K1 visa or ??? not sure Want to marry cuban girlfriend.

[Randyandyuni 2,682]

21 hours ago, awakendabeast said:

I am sorry I am new to this website...You are correct i am not sure if i should marry her as i have not even met her family all i have met is her aunt. I meant to ask 2 questions one is which route i should go with if i should get married? Yes the second Question is I am not sure she is for real? She could be a scammer? one more thing how do i edit my question??? before people get really angry with me?

If you question her integrity is it because of something she said or did or is it you hear many Cubans are scammers? 

 

If yes to the first, run away now, you are seeing her at her best, if it's the latter, you can find anectdotal stories from every country on the planet, trust her or don't, your choice. 

 

But, if you lack trust with her based on your perceptions, perhaps fishing closer to home might be the way to go

[TM92 527]

1 hour ago, Chris&Ale said:

Lastly, the Spousal visa allows the beneficiary to get their work permit within just a couple of weeks upon arrival, whereas for K1s who get married, the wait time can be 5 months or so.

There is no need to apply for a work permit with the spousal visa. Work is allowed upon US entry, https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/temporary-i-551-stamps-and-mrivs:

Quote

A machine-readable immigrant visa (MRIV) usually has the following text on it: “UPON ENDORSEMENT SERVES AS TEMPORARY I-551 EVIDENCING PERMANENT RESIDENCE FOR 1 YEAR.” When a new immigrant first enters the U.S., U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will stamp the passport with an admission stamp that indicates the immigrant has permanent resident status and has the date the new immigrant entered the U.S. The employee’s foreign passport with the MRIV is evidence the employee has permanent residence status for 1 year from the date of admission. Even if the MRIV is issued without the statement “FOR 1 YEAR,” employers should treat the MRIV as an acceptable List A document valid for 1 year from the date of admission.

 

Here is an example of an immigrant visa with the CBP endorsement:

If the stamp in the passport is endorsed and is near but not on the immigrant visa, it is still a valid endorsement.

[awakendabeast 0]

I am thankful for all the replies as i said earlier i asked 2 very different questions and many people caught on to that. I tried to make up for it by starting another thread but also got some flak for that...Again i appreciate any and all advice. All the information is really good. thanks again

[Chris&Ale 153]

4 hours ago, TM92 said:

There is no need to apply for a work permit with the spousal visa. Work is allowed upon US entry, https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/temporary-i-551-stamps-and-mrivs:

Oops. Thanks for the correction. Do they have to wait to receive a SSN?

[TM92 527]

31 minutes ago, Chris&Ale said:

Do they have to wait to receive a SSN?

Technically, a SSN is not required to work legally (see I-9 Central; "Employees presenting an acceptable List A document should not be asked to present any other document"). But, lack of SSN can be a hurdle as noted by the Texas Workforce Commission (for example), https://twc.texas.gov/news/efte/employees_without_ssns.html:

Quote

following is a list of the most common situations in which SSNs will be requested:

• Job applications (for the purpose of enabling background checks)
• Background check consent forms
• W-4 (information for tax withholding)
• I-9 (verification of employment authorization)
• New hire report (reporting of new hires to the state)
• Professional and other occupational license applications and renewals
• Permits needed by the employee or the company for the job
• Driver's license application
• Some benefit applications and sign-up forms

The SSA is aware of this, and there is an option in the electronic Form DS 260 to request a SSN card; but it can take around 2-3 weeks after US entry to arrive:

• https://www.ssa.gov/ssnvisa/Handout_11_1.html
• https://www.ssa.gov/ssnvisa/

 

I also found this recent VJ answer:

 

Edited September 8, 2018 by TM92

[jcra615 53]

On 9/7/2018 at 12:51 AM, DiamondEyes490 said:

I recommend you join CubaAmor.org and tell your story there. You can get more informed advice there as to what constitutes a red flag. I’ll warn you (as someone happily married to a Cuban) that the crowd can tend to be very negative.

HAHA. Yes...I would honestly be concerned about a lot of those sites that give Cuba-related advice...a lot of people just post about horrible, horrible experiences. I am also happily married to a Cuban!

 

It is not the rule that people are out the scam you...just take your time, that is my number one recommendation.

[jcra615 53]

Also, please let me know if you have questions regarding any of the specifics relating to the process in Cuba. While my husband did his K-1 visa through the embassy in Guayaquil, Ecuador (we were both living there together at the time), I went with him in Havana to all the different places he needed to collect documents from that were relevant to that petition and the subsequent ones we have had to complete (I-485, I-751). Also, all of his extended family is from Holguin so I can share details about Holguin as well. 

 

I don't necessarily think that sending money to her is a red flag, but like others have mentioned, perhaps saying you want to move to Cuba is a way to determine if she is just in it because she wants to leave Cuba. Or, stop sending her money for a while and see how she responds. 

Edited November 6, 2018 by Carley