Fuji1978

Im at 184 days and counting. Congratulations, I hope I hear something soon. Was advised 6 months for the entire process, now we're past that and haven't gotten through the first step. Unreal how slow TSC is, but nowhere near as sad as their excuses.

Hi everyone! Any March filers still waiting to get their NOA2? It's terrible that TSC slowed down again.

Yes.....still waiting! Hoping for any day now.

Yes Gary got the letter today saying that the divorce document he sent in wasn't what they wanted so he has to try and get a 'more official' one.

I know its an RFE but I'm still happy that they didn't lose our petition

Best of luck for you too

What document did he send? I just sent the divorce certificate, I wonder if they want to see the entire decree......anyone know the answer?

If you're an immigrant, the govt must have sent you a "Welcome To America" letter, which stipulates your rights and obligations as a resident. If you have been abused by your wife, document the abuse and the govt will not treat you differently because of your gender. Most people are not fully informed that's why we are all here to share our experiences and receive vital help here. I am wondering if you are trying to be of help indeed, or to make a selective judgt against the female folks generally. I mean think about the audience you're trying to draw into unfounded debate. Is it worth the while?

Not true, you will most certainly be treated different and it will be much harder to convince a magistrate or judge that you're in fear of a female.

Well Said. *cheer *clap *applaud etc etc. My opinion- if ppl want to be sheep, fine and dandy. If ppl want to make a statement, make a statement. But as a sheep, don't get pissy when the louder ones get nearer to their goals.

(I was the one who got a 3 month approval from contacting my Senator; although now bc TSC are idiots, they only just mailed the approved application out last week to NVC.) And, wait for it, I told my Senator about that too.

I agree with him too.....good for you for composing that letter and trying to take action. There is no line that you are jumping, nobody you're putting out by being proactive. We all care about our petition the most, and that's the way it should be. You worried about your situation and got proactive, I applaud you and thank you for your sample letter that you shared. People can simply take this and make some small edits to make it fit thier particular situation and hopefully have the same outcome.....I know I will. Thanks again!!!!

We have to remember....they get approved so quickly that they probably don't get on here and worry and see everyones heartache like we do at TSC. I don't think that they're doing it to rub it in our faces. They just don't understand because they won't have to endure the long waits and the anxiety. Don't get angry, just remember the most important case is your own, don't worry about anyone elses. It will make for a much more peaceful expeience. I know it's hard, but it will only upset you if you take their posts a little personal.

Hi everyone!

I am the beneficiary and was wondering if I can call the service center and if they will give me information about the status of our petition (I-129F.. K1 Visa)? It's been over 3 months now since NOA1, and I read all over this website that some people have received RFE by mail without the website being updated. My fiance is out of town for a couple months and his cousins are taking care of his mail... I ask them once in awhile if they've received anything, but don't want to keep nagging. If we do receive a RFE, how long do we have to reply to it?

Just ask him to send you the receipt number and you can check status online at this link .

https://egov.uscis.gov/cris/Dashboard/CaseStatus.do

It might raise some red flags so I would suggest including as much evidence as you can that the relationship is bonafide. I would include chat logs, Skype records, any letters or proof of packages you have sent each other, etc. Hopefully it won't be a problem, but I am sure they will scrutinize since 9 days is not a long time. I think it would be beneficial not only for your case, but for yourself and your relationship to visit again, but I understand the financial side of it. What about her coming to visit you? You mentioned having a daughter. I think it would be good to see them interact in person before you bring her here to marry. But if visiting really isn't possible, you should try to prove that it would be a financial hardship (include bank statements and a letter explaining why you cannot travel again), it might help. Good luck to you.

Thank you for the advise. That's a good point to speak of the financial hardship. They never would grant a tourist visa to the US from a young woman in Ghana. It's almost unheard of. Plus we have already filed and I believe they cannot grant a tourist visa while waiting for K1. Thanks again

I looked in to it. They charge hundreds of dollars just to fill out the forms. You still need to gather all of your documents and evidence of relationship, birth certificate, biometric forms for both of you. In my opinion its a waste of money. Just follow the directions for filing on this website and fill the I-129F out yourself. Its really simple and you will be amazed at how easy it is. Save that money for the filing fee. Just be thorough and double check everything before you mail it out.

[Auote name=jahk18" post="7013802" timestamp="1400297694]

My then fiancee(wife) visited me only once and spent 7 days only. She arrived in Ghana on May 1, 2012 and departed May 7, 2012. At my interview, I was only asked to say what we did on each day of her visit. Nothing more

thank you for this post. I feel much better now. Proving a genuine relationship will not be a problem because it is genuine. My only worry was the one visit and you have just eased my mind, again. Medase m'adamfo! And akwaba to the us!

Emirates one way from Accra to Houston or New York is less than $1000. Purchase a one way ticket from one of those places to Atlanta. Drive from Huntsville to Atlanta. You'll be saving yourself about $$700 to 800.

Thank you! This is wonderful news, I appreciate your time to respond.

