Will a lawyer make this go faster?

[USA-Turk 0]

Hi all,

I just discovered this website and forum today.

I am a 42 year old American chemist and my fiance is a 27 year old Turkish chemical engineer who went to grad school in the U.S. and Canada. We met through his music lyrics website in January. We are absolutely head-over-heels, madly in love. We have written over 550 long e-mails and have talked for hundreds of hours on the phone. I also correspond with his brother and sister, both Ph.D. students. I visited Sansal for 9 days last month, which is when we got engaged. We had planned to marry and settle in Istanbul after he completed his 5 month mandatory stint in the Turkish Navy in September.

I sold my house, started taking Turkish lessons, and was preparing to quit my job and move to Turkey. I went in for my annual mammogram two weeks ago, and they discovered I had breast cancer. So now I can't quit my job or I'll lose my insurance. I go for surgery next week and will then begin 5-6 months of chemo and radiation. But we're still as keen as ever to get married, bald or not!

We have two options. Sansal said I can come to Turkey and we can get married right now. Then I can apply for a K-3 visa. Or we can apply for a K-1 visa and get married here in the U.S. as soon as he gets out of the Navy (late Sept.)

In my mispent youth (1990), I applied for a K-1 for my Costa Rican "surfer dude" boyfriend. Just 5 WEEKS later, he was in the U.S. He hated the U.S. and went back to C.R. after six weeks.

I had assumed that the K-1 visa for Sansal would go through in 5 weeks, and had actually been afraid of applying too EARLY! However, some Internet searching showed that it now takes around 7 MONTHS!

In addition, a friend of a friend who works in the INS heard our story and said we will be declined for sure. We have several factors against us:

1) My fiance is a Muslim AND a chemical engineer.

2) I am a chemist.

3) I have already successfully obtained a K-1 visa in the past.

4) I am 15 years older than my fiance.

Apparently #1-2 make us looks like potential terrorists, and #3-4 make me look like a "green card bride."

So I thought I might need the big guns that could be provided by an attorney. I clicked on one of the "Fiance Visa Lawyer" ads that pepper this website and have e-mailed them. I was wondering if anybody else on this forum has engaged a lawyer. Is it worth the money for something that I could technically do on my own for free? Does having a lawyer make things go faster? Is there any way to cut down the wait from 7 months to 3-4 months? Anybody have a lawyer they'd like to recommend?

Also, is there any easier way to do this? Would it be faster/easier for us to get married in Turkey and apply for a K-3? Can he come on a tourist visa and we get married and he can stay here that way? That is how it would work if I went to Turkey. I could just go as a tourist, get married, and could apply for permanent residency the very next day. However, I can no longer do this because of the stupid CANCER!

Thanks in advance for any suggestions or advice,

Sharon in Missouri

[KarenCee 3]

Nope. Lawyers do NOT make this process faster. If that were the case we'd all have used lawyers and the backlog would probably be horrendous.

There are many with age differences. What's important to the AO is to make sure you prove beyond doubt that your relationship is genuine. You might want to pop into the Regional Forum where there is a MENA sub forum for fiancés in Muslim countries.

Whatever you decide to do, welcome to VJ!

[YuAndDan 153]

NO I read often where a lawyer in fact slows the process down due to sitting on paperwork.

[kitkat1 5]

In addition, a friend of a friend who works in the INS heard our story and said we will be declined for sure.

Your friend has misled you somewhat. Your petition will not be denied. Your visa may take a long time for approval because you may find yourselves in administrative processing - this is common in Turkey. Check out the Middle East forum and you'll get some good input. You may have some red flags with age differences and having applied in the past, but it most definitely does not mean you will be declined for sure. It just means you will need to have solid proof of the validity of your relationship and that it may be a long, slow process.

It wouldn't hurt to consult with a lawyer but no, no lawyer has the ability to influence the process in any way or make it move any faster.

If he comes on a tourist visa with intent to marry, his adjustment of status in the US could very well be denied as this is not legal.

If he can come on a tourist visa, you can marry here, he can return home and you can being the K3 petition process.

Good luck with your surgery and health and the whole process.

[Converse34 1]

I would think that getting married in Turkey and then applying for the K3 would improve your case. IMHO of course

[eric_and_teresa 10]

I agree with the previous posters, a lawyer can be useful in some cases but that does not guarantee that things will go faster.

About getting married with a tourist visa, you'd be taking the chance of not being able to adjust his status later. You'd have to convince the USCIS that you had no intention to get married when he entered the country and that you decided to do it later! IMO that's very hard to prove. I have a friend who did it this way and was able to adjust her status, but personally I wouldn't take that chance.

