Same Sex K-1 I-129F Filed

[espared12 52]

Hello everyone! I started this forum for people that will be looking into and filing a I-129F application for their same sex partners. I have to say that VisaJourney.com is an extremely helpful website to gather information on how to create and arrange your K-1 package. I used this website's Step by Step guide to create my package, http://www.visajourney.com/content/k1guide. I decided to take on this venture on my own after being turned away by a local Immigration Lawyer. Another awesome website is ImmigrationEquality.com. These guys have poured their souls into fighting for same sex rights. I am extremely grateful that they fought without giving up and in huge part we are here because of their help. I have emailed them with questions about this process and they do reply back with any questions I have. They might take a few days to reply, but I can only imagine what their inbox looks like, so it's understandable. They also work with and train lawyers all over the country about same sex immigration. They can refer you to lawyers, unfortunately no lawyers in my local area participate.

I have been with my fiance for 10 years, 10 wonderful years. I can't say it hasn't been tough, but I think I have had it easy compared to other people. I live in El Paso, TX, which is just a border hop to Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, where my fiance lives. Jumping back and forth on a daily basis has been hard, but I would do it all over again in a heartbeat if I had to. The day section 3 of DOMA was demolished I was with my fiance. I sat staring at the TV in disbelief. I was scared, excited, happy, and nervous all at the same time. I started working on the I-129F application that same day.

I filled out the I-129F application, making sure to fill in every question. Please read through the application's instructions a few times so that you feel comfortable filling it out. I created my 1-129F Cover letter, and our letters of intent to marry from the templates on this website. I only changed one thing on the letter of intent to marry letters, and that was to include that we had every intent to marry within 90 days of entry into the United States in a state where it is lawful. As far as evidence of our relationship, I knew I only had to send 3-5 pictures, but I sent 26. I included pictures documenting the 10 years we have been together. I figured what more evidence can I send to prove we've been together in an ongoing relationship than pictures that document our aging together. I did not send letters or anything more. I am not saying you should not send, every situation is different. I did go to my bank and requested a temp check to pay for the application fee. This way I would be able to see the day USCIS cashed my check.

I think I must have checked my package about 50 times before I placed it in an Express Mail package and sealed it. I did not buy a fancy folder, nor did I include fancy cover letters for every section of the package. I made things easy for whomever was going to open the package. I paid for Express Mail to have peace of mind, and to get it their faster. It turned out it wasn't going to be as fast as I wanted. I went to the post office on July 19th, a Friday. The USPS employee told me it would not be delivered Saturday because of course U.S. Government buildings are not open on Saturdays. He did assure me that delivery was guaranteed and they would deliver Monday, July 22nd. Sure enough, I checked on Monday and it had been signed for and delivered. I was not expecting USCIS to send me and NOA1 or even cash my check until maybe a week or two after. I checked my bank app on July 25th in the morning and saw that USCIS had cashed my check. A few hours later I received an email from USCIS stating they had accepted my package, NOA1. I was completely extatic! I know NOA1 is not a big deal, but still this was very exciting for me and my fiance. I did not think I would be getting more notifications until 5 months or so, but on July 30th I got another notification stating that my Alien Registration Number had changed relating to my I-129F, Petition for Fiance.

I know my journey has just started, and I still have a long wait ahead of me, but I hope this information is useful for someone else. I hope people use this forum to also document their same sex K-1 journey. I will continue to update this forum as time progresses. I really do hope I am helping someone else out with this forum. Please feel free to use this forum for your questions and to share your journeys!

[mstewart 6]

We're filling out same-sex petiton on Monday!! So excited!

[espared12 52]

Please document your journey here, it will be useful for others!

[ggsacks 82]

Congrats espared12! We filed ours a couple days before you and received NOA1 a week after the package was received. Now the fun part - the waiting - has begun!

[FulanoDeTal 19]

Felicidades! Our NOA1 date was July 10, and now we'll start playing the waiting game too. But if you're at all accustomed to dealing with the Mexican bureaucracy, you should be able to handle USCIS. Good luck and keep everyone posted on your progress.

[Anna Grant 169]

I filled out the I-129F application, making sure to fill in every question. Please read through the application's instructions a few times so that you feel comfortable filling it out. I created my 1-129F Cover letter, and our letters of intent to marry from the templates on this website. I only changed one thing on the letter of intent to marry letters, and that was to include that we had every intent to marry within 90 days of entry into the United States in a state where it is lawful. As far as evidence of our relationship, I knew I only had to send 3-5 pictures, but I sent 26. I included pictures documenting the 10 years we have been together. I figured what more evidence can I send to prove we've been together in an ongoing relationship than pictures that document our aging together. I did not send letters or anything more. I am not saying you should not send, every situation is different. I did go to my bank and requested a temp check to pay for the application fee. This way I would be able to see the day USCIS cashed my check.

