team_gn

You'll be fine.  If you  haven't already, take a few moments to check out this thread regarding interracial couples in India.  I found it very helpful to see the variety of experiences and to check people's timelines for a realistic view of what might happen.

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/355017-interracial-couples-post-here/

Your case seems almost identical to mine.  My fiance and I went through the embassy in Delhi for his K1.  My fiance and I met online at work, I visited twice prior to the interview, I didn't get to meet his parents until after the interview, I'm 5 years older (I'm the woman), and we are an interracial couple.  I did front load but still got an RFE requesting further proof that we were going to marry and further details of our relationship.

Based on my experience (all of this is straight from the RFE) I suggest:

- Include an explanation of how you met and the progression of your relationship.  Include details, don't just say "we met at work online".

- If you are planning a wedding in the U.S., be sure to include receipts, invitations, etc. AND correspondence of you discussing said wedding plans from your chat logs.  If you are not planning a wedding and are planning a courthouse marriage instead, state that and explain why (financial reasons, doesn't make sense with uncertain timeline for visa approval, etc).  It might actually be helpful to say that you are planning a traditional wedding later and include correspondence regarding that so that you have evidence of some discussion of the particulars of the ceremony.  My now-husband and I had plans to just go to the magistrate here in the U.S. to be married, and the RFE asked why I didn't have correspondence about wedding plans or invitations, etc.  

- If you had a formal engagement, send the pics.  If you have an engagement ring, send the pics.  If you do not have a ring or did not have a formal engagement party, explain why.

- Tell about the nature of your relationship (okay to get sappy here).  If you have exchanged gifts, send a pic.  Write about what you mean to each other.  I asked my now-husband to write about this also, and I included it in the RFE.  Have him write about how you met, what your relationship is like, etc.

- Since you met at work, not sure how comfortable you feel about telling people you work with about the relationship.  Because of the work situation, we did not tell many people that we worked with.  Due to this, I included affidavits in my RFE from friends attesting that they knew about our relationship.  This may not be applicable to you.

- Be sure to include your declarations of intent to marry, 1 original from each of you.  And, when you are writing about wedding plans, be sure to emphasize that you will marry within 90 days of arrival if you have not set a specific date.  Have your finance mail it to you from India.  I included originals, and they asked for them again in the RFE.  Be sure to make a copy of everything, so you can prove that you already sent it if need be.

Basically because of the marriage culture in India, you should go out of your way to prove that your relationship is real and that you really will marry.  Do include photographs from both of your visits.  I included receipts showing that we shared a hotel room during my visits (the front desk printed these for us), copies of notes that we had written to each other, receipt and photograph of a birthday gift that he gave me.  I DID NOT include money transfer receipts, and no one ever asked for them.  I wanted to avoid the appearance of any financial exchanges.

Looking down the road-

- I made sure that I was present for the interview in Delhi.  I wasn't allowed to speak, but I made sure that the CO saw my face and knew that I was there.

- His interview was not that easy.  Rapid fire questions about the things from our chats.  I made him study for the interview and I'm glad that I did.

Hopefully the process will be pretty easy for you guys.  Bottom line, just be prepared and organized and stay positive.  My husband and I are celebrating our 2 year wedding anniversary in a few days, and our baby just turned 2 months old.  There is life after K1.

Good luck!

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Hi Abhishek, did your bank explain why they are not able to facilitate an international wire transfer for you? Also, do they offer international bank drafts in USD? Thanks.

Hi folks, and welcome new people to this thread! Just stick with it, don't be intimidated or afraid, be organized, take the advice of those who have been there before, and you will reach your goal.

A huge thank you to everyone who gave me this same advice. My husband's 2 year permanent resident card arrived in the mail yesterday. Now we can relax for some time before worrying about the next step.

