Warning for K1 co sponsors

[CaroSL 68]

Hello all,

I have not been here for long, but I have already read several stories about people filling for K1 while they were way bellow the poverty line, and thinking they would be ok because they had a co-sponsor that made enough, and I have seen at least 3 or 4 visa denied because the embassy didn't accept the co-sponsor.

Is there a way to unhance somewhere that K1 visa doesn't work like this. That one: 1) not all embassy accept co-sponsor, 2) if the petitioner income is 0 or way bellow the porverty line, it is likely that the embassy will refuse the co-sponsor anyway.

It is in the guides, but not really highlighted. It is stated that there has been a case denied with a co-sponsor... there have been much more now. So maybe changeing this would be a good start, but I really think it would be beneficial to a lot if that subject was higlighted somewhere.

So that before filling the I-129F people make sure that they check into this. I really can't imagine waiting 8 months and only then realise the only way is to get married (wich can take time, depending if the couple can get married in the benificiary country easily or not) and fill I-130 and wait another 10 months...SO depressing.

[TBoneTX 43,915]

The big thing (and the endemic situation ever since I've been a member) is that new K-1 filers have little knowledge of the entire process and focus chiefly or solely on the USCIS petition phase.

The USCIS petition process is standard, easy to understand, and "first to do," and people therefore focus on it as though it's the only consideration. I'd like to see fewer posts of "how do I arrange my paperwork before I send it to USCIS?" and more of "what can I include to appease MY consulate?" and "in the eyes of my consulate, do I even qualify to submit this USCIS petition?"

It must somehow be emphasized that every prospective filer should thoroughly study the requirements of their consulate by clicking on "Embassy Info" and "Reviews: Embassy" (the links atop every VJ page) and not proceed until they have a grasp of that phase of the process.

Edited to add: Your concerns fit very well with points that I made in another thread, started earlier, in the K-1 Case Progress subforum:

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/410945-k-1-journey-completed/

I cross-referenced your thread in that thread.

Edited February 3, 2013 by TBoneTX

[dwheels76 5,465]

The big thing (and the endemic situation ever since I've been a member) is that new K-1 filers have little knowledge of the entire process and focus chiefly or solely on the USCIS petition phase.

The USCIS petition process is standard, easy to understand, and "first to do," and people therefore focus on it as though it's the only consideration. I'd like to see fewer posts of "how do I arrange my paperwork before I send it to USCIS?" and more of "what can I include to appease MY consulate?" and "in the eyes of my consulate, do I even qualify to submit this USCIS petition?"

It must somehow be emphasized that every prospective filer should thoroughly study the requirements of their consulate by clicking on "Embassy Info" and "Reviews: Embassy" (the links atop every VJ page) and not proceed until they have a grasp of that phase of the process.

Edited to add: Your concerns fit very well with points that I made in another thread, started earlier, in the K-1 Case Progress subforum:

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/410945-k-1-journey-completed/

I cross-referenced your thread in that thread.

Amen u said it. I know I try to really let people know that ask me about Lagos you have to build that petition for Lagos like no where else.

And they are also cracking down on co-sponsors who make just enough and some even above. And this is for I-130.

I think many embassies are just plain getting tired of people petitioning and can't even meet the guidelines.

I don't think many people really understand what the Poverty guidelines mean.

It means according to the US government you are poor.

I do agree less talk and angst about the fastest way to get my hunni here and more on how to make a successful casefile that will appease my embassy.

Edited February 3, 2013 by dwheels76

[CaroSL 68]

The big thing (and the endemic situation ever since I've been a member) is that new K-1 filers have little knowledge of the entire process and focus chiefly or solely on the USCIS petition phase.

The USCIS petition process is standard, easy to understand, and "first to do," and people therefore focus on it as though it's the only consideration. I'd like to see fewer posts of "how do I arrange my paperwork before I send it to USCIS?" and more of "what can I include to appease MY consulate?" and "in the eyes of my consulate, do I even qualify to submit this USCIS petition?"

True enough... this is very difficult to understand what the whole process is about from the begining...

