About to start the Process!

[aubie17 0]

Hi VJ members

I am a US citizen living in the US and my fiance is a UK citizen living in the UK, we are about to start the process of filing for the K1 visa. I know its a long road ahead but looking at this website it has been so much help.

I have been reading over the process and the first part is for me to file the I-129F petition


Am I correct in saying these are the following forms required for I-129F package

USC - I-129F, G325a, G-1145
evidence - photographs together, passport stamps, flight passes
front and back copy of birth certificate
US sized passport photo

UKC - G325a
US sized passport photo



I do have some questions about this package and others relating to the entire K1

1- On the G-325a if there is any field that I leave blank should I fill in N/A in it or -- to acknowledge it or just leave it blank... I know certain fields ask you to write None.

2- How many photographs should I include I was thinking of including about 10 and mentioning the month and year and where the photo was taken is this ok or too much?

3- When it mentions City and Country should my fiance put down London, United Kingdom or London, England

4- I notice on the I-129F question 34a it asks how you met, I have read this relates to how you met face to face is a additional sheet recommended and if so how many words or lines is standard or should I not use a continuation sheet and write First met online in Month/Year and in person in (place) Month/Year?

5- At what point would my fiance need to obtain a UK police certificate and would it be too early for him to send away for one now ...we hope to send the I-129F away within the next few weeks.

6- I have seen some VJ UK timelines and noticed its taken around 5 months in total for some members. We look to get married in June/July 2017 am I correct in saying he will have 6 months to enter the USA after medical date then we need to get married within 90 days. Is the medical date given to you or do you book a date within a set period of time?

7- Should my fiance send me copies of his passport stamps showing his entries to the US to visit me to add to evidence for the I-129f or are they just looking at my passport stamps as I am the petitioner?

8- As I am in the US do I send my I-129F away to the Dallas lockbox? I ask because I have heard of people talking about applying to London instead of a US office is there any benefit?

[sparclight 9]

START HERE...Great resource page http://www.visajourney.com/faq/k1k2visa-I129f.html

[yuna628 9,548]

Hi VJ members

I am a US citizen living in the US and my fiance is a UK citizen living in the UK, we are about to start the process of filing for the K1 visa. I know its a long road ahead but looking at this website it has been so much help.

I have been reading over the process and the first part is for me to file the I-129F petition

Am I correct in saying these are the following forms required for I-129F package

USC - I-129F, G325a, G-1145

evidence - photographs together, passport stamps, flight passes

front and back copy of birth certificate

US sized passport photo

UKC - G325a

US sized passport photo

I do have some questions about this package and others relating to the entire K1

1- On the G-325a if there is any field that I leave blank should I fill in N/A in it or -- to acknowledge it or just leave it blank... I know certain fields ask you to write None.

2- How many photographs should I include I was thinking of including about 10 and mentioning the month and year and where the photo was taken is this ok or too much?

3- When it mentions City and Country should my fiance put down London, United Kingdom or London, England

4- I notice on the I-129F question 34a it asks how you met, I have read this relates to how you met face to face is a additional sheet recommended and if so how many words or lines is standard or should I not use a continuation sheet and write First met online in Month/Year and in person in (place) Month/Year?

5- At what point would my fiance need to obtain a UK police certificate and would it be too early for him to send away for one now ...we hope to send the I-129F away within the next few weeks.

6- I have seen some VJ UK timelines and noticed its taken around 5 months in total for some members. We look to get married in June/July 2017 am I correct in saying he will have 6 months to enter the USA after medical date then we need to get married within 90 days. Is the medical date given to you or do you book a date within a set period of time?

7- Should my fiance send me copies of his passport stamps showing his entries to the US to visit me to add to evidence for the I-129f or are they just looking at my passport stamps as I am the petitioner?

8- As I am in the US do I send my I-129F away to the Dallas lockbox? I ask because I have heard of people talking about applying to London instead of a US office is there any benefit?

Firstly before we get to your questions: you're missing two important documents. They are the statement of intent to marry. It needs to have language saying that you are free to marry your fiancé and that you intend to do so within 90 days upon their entry with a K1 visa''. Write one for each of you and have each person sign it. We also had a cover letter which detailed all the items sent within the package.