You might want to try an aggregating website like Kayak or Hipmunk; I'm seeing flights to Accra from Alabama for about $1200 (roundtrip) for this summer. (We did 4.5 trans-Pacific flights in a year; learning the places to go for cheaper airline fees was a must!) Something else you might want to consider, from a reasonable person standpoint: making sure she has met the child she is signing up to co-parent. I'm sure other people who have gone through the K-1 process can chime in over whether or not there was interest in the immigrant having met minor children during the interview process. (We don't have children, so that wasn't an issue for us, but the Consulate was interested in whether we had met each other's families and what happened when we did meet.)

Good luck!

Thank you! I've never heard from Hipmunk, I will check it out. My daughter knows her, they have skyped and chat on the phone occasionally.

Dear friend,

I have never paid 2400 for a ticket to Ghana and I have been there twice. You must watch your traveling time so you can get the cheaper ticket. I went to Ghana this past February and I only spent 1000.00 roundtrip for my ticket. Also I found a great house to stay in for 25 US dollars a day. Also I agree with traveling more than once because it does play a role when establishing your relationship. The more information you have regarding your relationship and statements from family and friends from both sides helped us out a lot. Be Bless

Shiya

Yes, but I am confined to travel based on my daugher's school schedule and when I can have someone care for her.....as well as my demanding job. That's what dictates my travel dates.

After she gets to the US you have to marry and then pay $1070 to make her a permanent resident, in case you didn't know already.

$2400 for a flight is a lot, yikes

Yes, for AOS. Thank you....hence why I cannot afford another $3k.

Can anyone inform me if they have any experience or know any outcomes filing for K-1 Visa with just one visit to Ghana? I've seen several people approved with two or three visits, has anyone heard of any outcomes with just one?

Also keep in mind, (not to be a party pooper) that if you have a hard time revisiting because of financial reasons, then you might be pressed during this process as it is not a cheap process. From the time you file the I129F form through filing AOS, you could possibly spend a couple thousand dollars with all of the fees, medical exams, and flying her here to the US if she is approved. It would be even more difficult if you have to fly there to the Ghana embassy to be with her during the interview. So make sure you take all of this into account as well.

Thanks, I'm aware of all the fees and cost of flights. That is why I'd rather save for that, and not fall into debt by trying to book another flight. Flying over there would simply double that cost, which I cannot afford. The medical, immunizations, visa fees, and flight have already been planned for. But to fly to Accra is running about $2,400 and I would then need a few hundred dollars for spending money. So figure another $3k. Medical, visa fees, and her one way flight runs about $2,300.

Those are all good things. You might ask around the subsaharan Africa subforum to see if people were successful in Accra with only one visit. And think about this sort of "reasonable person" thing; doing so will help you with the interview.

Best of luck.

Thanks for your advice, I appreciate your time.

What kind of dating site was it? Was it a meet Africans website or a US based website? If it was US-based website, did she appear to be at first an American?

I am sure she is wonderful, but you both will have to prove to the consulate that she is not in it just to get to the US. The consulate will go by a "reasonable person standard" to determine if your actions were things that normal reasonable people would do.

So, meeting for only 9 days and deciding to get married? Not super reasonable... though not totally unheard of. They might question whether you spent enough time with her to tell if her intentions were sincere or not. They will consider the totality of the circumstances, which is why I am asking about how you met.

I understand, it was an interracial dating website. Nothing about meet Africans or anything like that. She has always represented herself as being in Ghana, and all the profile information was accurate (education, where she lives, her age, etc.) She has sent gifts to myself and my daughter and even was the first person to wish my daughter a happy birthday, which means the world to me. It was just that we talked so much and when I visited, everything was as she had told me. I was very comfortable around her and we really enjoyed each others company.

I found her on a dating web site and just reached out first.....never thinking about how it would progress to what it has. She is wonderful, and I met a lot of her family and friends when I visited.

We met online and started with talking on viber and using Skype and oovoo.

Can someone please inform me if they suppose it would be an issue that we have only met in person one time? I flew to Ghana in February but was only able to stay for 9 days. We are in love but my demanding job and the fact that I am a single father makes it very difficult to get there again. Financially it is nearly impossible, and I have nobody to care for my daughter and make sure she makes it to school. I had my mother fly down from NY to care for my daughter for the 9 day visit in February. I'm just concerned that one visit for nine days may not be enough for the CO in Accra to justify our petition. We have chat logs and communicate everyday. We have several photos, receipts for dinner when I proposed, hotel receipts, and she has an engagement ring. Should I try and take out a loan to get there again before the interview? I'm torn because I love this woman and want to spend my life with her, but I don't want to start off in debt when she will not be able to work for about six months after she arrives. Can anyone share with me their thoughts?

I hope she recovers quickly and is able to travel. My fiance too has come down with malaria, but is in the process of getting the injections. I was happy to see that your journey seemed pretty quick. But I also commend you on your knowledge and organization. Would you mind if I reached out to you in the future if I have any questions? You really seem to have done your research. I'm just patiently waiting for our approval so we can be together soon.