It must somehow be emphasized that every prospective filer should thoroughly study the requirements of their consulate by clicking on "Embassy Info" and "Reviews: Embassy" (the links atop every VJ page) and not proceed until they have a grasp of that phase of the process.

Maybe it is possible to add at the very top of the K-1 guide and the CR1 guide (and possibly every visa guide), how important it is to do just that. I know it won't prevent every possible mistake. But I read the whole guide, way before I entered the forum, I followed it by the letter for the I-129F, and if I had been told to check the french portal before filling, I would have done it.

Edited to add: Your concerns fit very well with points that I made in another thread, started earlier, in the K-1 Case Progress subforum:

http://www.visajourn...rney-completed/

I cross-referenced your thread in that thread.

I think many embassies are just plain getting tired of people petitioning and can't even meet the guidelines.

I don't think many people really understand what the Poverty guidelines mean.

It means according to the US government you are poor.

I do agree less talk and angst about the fastest way to get my hunni here and more on how to make a successful casefile that will appease my embassy.

Totally agree, but I can't blame anyone cause I really didn't understand it myself when I started the process and the forum helped me understand it better. At the time we sent I-129F, my fiancé didn't have a job and we thought that if he still didn't have a job when we recieved NOA2 (we didn't know either that it was so long to get NOA2, so it seemed possible), we'd get a co-sponsor. We didn't know that it was probably heading straight for a denial...(VIVA VJ Cause official information is really not enough...)

[Rebecca Jo 1,962]

...........this issue (and a host of others) is why Regional Forums belong as sub-forums to the Consulate/Embassy forum.

And nowhere else.

[Rebecca Jo 1,962]

The big thing (and the endemic situation ever since I've been a member) is that new K-1 filers have little knowledge of the entire process and focus chiefly or solely on the USCIS petition phase.

The USCIS petition process is standard, easy to understand, and "first to do," and people therefore focus on it as though it's the only consideration. I'd like to see fewer posts of "how do I arrange my paperwork before I send it to USCIS?" and more of "what can I include to appease MY consulate?" and "in the eyes of my consulate, do I even qualify to submit this USCIS petition?"

It must somehow be emphasized that every prospective filer should thoroughly study the requirements of their consulate by clicking on "Embassy Info" and "Reviews: Embassy" (the links atop every VJ page) and not proceed until they have a grasp of that phase of the process.

Edited to add: Your concerns fit very well with points that I made in another thread, started earlier, in the K-1 Case Progress subforum:

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/410945-k-1-journey-completed/

I cross-referenced your thread in that thread.

T-Bone, really and truly with all due respect to your lovely wife and your marriage.........

I was around when you filed. The information you needed to avoid your consular debacle was out there. Maybe it was too buried in the mish-mash of Regional info on VJ - I don't know. But it was out there. I know you don't like the Guayaquil consulate and that things didn't go your way there at first. But you bang on about them without admitting that the problem could have been avoided with more research on your part.

Maybe the info wasn't as readily available as it could have been. I don't know. I would though like to see more honesty on your part about this. IMO, what happened to you is exactly what you write about above.

[CaroSL 68]

...........this issue (and a host of others) is why Regional Forums belong as sub-forums to the Consulate/Embassy forum.

And nowhere else.

Hi rebecca, thanks for you answer

So, I agree with you... but nobody checks that when they are at the stage of filling. I am just asking if it is possible to enhance that it is important to go check the regional forums for questions such as: 1)will a co-sponsor work for me? 2)Do I need to front load my application?, where people actually go when they fill I-129F, because it is so important at the I-129F filling stage.

There is no point for anyone to fill I-129F if the USC is making no money, because chances are, it will be denied at the embassy stage: after 10 months of waiting! If people in that situation (like students, sometimes people make no money for a while, it doesn't mean they don't have any, or won't make any) knew that when they fill, they would either get married and fill CR-1 instead or find one or 2 more jobs. It is not like any of the other things that are required for the K1. People check the general requirement, and they think, 'this is fine, we will get a co-sponsor', and find out it doesn't work once at the embassy... Exactly the kind of situation VJ wants to prevent, right?

