Julie1806

Thank you!

Once again a question about the translated documents: Do I need certified translations by a sworn translator or can I choose any translation office? Is it enough when they put the confirmation to each translation as shown in this link http://www.visajourney.com/content/translations ? Or do I need stamps from court on each translation?

Thanks, Tanja

That's not true. The Cr-1 does not take much more than a K-1, maybe one month. You can visit during the process.

Thanks for your answer but we will not get all my fiancé's papers in time to marry in Germany AND to apply vor CR-1 untill he has to leave.

Tanja

Thank you very much! It seems that I am blind as a mole today... it is Dallas Lockbox

Tanja

Thank you very much! My fiancé lives in Cleveland, Tennessee. I searched for the USCIS office and found one in Memphis, but I am not sure whether we can send the i-129f there. Could anyone confirm this please?

Thanks, Tanja

Edit: I also found the Dallas Lockbox and now I am completely confused about where to send the i-129f...

This might be stupid but I have a question about G-325a:

There is a question "Applicant's last adress outside the US of more than a year". What do they mean? I have never been to the U.S. What dates should I put down?

Thanks, Tanja

Great! I will find out about the divorce papers ;-)

Tanja

Now, I talked to our civil registry office. To marry me in Germany my fiancé would need a lot of papers from the U.S. and all translated into German. Everything has to be approved at the Higher Regional Court and then sent back to the civil registry office. Even if we could finish the process in time it is still not clear whether the embassy follows the "half-year-rule" that strikt that we could apply for CR-1 a few days earlier because my fioncé has to leave at the 29th of August and he arrived in Germany at the 28th of February (stamp in his passport). So what could happen to us is that we get married, apply for the CR-1 at the end of August and being turned down just because we applied for it too early. We don't want to take that risk.

Despite the fact that CR-1 would be cheaper and allows me to work immediately, to get married soon without even having met the rest of his family and without having been in the U.S. before would be a bit hasty. And not being able to work for three months or so should not be a major problem. This is actually the time someone needs to settle in and find out what jobs are available. And there is a pretty good chance for me that the german subcompany in the U.S. which my fiancé works for would employ me because they need someone who speeks both German and English.

I thing the best way would be to apply for the K1 while my fiancé is here. With good luck everything is ready in March next year or even earlier.

But I have a question: They need all my documents translated into english. Has that to be done by a nationally certified translator or can that also be done by any translation office here in Germany?

Thanks, Tanja

Yes, I know, but without DCF the visa process would probably take much longer than the K1 Process. CR-1 is only an option for us if we could to it via DCF. We do not want to be separated for a long time, especially if it is not allowed to visit the U.S. during the process.

Tanja

Once again thank you!

I will try to call the embassy in Frankfurt to get some information because I don't think the CR-1 would work: My fiancé has to leave Germany exactly after half a year which gives us no time to go for the CR-1 via DCF in Germany which would be the fastest way. The K1 is probably the only possibility for us.

I hope I have got some more information this afternoon.

Tanja

We would go for the CR-1 but we are in trouble with the time: My fiancé arrived in Munich at the 29th of February and will depart at the 29th of August. So there is no time left to apply for CR1 via DCF in Germany. Should he do it in the U.S. or would that take much longer? What do we do now?

Tanja

Thank you very much! I will have a word with him ;-)

Tanja

My fiancé is able to sponsor me. He has got a pretty good job in a German subcompany and he also gets a pension for he was in the U.S. Marine Corps for 20 years.

Tanja

Wow! I overflew the links given here. This is what I understand:

1. My U.S. fiancé has to have stayed here in Germany for at least 6 months.

2. We have to get married in Germany

3. After marriage we apply for CR-1 (this could also be done when he is back in the U.S., right? But it should be send to the German embassy, right?)

4. If we are lucky it would take 3 to 6 months until I can enter the U.S. legally and stay?

5. A CR-1 is valid for 6 months?

Tanja

This is from www.uscis.gov:

"Permission to Work

After admission, your fiancé(e) may immediately apply for permission to work by filing a Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization with the USCIS Service Center having jurisdiction over your place of residence. Any work authorization based on a nonimmigrant fiancé (e) visa would be valid for only 90 days after entry. However, your fiancé (e) would also be eligible to apply for an extended work authorization at the same time as he or she files for permanent residence. In this case, your fiancé(e) would file Form I-765 together with Form I-485 as soon as you marry."

Are you sure that this takes at least three months?

Tanja

Even with the K1 you are allowed to work immediately once you get married in the U.S.

Tanja

Thank you very much! I will register at this forum as well.

Still, it says in the faq of visajourney that the CR-1 lasts 6 - 12 months. I think I have to write to the embassy and ask them about it.

Tanja

But I thought if we get married in Germany we would have to apply for K3 and this would at least last one year?

I am a bit confused now because why should anyone apply for K1 if there is the possibility to get married in the home country of the fiancé and enter the U.S. with the spouse after 3 months?

Tanja

Thanks to everyone for any advise!

Yes, sometimes we know straight away ;-) At least I have got all my papers together accept the police certificate but this is not a big deal in Germany. Although my boss is not amused to loose his assistant he would write an confirmation that I have not cancelled my job yet and will return to the company at the beginning of November. That should be enough evidence to show that I go back to Germany and do not intend to stay in the U.S.

Tanja

So only people from certain countries can visit their fioncés during the K1 visa approval? I don't know how it works with other countries but Germans have to apply for the online ESTA "Electronic System for Travel Authorization" a few days before their flight. Thats all. No photo, no paperwork. But ESTA is only valid for 90 days as far as I remember.

Tanja

As long as you can proof that you are just on holiday in the U.S. during the visa approval process you are allowed to visit your fioncé with a tourist visa (90 days).

Tanja

Thank you very much for your advice. Yes, I fear there will be a lot of time for emails and skype calls...

But if we are lucky everything will be fine at the end of February 2013. This was when I planned to leave Germany.

Tanja

Thanks for your answer. Sorry, I was confused, I meant fiancé instead of spouse.

Tanja

Hi everyone

I have read through this forum and noticed that some of you are together with your spouses for more than one year before filling in the petition. We want to send the petition till the end of May.

Some might say we are crazy because we know each other for only three months now. I am a bit worried that the time we know each other is too short to send the petition. My spouse is from the US and he works in Germany until the end of August.

The other thing is, how should we proof an ongoing relationship with telephone bills, letters or emails? We see each other every day so there is no need to send emails or make long telephone calls. The only proof we have is his visa for Germany, photos and a planned trip to Paris as well as my booked flight to the U.S. for a holiday trip in October. Would that be enough?

Thanks in advance

Tanja

Thanks once again! This is very helpful.

Tanja