K-1 queries

[Sunny_0102 0]

Hi Guys,

I am a resident of India and my girlfriend is a naturalized US citizen.

My girlfriend wants to apply for a fiance (K-1 visa) for me so that I can travel to the US post K-1 visa approval to marry her

She works on east coast and will be filing for I-129F at Vermont

Below are my questions:

Is it necessary to hire an attorney to file K-1 visa paperwork? If No, how many days would it cost me in processing if I was asked to respond to RFE?

Do I need to take any precaution in filling out I-129F to avoid making any mistakes?

As a beneficiary, what kind of documentation Do I need to submit along with I-129F?

I am guessing that hiring an attorney doesn't mean USCIS is not going to ask for RFE, assuming attorney knows what he is doing?

What is the maximum time for I-129F to get approved? Can it go over 5 months if USCIS didn't request for additional information?

Is it required to submit any kind of proof (photos) to prove that I met my fiance while I was in the US at the time I-129F is being filed?

if not, at what stage do I need photos to prove that I met her?

We didn't take photos when we met (duh!), would air tickets act as sufficient proof when requested for?

I am assuming this questions is more likely to be asked at the local US consulate when I attend the interview is my assumption correct?

After I-129F is approved and I-797 mailed out, can I request for my interview to be expedited?

Please Help!

Thanks

Sunny

[me & her 2]

am not foing all the questions i will just answer you randomly,

as for the maximun time for the petition to be approved,it can take upto 9 months or as less as 2months,it just depends,but especially if you are filling at vermont,its gonna more time,you need to be patient with all this process its not an easy one,

you can file on your own without the help of an attorney,VJ members are great and you gonna get alot of help in here,but if you feel you need an attorney and you can afford one then you go for it,

from you as the beneficiary,they will need your birth certificate,passport,(copies),.............eveidence showing that you have met atleast once in the last two years,evidence to show that you are both legally free to marry,e.g if you've ever been married before you need to prove that you actually divorce stufd like that,i wish i had a link to direct you to,but am sure you gonna get help in here!

[Penguin_ie 5,994]

Is it necessary to hire an attorney to file K-1 visa paperwork? If No, how many days would it cost me in processing if I was asked to respond to RFE?

- This is a DIY site, most people don't have lawyers, and most don;t get RFEs. But if you have big red flags or difficulty filling in detailed forms then a visa service can be useful. How much an RFE sets you back depends on what it is for, and how long it'll take to gather the evidence requested.

Do I need to take any precaution in filling out I-129F to avoid making any mistakes?

- Read everything twice, make sure to read the guides and examples here.

As a beneficiary, what kind of documentation Do I need to submit along with I-129F?

- Check the Guides: http://www.visajourney.com/content/k1guide

I am guessing that hiring an attorney doesn't mean USCIS is not going to ask for RFE, assuming attorney knows what he is doing?

- We have plenty of people on here who hired a lawyer and got an RFE. Laywers can actually slow things down, as you are not their only client so they take their time filling in forms, sending stuff off etc.,

What is the maximum time for I-129F to get approved? Can it go over 5 months if USCIS didn't request for additional information?

- Yes it can. There is no maximum, but 5-6 months sounds about right.

Is it required to submit any kind of proof (photos) to prove that I met my fiance while I was in the US at the time I-129F is being filed?

- yes Photos are secondary proof, you want primary... passport stamps, plane tickets etc.

if not, at what stage do I need photos to prove that I met her?

- Submit a few photos with the I-129F, bring the rest to interview.

We didn't take photos when we met (duh!), would air tickets act as sufficient proof when requested for?

- Yes that is good. Also hotel and credit card receipts.

I am assuming this questions is more likely to be asked at the local US consulate when I attend the interview is my assumption correct?

- Proof of meeting within 2 years must be submitted with the petition. Proof of bonafide relationship (emails, photos, phone bills etc) at interview.

After I-129F is approved and I-797 mailed out, can I request for my interview to be expedited?

- Only if you have a good reason (US petitioner active duty military, terminal illness etc). That being said, once the embassy has your case, you can contact them and say you are flexible and could they keep you in mind for any cancelations.

[Andrea&Henry 311]

Is it necessary to hire an attorney to file K-1 visa paperwork? If No, how many days would it cost me in processing if I was asked to respond to RFE?

No, is actually throwing your money away. Most of us had successful immigration's journey, only by following the guidelines here.

Do I need to take any precaution in filling out I-129F to avoid making any mistakes?

Like any other procedure, you need to be careful in the way you fill out your forms and the way you build your package. Follow the guidelines

As a beneficiary, what kind of documentation Do I need to submit along with I-129F?

passport photos and some forms. Most of documents need it for the i129f, comes from the petitioner. By the moment of your interview you will need to submit birth certificate, police records etc.

I am guessing that hiring an attorney doesn't mean USCIS is not going to ask for RFE, assuming attorney knows what he is doing?

Not necessarily, actually most of the people I met here for the past 2 years, who had a RFE, used lawyers to filled out their papers. I dont trust them. Nobody is gonna take care better of your petition, than yourself. In my case I never had a lawyer, I went through a k1 visa and a green card application myself, and I never ever received an rfe.

What is the maximum time for I-129F to get approved? Can it go over 5 months if USCIS didn't request for additional information?

2 years ago, you can be approved within 3-5 month but now is up to 9 month, just to get the NOA2, you also have to add 1-3 month to be process by the NVC and the embassy. If you have an rfe it can take a little bit longer.

Is it required to submit any kind of proof (photos) to prove that I met my fiance while I was in the US at the time I-129F is being filed? No, in that case. You don't need to be together by the time she submit the package but you DO need to proof you have met in person within the last 2 years. You can send pictures together, copy of boarding passes, airplane tickets, hotel receipts, everything that shows you had been together in the same place.

We didn't take photos when we met (duh!), would air tickets act as sufficient proof when requested for? That doesn't necessarily proof you met each other in person. You need to add more proof than just airplane tickets. India is one of the toughest embassy so you need to take that in consideration.

I am assuming this questions is more likely to be asked at the local US consulate when I attend the interview is my assumption correct? no, during the interview they will ask you everything about your relationship, by the moment of your interview you should have all the past questions, very very clear.

After I-129F is approved and I-797 mailed out, can I request for my interview to be expedited? No, unless your petitioner is part of the US military you will need to wait like everybody else.