Nikkie

I'm at a different embassy altogther, but just want to say that i sympathize with you regarding the incompetence of ustraveldocs.com support team. I've been fighting with them since Nov 1 because I haven't been able to schedule an interview appointment online due to a system error, and they refuse to believe it. Hours spent on the phone, hung up on several times, told I didn't really have an issue, etc. My "escalations" have never been solved, and I'm so frustrated that I don't know what to do. I would really really love to file a formal complaint.

Congratulations, this is excellent news! Best of luck to both of you.

Hi friends,

I am beyond frustrated with the interview scheduling process in New Delhi. I am (attempting) to use the US Travel Docs website. At first the website showed only like 2 dates available for interviews, but would not take me to the option to schedule the OFC appointment. Now, the sidebar of the site shows an available interview date, but i am ONLY able to see slots for the OFC appointment. I have called the call center, escalated several times, etc. Everyone that I speak to seems to agree there is "something wrong with the profile" but no one can fix it, or escalate to anyone who can. They are less than zero help. I am usually a very even-tempered person, but I truly want to reach through the phone and slap someone. Can anyone offer any helpful advice, or perhaps a different avenue that I can try?

Thank you in advance.

Hello, I too am working to schedule an interview appointment in New Delhi. The embassy and ustraveldocs have stale or conflicting information posted in a couple of places, and I have received outright inaccurate information from ustraveldocs via email. I received an email that mentioned DS-260, but found the link from the website mentions DS-160 http://newdelhi.usembassy.gov/ivdocforms.html. My research indicates DS-160, which my fiance completed. The CGI scheduler accepted the confirmation number just fine. BUT, on the CGI scheduler I had to click "immigrant visa", and THEN you will find the option for the K1. Very confusing. Anyway, I just checked and the only appointments currently available are Nov 4/5 and Nov 13/14 in New Delhi. Much wider selection if you don't mind traveling to Mumbai. My problem is exactly the opposite in that we need a much later appointment date, since I am trying my best to attend the interview. No other dates appear to be available or open yet in New Delhi, and I have emailed the embassy to check my options.

Hope this helps.

Wow, this is truly dumb. Your approval is being delayed because you can't prove that you spent enough time fighting with each other. I would have thought it would be the opposite...

Anyway, I agree with affidavits from the family members who object. Let them tell exactly where they stand on your relationship and don't spare any feelings.

Also, if the two of you weren't speaking to each other as much, perhaps show a lack of communication during this period? For example, if you went from emailing, Skyping, whatever, twice per day down to once per week or once every few days, it would show a change in your pattern. Submit communication proof before, during, and after this period for comparison. If you do phone records show lots of 5-10 min phone calls (which is how people fight) instead of fewer 1 1/2 hour phone calls (which is how people in love communicate).

Also point out that you two were not getting along Dec 3 when she interviewed for the visitor visa, so you wouldn't have married her anyway at that point (statement from you, plus statement from your family to support this.)

Did you make any comments in social media which would have reflected these hard times (consistently negative status updates, comments that allude to the situation, etc)? While not direct evidence, it could all add up to show relationship problems. If she has any of this information, perhaps she can submit too.

Just my 2 cents for what it's worth. Good luck and please let us know what happens.

This is a lovely story. And yes, you two look great together! I think this is the best kind of love to have: an insane amount of love built on a very sane foundation. Your first meeting story is so cute. I was beyond nervous the first time I met my fiance. And it was kinda awkward and strange to me because we didn't hug, we shook hands (big public affection displays frowned upon in his culture)! Good luck on your journey.

I think a letter of explanation similar to what you have written here would be sufficient, and write "unknown" on the G-325A. My fiance and I had a birth certificate totally missing information for one parent. I filled in "unknown" for each space of the missing information, and included a copy of the birth certificate to back this up.

Hi Dirk,

I just added my fiance as an authorized user on my Capital One card. When I called to add him, the customer service rep said that they would mail me a letter stating that he is an authorized user on my account. I plan to use this as evidence of bona fide relationship during the K1 interview. I haven't actually received the letter yet so not sure how it will look.

