Can a K1 visa be denied if we only met in person once?

[JFH 12,189]

37 minutes ago, Boiler said:

CR1 makes much more sense in this case.

I’ve yet to find a case involving someone from a VWP country where it doesn’t. 

[Boiler 43,446]

Mine was near $20k

[debbiedoo 2,339]

1 minute ago, Boiler said:

Mine was near $20k

yup. none of this is cheap. we have 3 years of once, oftentimes twice a month visits.

 

i refuse to add it all up but knowing how much each visits costs in lost wages and travel (even when driving) and other incidentals puts us at higher than that, even with a rough estimate LOLOLOL

 

yowzers. lol

[<3T&M<3 217]

6 hours ago, jdaveh said:

No reason to deny, but they will want lots of chat records etc. I wish you guys the best but what is your income situation ? you do realize that once here you will be spending at least 1000 a month on health insurance, etc for the 4 to 8 months before you will even be able to work, as well as all the immigration fees that will be coming up. If you think scraping together 2000 was tough, maybe you guys should wait until you have some savings before taking this step

$1000 per month for health insurance is absolutely not true!

OP, you will always get the worst case scenario (which is not a bad thing) when you ask a question such as the one you did.

listen, I am poor right now and my fiancé arrives this Saturday!

I am poor because I graduated 2016 with a teachings degree and just have not been hired a school a permanent teacher yet. I try every season   But we did not wait to file. Him working in 6-8 months will be far better (both of us working) than just me working.

We will manage until my honey can work in 6 months. We are prepared to live a certain way and by certain means for a couple of years.

As long as you are being extremely realistic with how your finances will effect you for a year probably two, and you make a genuinely and daily effort NOT to let this get to your relationship (pp is so correct , money problems is a major cause of divorce, but this is true for k-1 couples AND all others as well) then you can do this.

Edited November 25, 2018 by <3T&M<3

[Wuozopo 4,285]

3 hours ago, JFH said:

I’ve yet to find a case involving someone from a VWP country where it doesn’t. 

 

Any case from a VWP country? 

[JFH 12,189]

1 hour ago, Wuozopo said:

 

Any case from a VWP country? 

Yes. I’ve never made it a secret that I personally see no purpose - these days - for a K-1 for those who are VWP-eligible. Why pay hundreds to be able to visit the USA and get married when there’s a $14 ESTA approval for that? In 2016 when I did my spouse visa there were folks going from NOA1 to interview for K-1 in less than 90 days. I can see how that can appeal to those who would rather be living together quickly with no real status but at least they could be in the same bed each night than waiting 10 months (as I did) to be able to live here “properly” with a job right away, travel ability, etc. There are plenty who follow heart rather than head. 

 

I don’t even get the argument about not wanting to be apart once married. Apart is apart, at least it was for us. It was no easier or difficult before or after marriage. But those extra few months were worth it when I arrived and could get on with settling into my new life right away without planning a wedding with no job and without the AOS process hanging over me. 

 

Not being able to work for several months would not only cost me over $20,000 in lost wages but would drive me to despair. I didn’t spend years at university to sit at home and be “left behind” by the industry. 

 

Maybe a retired couple with no desire to travel overseas for several months and who doesn’t mind giving USCIS more money than they need to might see an advantage? But that’s not how I want to spend my retirement! 

 

Edited November 25, 2018 by JFH

[SalishSea 16,775]

7 hours ago, jdaveh said:

No reason to deny, but they will want lots of chat records etc. I wish you guys the best but what is your income situation ? you do realize that once here you will be spending at least 1000 a month on health insurance, etc for the 4 to 8 months before you will even be able to work, as well as all the immigration fees that will be coming up. If you think scraping together 2000 was tough, maybe you guys should wait until you have some savings before taking this step

Chat records are NOT required for the I-129f petition (especially for a low-fraud country), and in my opinion they simply add processing time, as the adjudicator is obligated to weed through all that unnecessary paper.  We sent NO chats or correspondence of any type, nor even any photos together.  The best evidence is passport stamps.

 

And where are you getting the $1k/month quote for insurance?  Insurance cost varies widely.  Adding a spouse to an excellent employer-based plan can cost only $150-200/month extra.  

