cookiewaffle

I just got married and change my name to my husband's family name.

Now i am stuck with the paper work as i am not sure what name should i fill in.

I do not want my changed name to contradict to the K1 paperwork and my passport.

How should i go about it?

Anyone that have been through the procedures and kindly assist me.

Do i need to change my passport & my country ID name as well?

Hi,

I know that K1 visa requires you to enter into US within 6 months of date of issuance.

Question is does it really matters if you enter early or late, and what impact will it cause at the customs?

I am intending to enter on the 5th month and was unsure if it affects if i enter late?

Congrats, i am looking forward to mine tomorrow. Did you receive any packet/document apart from the passport?

Don't be nervous..relax Here's what happened to my interview:

Reached the embassy at 9AM. Mobile phone and hand bag were left at the security counter. They only allowed me to bring my wallet and my documents.

I was the second applicant to be interviewed for an immigrant visa (you need to choose immigrant visa when you get your queue number). The guy who first interviewed me was the same guy who called me yesterday. He collected all the required documents, ds156 and ds156k forms and my passport photos. He said I might need to get a copy of my fiance's income tax return. He also asked me to write my fiance's name in the lower section of the DS-156K.

He asked basic questions like, how did you meet, how much is your fiance earning, what he does for a living, etc. Oh and since my fiance is also a Filipino, he asked how he became a US citizen. I was then asked to take a seat and was informed that the consular officer will call me for the actual interview. While waiting, my medical exam results came in. They gave me my chest xray in a huge brown envelope.

After waiting for more than an hour, my name was finally called. The consular officer asked me to verify some bio information and has asked me to sign the lower part of the DS-156K. He then took my fingerprints. A few more questions about my fiance and the relationship.

1. How do you communicate?

2. Has he visited you here in Singapore?

3. Have you been in the US before? He asked how many times I've been in the US.

4. What do you for a living?

5. Do you intend to work in the US?

After the interview, the officer informed me that he does not see any problem with my application. And because I have a lot of missing documents, he asked me to send these documents to the Aramex office (courier).

By the way, when the visa is issued, there is no need to collect it at the embassy. They will ask you to register an account at a particular website to have Aramex courier deliver the passport to you.

That's it!

Thanks!!! Got your packet 4 already?

Did you get 221g and passport return since he requested for your missing documents?

I've sent the packet 3 back to embassy last week and received the letter indicating the interview date in 2 weeks! That is so fast. Fortunately i have went for my medical checkup and got my necessary documentations ready.

Yeah, I have my visa already. Goodluck to all K1 applicants.

How was the interview and how long did it take? Was the officer strict and persistent? I am nervous about it right now since i got the interview in 2 weeks... :S

Hi,

I am in the midst of dealing with Packet 3. The main worry is that i am afraid that the CO will be strict on the affidavit of support issue.

My fiance is currently unemployed, but having food stamps and medical benefits. We were told to cancel the benefits but i am not sure being unemployed or having govt benefits will affect my interview.On another hand, his dad has good record of job/income, assets and savings that is already my co-sponsor, signed under the notary public.

Are there advices from the VJers on dealing this problem, and if questions are raised what should i reply?

Do i have to produce my bank account as a beneficiary to back the above up as well?

Do we need to pay any tax for the wire transfer? And is any amount acceptable for transfer?

Still no packet 4.

I have checked that if you have not open an account in US, you can opt for this method.

Open a savings account in USD, with online banking features and atm card at any branch with citibank.

Upon reaching your destination, if citibank branch/atm is not located near your region, you may open a local bank account near your town.

Hop online citibank banking, and transfer your funds over to the account you open in a local bank.(any amount of transfer charges S$30 as wire fee)

1. Submit the DS230, receipt and checklist right away. Packet 4 with your interview appointment date might be scheduled in late Oct. i sent mine last week of Aug and when I called the embassy, they told me I may be interviewed around mid-Oct. Still haven't received packet 4 until now.

2. It just takes Less than 2 weeks. It will cost you around 200-400 bucks for the exam and vaccines.

Are you a Singaporean? Just asking coz fleurg and I are not. Good luck to us!

Thanks for the information.

I am a Singaporean

I had no updated vaccinations, the last jabs i remember is at birth till teenage years.

I am now 30yrs old as well

Hi,

I got my packet 3, and gathering all stuffs as per the checklist.

I will get the COC on 27th Sept, and scheduled my medical checkup on 22nd.

Question is when is the best time to submit the form DS230P1, receipt and checklist?

How long to get the medical report from the clinic?

Time frame from submitting the packet 3 to receiving the packet 4 and the interview?

Can anyone here assist me in order to gauge my estimated timeline to interview?

I am waiting for my NOA1, probably will get it within this week, may add into one of the May 2012 filers.

Great topic to discuss on.

I am also one of the beneficiary who paid for all the fees for K1, as my fiance is not financially stable.

We are about to file for K1 visa next month, in the midst of preparing some paperwork.

Honestly, i have been weighing the advantages and disadvantages of going over to USA to be with him.

No matter which angle i think, the only advantage is to be with him because i love him deeply.

Besides that, everything is to my disadvantages.

I do not understand why some people feel that foreigners are making use of US citizen to gain GC.

My fiance's brother girl commented that i am using him to get to US. I have totally no idea why will she say that, since i only spent 3hrs with her when i went to visit my fiance last summer.

It kinda pissed me off when my fiance told me about it, also felt sad because i was viewed in such a way.

Why should i get this kind of treatment?

I have a great and comfortable life in Singapore, do not have to lay hands on housework & cooking.