Thanks

Thank you Katie! This is me in contingency mode. My fiance and I will have a K1 interview coming up shortly. Of course I hope for approval. But, if that doesn't happen, I'm just looking ahead to other options. There is no way that I'll be able to take 30+ days away from work to get married in India, and he has already been denied a tourist visa to the U.S. So we would have to find a 3rd country to get married in.

Thanks again for the information.

My fiancee's K1 visa was rejected. We were not even interracial. Same religion, same ethnicity. I was older to her by 5 years but that is normal per Indian tradition for the guy to be older. The CO treated her like a piece of garbage. We got married and filed an CR1. Come hell or high water, I am going to the interview to be with her.

The emotional and financial turmoil that you will go through after a K1 rejection is unimaginable. You will spend money on lawyers. You will also spend money on at least 3 trips by the time your C1 comes through. The NVC is currently taking 60 days to touch a document. You could potentially be looking at a 2 year wait from this point if your K1 gets denied. Do you want to take that risk?

I re read your case. Your fiance is a Sikh. I am also a Sikh. There is a high amount of fraud that goes on in Punjab. I think they treat everyone from Punjab as a fraud case and work their way backwards to an approval.

Thanks for your feed back Harry. I read some of your old posts, so I see some of what you and your wife have experienced. My fiance and I will have a very long discussion this weekend. I just got notice today that our file is with the embassy. I know that one can never predict the timing when it comes to visas, and I'm not trying to be cheap. But, even with all my planning and saving things still happen that make finances difficult sometimes.

Thanks again!

Read my case.

Go if you can.

If you can't go, there are a lot of examples on VJ where the couple is denied or goes through hell specifically when they have all of the red flags you have.

GO.

Thank you for the advice. I've read your case and pretty much all of the other ones pertaining to interracial couples in New Delhi. I've used the feed back from the 221g notices and denials to compile the list of evidence to be submitted. I'm also thinking to contact the embassy to see if they would be willing to extend the validity of the petition past the current expiration date of Jan 4, 2015, which is only 3 months away. My fiance and I will discuss and decide together. Thanks again.

I have read two different answers from several sources around the Internet. Can anyone with experience tell me whether 1) BOTH parties are required to be in residence for 30 days in the locale where the marriage will be registered or 2) ONLY ONE party is required to be in residence for 30 days. This is regarding a civil marriage, not religious. My fiance and I have different religions, so I may be difficult to find someone to conduct a religious marriage.

Thanks!

Hi VJ friends,

I would really appreciate input from those of you who have recently gone through the New Delhi embassy for K1, or who are familiar with the K1 process in India at all. My fiance and I received NOA2 for our K1 petition and had it sent to NVC literally a few days before I came to visit with him in New Delhi. I am here in Delhi with him now for 10 days, and I'm leaving in two days to go back to the U.S. Plane tickets plus hotel plus other expenses to India aren't cheap, and I'm really concerned that I can't afford to spend this kind of money again within only a few weeks to attend the interview.

However, our case has some "red flags" for this region: I'm older by five years, racial difference, religious difference (sort of), no engagement ceremony, haven't been able to meet each other's family. We met each other in Spring/Summer 2013 and have visited twice since then totaling 20-22 days. I understand that under these circumstances it's advised that the petitioner attend the interview. But, I don't want to put myself or the two of us in a financial bind knowing that best case we have visa, medical, plane ticket for him and adjustment of status fees to deal with, in worst case the cost of coordinating a marriage and filing CR1 petition, in addition to the medical and visa fees for the K1 process.

Below is a list of the various pieces of evidence that we would submit for the interview. Some have already been submitted in our application which the embassy will receive. This evidence would be submitted whether or not I attend with him. I know that no one can predict the embassy's decision. But please review and tell me what you think just based on the evidence, and whether or not you think we might have a shot without my attendance.

Notarized copy of my entire passport (I'm also willing to send him my actual passport in sealed envelope, notarized signature over the sealed flap, for him

to present unopened to the embassy).

