Looking for guidance on best visa option for my SO

[Edward and Jaycel 2,300]

4 minutes ago, PurpleGold said:

Hi there!

 

Thank you for your response and advice. It's greatly appreciated! It definitely doesn't sound cold, information is necessary to make decisions! One question I haven't been able to really get an answer to is that with the K1 requirement to meet within 2 years, my doctor has provided me a letter stating she does not recommend independent long distance travel at this time. Could this help? Don't know who to ask this one to - again not able to afford a lawyer at the time, unfortunately - because I know it would help. 

 

Thanks again! 

 

While waivers for the in-person meeting requirement are technically on the books (and they are almost exclusively for cultural/religious reasons), in practice they are almost never granted. I have never even read about a successful case of an in-person meeting waiver being granted. I'm sure there are a few unicorns out there but in all of my 3 years of heavily researching these topics, I have never seen one. 

[Boiler 48,146]

I did come across a waiver many years ago.

 

but it would be a pretty simple denial at the Consulate.

 

Agree with the others, meet first and then review what happens next

[Cw1977 245]

3 hours ago, PurpleGold said:

Hi there! Thanks for replying. 

 

This one reason the idea of the K1 stood out- at the least it offers 90 days to be around each other to build on the time we've spent in daily constant communication. Versus the spousal.from my understanding, at least.

you are VASTLY misunderstanding the 90 days. That isn’t so you can spend time together and get to know each other. It’s just so you can arrange the wedding etc. You will only get that visa and 90 days etc once you have PROVEN that you’ve spent time together already, know each other well and are ready to marry. 

[discoverusa 318]

Can you live in Nigeria for a little while? Can you meet in the third country and spend vacation together to get the feel for the relationship?

[JeanneAdil 7,318]

5 hours ago, PurpleGold said:

Hi there!

 

Thank you for your response and advice. It's greatly appreciated! It definitely doesn't sound cold, information is necessary to make decisions! One question I haven't been able to really get an answer to is that with the K1 requirement to meet within 2 years, my doctor has provided me a letter stating she does not recommend independent long distance travel at this time. Could this help? Don't know who to ask this one to - again not able to afford a lawyer at the time, unfortunately - because I know it would help. 

 

Thanks again! 

not really for the visa / very little chance it would be approved 

 

going to meet him and going back for several visits may be hard but this is a sacrifice you must make to ensure a visa for him

 

2 things are scarry about your petition

1.  being able to travel and meet and return to spend as much time as possible with him

2. you speaking about "not having much money for this"

 

Travel to and from Africa is not cheap

 

Fee schedule:

https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/document/forms/g-1055.pdf

the K1 which you seem to want is the most expensive way to go

the I 129 is $675

If visa is issued the cost to AOS in the USA is $1440 for the I 485  and I 131 for advance parole is $630 if he needs to return to Nigeria for any emergency,  etc before getting his green card 

after the 2 year green card, he will need to remove conditions and file I 751 is $750  by paper and $700 online 

all that and it does not include cost of the medical exam, and his plane fare to USA

 

and if he is denied for any reason (and CO will look hard to find one),  then you are faced with return to marry and go the spouse visa 

 

if living in 1 of the lower 48 states the poverty line for 2 is $21, 150 ( projected for 2026 and will be higher for 2027)

 

Everyone here understand your feelings / we all are doing (or have done ) this

if successful and the SO is worth it,  it very rewarding (i spent over 6 years from 2009 to 2015 waiting for my visa and am married to my USC for 15 years)

so, go for it if you are sure of him , if his mom and family approve and you are willing to support him with all his needs (health care being the most expensive part) in the USA till he has green card to work .

 

Frankly,  the spouse visa is the best way for many many reasons

good luck to u both

[JeanneAdil 7,318]

5 hours ago, PurpleGold said:

Hi there! Thanks for replying. 

 

This one reason the idea of the K1 stood out- at the least it offers 90 days to be around each other to build on the time we've spent in daily constant communication. Versus the spousal.from my understanding, at least.

the 90 day is not meant to be "for getting to know a person:"  and if doesn't work , send him home 

that's not fair to anyone 

its the time needed for a person to plan the marriage and do things like getting SS # , DL (0r state ID) and all you have to do within that 90 day window

 

If the above are not done, you will wait till the EAD (employment document is approved) to get them 

 

 

[W199 522]

Unfortunately, this is all fantasy and wishful thinking. Doctor notes, waivers,  etc are all not going to work. And you don't have enough money to make the several trips required, not to mention even if you did, you can't travel with your medical condition.  Also, seeing his graduation degree and passport is not enough to not end up like you did with the guy from India. 

 

First steps are to get your medical and finances in shape. Then meet him several times, and see if you even get engaged or not. You already nearly broke up with him once. 

 

BTW, do you have enough income required to qualify to petition someone? And how did you meet him? 