When poeple are filling for I-129F, they most likely check the guides, and the K-1 forum (maybe). In the K-1 guide, what you find is that co-sponsor usually work with no problem, even if the embassy can refuse them. And that it happened to 1 member (denied with a co-sponsor).

Maybe it hasn't been updated for a while but members being denied because the USC wasn't making enough, even with a co-sponsor, happens more often than that. So I think telling people somewhere in the K-1 guide, that there is no guarantee that a co-sponsor will be accepted on a K-1, that they should check the regional sub-forums, and portals for more info on those issues, and that if the USC is way above the requirement for whatever reason (including being a student) they should consider CR1 (which is what everyone will advice someone who has been denied because the co-sponsor was not accepted with a K-1)... Or something along those lines.

The whole purpose of VJ is to help out people the best way possible. Yes, probably, the information is out there... but many people don't find it, because when filling out the petition.

The amazing thing about VJ is that it helps to simplifier things a lot for fillers, make sure they get everything right from the beginning, don't forget anything, etc. (I keep saying everywhere that I am sure VJ is the reason why we didn't get a RFE). I am just saying maybe there is a way to help out even more people...

I am not sure what is the best way to do it, but I am sure it is a problem that people don't find that info, and assume co-sponsors are just fine a 100% of the time, at the time they fill the petition. And I am pretty sure there is a way, even if not perfect, to make it more clear to people that pre-checking financials and co-sponsors before filling is important.

I am not at all blaming VJ , this site is great already (and I have said so so many times)

The information you needed to avoid your consular debacle was out there. Maybe it was too buried in the mish-mash of Regional info on VJ - I don't know. But it was out there. I know you don't like the Guayaquil consulate and that things didn't go your way there at first. But you bang on about them without admitting that the problem could have been avoided with more research on your part.

Maybe the info wasn't as readily available as it could have been. I don't know. I would though like to see more honesty on your part about this. IMO, what happened to you is exactly what you write about above.

But at least now, more and more poeple can be aware of those information as Tbone makes sure to spread it...

Edited February 4, 2013 by CaroSL

[TBoneTX 43,915]

But at least now, more and more poeple can be aware of those information as Tbone makes sure to spread it...

If the information had truly been there at the time, the half-dozen other U.S./Ecu couples wouldn't have gotten blindsided in similar or worse ways all around the same time. Someone would have spoken up with warnings. That girl Comanda (originatrix of the "US Consulate in Guayaquil, Ecuador" thread) gave no indication of anything amiss. Strangely, she never returned to VJ, nor did she respond to urgent PMs from several of us.

I vote for a big, fat, boldface, neon-flashing notice atop, within, and ending the Guides, saying something like "Review YOUR consulate's Reviews and Info, paying particular attention to the very WORST stories, and prepare your own petition package accordingly."

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

CaroSL: Are you saying that K-1 co-sponsors are not accepted in France? This is a new development I have seem in Italy, but I have heard nothing about France. Just curious, if I come across someone...

[CaroSL 68]

I vote for a big, fat, boldface, neon-flashing notice atop, within, and ending the Guides, saying something like "Review YOUR consulate's Reviews and Info, paying particular attention to the very WORST stories, and prepare your own petition package accordingly."

[CaroSL 68]

CaroSL: Are you saying that K-1 co-sponsors are not accepted in France? This is a new development I have seem in Italy, but I have heard nothing about France. Just curious, if I come across someone...

Nope, I am not saying this for France. But, yes, I have seen it in Italy. But I haven't discussed the co-sponsor specifics with the others in the french sub-forum. In italy it happened cause the sponsor was a student and making no money, maybe it wouldn't have happen if he had an income close enough to the poverty line. So I don't know if France would accept co-sponsors in this situation either. I didn't come accross it anywhere in the site.

This is precisely why I think warning is important. This info is not always available, and when it is people don't always come accross it

I am not concerned directly by this issue, I am just very sad for the poeple who are denied because they are in the case co-sponsor don't work, they could have known it but they didn't.