PAN card copy from fiance

Passport biographic pages from fiance

Proof of relationship

Already Submitted

Skype and Facebook printouts from beginning of relationship to application

Picture and receipt for gift (watch) from fiance to me during first visit

Receipts from day trips together, pictures together

Letters of support from 3 friends

Notarized statement from me describing the relationship and how it started.

Statement from fiance describing the relationship and how it started.

New evidence to bring to interview

Skype call logs to present

Whatsapp logs to present

Letter of support from my mother

Letter of support from fiance's parents (don't have this yet but working on it)

Skype screenshots showing conversation with fiance's parents (don't have this yet but working on it)

Copy of hotel register from this visit showing we are occupying the same room.

Photos of us attending gurudwara together (for the religious differences. He is Sikh).

Money transfer receipts (me to fiance, small amounts here and there).

General proofs of meeting like boarding passes, my credit card receipts from charges here, etc.

Thanks for the feedback.

Thank you everyone for your suggestions! Finally, we were approved after the RFE!!! Since we didn't have engagement photos or written plans for marriage, I sent in the following additional information:

• Notarized responses from me addressing EACH question contained within RFE (including responses to why we don't have engagement photographs, why we have not selected a venue to marry, detailed account of how we met and the nature of our relationship, etc).
• Updated beneficiary declaration of relationship and letter of intent to marry from my fiance (I had him handwrite a letter explaining how we met, the nature of our relationship, etc ., scan it and email it to me. I really, really love him for remembering to write in bright blue ink to authenticate it!)
• Photocopies of ORIGINAL intent to marry letters from my fiance and me, which we submitted with the original application.
• Statements from 3 friends as evidence that they know about our engagement.
• Additional passport-style photograph of my fiance (the standard Indian size passport photo is much smaller than U.S. size).

• Biographic pages from my fiance's passport.

I'm so happy and relieved that this step is over. But I'm now even more nervous about the next steps, especially the interview at the consulate.

Hi Jenjoe,

Hopefully your situation is different, but we recently received an RFE specifically asking for proof of wedding plans, such as reservations for a venue, documentation of discussions of plans, etc. We were also specifically asked for engagement photographs. We are also an interracial couple with an Indian beneficiary. I completed the I-129F application correctly per the instructions, and even included Facebook and Skype logs, i.e. those things recommended for "front loading" a petition. However, I did not include specific plans of weddings, beyond our declaration of intent to marry letters. Given our recent experiences, I think it may be wise to address it in some way

Thank you,.

I did not include a timeline of the relationship in my initial I-129F filing, because it is not required. I actually submitted more evidence than was required per the instructions. Also, I did not address any religious or cultural questions in this initial package, because it doesn't appear to be required at this point. I expected these types of issues to be raised at the consular level, and was preparing to address them at that time. From my reading in the forums I basically got that only a handful of things are required for a I-129F petition to be approved at the USCIS level and sent on to the consulate in the beneficiary's country for a final decision. We both have to be free to marry, we have to state that we intend to do so within 90 days of my fiance's arrival in the U.S. on K-1, we have to have physically met each other within the past 2 years, and we have to show proof that we have a relationship. And maybe a handful of other things. I interpret this to mean that, at this point, no one is looking for a life story, just the basics. I added the extra stuff for the benefit of the consulate in New Delhi, not USCIS. And this seemed a pretty standard and safe route to go. It is just more than a little frustrating and irritating that they are asking for items not requested in the instructions. Had they asked, we would have supplied them. Now I'm just complaining. I'm finished now, thanks for listening.

If this would happen to us we would be screwed. We primairily use voice (skype). So I attached skype call times as proof. Days going 24+ hours.

Best of luck adding things people stated here that could help. I think more proof such as religous aspects could help a lot.

Yeah, that's our problem too. We talk, we don't type. I did the same as you, attaching Skype logs showing the call times and days.

Hi,

Thanks for the support. This is certainly extra stress that we don't need.

