Butterfly123

Hi everyone! My fiance has his visa interview next week!

I thought we had everything ready to go, but then I came up against a question:

Does the proof of support need to go the interview with him?

I am not sure why, but he thinks that is something he doesn't need until later. I can't figure it out from the paper we got. It just says we need proof, it doesn't say what kind of proof and it doesn't say how and when we are to present it.

Thanks for your help!

Hi everyone.

This site has always been so helpful to me, since the beginning of my 'visa journey'. Please forgive me for asking this question, but I am tired of wracking my brains and figured you would be the people to ask.

My fiance and I are not so far from the end of our K-1 process (it has moved to the embassy stage, but delayed in gathering documents). I am moving into a new apartment this month, and so far I don't have internet in my new place. I also have a "dumb phone". He and I have mostly kept in touch by Skype and email rather than phone.

I have been wracking my brains trying to figure out the cell phone and data plan options, etc, to help me stay in touch with him. I am working long hours right now, so rarely am at home. Can anyone share with me what they found to be economical for international calling/texting/skype from a cell phone? What companies have best plans for that kind of thing? I have never had a smart phone. Please forgive me if the question sounds dumb, but I always did everything from my laptop. Now, I'd like to have a mobile way to stay in touch, since I am not home in my apartment much these days.

I've looked at so many companies but I honestly can't figure it out. Do I need a hotspot? Is there anyway to phone Algeria from my cell phone without it costing an arm and leg? Can I make face-to-face calls on a phone to Algeria, and if so, what kind of a plan do I need to get? What does he need to have?

I am sorry for asking these dumb questions, but no one I know does much internationally. All the information I get confuses me more. If anyone can make good recommendations, I would appreciate it.

I was a little astonished when you said that you don't want to be dependent on your new husband in the future. Isn't that what marriage is about? If it is too hard to imagine that, how are you going to handle it if, 20 years down the road, you get sick and can't work? Or lose your job and can't find another? Or many many other scenarios that can come in married life. You need to be realistic and think about reality.

You said you don't want to do housework, does that mean your husband is wealthy enough to hire a maid? Or do you expect him to continue to do all the housework by himself, as well as working full time?

I think you should really think about all these things, because they can happen in the future in your marriage even if they don't happen in the beginning. These are some of the things people should be realistic about before getting married.

My fiance will be in the same situation as you when he gets here, and I am also worried about him. He has worked since he was a boy and has always been independent. He is making an enormous sacrifice to come here. I really worried that it would be too much, that he would feel diminished by not being able to work. But he accepts all this. He sees it as a necessary challenge in life. He will clean the house and go food shopping and whatever else needs to be done so that I can work more hours. Would I have chosen this? No, I feel bad about it. But I can't complain about it, I need to be positive. If we were not ready to accept this challenge, we would not be doing it. Life is not an ideal, it is the reality that comes upon you.

After all, who is to say that, in 10 years, my husband won't have an accident and require that I take care of him like a child. Or the same could happen to me! You never know what can happen. I figure we might as well take every opportunity to prepare and make our characters and our relationship strong.

I really support any effort to speed up TSC, because I am going crazy checking day after day and seeing no movement forward.

But why do an internet petition? To me, they practically scream, "I don't care enough about this issue to sit down and actually write a letter or a check."

Didn't someone at first just suggest writing letters, individually?

I really do wish him good luck on getting the belgian antionality back but to be honest I personally don't think it will be that easy.. I don't know how he became belgian, at what age and for how long but i know that since i wasn't born belgian (became belgian after my parents mariage, a year after my birth) i have been belgian for pretty much all my life and yet i could lose belgian my nationality if by the age of 28 i don't sign a document testifying that i want to keep my belgian nationality. This doesnt apply to people who were born in Belgium and other things. However, your fiancé's main nationality seems to always have been algerian.. In Belgium they tend to be strict with Africans.. North Africa & central africa. I know africans who have never received it even if their step father was belgian, raised them and even if they lived in europe for over 10years.. They re strict :/ if for me it would be hard to get my belgian nationality back it would be as hard for him if not more .. And then you will have to go through a visa for america again...

No, he was born in Belgium, of a Belgian mother. His main -and only- nationality was Belgian until he was 12 or 13, when his mother died.

There was a window a few years when Belgium did not allow dual citizenship. That's no longer the case, but it was when his family moved to Algeria.