1) We left it blank. But if in doubt always check the instructions. On the G325a, it will tell you to put ''none'' in very specific fields, otherwise if it does not apply leave it blank.

2) 10 photographs is certainly fine. Photos are considered secondary evidence and not primary evidence. Write the who, what, where, and date on the back.

3) United Kingdom.

4) You can be as detailed or not so detailed as you want. Some make a simple sentence. If you met online I would choose to be a little more detailed as where you met online and then state where/when you met in person. For us we wrote a paragraph or so because we had known each other for so long. Others are not that detailed.

5) Fiance will not need the police certificate yet. Certainly not until you are first approved and then move onto the consular processing. Check out this thread which explains in detail the rest of the process after filing for London specific cases. http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/474161-london-k1-a-complete-guide-do-not-post-questions-in-thread/ Some things there are a bit outdated, for instance you are now allowed to book your own Embassy appointment instead of waiting for an invite, but it still provides a good overview of the things you/fiancé should be ready and prepared for.

6) How long it will take depends on many factors. As you can see from my timeline, things took very long indeed. This was all due to significant backlog with the USCIS. Once we got past the USCIS and started dealing with the consular process, things went a lot faster. How long it will really take, will depend on many factors, but the largest one will be how fast the USCIS service center will process you. The standard processing time is within 6 months, but they will give that time regardless of if they are faster or slower. If I had to give a rough estimate on a non-complicated case and don't receive any RFEs? I'd say 5-7 months. It could be faster or slower. This is why they state do not make any wedding specific plans... because anything can happen. It's correct that it's 6 months from the date of the medical. And you have 90 days to marry after the foreign fiancé enters the US with the K1. And remember after marriage there will be the adjustment of status process you will have to file for. You are allowed to book your own medical appointment at the approved location (Knightsbridge, London) when the time comes. See the thread I linked you.

7) Any evidence will help. If you have passport stamps, tickets, etc from your fiancé this will certainly be fine. If you also have the same items include those too. With our very long period of knowing one another and lengthy travel history, we provided everything we had. My husband actually had two passports (he needed to renew his but we had our most recent meetings stamped on both passports), so he sent both copies of each passport. I highlighted and put sticky notes on the pages so they could easily find them within the paperwork. We also included copies of boarding passes. We also provided theater tickets, and receipts showing dinner orders for two (which matched photos we had taken showing us at the table eating those items).

8) All K1 applications must be sent to the Texas Lockbox per the instructions. But your application will not remain there. It will be unpacked and then sent off to the appropriate service center. In this case, there is now only one service center handling K1s. Your application will be moved to the USCIS California Service Center. Once approved it will make a stop off at the National Visa Center, then it will be shipped off to London.

Edited August 24, 2016 by yuna628

[aubie17 0]

Many thanks for your informative reply it is much appreciated, I added some further responses to you answers if you dont mind aswering when you have the time

Thanks

Aubie17

Firstly before we get to your questions: you're missing two important documents. They are the statement of intent to marry. It needs to have language saying that you are free to marry your fiancé and that you intend to do so within 90 days upon their entry with a K1 visa''. Write one for each of you and have each person sign it. We also had a cover letter which detailed all the items sent within the package.

1) We left it blank. But if in doubt always check the instructions. On the G325a, it will tell you to put ''none'' in very specific fields, otherwise if it does not apply leave it blank.

2) 10 photographs is certainly fine. Photos are considered secondary evidence and not primary evidence. Write the who, what, where, and date on the back.

What would be considered primary evidence is that primarily boarding passes and stamps in passports?

3) United Kingdom.

4) You can be as detailed or not so detailed as you want. Some make a simple sentence. If you met online I would choose to be a little more detailed as where you met online and then state where/when you met in person. For us we wrote a paragraph or so because we had known each other for so long. Others are not that detailed.

Do the majority opt for a additional sheet? I was thinking we could put Met online on (website) on said date and in Person at on said date would this be suffice.

