Help! I have a Court Date! (K-1 visa applicant)

[jens_prodigy 13]

My fiancée (petitioner) recently received a letter stating that I have a court date in a couple weeks for a debt collection. The problem is, I'm basically stuck in my home country and cannot return to the US until I have a visa (which is why we have applied for the K-1). Therefore, I am physically unable to attend. My first question is, what do I do about this? I've never had a court date before but I know enough to know that if you don't show up to a court date a warrant will be issued for your arrest which of course I do NOT want. I've never had any trouble with the law before, NEVER not even a parking ticket, and of course I don't want anything that can possibly affect my K-1 approval. My fiancée keeps trying to call the number on the letter to ask what my options are but she can't seem to get a hold of anyone which is SO frustrating. I want to know how I can prove that I'm in another country and physically cannot make it to court.

I also want to know if, GOD FORBID, the warrant IS issued, will it affect my K-1 application? We still have not been approved so I'm wondering if this can hurt us or not. Like I mentioned, it's a debt collection thing from one of two credit cards I got in college. They were only $500 a piece and in the beginning I was paying them off but then I lost my job and was unable to. I was young and broke and shouldn't have touched those cards to begin with. Now, they've grown to a little over $3,000 but I NEVER thought I would be taken to court for such a small amount.

I'm so nervous about this, any advice? Can this, or debt in general, keep us from being approved for our K-1?

[Harpa Timsah 13,263]

You can go on a tourist visa if you have one. Do you have one?

[Hypnos 6,579]

Arrest warrants are not issued for civil matters, unless the entity you owe money to is the government or an agency of theirs. The worst that will happen is that a default judgement will be entered against you if you are a no-show.

Writing a letter to the relevant court / clerk / judge explaining why you are unable to appear in person might be advisable; it will have no bearing on whether you are eligible to receive a K-1 (unless you owe money to the government in some way, as stated above).

[jan22 3,195]

Here's a thought -- if it's a "small amount" -- pay it off before the court date.