He is no more African than he is Belgian, he is really equally rooted in both.

I'm in. And media attention does not seem like a bad idea....people are often shocked when they hear what it is like to go through this process.

Come on! Get your head in the game! You will not give up. You will do this. Got it? Then Get it!

You've already gotten this far and there is no way in h*ll that you are letting up. The System will not win this! This is you and YOUR chance to prove to the System that you can overcome anything!

What is your main goal? To be with your loved one? Well get up and GET IT DONE! No looking back!

How bad do you want it? Tell me how bad do you want this? Then GET IT! The pain is worth the treasure!

We are ALL with you! BEAST through it!

You put tears in my eyes. I copied your posts and saved it for myself for reading later...

Some phone texting options: if you both have iPhones, then use iMessage. otherwise, there is whatsapp, viber, google hangouts, skype allows for texting, and of course, Facebook messenger. ALL of these can be used on your phone.

We understand better than your local friends and family because we are going through the same exact process you are. Some timelines are shorter, some longer, but we are all separated from the one we love for some length of time.

Here are the embassy reviews from VJ members for Turkey: http://www.visajourney.com/reviews/index.php?cnty=Turkey

This will give you personal insight from other people who've gone through this country and how their process went.

Here is the embassy information for the embassy: http://www.visajourney.com/consulates/index.php?ctry=Turkey&cty=Ankara

Thanks so much for your help....I had the wrong flag up on my profile. My fiance's nationality is Algeria. But I used what you gave me, thank you so much..

See Butterfly,

Everyone. Not just me. But everyone is here to support you. We all want you to get through this. Do not do this for us, but do this for yourself and your love. We yell "I support you!"

You yell "ALL IN!"

All in....! :-)

This has been so great to read I'm feeling so down too and am a TSC March filer.

To quote When Harry met Sally "when you realise you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible" - so TRUE!

I've always been a patient person (growing up with six brothers and sisters, you had to be), but this is different.....I can hardly accept this.

Hi Butterfly123,

I'm sorry for the stress, sadness and pain you are feeling right now.

For your current K1, have you tried contacting your congressman or senator?

We applied in January this year and the request did help us.

For a possible future K1, I do believe you may need the help of a co-sponsor to prove you can support your fiancé.

For France, finding a job is not easy. It may take him a while, + he'll have to spend his savings until he works. The living costs equal most of salaries so he won't be able to put that much on te side. Depending on which city he'll go to he may need a car.. He's pretty much going to start a new life there to then give it all up so soon.. I know it may not be a problem for you guys but yeaa.. ^^

& as a Belgian citizen I can tell you that getting your citizenship back isn't always easy. Well, I've had mine through my parents but I know a couple of people who had to wait some time and also sometimes got denied the 1st time. Belgium got pretty strict these past years..

What nationality is your fiancé if I may ask?

Also, how would you stay over 3 months in France? Get married?

If you do get married you will have to go through a K3 visa if I ewmember correctly.

For you to find a job with mainly one language other than french may be a little harder...unless you have a higher degree or are okay with any job it may get a little tricky..

My fiancé is a UScitizen while I am Belgian. I live and study in Luxembourg. Pretty much everything is paid for me here. It's really a wealthy country and I have a comfortable life. Yet, my fiancé and I decided that it would be me that would go to the US because : it is easier since there is a fiancé visa, i speak the language of the country he's in and it would be 'easier' for me in the US than for him in the Schengen area.

I hope you guys will do what's best for you. I wish you good luck Butterfly123 !

His grandparents are in Belgium and they are older...I am afraid if he doesn't go and work on his citizenship now he will lose it forever, because the people who can testify for him will be gone. So, that is my main reason for wanting him to go and do it now. He doesn't know what the process will be like, but we know it is supposed to take about a year.

His mom was Belgian, his father Algerian, but she died when they were all teenagers. They never knew any life but Belgium until they lost her...

Do you know anything about the process of getting Belgian citizenship back? Do you need lawyers, is it expensive, etc?

I wish he had his Belgian citizenship, because people in my life are prejudiced against him because of his Alg nationality, it makes things that much harder.

My fiance's nationality is Algerian.

I have confused everyone because they think his nationality is Turkish. I went back and fixed that in my profile. :-(

He was in Turkey, but he's Algerian.

I didn't think it mattered when I registered, so I just filled it in any which way, but now it is having consequences because

everybody is confused. :-( I feel really bad.