[appleblossom 5,231]

It doesn't sound as though you have the funds to waste on a B visa application that is likely to be denied. Nigeria does have a high rate of refusals (46.51% last year), but that does mean half of the applications received are approved, so there is some chance - but only if he has really good ties to Nigeria. And realistically, with you in the picture, that reduces his chances further, so it's your call as to whether you try or not. 

 

But how about a third country - Canada maybe? Again, he may not get a visa, but it would be worth a try and you could potentially drive or get the train there instead of flying?

 

Either way, you're going to have to meet, and likely several times for him to be granted a visa. So I'd start working out a way to do that and then take it from there. 

 

Best of luck. 

Edited 17 hours ago by appleblossom

[W199 522]

16 minutes ago, appleblossom said:

 

But how about a third country - Canada maybe? Again, he may not get a visa, but it would be worth a try and you could potentially drive or get the train there instead of flying?

 

 

My fiancee got a VISA to meet me in Canada.  But that was only because I had enough income to sponsor her and we had a K-1 pending.  She had to prove she had a pending K-1 when she arrived.  Canada sent back about 1/2 of the new VISA holders, including a older guy in wheel chair with his "alleged" son .. a lot of people from Nigeria, Paksitan, etc.. got sent back ...  Its like they make it easy to get a visa (no interview was even required) but make it very hard to enter on arrival.  Renting a nice condo wasn't expensive with airbnb for a few months ...  while she lived in Canada and I visited her each weekend until the K-1 was approved ... 

[appleblossom 5,231]

12 minutes ago, W199 said:

My fiancee got a VISA to meet me in Canada.  But that was only because I had enough income to sponsor her and we had a K-1 pending.  She had to prove she had a pending K-1 when she arrived.  Canada sent back about 1/2 of the new VISA holders, including a older guy in wheel chair with his "alleged" son .. a lot of people from Nigeria, Paksitan, etc.. got sent back ...  Its like they make it easy to get a visa (no interview was even required) but make it very hard to enter on arrival.  Renting a nice condo wasn't expensive with airbnb for a few months ...  while she lived in Canada and I visited her each weekend until the K-1 was approved ... 

 

Oh, I wasn't suggesting he moved to Canada, just visited there so the OP could get there more easily than flying to Nigeria. Approx 4,000 people are refused entry to Canada each month, but nearly 2 million do enter, so a refusal rate at POE of 0.2%.  I think your experience of half being refused must have been very unusual. 

[W199 522]

4 minutes ago, appleblossom said:

 

Oh, I wasn't suggesting he moved to Canada, just visited there so the OP could get there more easily than flying to Nigeria. Approx 4,000 people are refused entry to Canada each month, but nearly 2 million do enter, so a refusal rate at POE of 0.2%.  I think your experience of half being refused must have been very unusual. 

I am referring to first time visitors from high-risk countries.  In those cases, they are sent to secondary inspection. Immigration literally looked at my fiancée's VISA and said "oh, this is your first time to enter, please go to secondary".   This is the group of people that I was referring to that had very high rate of return to their our country. 

 

Therefore, I don't think it will be easy for him to go to Canada as a tourist based on the info provided. And it risks a lot of money for the plane ticket, hotels, and meeting there only to be rejected.  While I was waiting the 4 hours for her to get out of secondary, there was a younger girl with her dad from Pakistan asking for help. Saying her mother is visiting from Pakistan and she is bringing them a lot of gold for gifts, but it has been 4+ hours.  LOL.  The officer told her "it will take as long as it takes".   While I was waiting for my fiancee they got a phone call and then they quickly left the airport ....  My fiancee almost didn't make it ... they checked everything ... 

 

  

 

[appleblossom 5,231]

49 minutes ago, W199 said:

I am referring to first time visitors from high-risk countries

 

As I said, 0.2% entry refusal rate at Canadian POE's. There's no break down for how many of those are first time visitors, but it's still a very low percentage. 

 

Up to the OP if they give it a go though, it may be that Canada or Mexico are their only options if she really can't fly. 

Edited 15 hours ago by appleblossom

[Sam Burns 218]

How much time have you actually spent in person together? 

[Sarah&Facundo 616]

Unfortunately, there is no way around the meeting requirement. You have to meet! And when it comes to someone from Nigeria, you have to meet much more than the bare minimum requirement.

 

You could consider going there for a few months. This would be less costly to you since you would only need to buy one roundtrip ticket and give you a great chance to see if this relationship works. And only flying once instead of multiple times back-and-forth would be better for your health.

 

But as others mentioned, sponsoring someone is very expensive - now more than ever before. Make sure you have the funds to pay for those expenses before trying to apply or you will be denied regardless of how strong your relationship is.

 

A K1 is not for "getting to know someone." Especially with someone from Nigeria, you need to have already developed a strong relationship before applying for the K1. In-person time is a huge factor. The 90 days is just to get paperwork in order to actually get married. Before my husband came here on the K1, I was in his country for the equivalent of months (maybe years if you add it all up) and he had come to spend time in the US a few times as well.  

[Crazy Cat 45,665]

8 hours ago, Sam Burns said:

How much time have you actually spent in person together? 

My understanding is that they have not met in person.