Have a great job and comfortable salary, living in the midst of one of the most expensive country in Asia- Singapore.

Strong and great transport system, comparable to Japan. Best is to get anywhere in Singapore from an end to other end in just one hour, since it is a small city. Thus it shows that i am giving up everything i have here to move to a country side place which i couldn't access around easily and no job as well.

What I can get in Singapore, i cannot get in USA. I cannot think of anything i can get in USA, that i cannot get here, only HIM.

The path of K1 visa is a big decision and step for me, seriously.

I have no idea what is the road ahead and the hurdles i have to go through, which i had established here.

I don't think i can shop till i drop when i am in USA or travel around to other countries as i used to, because of the initial unemployment when i get there. Also unsure if i can ever get a job there. Unlike in Singapore, if i am jobless, i still can get one easily in a month.

Now, all i can depend is my life long savings to tide through the times over there.

Hi All VJers

I started this topic since i am in the midst of preparing for the K1.

Will like to hear from all of you listing the best of K1 checklist based on your K1 petition experiences.

Few questions by the way:-

1)I had couple of photos, but my mistake is not setting date/time on the camera. Can i handwritten the date with description of the place behind the photos? Shall i also store it in another small envelope/folder indicating "OUR PHOTOS"?

2)Am i suppose to highlight information on my supporting documents and make remarks on the paper or POST-IT note to the USCIS officer, or just leave it plain?

3)Skype chat logs exported to word file. I am unable to edit out the conversations that i do not want to reveal, am i able to strike it off?

4)Upon preparing the documents, how should i arrange it? I thought of clipping it with clips, but should i stick a small notepad or post it notes on each category like "HIS" flights information/boarding pass, "HER" flights/boarding pass information etc?

5)Skype phone calls to land phones records - i can only print screen the call duration and history from skype website under our account, cut&paste to excel and join them altogether (about 12 A4 landscape pages). Does it consider informal?

I like to separate into categories and in different envelopes with clips since i am not able to staple them. But i am not sure my way of arranging documents, will affect the mood of the officer since he/she has to unsealed so many envelopes or folders.

Thanks in advance!

My fiancee is in the midst of filling up the K1 petition, and asked me for my name and address in native alphabet. I am totally clueless and need to ask for some advices.

I am a singaporean chinese and my first language is English. Mandarin is my second language but i am not really well versed at writing chinese words, although i converse occasionally.

All of my personal documents like birth certificate, ID, passport and any available records are in English.

However i found out that i do have 3-word chinese written name on my birth certificate beside my english name for record purposes during my birth, and i had never used my chinese name on the rest of my personal documents since then.

Do i need to provide under the K1 visa part that says name in native alphabet?

I think i am not able to translate my address in chinese properly, as we do not write addresses in chinese here.

Any help from anyone?

** Deleted

Hi Everyone,

Not sure if this topic had been posted before.

I wish to compile useful sites to allow my job seeking easier when i move over to USA.

Preferably all levels of job range.

Hoping that experienced VJ-ers can provide useful job sites for everyone's references too.

TIA!

Congrats!

Thanks for the advices! I really appreciate it and it helps us to be more optimistic in applying soon.

Hi,

My fiancee wishes to file a K1 petition for me.

But we are worried about facing problems while filing the petition due to his past mistakes.

Five years ago, he had assaulted someone with a BB gun and get jailed for few months.

And 2 years ago, he was caught drunk driving and got his license revoke, and on other 2 occasions later, he was caught driving without license.

Now he has become a better person but still on weekly probation.

I had known him for a year and we want to start a life together.

I had asked him to apply for a police certificate from the state police and FBI to evaluate the situation further. But i'm afraid that chances are going to be slim for us to get approved.

Anyone can advise what should we do or plan to enable our petition to be successful?

Hi everyone. Great site here.

I am wondering if there's anyone who started as an online relationship that could offer some advice.

As we're starting to put the petition together, I'm starting to get nervous if we have enough acceptable evidence. We've been in the relationship for a year now. I've got original chat logs dating from a year ago, but the names are not our RL names. I can easily prove my account by verifying with payment records. I don't think he does though. I've got some emails as well as chat logs using gmail and skype. I'm figuring out how to extract skype to skype calls (on a MAC), as this is our primary form of communication. I've been to visit him and his family for the holidays, but it was only for 2 weeks. So, I've got pictures, boarding passes, hotel and flight itineraries, etc etc. We wanted to send in the petition sometime between now and spring time. Is this sufficient? I was planning to go again this summer, but I may not have the financial means when taking into account our future wedding and the whole visa/AOS fees. I'd prefer not to wait out another year or half year before filing a petition...but I'm starting to wonder if the 2nd one month trip in the summer would be a better insurance for our case.

Any advice from people who've been in a similar situation?

...Also as a note. I know a lot of people are weary of online relationships. We've been at this for a year now. We don't hide things from each other just because it's over the 'net. And it's amazing how many mannerisms/habits one picks up spending with someone 24-7 in as short as 2 weeks. lol The time we spent in person was just as we always do (only better and not between computer screens). We're willing to wait a bit longer to file if we have to. But, we're both at a point in our lives where we're ready to settle down and start our life and family together...like everyone here But I guess...I'm just getting nervous cause we didn't meet the conventional way.

Thanks in advance for any replies.

I really really realllllly enjoy this forum. There's a lot of positive vibes and it's open my eyes to seeing that any road blocks are not impossible to overcome...just requires more patience and perseverance.

-J

Hi, congrats on your k1 visa application.

I will like to clarify since you stated you have a year of relationship and also a year of proof of relationship. I thought that it requires 2 years dating/meetup requirement for the K1 visa?