Gay Engagement

[bakodj 0]

I just signed up for the forum today. My partner and I have known each other for over five years. We have spent two summers living with each other and In July 2013 I made a visit to see him in Brazil where he lives and proposed to me. Are there any special considerations that I need to make prior to filing the fiancee petition since we are a gay couple? I reside in Bakersfield, California and will soon be moving to San Diego, California.

Thank you in advance for your help!

[baron555 934]

Nothing special. Read the Guides and Follow the Example Forms.

[J & L 10]

Not really, as long as gay marriage is allowed where you want to marry/ live you'll be fine. You have to follow the guidelines on this web site that everyone else has followed, and if you have any doubts or questions there's always someone on to help.

[2018JourneyDone 77]

First and foremost, congrats to the two of you! FIling is no different for either same sex or opposite sex relationships now (about time!) Just need to make sure you marry in a state that recognizes the marriage and I'm puuuurdy sure we know that California does so double yay!! Best of luck and here's to a happy and wonderful future ahead!

[bakodj 0]

Hey I appreciate your prompt replies. I have a couple more questions if it's okay. First, I will be looking for an apartment in San Diego soon but would like to file the I-129F petition as soon as possible. Should I provide my current address in Bakersfield (which is at my parents' house where they will forward my mail) or wait until I have a San Diego address? I know you can later submit a change of address-I just don't want it to delay processing. Second, are letters from friends and relatives substantiating our relationship/engagement supportive and useful to my fiancee petition? Thank you for your continued help as we prepare the package!

[wornoutcowboy 6]

I have the same issue as you in regards to having a same sex fiance.

I received this from the USA embassy in Laos on July 15th.

We are aware of the Supreme Court ruling and are working closely with other agencies to determine next steps. As of yet, we have not received any guidance so we are currently not accepting applications for same-sex couples. We understand how important this decision is for many LGBT families and will post updated guidance soon.

I haven't heard anything recently so I am not aware if they have started processing petitions or not.

I suspect with the delays in processing filing now would be a good idea anyway.

[bakodj 0]

I have the same issue as you in regards to having a same sex fiance.

I received this from the USA embassy in Laos on July 15th.

We are aware of the Supreme Court ruling and are working closely with other agencies to determine next steps. As of yet, we have not received any guidance so we are currently not accepting applications for same-sex couples. We understand how important this decision is for many LGBT families and will post updated guidance soon.

I haven't heard anything recently so I am not aware if they have started processing petitions or not.

I suspect with the delays in processing filing now would be a good idea anyway.

Oh no that's very discouraging. I haven't heard anything like that before. #######...I wonder if that is true for consulates elsewhere like in Brazil??

[J & L 10]

Oh no that's very discouraging. I haven't heard anything like that before. #######...I wonder if that is true for consulates elsewhere like in Brazil??

Maybe you should send an e-mail to the consulate in Brazil and ask if they'd accept your case or not. That's what I'd do, just to be on the safe side...

[Penguin_ie 5,986]

I would file now. It'll be a long time- 6+ months- before the file gets to Brazil and by that time hopefully they'll have whatever guidance they are looking for.

File now, do an address change once you move.

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

Well USCIS is accepting applications. First your petition gets approved by USCIS and then it goes to the consulate. So I would get in line, and get through the USCIS stage with an approved petition, and then see what is going on with the consulates (which will be 6 months from now).

The consulate doesn't accept petitions or directly "decide" what cases get sent to them anyway.

Edited July 31, 2013 by Harpa Timsah

[JohnR! 5,495]

I would file now. It'll be a long time- 6+ months- before the file gets to Brazil and by that time hopefully they'll have whatever guidance they are looking for.

File now, do an address change once you move.

This.

In addition the process needs to be initiated with the USCIS. It might be a while until the consulates receive instructions on how to accept/handle DCF. Even now, not all consulates do.

File with the USCIS stateside and take it from there.

Congratulations and good luck!

[FulanoDeTal 19]

Hello there, we sent our 129-F petition on July 3, 2013 and received an NOA1 letter dated July 10, 2013. We'll be dealing with the consulate in Rio de Janeiro down the road as well. There should be no difference in the way that same-sex and opposite-sex petitions are handled. Similarly, one would expect that all embassies and consulates will be instructed to follow the same procedures for same-sex couples as they currently use for opposite-sex couples.

There's a lot of information in the "embassy reviews" section of this site concerning the Rio de Janeiro consulate, which is really helpful to get a feel for the interview process in Brazil. We think that eventually there will be quite a few same-sex couples interviewing in Rio de Janeiro, and Rio is a fairly "gay-friendly" place, so hopefully the process will go smoothly. We'll be interested in hearing about other same-sex couples going through the fiance visa process in Brazil.

[espared12 52]

Hello, I know you must feel as excited and nervous as I feel about this process. I have been with my partner for 10 years and FINALLY will be able to bring her to the U.S.! I have found this website to be extremely helpful. Everyone here is very nice and provide a huge amount of experience and information that will give you a bit of ease of mind. The day DOMA was demolished I wanted to file immediately. I decided to consult with an immigration lawyer about the situation which was a humongous mistake. I walked into his office and within 5-10 I was out the door because he refused to help me. I have taken on this venture on my own with the help of visajourney.com. I followed the websites instructions on what I needed and how to arrange my package. I shipped out my package on 07/19/2013, USCIS received the package on 07/22/2013 and received my NOA1 on 07/25/2013, and received a status update last night indicating that my Alien Registration Number had changed. I am going to document my progress on this website as well, because I think this will be very helpful information for people that are in the same boat as I. I don't think the embassy that you received your email from is very well informed, plus unfortunately we have to deal with ignorant people that simply do not like the fact that we have been awarded rights that we so rightfully deserve and waited for for such a LONG time. As far as your address, just use your parents address and as soon as you have your own you can do a change of address. Happens all the time. I wish you the best of luck on your journey!

[mstewart 6]

Congratulations! Me and my same sex fiance are applying this weekend! Good luck! I'm excited!

[cujodu 15]

There's no difference. We filed IR-1 from Argentina. We've been married 2 1/2 years.