[N-o-l-a 7,167]

If the information had truly been there at the time, the half-dozen other U.S./Ecu couples wouldn't have gotten blindsided in similar or worse ways all around the same time. Someone would have spoken up with warnings. That girl Comanda (originatrix of the "US Consulate in Guayaquil, Ecuador" thread) gave no indication of anything amiss. Strangely, she never returned to VJ, nor did she respond to urgent PMs from several of us.

I vote for a big, fat, boldface, neon-flashing notice atop, within, and ending the Guides, saying something like "Review YOUR consulate's Reviews and Info, paying particular attention to the very WORST stories, and prepare your own petition package accordingly."

I'm just playing devil's advocate here, but isn't it the petitioner's responsibility to ask and know on their own? I read the embassy reviews for Sweden before we filed and researched and researched some more. I think I read through the whole Scandinavians thread at one point and any questions I have about the embassy or the process I just ask...and then they are answered. Obviously our consulate is much easier, but you can bet that if it was Lagos, I would have studied and studied and put together an amazing packet and learned the ins and outs of the whole thing. I just kind of feel like that is my responsibility and no one should need to tell me that, yah know?

[CaroSL 68]

I'm just playing devil's advocate here, but isn't it the petitioner's responsibility to ask and know on their own? I read the embassy reviews for Sweden before we filed and researched and researched some more. I think I read through the whole Scandinavians thread at one point and any questions I have about the embassy or the process I just ask...and then they are answered. Obviously our consulate is much easier, but you can bet that if it was Lagos, I would have studied and studied and put together an amazing packet and learned the ins and outs of the whole thing. I just kind of feel like that is my responsibility and no one should need to tell me that, yah know?

Of course it is their job... but not everyone has that awarness about how serious all this is... I think some people just believe it is easier than it actually is. I was just thinking of telling them: "NO, it isn't. "

If we can help avoid poeple waiting 10 months for nothing, by just adding a line to a guide, it is nice to do so, that's all.

Even if, yes, it is their fault if the didn't inform themselves... Still the 'punishment' is a bit harsh, I think...

[N-o-l-a 7,167]

Of course it is their job... but not everyone has that awarness about how serious all this is... I think some people just believe it is easier than it actually is. I was just thinking of telling them: "NO, it isn't. "

If we can help avoid poeple waiting 10 months for nothing, by just adding a line to a guide, it is nice to do so, that's all.

Even if, yes, it is their fault if the didn't inform themselves... Still the 'punishment' is a bit harsh, I think...

I remember reading and seeing things before we filed our K1, especially about the Phillipines not accepting co-sponsors in most cases for the K1. Maybe there should be a warning, but I'm willing to bet most of these people haven't even read the guides at all or very closely.

I think for me it is a carelessness and thoughtlessness that people are exercising towards their partners by not researching. I think it is the same thoughtlessness in which people don't plan for how their spouse will get around in America (buy them a car or live near public transport) or bother to help make their English at a really high level before coming or when they figure out at the NVC stage that they need a cosponsor, I mean really?

In my opinion, if the USC is uninterested in really researching these things and figuring them out, then a warning in the K1 guide is probably not going to ring any alarm bells. I don't see a problem with it, but an uninformed and uninterested USC who isn't taking the reigns and really researching the immigration process is going to lead to the same clueless results every time.

Edited February 4, 2013 by Nola123

[TBoneTX 43,915]

Of course it is their job... but not everyone has that awarness about how serious all this is... I think some people just believe it is easier than it actually is. I was just thinking of telling them: "NO, it isn't. "

If we can help avoid poeple waiting 10 months for nothing, by just adding a line to a guide, it is nice to do so, that's all.

Even if, yes, it is their fault if the didn't inform themselves... Still the 'punishment' is a bit harsh, I think...

The above. Often, and especially when we're new to something, we don't know what we don't know.

Additional point: There was nothing illuminating in the Reviews or Embassy Info at the time, or ONE of us would have sounded an alarm for the others.