Especially because everybody keeps reassuring me that Turkey is not high fraud, but I know his visa is not going to go

through Turkey.

Hi Butterfly123,
I'm sorry for the stress, sadness and pain you are feeling right now.

For your current K1, have you tried contacting your congressman or senator?
We applied in January this year and the request did help us.

For a possible future K1, I do believe you may need the help of a co-sponsor to prove you can support your fiancé.

For France, finding a job is not easy. It may take him a while, + he'll have to spend his savings until he works. The living costs equal most of salaries so he won't be able to put that much on te side. Depending on which city he'll go to he may need a car.. He's pretty much going to start a new life there to then give it all up so soon.. I know it may not be a problem for you guys but yeaa.. ^^
& as a Belgian citizen I can tell you that getting your citizenship back isn't always easy. Well, I've had mine through my parents but I know a couple of people who had to wait some time and also sometimes got denied the 1st time. Belgium got pretty strict these past years..
What nationality is your fiancé if I may ask?
Also, how would you stay over 3 months in France? Get married?
If you do get married you will have to go through a K3 visa if I ewmember correctly.

For you to find a job with mainly one language other than french may be a little harder...unless you have a higher degree or are okay with any job it may get a little tricky..

My fiancé is a UScitizen while I am Belgian. I live and study in Luxembourg. Pretty much everything is paid for me here. It's really a wealthy country and I have a comfortable life. Yet, my fiancé and I decided that it would be me that would go to the US because : it is easier since there is a fiancé visa, i speak the language of the country he's in and it would be 'easier' for me in the US than for him in the Schengen area.

I hope you guys will do what's best for you. I wish you good luck Butterfly123 !

From what YOU say, it is my opinion that you and your fiance' really did not prepare yourselves for this "journey".,.,when filing the K-1 I would hope that you looked at timelines, and how approvals were with TSC, and you are through the roughest part, the first 5 months, (my wife and I was 10 months and 4 days, Noa1 till POE Atlanta) and if you do as you are talking about doing, well, yes, you will be together soooner, but the visa situation will be much, much longer than waiting a few more months on the K-1.

I KNOW it is hard, been there, done that, but hang in there, you say how you need to be in the USA, and it was your orginal plan, try to grind it out, as YOU are through the rough part, in a month or two, things will really start moving, and when it does, you will be very busy, getting through NVC, medical, interview.,.,.,..,You can do this K-1, hang in there!

My fiance did not want to do the visa...he didn't have any hope in the 'system'. And, he dragged his feet because it's always been an issue between us that he thinks I (or my family) will suspect him of wanting a visa to US...he is very sensitive about that. He always wanted us to go to Europe and he never wanted USA, he is doing it for me.

I knew it would take a long time, but I just dove in and started it anyway. I just didn't know what else to do. And, in 'those days', TSC seemed to be clipping along pretty well so I thought we would be lucky. Then it came to a halt and that's what's pushed me over the edge.

Don't quit now! The time, money, and energy spent relocating will be as bad or worse than just waiting this process out. Do you use whatsapp? Even when you aren't both awake, you can send texts back and forth to keep a connection. That's key to enduring this nightmarish distance apart. (((((Hugs)))))

we don't use whatsapp but I asked for him to find a way to text me with his phone. It is a good idea, it would make it better.

Don't quit now! The time, money, and energy spent relocating will be as bad or worse than just waiting this process out. Do you use whatsapp? Even when you aren't both awake, you can send texts back and forth to keep a connection. That's key to enduring this nightmarish distance apart. (((((Hugs)))))

we don't use whatsapp but I asked for him to find a way to text me with his phone. It is a good idea, it would make it better.

Thanks everybody. You are really kind. I honestly didn't expect anyone to care about what I am going through. It seems that no one around me understands, or they think it is just my fault for getting into a relationship with someone "over there".

How do you know which countries are high fraud? Is there a list or something?

Yes, I understand - residence card or residence permit is needed. Our personal experience is: to issue a residence permit takes up to 4 months, non-EU resident is allowed to stay 3 months (90 days) per 6-month of period. If the residence card is not issued by the end of 3 months (bureaucracy is everywhere), the non-EU resident has to leave the country and come back when they can stay again legally. It is after 6 months. I know it, we been there and it is awful.

