K1 and immediate family

[LAX-CTG 0]

Hello everyone,

What great information here! I read and like this board a lot. It's nice to see others in the same situation as well.

Since things are getting serious with my girlfriend, I thought it was time to join and post.

I am thinking the K1 is what we might do, but we are still open now.

I have a question, how do relatives affect the approval or denial of a K1?

My girlfriend has relatives here in the US that are on expired tourist visas.

They are actually immediate family that came on tourist visas a couple of years ago, and never went back.

They are Colombian and I am American. Interestingly enough, this may sound like a red flag,

but given all that I know about her, I am completely comfortable with it. (Except of course the legalities)

Anyway, would this affect a K1 for us? (or K3)

Thanks a million!

[JoeMama 0]

I don't know how this is going to affect your visa application for your fiancee. I don't think it will because you are going about it the RIGHT way. Your fiancee hasn't done anything wrong. Her relatives have. As far as the relatives overstaying their visa, they'll eventually get caught and be sent back. They went about it the WRONG way.

Edited April 4, 2007 by altimixdj

[Otto 83]

You could very well have some Red Flags growing in your visa-garden. There are certainly those more knowledgeable here that will be able to say for sure though...

Check out a thread called "Lets Talk About Red Flags"... another is "Master RFE List" thread.. (search is down right now so couldn't find them right away.)

[Mononoke28 134]

They might have gone about it the wrong way but what else can they do? Some people don't have other options.

ANYWAY, your girlfriend's possibility of getting a visa has nothing to do with her relatives. It's mainly a thing that pertains to the petitioner and beneficiary. If her relatives are her parents, then she can just firmly state that she has nothing to do with their situation, which is the truth.

[Ephesus 0]

They might have gone about it the wrong way but what else can they do? Some people don't have other options.

So it's okay to defraud the government and flush your moral integrity down the drain? Not to mention illegal immigrants are the ones that cause all the problems for people that go about this the right way.

To the thread poster: do as you please, but I think you're making a mistake.

[TimsDaisy 0]

I recall no question in the application process so far regarding other family members in the US - legally or illegally. Nor do I recall reading any such questions coming up during the process for anyone else. Is it possible? Yes.

If you met because she was here visiting her illegally present relatives, then it will be out in the open. If she was here with them before they became out of status and you met while she was on vacation - no problems there, that's an average meeting story.

[TimsDaisy 0]

They might have gone about it the wrong way but what else can they do? Some people don't have other options.

So it's okay to defraud the government and flush your moral integrity down the drain? Not to mention illegal immigrants are the ones that cause all the problems for people that go about this the right way.

To the thread poster: do as you please, but I think you're making a mistake.

What in the he** are you talking about? They ARE doing things the right way. Does she get punished because others in her family have done wrong? Aren't people from certain countries already punished because of the wrong-doings of others by virtue of this convoluted process? Is that fair? Nope. Who cares what her family did. That's immaterial.

[Nanusia & Lukaszek 0]

The poster came on with a real question, and he's getting beat up for his girlfriend family's history of illegals. He can't control them, or tell them to get out. He's in love with his girlfriend, and he can't change her families position.

I dont recall them asking anywhere in the K1 process about beneficiary families status/history. So unless they specifically ask about where her family is etc, you should be safe.

[Ephesus 0]

They might have gone about it the wrong way but what else can they do? Some people don't have other options.

So it's okay to defraud the government and flush your moral integrity down the drain? Not to mention illegal immigrants are the ones that cause all the problems for people that go about this the right way.

To the thread poster: do as you please, but I think you're making a mistake.

What in the he** are you talking about? They ARE doing things the right way. Does she get punished because others in her family have done wrong? Aren't people from certain countries already punished because of the wrong-doings of others by virtue of this convoluted process? Is that fair? Nope. Who cares what her family did. That's immaterial.

Umm, I think the question needs to be reversed (without the expletive): what are you talking about? Did I state he was doing things 'the [wrong] way'? No. I just said I think he's making a mistake; the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, so to speak.

Edited April 4, 2007 by Ephesus

[meauxna 15]

I recall no question in the application process so far regarding other family members in the US - legally or illegally. Nor do I recall reading any such questions coming up during the process for anyone else. Is it possible? Yes.

If you met because she was here visiting her illegally present relatives, then it will be out in the open. If she was here with them before they became out of status and you met while she was on vacation - no problems there, that's an average meeting story.