Maybe getting married in Turkey and then applying for K-3 would be your best option, as you could be with your fiance right away and wait for the approval together. Applying for a K-1 wont be like the last time you applied in 1991, now it takes a lot more than 5 weeks!

[Nanusia & Lukaszek 0]

For some reason, they look differently at cases where the female is older than the male. I'm not saying you will get denied, just that your case might need some additional proof of validity. You mentioned you met online in January... of 2007? This may be something they will look at to evaluate your relationship before issuing a K1. Based on what I've seen on VJ, 4 months is a tad bit short. But love is love, and more power to you.

I don't think the chemical engineer thing will be that big of a problem, shows you both have similar fields/interests, not necessarily terrorist plots.

About your previous K1, this should not have any effect. It was a long time ago, no fraud involved. If you did it just recently in the last 2 yrs, you'd need a waiver & some explaining

Good luck on your healing process

Edited May 14, 2007 by Nanusia & Lukaszek

[TimsDaisy 0]

Lawyers don't make it go faster. They can make it go slower. You can make it go slower.

Lawyers don't have a magic red phone or a magic crystal ball that gives them special powers over this sort of visa process. With some careful reading and studying up on available information, you can do this just fine.

Depending on the severity of your medical condition, it may or may not help speed things along. It might not be of much help at this stage (though it may be worht contacting your member of congress to find out), but once you get to the Embassy stage, you could always include a letter asking for the soonest possible interview date, if your medical condition worsens, etc.

Take a few days to really research and read up on your options.

Best of luck!

[kengumbo 0]

We decided to use a qualified attorney because we believe it will help the process go faster. No, not because he has an inside phone number or special processing queue. But a good experienced attorney can help you prevent unnecessary delays. This process is very unforgiving and small mistakes can cost you weeks, months or worse. Like all other paid professionals, there are good and bad in the field. You should choose carefully. Even with an attorney, you can still have problems.

Many people file successfully on their own without the help of paid professionals. This site is wonderful, and chock full of good information. It is a great tool and I am very grateful for it. But most of us are going through this process for the very first time and as individuals have no experience outside of our own cases.

If money is an issue, you can probably gain enough knowledge to pull this off without paying a professional. It seems most people using this site do just that. In our case, we felt the attorney was very affordable for the most important decision of our lives.

Good luck on your journey!!!!

[Raspect 0]

best of luck with your health

i hope the very very very best for you, with your health and your love.

you can definitely find the info. you need on this site. Although your case does sound a bit more complicated

But i am sure that if you look on here and ask questions

you will get all your answers without having to use a lawyer

[USA-Turk 0]

Hi everybody,

Thanks so much for all of your great replies! That was very fast, too!

My fiance just phoned from the Navy a few minutes ago and asked if I would like to go get married there in a couple of weeks so we could then do a K-3 visa. I don't know if it will be more stressful waiting for my FIANCE to get his visa or for my HUSBAND to get his visa... :-) I am still in shock at the 7 month waiting time...

Thanks again,

Sharon

[phila 0]

I don't think you need to secure a lawyer. I am currently in th K-1 visa process with a Turkish man, and have used this forum to learn so much. Actually, I hear horror stories about lawyers.

If you are ready to move-, and not employed- I say go for the K-3 from Turkey.

The age difference might raise some brow's- but given your career connection, and incredible evidence of continuing relation- it should be fine.

I too worry about the stereotype- of "single muslim male".. especially since the recent arrest of a Turk associated with Al Quaeda in Phila/NJ. But, bottom line. if you have a bona fide relationship with your guy- all should be well.

If you are tied to the USA-go the K-1 route.

We are waiting for our interview date now....

Good Luck!

Christine

[~Chad~ 0]

Welcome to VJ!

[Kym 0]

My answer to that question is NO NO NO! If you are up for a long read, you can review one of my previous posts and the hell I went through with a lawyer.

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.ph...mp;#entry690764

I see you are from Missouri and so am I. If you do decide to use a lawyer and are in the KC area, please email me so I can tell you what lawyer NOT to use!

Good luck,

Kym

[kitkat1 5]

My answer to that question is NO NO NO! If you are up for a long read, you can review one of my previous posts and the hell I went through with a lawyer.

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.ph...mp;#entry690764

I see you are from Missouri and so am I. If you do decide to use a lawyer and are in the KC area, please email me so I can tell you what lawyer NOT to use!

Good luck,

Kym

Kym, what's your update? Were you able to confirm the location of your petition and has it been approved? What happened with the scumbag lawyers?