give you examples of the forms for the process and everything that is needed to process it.

I have attached the link to the K1 Visa guide, which is very helpful from this website. Good Luck.

http://www.visajourney.com/content/k1guide

[lawren14 3]

You don't need to hire an attorney!!!!!! trust me! We hired one and...... NO COMMENT!! LOL

[lawren14 3]

If your case is kind of straight forward, just an ordinary long distance relationship just like other couples here well then there's no need to hire a lawyer. Most of your questions can be answered here by members who are always willing to help. Good luck!!

[C-ma'am 684]

This is a DIY site so most people here will not have used an attorney. If your case is straightforward, there is no need for an attorney unless you have difficulty filling in forms. An attorney tends to slow thigns down rather than speed them up, as you send info to them, they fill int he forms and send them off, rather than you sending stuff directly.

What Penguin said + The only time it's recommended to hire an attorney or at least consult with one, is when the beneficiary has some type of criminal background/legal situation that may complicate things a little bit.

Edited September 21, 2012 by Celeste & C

[aws&ndd 103]

Hiring a lawyer will not make it any faster or easier than if you did it yourself. It is so easy, and you have a wealth of information here such as the guides and the many members who have already been through the process. Good luck in your journey!

[Pitaya 2,577]

What Penguin said + The only time it's recommended to hire an attorney or at least consult with one, is when the beneficiary has some type of criminal background/legal situation that may complicate things a little bit.

[Tintin and Mike 127]

It's a pretty straight-forward process unless you have a very difficult case. If I can do it, you surely can!

[KayDeeCee 4,902]

hey there! im fairly new to this site. . my fiance and i are looking into the k1 visa.. hes in mexico and i am in the U.S!

im just wondering how many of you out there filed this petition on your own and went through the whole process on your own without an attorney?...i feel its something i can handle!.. but what do you recommend?.. is it any faster with an attorney?

We did it on our own going through Mexico. You just need to carefully read all the form, filing and consulate instructions. Taking time to research, gather and prepare your documents are the keys to success. A lawyer cannot make the process faster. If your fiance has no criminal issues or a ban in place for illegal presence in the US, then you should not need a lawyer. VJ has guides, sample/example forms, consulate specific info, and forums to ask questions if you get stuck on anything.

[Piefre 15]

My fiance (now husband) and I did it all ourselves. We thought we would have to hire an attorney, but then I discovered this website and we went through everything with ease. Seriously, I owe so much to Visajourney and the awesome people who helped us get this far. We also did AOS ourselves and plan to do everything including the citizenship ourselves. Hiring an attorney will not make anything easier or faster because no attorney has more sway with USCIS than you, yourself, to get things moving. You would only need an attorney if your case is complicated, like one of you has a criminal background. Otherwise, save your money for the wedding or a plane ticket to see your fiance! :-)

[Winning23 25]

I recommend doing it youself. Just remember

1. Read everything and understand the questions.

2. Check your answers.

3. Double Check your answers

4. Provide exactly what the supporting evidence is asking for.

5. Ask Questions on forum.

You should be fine..

Good luck

[GlobeHopperMama 95]

I've worked with three attorneys in our case, but I would still say that for one like yours, no attorney should be necessary. Ours is one of those terribly complicated cases that has required some great legal minds to try to push through, but if you simply have a foreign spouse with no violations or problems in their history and you can read and follow information and instructions, you should be fine on your own. Good luck!

[karina&alex 0]

thank you ALL for your responses and advice! they are very helpful!.. hopefully everything goes well:)

[djricky4 67]

thank you ALL for your responses and advice! they are very helpful!.. hopefully everything goes well:)

feel free to ask any questions here, we are no immigration experts but all of us have been through it so we can help