To answer a few questions- Yes, my fiance is still in India, and I'm in the U.S. We met for the first time last November, 2013. I traveled to India. As soon as I returned home we applied for a visitor visa for him so that he could come see my side of the world and meet my family before we made any specific marriage plans(we were already engaged at that point, but hadn't set a date for marriage or filing for a fiance visa). Of course, it was denied. So we went ahead and filed for the K-1. I am going to visit him again in India in about 4 weeks.

I'm taking everyone's suggestion to ask friends and family for letters of support. It will be a little one-sided (to my side) because my fiance and I are both friends with a lot of the same people whom we both worked with, both in India and in the U.S., and with whom we were working together when we met. He's moved on to a new company, but I still work in the old company in the same group. We all know how office gossip works, and there will be plenty of talk anyway when we actually get married and he moves here. We can ask his parents and his sister for letters of support, but we haven't told anyone else over there about our relationship. Marriage in India is a very touchy subject, and anything outside of the norm has to be handled very delicately.

Hi Mauguste27

I received pretty much the exact same RFE today. And I was truly surprised because I know that I included 2 intent to marry letters per the USCIS requirements. I'll gladly share with you what I come up with response-wise. I'm still working on it.

Hi VJ Friends,

I received our RFE in the mail today for proof of intent to marry. I've typed out the relevant text below:

PROOF OF INTENT TO MARRY (NEW I-129F FILING INSTRUCTIONS)

You must submit evidence that you and the beneficiary intend to marry within 90 days of the beneficiary's entry to the United States as a K-1. Evidence may include, but is not limited to, copies of correspondence between you and the beneficiary discussing wedding plans, evidence of wedding plans such as announcements, plans made to reserve a venue for the wedding, or any other evidence of your intent to marry one another, including, for example, an original statement from the beneficiary establishing his or her intent to marry you within 90 days of his or her admission to the United States.

Note: Please explain the nature of your relationship and how and when did it start?

Also, submit evidence of engagement photographs.

A little background.

I met my fiance at work. I work for a major financial institution, and he was part of the team in India that supports our processes. We only spoke a little at work via IM, mostly on work matters, at first. But, eventually we decided to get to know each other outside of work. We became Facebook friends, and quickly found ourselves talking away the entire weekend. And the relationship progressed from there. This started last spring/summer, 2013.

He's 30 years old, I'm 35 years old. He's Indian, I'm African-American. Given the fact that we were working together at the time we got engaged, and the fact that we are both friends with a lot of the people that we worked with, and the fact that marriage in India is such a loaded, tricky subject, we didn't broadcast our relationship. My family and a few friends know, and he told his parents and his sister that we plan to marry, but that's it. No engagement party (he doesn't even like most of his relatives). I don't have a ring, and don't want one. No engagement photos, no booking wedding venues (we're going to marry at the courthouse). Most of our communication is verbal via Skype or phone calls.

In the original K1 package I submitted signed statements with original signature from each of us stating that we intend to marry each other within 90 of his arrival in the US on K-1. One from him, one from me. I also submitted a lot of evidence of our relationship, such as Facebook conversations, prints from Skype that show the duration of our conversations (but not the content), notes that we had written to each other, and photographs of us together when I went to visit him last year.

I would really appreciate any input on how best to respond to this RFE. I have asked a few family and friends if they could please write letters on our behalf stating what they know about our relationship. But the remainder of the evidence just doesn't exist.

Thank you very much for your help.

Hi Puja,

I live in Charlotte, and we have numerous major employers in financial services. They are always looking for IT and BA folks, so maybe start there. I have also seen a few meetup groups geared towards IT professionals, but I have never researched in depth. I have only known a few people in IT in Charlotte, but they make good salaries. Also, Charlotte is still a reasonably-priced city, so your money will go farther. Good luck!

Hi Boiler,

Thank you, that's a good point. I'm basically going to present him with the instructions. You need this form, you fill it this way, this is the cost, you need this document, this is where you find the document, etc. If it's a matter of not knowing what to do or being afraid that a lawyer is needed, those things can be overcome. But, there is nothing to be done if he isn't interested in the first place.