The very best of luck on your continuing journey together. It was such a good day when section 3 of DOMA was demolished. Same sex couples should have been given the same rights long ago.

Just a question on your petition. You sent a number of photos but what did you send to show that you have met in the last 2 years (obviously, I know you have been in a relationship for the last 10 years). As you have presumably driven back and forth over the border, you don't have airline tickets/boarding passes like those of use that travel 4000 miles!

[espared12 52]

I only sent pics. A good portion of pics were from 2011 to present time. I hope that will be enough. We do have birthday and Valentine's Day cards we've given each other throughout the years as well but were not included in the package. I read numerous site and comments where initially USCIS only wants to see that you've been together for 2 years. The embassy is the one that will want to see that you have had an ongoing relationship and is where you can show boarding passes, emails, letters, etc..

[Mupp N Moo 1]

Good luck you guys!!!!

[Anna Grant 169]

USCIS want to know that you have met within the last 2 years. Not that you have been in a relationship for 2 years. Photos are secondary evidence as the date is not verifiable. Primary evidence is boarding cards, passport stamps, evidence that you in the same place together. Credit card receipts for places in esch other's home towns. Or do you live together.

[Mr&Mrs.Boo 5]

So happy for you guys!!!best wishes !!!!

[KayDeeCee 4,891]

I only sent pics. A good portion of pics were from 2011 to present time. I hope that will be enough. We do have birthday and Valentine's Day cards we've given each other throughout the years as well but were not included in the package. I read numerous site and comments where initially USCIS only wants to see that you've been together for 2 years. The embassy is the one that will want to see that you have had an ongoing relationship and is where you can show boarding passes, emails, letters, etc..

Photos are secondary evidence of meeting. They do not care how long you have been a couple. You have to prove to them that you have met face-to-face within the 2 years prior to filing the petition. For the petition you need to show passport stamps, boarding passes, baggage claim tickets, hotel receipts, ATM receipts/credit card statements/bank statements from the time you stated you were visiting each other, and the photos from those visits are used to back up that evidence. Proof of ongoing relationship is what you will need at the K-1 interview, which is not the same thing as proof of meeting.

[TBoneTX 43,058]

*** Thread moved from K-1 Process forum to the Case Progress subforum. ***

[Sukie 1,439]

Hello everyone! I started this forum for people that will be looking into and filing a I-129F application for their same sex partners.

I know my journey has just started, and I still have a long wait ahead of me, but I hope this information is useful for someone else. I hope people use this forum to also document their same sex K-1 journey. I will continue to update this forum as time progresses. I really do hope I am helping someone else out with this forum. Please feel free to use this forum for your questions and to share your journeys!

Good luck to you! I'm already married to my partner (New York), so I'm on the I-130 side of the house. We filed the day after DOMA crashed! I hope your petition goes smoothly!

Also: www.domaproject.org is offering a free consultation to same-sex partners entering the process. Check out that website, too!

Sukie

[rjbntsk 5]

Thanks for sharing your story! There are a couple other similar threads that have been started earlier, it would be great to have them all combined for one easy-to-reach place to share stories and experiences.

I'm the USC in our relationship, and have been with my fiance for just over 8 years now. We met online and I flew to Malaysia to meet him in 2005. I was living in NZ at the time, and he picked up and joined me soon. As NZ has been way more progressive in immigration law, I was able to sponsor him for a work visa, and then permanent residency there. We stayed long enough for him to become a NZ citizen, and he just recently made the decision to renounce his Malaysian citizenship, since they don't allow dual citizenship.

Currently we are living and working in Australia, but I'm on a temporary work visa, so we've both decided to go for it and have applied for the K-1 as well - our NOA1 is 7/11, so we're waiting like everyone else to see what happens - maybe even sometime in late October!

It will be interesting to share stories and see how things go - I suspect it will be business as usual, but sometimes I can't help but wonder, "what if we get an adjudicator at USCIS who's really opposed to same-sex couples? Will he/she slow things down or RFE us to death as a form of protest?" Only time will tell!

Good luck to everyone one here, including our heterosexual friends who are in the same boat!

[Sarah Elle-Même 660]

Wishing all the same sex couples filing the best of luck and a speedy journey. It's high time equality won out.