5) Fiance will not need the police certificate yet. Certainly not until you are first approved and then move onto the consular processing. Check out this thread which explains in detail the rest of the process after filing for London specific cases. http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/474161-london-k1-a-complete-guide-do-not-post-questions-in-thread/ Some things there are a bit outdated, for instance you are now allowed to book your own Embassy appointment instead of waiting for an invite, but it still provides a good overview of the things you/fiancé should be ready and prepared for.

Thanks that link was very helpful

6) How long it will take depends on many factors. As you can see from my timeline, things took very long indeed. This was all due to significant backlog with the USCIS. Once we got past the USCIS and started dealing with the consular process, things went a lot faster. How long it will really take, will depend on many factors, but the largest one will be how fast the USCIS service center will process you. The standard processing time is within 6 months, but they will give that time regardless of if they are faster or slower. If I had to give a rough estimate on a non-complicated case and don't receive any RFEs? I'd say 5-7 months. It could be faster or slower. This is why they state do not make any wedding specific plans... because anything can happen. It's correct that it's 6 months from the date of the medical. And you have 90 days to marry after the foreign fiancé enters the US with the K1. And remember after marriage there will be the adjustment of status process you will have to file for. You are allowed to book your own medical appointment at the approved location (Knightsbridge, London) when the time comes. See the thread I linked you.

7) Any evidence will help. If you have passport stamps, tickets, etc from your fiancé this will certainly be fine. If you also have the same items include those too. With our very long period of knowing one another and lengthy travel history, we provided everything we had. My husband actually had two passports (he needed to renew his but we had our most recent meetings stamped on both passports), so he sent both copies of each passport. I highlighted and put sticky notes on the pages so they could easily find them within the paperwork. We also included copies of boarding passes. We also provided theater tickets, and receipts showing dinner orders for two (which matched photos we had taken showing us at the table eating those items).

Should I get my fiance to send me his passport stamps too, would he need to send a photocopy of his passport photo page too, would photocopies of tickets at events we have attended together and receipts also be good to add?

8) All K1 applications must be sent to the Texas Lockbox per the instructions. But your application will not remain there. It will be unpacked and then sent off to the appropriate service center. In this case, there is now only one service center handling K1s. Your application will be moved to the USCIS California Service Center. Once approved it will make a stop off at the National Visa Center, then it will be shipped off to London.

[aubie17 0]

We just noticed my fiances passport has an expiry of Feb 2018 so 6 months prior would be August 2017, with us looking for a Late June/July 2017 wedding do you think this would cause any problems with how close it is, as I have seen a review on here of someone being refused as their passport did not have 6 months left on it

Would you recommend him to renew his British passport just now...does he need any of his passport information for future forms within the K1 process?

I assume if he needs to show evidence he could take his old british passport that he traveled to visit me on for evidence if he went down the road of renewal?

[Nich-Nick 3,353]

The London website says 8 months validity required on the day the visa is issued so renewal sounds reasonable. It doesn't matter if he starts with one passport and takes a new one to interview. Several have done that. Really a non-issue.

His passport stamps also show he visited you which is a positive. Use them.

I never saw the point of tickets unless they had a name or another connection. You could have gone with your Mom.

Maybe something like a photo in the London West End in front of a theatre marquee, and the tickets to that musical with a date kinda collaged together on one page, for example, might prove more.

Did you ever make any credit card purchases in his town or vice versa? I used that.

[aubie17 0]

The London website says 8 months validity required on the day the visa is issued so renewal sounds reasonable. It doesn't matter if he starts with one passport and takes a new one to interview. Several have done that. Really a non-issue.

His passport stamps also show he visited you which is a positive. Use them.

I never saw the point of tickets unless they had a name or another connection. You could have gone with your Mom.

Maybe something like a photo in the London West End in front of a theatre marquee, and the tickets to that musical with a date kinda collaged together on one page, for example, might prove more.

Did you ever make any credit card purchases in his town or vice versa? I used that.

Thank you Nick I think we have used cards in each other's towns too though im sure he used a preloaded travel cash debit card, in relation to his passport is there any forms that ask of his passport information... more precisely within this I-129F package as I have looked through and cant see anything... we are just wondering how quickly he would need to renew his passport and whether it would delay us sending out the I-129F package.

