Do you need an Attorney to assist with filing for a K-1 Visa

[OnyxJade 1]

I am US citizen looking to file for a K1 Visa for my fiancé from Morocco. I have contacted a lawyer that is charging $2,000 for her services to do all the heavy lifting. Is this a reasonable price?

 

Do you need a lawyer/attorney to aid in the filing and process? If so, what is a reasonable service fee? 

Is it difficult to do on your own? 

[Bjh 39]

Filling it out, not really...proving a bonafide relationship is a different story though. AFAIK Morocco is a higher fraud country. How many times have you visited your fiance/e? How long each visit? Any age difference? Do you share a common religion, interests, etc.? Have you met your fiance/e's family? Do either of you have children, or have either of you been married before? Those can make the process more challenging.

 

IMO any applicant can research for him or herself what to do, and unless your case is complicated (criminal histories, deportations, etc.), it isn't worth it to spend that kind of money on a lawyer.

[RJandHamid 1,128]

No need to hire an attorney. In fact, attorneys generally don't know how difficult the Casablanca consulate is, especially for K1 visas. You will get much better information on these forums for free. It's not too difficult to assemble the paperwork yourself. My Moroccan husband was approved for a K1 visa last year and I got all of my information from these forums. Happy to talk about my experience via personal message if you'd like.

[OnyxJade 1]

Thats great feed back, thank you.

 

I've known my fiancé for almost a year.

I just returned from visiting her for 3 weeks in Morocco.

15 year age difference

No religion issues for either of us 

Neither of us have been previously married, have children, or criminal backgrounds.

We both have clean backgrounds, money to support each other, and tons of dreams to share together. 

 

Does this make my process easier?

[Alex Lamarre 50]

4 minutes ago, OnyxJade said:

Thats great feed back, thank you.

 

I've known my fiancé for almost a year.

I just returned from visiting her for 3 weeks in Morocco.

15 year age difference

No religion issues for either of us 

Neither of us have been previously married, have children, or criminal backgrounds.

We both have clean backgrounds, money to support each other, and tons of dreams to share together. 

 

Does this make my process easier?

Age Difference could be a prob.. (15y/o Dif)

[RJandHamid 1,128]

15 year age gap could pose a bit of a problem, though it's not big of an issue when the petitioner is an older male and the beneficary a younger female (which sounds like your case, correct me if I'm wrong). Nothing you can do to change an age difference though.

 

Instead of paying a lawyer to put together your petition, I'd take that money and put it toward another trip to Morocco before you file.

 

You might also want to consider the CR1 spousal visa route, as there are more CR1 visas approved monthly in Casablanca than K1 visas. The CR1 also allows you to try to reaffirm a case that has been refused, though this does take some time. Also I think CR1 is overall the better visa, as it is cheaper and will allow your spouse to work and travel right away instead of paying a large fee to adjust status through the K1, which takes several months. Plus you could have a sweet Moroccan wedding. But ultimately it's up to you and your fiancé to decide which route is best for you.

 

 

[OnyxJade 1]

Correct, I am (male) 15 years older than her. I am 35 and she is 20. Can this be significant enough to be denied approval?

 

Can you briefly summarize the the CR1 spousal visa for me, as I am not familiar with that. I like the idea that it is cheaper and processed faster, but whats the catch?

[OnyxJade 1]

I clicked on the link for spousal visa. I am all for a Moroccan wedding, but I believe it is required of me to be Muslim for me to marry her in Morocco. How would I get around this? I am looking to get her back to the states and green carded as soon as possible so we can live together, get her working, and travel the world together.

[SalishSea 16,770]

6 minutes ago, OnyxJade said:

Correct, I am (male) 15 years older than her. I am 35 and she is 20. Can this be significant enough to be denied approval?

 

Can you briefly summarize the the CR1 spousal visa for me, as I am not familiar with that. I like the idea that it is cheaper and processed faster, but whats the catch?

CR-1 is not processed faster than K-1...

[RJandHamid 1,128]

The downsides of the CR1 are that processing times are slightly longer (currently about 8-12 months for K1 and 12-14 months for CR1) and you would need to get married in Morocco which can be kind of a bureaucratic pain. And yes you would need to be Muslim, so if you are not the K1 route is your only option. 

 

With a K1 visa, she will need to file for adjustment of status in order to receive the green card. This process can take over a year in some cases. With the CR1 visa she would receive the green card shortly after entering the US and the fee is much lower.

[britishandusa 446]

Morocco rarely gives out K1 visas. K1 visas are processed "faster" (currently taking 9-12 months compared to 12-15 months with CR1). How many times have you met your fiancee in person?

[OnyxJade 1]

Good to know. Thanks for that. We have known each other for a year, but have only met once. 

[SalishSea 16,770]

26 minutes ago, OnyxJade said:

Good to know. Thanks for that. We have known each other for a year, but have only met once. 

You will need more visits before filing.  I suggest doing lots of reading here at VJ; K-1s through your embassy are difficult, and by doing your research you may be able to avoid many of the pitfalls and delays that others have experienced.  Best of luck!

[Chris Duffy 1,256]

1 hour ago, OnyxJade said:

I am US citizen looking to file for a K1 Visa for my fiancé from Morocco. I have contacted a lawyer that is charging $2,000 for her services to do all the heavy lifting. Is this a reasonable price?

 

Do you need a lawyer/attorney to aid in the filing and process? If so, what is a reasonable service fee? 

Is it difficult to do on your own? 

No you don't need an attorney, waste of time and sometimes can delay the process since they are not up to date to specific embassy/consulate rules.

 

I would say if you have a 8th grade US education the paperwork should be a breeze.

 

For specific questions regarding the Embassy or country where the interview is being done, rely on the regional sections where people who have personally dealt with Morocco can answer your questions.

 

There is a wealth of knowledge on this forum.

[TM92 527]

4 hours ago, OnyxJade said:

I clicked on the link for spousal visa. I am all for a Moroccan wedding, but I believe it is required of me to be Muslim for me to marry her in Morocco. How would I get around this?

A quick marriage in Hong Kong is an option, but quite far: https://www.passportindex.org/comparebyPassport.php?p1=ma&p2=us&fl=&s=yes She can also try to get a Schengen visa and then have a quick marriage in either Copenhagen, Denmark or Reykjavík, Iceland.

5 hours ago, OnyxJade said:

get her working, and travel the world together.

That is a drawback of the K-1; she will have to wait for either her Employment Authorization/Advance Parole combo card or her Green Card before leaving the US. Also, either way be aware that she can lose Green Card status for being outside the US for too much time: https://www.uscis.gov/green-card/after-green-card-granted/maintaining-permanent-residence#abandoning