Use an attorney if possible

[Estelle1978 1]

Hello

I am new to the forum but just wanted to give some advice to people applying for their K 1 visa,I am at the medical stage of my application but getting to this point has been a long battle due to my fiance and I doing the application ourselves to cut down on costs but that was a mistake,they make the process look kinda straight forward but it is not lots of red tape form filling and evidence to deal with and if you mess up even slightly they will deny the petition,this is what happened to us so we had to refile after waiting 6 months just to be told the petition wasn't accepted because of a missing signed document,when we refiled we decided that the risk of getting denied again wasn't worth it so we have paid for a very experienced immigration attorney who has handled everything from the start,we re filed in Jan this year and our petition got accepted within a month,big difference to the initial 6 month wait doing it ourselves and i already have my medical on Friday,the whole process up until this point has be so much easier and faster just by spending the money on an attorney so I would suggest anyone wanting to do it DIY don't,spend out the money if you are in the position to do so less stress

[Shauneg 762]

Sounds like someone can't follow instructions on a form. You missed signing a document and that make the process hard enough that you suggest others get a lawyer?

[Neonred 3,576]

Sorry you could not handle it yourself.

Most here do it without much trouble.

If you are not good at reading instructions and filling in paperwork then best to get some help.

[Estelle1978 1]

If people have done fine on their own that's great im pleased for you

[Agonks 2]

Hello

I am new to the forum but just wanted to give some advice to people applying for their K 1 visa,I am at the medical stage of my application but getting to this point has been a long battle due to my fiance and I doing the application ourselves to cut down on costs but that was a mistake,they make the process look kinda straight forward but it is not lots of red tape form filling and evidence to deal with and if you mess up even slightly they will deny the petition,this is what happened to us so we had to refile after waiting 6 months just to be told the petition wasn't accepted because of a missing signed document,when we refiled we decided that the risk of getting denied again wasn't worth it so we have paid for a very experienced immigration attorney who has handled everything from the start,we re filed in Jan this year and our petition got accepted within a month,big difference to the initial 6 month wait doing it ourselves and i already have my medical on Friday,the whole process up until this point has be so much easier and faster just by spending the money on an attorney so I would suggest anyone wanting to do it DIY don't,spend out the money if you are in the position to do so less stress

May I know what was the document you didn't sign.

[Estelle1978 1]

The affidavit of intent to marry

[Agonks 2]

The affidavit of intent to marry

If you do not include a letter of intent to marry you always get a RFE(Request for Evidence). I am surprised with that. Maybe you did not respond to their RFE and that why you got denied. I am glad that you got approved now. Wish you luck with the med. exams.

[Estelle1978 1]

Thank you,We did get a RFE we sent what was asked for but still got denied

[Maria4Garrett 5]

My fiancé and I did all by ourselves with big helps from visa journey. I am in USA now 5 months after filing I -129F. Patience was our base weapon. And we learned a lot ( still learning ) !

You're lucky OP for having a very competent lawyer. Good luck on your journey!

[Estelle1978 1]

She knows her stuff,What was the medical like

[Moustafa/Crystal 65]

Filling out all the paper work, collecting the documents, and assembling the package is challenging. This does require a higher level of organization and competency than some people have.

Everyone makes the right choice for their situation. I am glad you found what worked best for you.

[TabeaK 517]

Failing to include a signed letter of intent to marry for both parties results in a RFE. Submitting evidence of intent to marry at that stage, for both petitioner and beneficary, typically results in an approval.

I have never seen a petition denial on here for that - but that doesn't mean they don't happen in rare cases.

But something is fishy with your case - maybe USCIS just screwed up your paperwork.

[uniquelyJo 34]

Hello

I am new to the forum but just wanted to give some advice to people applying for their K 1 visa,I am at the medical stage of my application but getting to this point has been a long battle due to my fiance and I doing the application ourselves to cut down on costs but that was a mistake,they make the process look kinda straight forward but it is not lots of red tape form filling and evidence to deal with and if you mess up even slightly they will deny the petition,this is what happened to us so we had to refile after waiting 6 months just to be told the petition wasn't accepted because of a missing signed document,when we refiled we decided that the risk of getting denied again wasn't worth it so we have paid for a very experienced immigration attorney who has handled everything from the start,we re filed in Jan this year and our petition got accepted within a month,big difference to the initial 6 month wait doing it ourselves and i already have my medical on Friday,the whole process up until this point has be so much easier and faster just by spending the money on an attorney so I would suggest anyone wanting to do it DIY don't,spend out the money if you are in the position to do so less stress

Thank you for advice to others Estelle.....although most people don't find much of a problem with filing some people do. My husband and I used a Lawyer only because we were both extremely nervous about the whole process and he was like our security blanket. It did pay off for us to use him, our process went very quickly to both our surprise and that of our friends that filed at the same time as us. When we went for our interview the Officer started looking through our paperwork and noticed our Lawyers name and made the remark "well there is no need for me to check all this he is always spot on with his paperwork" so sometimes yes it is a great advantage to have a well known and respected Lawyer handling things for you. I have to admit though, after actually seeing all the paperwork and now looking at this site, I think I could have handled it all myself but at the time it was nice having someone hold our hand too. Good luck with your Journey

[clairegie 265]

I understand the whole process is frustrating and we are only human. I know I was very careful with compiling what I needed for the filing phase and there were still times when I doubted myself. However, I still believe the VJ guideline is very straight forward. I made sure that my husband double checked everything I did so that fresh eyes could check for any mistakes. I'm sorry you had to re-do the whole thing, but you can only blame yourself. There was a checklist on the guides for a reason. That said, I'm glad the second round is less stressful to you.

[Mike-eeh and Odie 193]

If all you wanted was for someone to fill out your forms and double check your work, you could have saved yourself a boatload of money with a visa service like www.easyfiancevisa.com . They are like 1/3 the cost of a lawyer and did exactly what your lawyer probably charged you $3000 or more for.

For us, we went with a visa service because we both had very busy lives and little time to commit to doing the process correct and with peace of mind. So the money was well spent in that regard. However, now that we have more time, (now that she is here), we are doing the ROC and Naturalization ourselves with the help of VJ.