[Boiler 43,446]

Sounds very unlikely the OP has access to a good employer policy.

[Wuozopo 4,285]

1 hour ago, JFH said:

Yes. I’ve never made it a secret that I personally see no purpose - these days - for a K-1 for those who are VWP-eligible.

So here's your first VWP case with a reason why CR1 didn't appeal. 

We didn't want to marry immediately or spring the M word on our families just yet. So we could file an I-129F and break the news at an appropriate time (in person together) while it was processing. 

We had plenty of  money so working was not a factor for either of us. We were able to travel and just enjoy daily life together a year earlier than marrying six months down the road and then waiting on the CR1.

It worked out well and we have never regretted the K1 decision. But for those who require a joint sponsor and have to live with family because they can't afford a place of their own, I have seen a lot of not so happily ever afters. 

 

 

1 hour ago, JFH said:

I don’t even get the argument about not wanting to be apart once married. Apart is apart, at least it was for us.

Nope, I don't get that reason either. 

[SalishSea 16,775]

4 hours ago, Boiler said:

Sounds very unlikely the OP has access to a good employer policy.

Well yes, but my point was that broadly stating that insurance will cost $1k/month was inaccurate.

[Boiler 43,446]

16 minutes ago, Jorgedig said:

Well yes, but my point was that broadly stating that insurance will cost $1k/month was inaccurate.

If you are heavily subsidised by your Employer absolutely will be less.

[jdaveh 58]

On 11/25/2018 at 2:32 PM, <3T&M<3 said:

$1000 per month for health insurance is absolutely not true!

 

there was an etc after that. I was speaking generally. However $1000 a month of expenses for a couple is not a ridiculous amount. Not to mention the fare here, the upcoming AOS, ROC etcetera fees. 

Married couples pay an average of $717 in annual premiums. They also have an average deductible of $8,113

 

This is an expensive process

I wasn't trying to tell them not to do it, just trying to make a fellow VJer aware of what was coming up. Sorry if you disagree but I was being realistic. My wife and I planned and planned and saved before we took this step and it was still difficult to maintain budget

  Is beneficiary young? What will auto insurance cost ??? Please do a little math and get a realistic number of what your minimum living expenses will be and discuss it with your fiance/spouse before the big step )))))

 

[Juls801 70]

On 11/25/2018 at 2:22 AM, JFH said:

I’m from the U.K. My advice would be to shop around for better air fares. $2000? You were seriously ripped off. Obviously you only need the air fare, no accommodation costs, etc. You should be able to visit for a couple of hundred. I visited over 40 times from the U.K. before I moved here - and that was to Seattle, which is closer to Tokyo than to London. Look at carriers like Norwegian and Wow going into major hubs and then onwards with Internet-based carriers such as Spirit and Southwest. I work for an airline so didn’t always pay for my tickets here but when I did I got to Seattle and back for no more than £300 a time. Flying from Dublin or through Oslo will also save a packet. You need to be creative. 

 

No answer to OP but I have to ask how @JFH is finding these cheap flights! Qe are going from Belfast, UK to SLC, UT and also pay minimum of $1k per flight and that's a 'deal'. I've used hopper, skyscanner, orbitz, trip.com, hipmunk, BA and unless we are willing to travel for longer than 1.5days that's the average. Please help, oh wise one!

[DaveAndAnastasia 2,079]

4 hours ago, Juls801&Gtr1000 said:

No answer to OP but I have to ask how @JFH is finding these cheap flights! Qe are going from Belfast, UK to SLC, UT and also pay minimum of $1k per flight and that's a 'deal'. I've used hopper, skyscanner, orbitz, trip.com, hipmunk, BA and unless we are willing to travel for longer than 1.5days that's the average. Please help, oh wise one!

If I were to guess... don't fly from Belfast from SLC.

 

Really quick searching found Dublin to SLC for under $700.

[<3T&M<3 217]

I wouldn't use a secondary site when buying beneficiaries ticket.  Find the cheap flight and then go directly to airline selling it.

if you do search for reviews on any one of those sky scanner sites you can read hundreds of stories about people who went to take their flight and the ticket just "wasn't there for them" and no refund.

it happens! Maybe not common but it does and could happen ;/