Yes, you can visit!

[Kathryn Baer 1]

9 minutes ago, Pandapaws said:

This may have already been asked but I am Canadian and my fiancé is American we decided that settling in the US would be best for us because of his already established career. I was wondering if I would be able to visit him and his daughter in the US after the k-1 visa process has begun?

 

Yes you can. You will need to show that you have strong ties to Canada through as when the Visa is being processed it will be more difficult to enter as it will be shown that you are working/planning on immigrating.

- Bring a letter from your employer stating when you are required back at work from your visit

- Most recent pay stubs 

- Recent bank statement 

- Any recent home rental/mortgage payments as proof.

It's still relatively easy to travel after your fiance will receive the NOA1 (notice that USCIS has received your application), but once he receives the NOA2 (that it has been approved and sent on to NVC and from there to the consulate in Montreal. Keep in mind, it does not mean that your visa is approved, you still have more forms to fill out and an interview to do) and you receive a package for collecting information for an interview, it will get more difficult. Just be honest, show strong ties to Canada, don't over stay your welcome and you should be fine

Edited July 27, 2017 by Kathryn Baer

[PK Adventure 21]

Hi all! My fiancé and I will be traveling to the States together from Rio to Houston (POE), and he will be staying a couple months while I work before our K1 interview. We filed our I-129F in early June. Just curious if anyone has experience with clearing immigration together as a couple. Is it better to talk with the agent together, or should we go separately to our respective lines? Thanks in advance!

[p-ana 933]

1 minute ago, PK Adventure said:

Hi all! My fiancé and I will be traveling to the States together from Rio to Houston (POE), and he will be staying a couple months while I work before our K1 interview. We filed our I-129F in early June. Just curious if anyone has experience with clearing immigration together as a couple. Is it better to talk with the agent together, or should we go separately to our respective lines? Thanks in advance!

It's best if you could go together. Let an officer know you're together, I believe you can go with him through the tourist line.

be prepared with his proof of ties to his country, flight ticket back, etc. it helps having your i129f docs as well, so they can see he's going through immigration the right way

[Peot 134]

8 hours ago, PK Adventure said:

Hi all! My fiancé and I will be traveling to the States together from Rio to Houston (POE), and he will be staying a couple months while I work before our K1 interview. We filed our I-129F in early June. Just curious if anyone has experience with clearing immigration together as a couple. Is it better to talk with the agent together, or should we go separately to our respective lines? Thanks in advance!

We traveled internationally, returning into the US, and always went to the CBP officer together as a couple. They expect that with couples, even if you have passports from different countries.

 

Keep in mind, however, that some airports have different lines entirely for international citizens as opposed to American citizens. I have no idea if Houston is the case. If this is the case, then I'd suggest you both go in your respective lines.

 

Either way, you should be fine and it will take relatively the same amount of time and will not be any easier or more difficult. It's no better or worse, however when you can go as a couple, it might speed things up slightly.... and you only need to tell your story once.

Edited July 31, 2017 by Peot

[Tim & Tiff 8]

Maybe a daft question but I wasn't aware of what's been mentioned on here but my first visit since K1 application will be on 2nd September. What stuff do I need to bring?

[Walt Applesauce 0]

Hello all, I tried to find a similar scenario in this thread to avoid asking a repeat question, but I guess I don't know exactly which detail might be important, so I thought I would ask my question any way:

 

I am a citizen of an EU country, living and working in Asia.  My fiancee is a US Citizen, living in the US.

 

She visits me in Europe or elsewhere a few times a year, and I have been visiting her in the US (while she was my girlfriend) approximately 6 times a year for about 3-4 weeks each time, for the past 2 years. (I have lots of time off because for my job I work at a remote location for 4 weeks in a row, and then have 4 weeks off)

When I visit her in the US, I always travel with ESTA - visa waiver program. I always told the immigration officers that I was visiting my girlfriend, and got secondary interviews 2 or 3 times, but usually they let me in without extra questions. 

 

On our most recent trip I proposed, and she said yes (yay!). Then I went back to work.

 

We have not made any wedding arangements yet, but we hope to get married in about a year. I'm not sure if I will move to the US or if she will move to Asia, it depends on jobs and other things.

 

Can I continue to visit my fiancee in the US? I don't have a fiancee visa.

 

Will this cause a problem when I tell the immigration officer my reason for entering is to visit my fiancee?

 

To show ties to my workplace in Asia, I have a job and a contract and a bunch of paperwork and my return itinerary, but I am worried they will think I am entering the US with intent to get married?

 

Is there any problem with continuing to come to the US to visit my fiancee using the esta/visa waiver program? Or do I need to start some kind of fiancee visa processing?