[JFH 12,189]

He doesn't need to provide his passport details yet so he has a bit of time now if he wants to renew it. He will get 9 months of the validity left on his current passport added to his new passport (so it will be valid for 10 years 9 months). So he won't lose all of the validity he has remaining on the current passport.

[Nich-Nick 3,353]

I think it may not be until the DS-160 visa application that he enters his passport number. That happens after the case is in London. Order now if he is planning holiday travel.

[yuna628 9,548]

Renewing would also be helpful, because once your fiancé lives in the US... renewing the passport from abroad is quite fussy now, as you have to mail it into the UK. At least then you'd have a fresh 10yr passport, and won't have to worry about the fuss of renewing for quite a while. There should be no problem with renewing now.

As far as just sending copies of the stamps or the whole passport, it's most likely up to you. We sent the entire copy (both of his, and both of mine), but I'm sure that some just send the stamps. The purpose of sending tickets for the evidence portion of our case was that we had photos to back them up. If you have anything like that it may be helpful. Anything showing you making credit purchases or withdrawls may help too.

[aubie17 0]

Thanks I advised him to renew as it would be less hassle in the future.

For the I-129F evidence is it our evidence or just mine?

My fiance has the following evidence pieces he was going to send

1-Passport Stamps
2-Domestic fligh to visit me for first time
3-Sporting event tickets and photo of us at the said event
4-Receipts from restaurants where we both ate and have pics
5-His last international flight passes when we last met in US, as well as domestic tickets where we both flew back to my home state to visit my family
6-Hotel receipts and train tickets to hotel location with train tickets receipt, yet again we have photos to accompany


Should he also include passes that show US domestic flights to his departure airport for his international flight?

I will also be adding my boarding passes and passport stamps as well as a mix of photos throughout our relationship, do you think this evidence seems enough from both of us.

Edited August 26, 2016 by aubie17

[aubie17 0]

Im starting to question whether the above evidence is too much?

Should i just stick to photographs and passport stamps/boarding passes.

[Nich-Nick 3,353]

Im starting to question whether the above evidence is too much?

Should i just stick to photographs and passport stamps/boarding passes.

It's fine. Just take you brain out of turbo mode and relax a bit because this is not rocket science. It's just a process and you need to view it logically. The goal is to show you and the fiancé met face to face during the last two years. So look at each piece and say "Would a stranger see this and know he visited me and I visited him?" Then just put together things that show that. A side bonus is you show a relationship with some photos at events in each other's country.

Many on the K1 forum will tell you to take a bunch of that relationship stuff to the interview. London doesn't want any at the interview. But they will browse your petition packet and see you met multiple times and see photos/ tickets/ dinners that enhance your story. So trust your gut that you are telling a good story and pick your evidence without drowning them in hundreds of pages to go through.

[yuna628 9,548]

Im starting to question whether the above evidence is too much?

Should i just stick to photographs and passport stamps/boarding passes.

I don't think it's too much, but that's just me. We provided evidence just like that and even a bit more. Was it all needed in the end? Probably not, but we haven't any proof that it harmed anything either. The goal is just to scrutinize each piece you have and ask ''does this prove we met each other on X date and do I have any secondary evidence to back up that fact?" As Nich-Nick said, once you get out of the USCIS process, London itself won't look at or want anything else than what they already have in front of them, which runs contrary than other consulates in the world... so things will be easier in that regard.

[aubie17 0]

Thanks Nick and Yuna

With regards to question 34a

I have saw topics online of people getting RFE's for mentioning the word online as to prove they did not meet on a IMB site.

I also met my fiancé on Plenty of Fish a dating website which is not a IMB, yet again I have seen people get RFE's to request the likes of plenty of fish or OK Cupid were not IMB sites. Applicants responded by sending the terms and conditions of the site which stated this.

Do you think it is best to mention the site name and print off all the terms and conditions of POF?

It seems like if we say the term online or mention the site name we can get a RFE either way?