Concerned about length of visit for K-1

[Fuji1978 33]

Can someone please inform me if they suppose it would be an issue that we have only met in person one time? I flew to Ghana in February but was only able to stay for 9 days. We are in love but my demanding job and the fact that I am a single father makes it very difficult to get there again. Financially it is nearly impossible, and I have nobody to care for my daughter and make sure she makes it to school. I had my mother fly down from NY to care for my daughter for the 9 day visit in February. I'm just concerned that one visit for nine days may not be enough for the CO in Accra to justify our petition. We have chat logs and communicate everyday. We have several photos, receipts for dinner when I proposed, hotel receipts, and she has an engagement ring. Should I try and take out a loan to get there again before the interview? I'm torn because I love this woman and want to spend my life with her, but I don't want to start off in debt when she will not be able to work for about six months after she arrives. Can anyone share with me their thoughts?

[dbuizert 14]

Can someone please inform me if they suppose it would be an issue that we have only met in person one time? I flew to Ghana in February but was only able to stay for 9 days. We are in love but my demanding job and the fact that I am a single father makes it very difficult to get there again. Financially it is nearly impossible, and I have nobody to care for my daughter and make sure she makes it to school. I had my mother fly down from NY to care for my daughter for the 9 day visit in February. I'm just concerned that one visit for nine days may not be enough for the CO in Accra to justify our petition. We have chat logs and communicate everyday. We have several photos, receipts for dinner when I proposed, hotel receipts, and she has an engagement ring. Should I try and take out a loan to get there again before the interview? I'm torn because I love this woman and want to spend my life with her, but I don't want to start off in debt when she will not be able to work for about six months after she arrives. Can anyone share with me their thoughts?

As far as I am aware you have to have at least met once in the last 2 years. Its hard to visit someone at that distance more then several times a year. I have flow 3 times and went bankrupt by doing so. So now I am not flying there anymore so that I can save up since she work part time with barely any hours. So dont worry about that one visit for over a week. If you have pictures of you and her together if possible with her family. That way you have plenty of proof.

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

Depends on a lot of factors, like how you met, etc, but I think one 9 day trip for Ghana is probably not enough. It might be, you won't know until you try.

Generally the consulate believes that the USC wants to marry and have a life together. It is the immigrant's intentions that are usually more questionable.

How did you meet?

[Fuji1978 33]

We met online and started with talking on viber and using Skype and oovoo.

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

How did you find her, or did she find you?

[Fuji1978 33]

I found her on a dating web site and just reached out first.....never thinking about how it would progress to what it has. She is wonderful, and I met a lot of her family and friends when I visited.

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

What kind of dating site was it? Was it a meet Africans website or a US based website? If it was US-based website, did she appear to be at first an American?

I am sure she is wonderful, but you both will have to prove to the consulate that she is not in it just to get to the US. The consulate will go by a "reasonable person standard" to determine if your actions were things that normal reasonable people would do.

So, meeting for only 9 days and deciding to get married? Not super reasonable... though not totally unheard of. They might question whether you spent enough time with her to tell if her intentions were sincere or not. They will consider the totality of the circumstances, which is why I am asking about how you met.

[Fuji1978 33]

What kind of dating site was it? Was it a meet Africans website or a US based website? If it was US-based website, did she appear to be at first an American?

I am sure she is wonderful, but you both will have to prove to the consulate that she is not in it just to get to the US. The consulate will go by a "reasonable person standard" to determine if your actions were things that normal reasonable people would do.

So, meeting for only 9 days and deciding to get married? Not super reasonable... though not totally unheard of. They might question whether you spent enough time with her to tell if her intentions were sincere or not. They will consider the totality of the circumstances, which is why I am asking about how you met.

I understand, it was an interracial dating website. Nothing about meet Africans or anything like that. She has always represented herself as being in Ghana, and all the profile information was accurate (education, where she lives, her age, etc.) She has sent gifts to myself and my daughter and even was the first person to wish my daughter a happy birthday, which means the world to me. It was just that we talked so much and when I visited, everything was as she had told me. I was very comfortable around her and we really enjoyed each others company.

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

Those are all good things. You might ask around the subsaharan Africa subforum to see if people were successful in Accra with only one visit. And think about this sort of "reasonable person" thing; doing so will help you with the interview.

Best of luck.

[Fuji1978 33]

Those are all good things. You might ask around the subsaharan Africa subforum to see if people were successful in Accra with only one visit. And think about this sort of "reasonable person" thing; doing so will help you with the interview.

Best of luck.

Thanks for your advice, I appreciate your time.

[Boiler 45,665]

If a friend or a relative was in your position, what would you think?

[phd1974 17]

Also keep in mind, (not to be a party pooper) that if you have a hard time revisiting because of financial reasons, then you might be pressed during this process as it is not a cheap process. From the time you file the I129F form through filing AOS, you could possibly spend a couple thousand dollars with all of the fees, medical exams, and flying her here to the US if she is approved. It would be even more difficult if you have to fly there to the Ghana embassy to be with her during the interview. So make sure you take all of this into account as well.

[Fuji1978 33]

Also keep in mind, (not to be a party pooper) that if you have a hard time revisiting because of financial reasons, then you might be pressed during this process as it is not a cheap process. From the time you file the I129F form through filing AOS, you could possibly spend a couple thousand dollars with all of the fees, medical exams, and flying her here to the US if she is approved. It would be even more difficult if you have to fly there to the Ghana embassy to be with her during the interview. So make sure you take all of this into account as well.

Thanks, I'm aware of all the fees and cost of flights. That is why I'd rather save for that, and not fall into debt by trying to book another flight. Flying over there would simply double that cost, which I cannot afford. The medical, immunizations, visa fees, and flight have already been planned for. But to fly to Accra is running about $2,400 and I would then need a few hundred dollars for spending money. So figure another $3k. Medical, visa fees, and her one way flight runs about $2,300.

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

After she gets to the US you have to marry and then pay $1070 to make her a permanent resident, in case you didn't know already.

$2400 for a flight is a lot, yikes

[Boiler 45,665]

Meet half way?