Should We Get A Lawyer?

[abattista 0]

My husband and I are currently working on our CR1 visa application. We have almost everything complete and ready to go. Our case is pretty simple - no prior marriages, no children, and no criminal backgrounds. The only thing I could see that could hurt us is that we were married while he was on a tourist visa and returned home to continue work. We are currently living apart. 

 

We decided at first to not go with a lawyer because our case was so straightforward. But everyone we have talked to that is doing the CR1 highly advised (insisted) we get a lawyer. We can't really afford at this point to pay thousands of dollars in fees to make an application we essentially have already finished. Would we be able to hand a completed application to a lawyer to look over and give suggestions/advice without hiring him to actually fill out all the paperwork for us? 

 

What is the general consensus? Lawyer or no?

 

Edited October 14, 2018 by abattista

[kris&me 572]

no need for a lawyer

they just collect the documents from you and copy and mail them

you can do this

[Dashinka 23,199]

Agreed.  No need for a lawyer here, many foreigners come to the US, get married then go back home and file the CR1.

 

Good Luck!

[debbiedoo 2,339]

Theres no need for a lawyer. As long as you can read and follow instructions, its really not difficult.

[EandH0904 1,184]

Also agreed! I would be glad to look at your papers if you want. I've looked at others and given suggestions.  

 

No overstay of tourist Visa right? 

[geowrian 22,335]

What would the lawyer be doing exactly? They won't know if the information on the forms is correct or not as they pertain to your specific circumstances.

Maybe catch a missed form or field? Use the guide and ask questions...save the money.

[EM_Vandaveer 2,364]

You don't need a lawyer. BTW, there is absolutely nothing wrong with marrying on a tourist visa then going home to wait out the visa process. What made you think that was a problem?

[JFH 12,189]

The forms might look daunting but they are really very simple. All they ask is questions to which you already know the answer (name, date of birth, address, when and where married, etc). It's not a Harvard admission exam. Take your time, read through all the instructions before answering and answer each question as it comes. Don't skip to another section before completing the current section. Ask questions here. Almost all of us got through it without a lawyer. Save the money for a car for your husband for when he arrives so he can go to work. 

Edited October 14, 2018 by JFH

[pushbrk 12,092]

You may or may not need professional or legal assistance.  Use your own common sense.  However, you are not completing a visa application.  You are filing a petition, which when approved will open the door to a visa application.

 

Nobody else know the answers to the questions on the forms, but the questions tend to get confusing.  If you have the patience, willingness to study, and aptitude and ability to read carefully, interpret literally and answer accurately, do it yourself.  If not, start here.  

 

https://www.visajourney.com/partners/

 

[abattista 0]

6 minutes ago, EM_Vandaveer said:

You don't need a lawyer. BTW, there is absolutely nothing wrong with marrying on a tourist visa then going home to wait out the visa process. What made you think that was a problem?

One of our Italian friends who is waiting for approval on his CR1 said that my husband leaving the day after the wedding might look like a red flag. I know legally we could do it without problem, but it might look suspicious if they're looking for evidence of a bona fide relationship. 

3 minutes ago, pushbrk said:

You may or may not need professional or legal assistance.  Use your own common sense.  However, you are not completing a visa application.  You are filing a petition, which when approved will open the door to a visa application.

 

Nobody else know the answers to the questions on the forms, but the questions tend to get confusing.  If you have the patience, willingness to study, and aptitude and ability to read carefully, interpret literally and answer accurately, do it yourself.  If not, start here.  

 

https://www.visajourney.com/partners/

 

Thank you so much for that clarification and your help!

[EM_Vandaveer 2,364]

1 minute ago, abattista said:

One of our Italian friends who is waiting for approval on his CR1 said that my husband leaving the day after the wedding might look like a red flag. I know legally we could do it without problem, but it might look suspicious if they're looking for evidence of a bona fide relationship. 

Thank you so much for that clarification and your help!

Your Italian friend is wrong, pure and simple. If someone was committing marriage fraud and trying to get a GC that way, they wouldn't leave, they'd file for AOS without leaving...

[pushbrk 12,092]

2 minutes ago, abattista said:

One of our Italian friends who is waiting for approval on his CR1 said that my husband leaving the day after the wedding might look like a red flag. I know legally we could do it without problem, but it might look suspicious if they're looking for evidence of a bona fide relationship. 

 

Your friend is wrong, unless you don't have other evidence of your relationship.  Marriage on the first short visit is a red flag, but not so much when it is the foreigner visiting from a low fraud country.

[abattista 0]

1 minute ago, pushbrk said:

Your friend is wrong, unless you don't have other evidence of your relationship.  Marriage on the first short visit is a red flag, but not so much when it is the foreigner visiting from a low fraud country.

Okay that makes me feel a lot better. He's been to the U.S. multiple times to be with me and my family. We have plenty of evidence of visits to each other's country, evidence of time when we lived together, photos with family, joint bank accounts, etc. 

[JFH 12,189]

3 minutes ago, abattista said:

Okay that makes me feel a lot better. He's been to the U.S. multiple times to be with me and my family. We have plenty of evidence of visits to each other's country, evidence of time when we lived together, photos with family, joint bank accounts, etc. 

Sounds like a standard, straight-forward case.

 

I also married on a visit to my husband, returned to the U.K. and we filed the paperwork then. 

[Sunnyland 639]

Don't listen to those friends that will only freak you out. If you guys have no red flags (like big major age difference, previous petitions in the past, etc.) then you can do this yourself. This is a DIY website. If you have any questions on how to fill the forms, just follow the guide here on VJ or simply ask the forum.