TimsDaisy,

DS-156 NONIMMIGRANT VISA APPLICATION?

37. Are Any of The Following Persons in The U.S., or Do They Have U.S. Legal Permanent Residence or U.S. Citizenship?

Mark YES or NO and indicate that person's status in the U.S. (i.e., U.S. legal permanent resident, U.S. citizen, visiting, studying, working, etc.).

http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/82068.pdf

[Mononoke28 134]

What many don't understand is that many people, including myself and my family, don't have any choice. Almost 25 years ago my parents could not find jobs in Colombia, had two children (my siter and I) and had no money for food, clothing, or school. Visas were denied and to make a long story short, we had to come here illegaly. We had no choice. Later on we updated our status and are now US citizens.

But going back to the question. The relationship the petitioner has with his fiancee does not involve anyone else. Neither one of them is responsible for the illegal status of her relatives. I have relatives that I know live here and have not spoken to in years if not decades. What does that have to do with my husband coming here with a CR-1 visa? Absolutely nothing.

[TimsDaisy 0]

They might have gone about it the wrong way but what else can they do? Some people don't have other options.

So it's okay to defraud the government and flush your moral integrity down the drain? Not to mention illegal immigrants are the ones that cause all the problems for people that go about this the right way.

To the thread poster: do as you please, but I think you're making a mistake.

What in the he** are you talking about? They ARE doing things the right way. Does she get punished because others in her family have done wrong? Aren't people from certain countries already punished because of the wrong-doings of others by virtue of this convoluted process? Is that fair? Nope. Who cares what her family did. That's immaterial.

Umm, I think the question needs to be reversed (without the expletive): what are you talking about? Did I state he was doing things 'the [wrong] way'? No. I just said I think he's making a mistake; the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, so to speak.

Can she simultanously enter illegally AND be going through the legal process? She's doin' her thing with her man. How it becomes a mistake for him to do things the correct way with this woman, I don't know.

And if we were really going to start questioning foreign fiancees' true intentions on these message boards, I think every thread would turn into a flame war because we probably all feel like our relationships are just that much more valid and true than the next person's. So let's not go there.

[TimsDaisy 0]

I recall no question in the application process so far regarding other family members in the US - legally or illegally. Nor do I recall reading any such questions coming up during the process for anyone else. Is it possible? Yes.

If you met because she was here visiting her illegally present relatives, then it will be out in the open. If she was here with them before they became out of status and you met while she was on vacation - no problems there, that's an average meeting story.

TimsDaisy,

DS-156 NONIMMIGRANT VISA APPLICATION?

37. Are Any of The Following Persons in The U.S., or Do They Have U.S. Legal Permanent Residence or U.S. Citizenship?

Mark YES or NO and indicate that person's status in the U.S. (i.e., U.S. legal permanent resident, U.S. citizen, visiting, studying, working, etc.).

http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/82068.pdf

Thanks - we haven't reached those documents yet so I haven't overly-familiarized myself with them yet. But thanks for including actual information, rather than going the easier "maybe she's just a liar and a cheat like her folks" route.

[JoeMama 0]

What many don't understand is that many people, including myself and my family, don't have any choice. Almost 25 years ago my parents could not find jobs in Colombia, had two children (my siter and I) and had no money for food, clothing, or school. Visas were denied and to make a long story short, we had to come here illegaly. We had no choice. Later on we updated our status and are now US citizens.

But going back to the question. The relationship the petitioner has with his fiancee does not involve anyone else. Neither one of them is responsible for the illegal status of her relatives. I have relatives that I know live here and have not spoken to in years if not decades. What does that have to do with my husband coming here with a CR-1 visa? Absolutely nothing.

Not to downgrade your past situation of how and why your family came to US illegally. The same problems exist with US citizens having no money for food, clothing, or being able to attend school either.

[Captain Ewok 1,859]

They might have gone about it the wrong way but what else can they do? Some people don't have other options.

So it's okay to defraud the government and flush your moral integrity down the drain? Not to mention illegal immigrants are the ones that cause all the problems for people that go about this the right way.

To the thread poster: do as you please, but I think you're making a mistake.

What in the he** are you talking about? They ARE doing things the right way. Does she get punished because others in her family have done wrong? Aren't people from certain countries already punished because of the wrong-doings of others by virtue of this convoluted process? Is that fair? Nope. Who cares what her family did. That's immaterial.

Please keep this topic "on topic". Thank you .