[Maria Jose 0]

Hi Walt, you do not need a fiance visa to visit your fiancee. The fiance visa is meant to travel to the US and marry there as you are not supposed to travel to the US and marry on a visa waiver. If you have no intention of marrying while in the US, no need to worry about a fiance visa, you can travel on a visa waiver as you did before. Also, you might want to avoid extra questioning and doubt of your intentions so it might be easier if you just say you are going to visit your girlfriend. If not the immigration officer might believe you have the intention of marrying while you visit, stay and adjust your status. 

 

Good luck!

[Dutchster 1,106]

A fiancee visa is for fiancees who immigrate to the US and marry and adjust their status (to a US permanent resident) so as long as you don't want to immigrate, you can use your ESTA privilege or a tourist visa to visit your fiancee. 

[Catseal 268]

If I enter on ESTA/VWP presenting all the proof that I will return home (return ticket, NOA1, letter of my employer, other documents mentioned here, etc.) and obviously disclosing that we are in the K1-Process and that I am fully aware and not intending to marry (and adjust status) during my (rather short) trip, will bringing multiples suitcases (I was thinking one extra bag) raise a red flag?

 

It would really help our overall moving process once the Visa gets approved (hopefully) if I could already bring over some stuff now, however, I would not want to get turned around after a 16 hour flight because of it... 

 

Thanks for your inputs in advance!

[William and Betsy 40]

Hello everyone! 

 

Here is my situation: 

Me (Brazilian) and my future wife (American), submitted our k1 package this week. We know that from now on basically what we have to do is wait. The last time we met was in November 2016, and on that time I had family in the US to visit, which made my entrance easier. We plan to meet each other again during the same period ( between November to January) to avoid the 4h time zone difference that happens in this part of the year and to wait for the noa2 together.

 

The thing is I really don't have anything that holds me in Brazil right now, I'm currently unemployed, I have 24 years old, the country is going through a big crisis,and the only thing I could use to prove that I'd return to Brazil is an IT university course that I'm enrolled right now and the return ticket. I don't predict an easy talk with the customs officer with me saying that I'm there to visit my girlfriend for maybe over 2 months. I would be returning as soon as we get the noa2 to schedule interviews and all that, but we all know this noa2 can take a while.

 

I'm really afraid of just being denied entry and being sent back.

 

I would be going with my Italian passport via the visa waiver program, the same visa I entered the country last year.

 

[j N j 50]

Friend of a friend (blah blah blah) apparently has a K1 visa in progress, although I am not sure how long ago or what stage they're currently in. But they were/are discussing getting a tourist visa in the meantime.. I've seen posts on here in regard to this particular subject, but couldn't find them, anyone have any input on this? Im sure its not advisable or even possible..

[vegasbound 83]

Inadvisable, yes but it's not impossible. However, chances are extremely low of being granted a tourist visa while a K1 application is in the process. Your friend of a friend would have to convince the CO at the tourist visa interview that his/her intention is purely to visit and will return home after a visit. That is almost impossible to do since filing a K1 application already establishes the intention to move and live in the US. Many people who are in the process of applying for a fiance or spousal visa always think that they could use this method to get to the US sooner without having to wait out the process outside of the US. The US immigration system simply does not work that way. Everyone gets in line and waits for his/her turn. 

 

The best advise would be for your friend of a friend to be patient and let the K1 application work its way through the appropriate channel. In the meantime, they could plan to meet outside the US.

[Crazy Cat 39,869]

58 minutes ago, j N j said:

Im sure its not advisable or even possible.

From the US Customs web site:

Can I travel to the U.S. for business or pleasure while my K fiancé/fiancée visa is pending?

You can travel however you may be subject to scrutiny.

Travel under another visa status or the visa waiver program is not advised for K-1 fiancé/fiancée visa applicants prior to the approval of their K visa as they have already indicated their intention is to marry in the U.S. For more information about Nonimmigrant visa for a fiancé (e) K visa visit 

Edited August 16, 2017 by missileman

[Boiler 43,859]

There is a Mega thread, hopefully one of the friendly Mods will merge your post.

[j N j 50]

2 hours ago, vegasbound said:

Inadvisable, yes but it's not impossible. However, chances are extremely low of being granted a tourist visa while a K1 application is in the process. Your friend of a friend would have to convince the CO at the tourist visa interview that his/her intention is purely to visit and will return home after a visit. That is almost impossible to do since filing a K1 application already establishes the intention to move and live in the US. Many people who are in the process of applying for a fiance or spousal visa always think that they could use this method to get to the US sooner without having to wait out the process outside of the US. The US immigration system simply does not work that way. Everyone gets in line and waits for his/her turn. 

 

The best advise would be for your friend of a friend to be patient and let the K1 application work its way through the appropriate channel. In the meantime, they could plan to meet outside the US.

Thats what I told my fiance also, I asked her to pass on the info..

 

Thanks for the reply!