It is really insanity, that we live in this world, where a husband and wife cannot stay together without papers and fees, and governments involved in all the minutiae of their lives. I guess every time in history has had its ups and downs...but, this......

From someone with Armed Forces background, tough love is very common within. I have been on these forums for a long, long time and I believe this is one of the reasons all the veterans and even the new guys here really respect my opinion because I give it a different perspective. To starting anew to being where me and my fiance are now, we are very humbled. It is normal to feel like quitting, but just give yourself a pep talk and hype yourself up! We have helped many on these forums and seeing happy couple faces and families is what makes all of this worthwhile. You can ask anyone and they will tell you that we will tell you straight to the point and give our best opinion. Good luck on your Journey and if you need anything let us know!

Come on just do it! No questions asked. This is getting done!

Thank you for the kindness and encouragement. And thank you to everybody here...

Come on! Get your head in the game! You will not give up. You will do this. Got it? Then Get it!

You've already gotten this far and there is no way in h*ll that you are letting up. The System will not win this! This is you and YOUR chance to prove to the System that you can overcome anything!

What is your main goal? To be with your loved one? Well get up and GET IT DONE! No looking back!

How bad do you want it? Tell me how bad do you want this? Then GET IT! The pain is worth the treasure!

We are ALL with you! BEAST through it!

LOL...it was the first time I laughed in three days!

I am really surprised at how kind you are and how you are all encouraging me. I really appreciate it. It makes me feel ashamed that I am crying so much

about this. I knew it would be a long time, and that was why I always thought it was impossible, this long-distance relationship. But I fell in love and I could not do anything else. I am sorry for complaining so much about it.

Some may have been waiting since 2013, while others may have been getting approvals; each of us has a unique situation/application. I am a March 2014 filer and patiently waiting for our NOA2. I have not seen my fiancé since Oct. 2013. Because of the seemingly slow process, he applied for a B2 Visa. He has an appointment with the consular next month and as long as we can prove he is traveling back when due (and he needs to be back being in the military), everything should go thru smoothly. Soon as he obtained the appointment date, we did regret of not trying the B2 soon enough! Never never never give up

What is a B2?

i havent seen my fiance since february 8 and i am 6 months pregnant if i can take it anyone can,trust me

But maybe you are a stronger person than I am....I could never manage in your situation.

I understand. So why dont you go and live with him In Turkey until your visa is approved. Believe me you dont have many months left for the visa on hand. Besides if you go to the interview with him, that would almost guarantee your visa approval. Turkey is beautiful. And you would have the opportunity to mend your relationship.

I wish we could live together...but we can't live together without being married. :-( And there is not a place or situation that I can live there without living with him. His family is too far away from him...

We talk a lot. We talk about funny stuff that happened in our lives. We know this is temporary. Can you go and visit him? Try to keep busy, but seriously dont quit. What are you going to do in France. Not being able to work will be another depressing situation for you. Besides your parents need you. Once we will be together, this will be a memory. Also dont forget that Turkey isnt high fraud.

But. it is not working for us. :-( We can barely talk to each other because our work schedules conflict. We have not had a decent conversation for weeks because of this. Nothing could be worse than the situation we have now. For us, anyway. We never know when it will be over. Even if everyone says it will be over soon, I can see for myself that the visa applications being processed have not changed in almost a month. Nothing is progressing.

I do not care about not working. Why would that be depressing? As long as he can support us, I don't care if I have a job or not. I would rather be poor and have nothing than live like this.

The only problem is my parents...but they don't need me at this moment, they are really fine right now.

Hey we submitted in January, and we are still waiting. I didnt see my fiancee since last year September. Hang in there. We should hear sth soon. After we get the NOA2, things will move very quickly. Besides Turkish embassy isnt high fraud so as long as you provide the paperwork, your fiancee should get his visa. Im telling you i didnt see my fiancee close to a year, and we were living together in US. How about that? Just hang in one or two more months.

But how are you bearing it? I cannot bear it really. It is causing me a real depression. :-( It is making me really bitter.

Spouses of EU citizens don't need visas to live in the EU.

That is the good news for us. The bad news is that it will take him a year to get his EU citizenship back. Well, maybe not a year but we think so maybe.

What would your timeline be for moving over though? It sounds like he'd move to Belgium first, and establish himself, then you need a visa to move there... that would likely take longer than the 6-ish month you have to go on the K1 visa.

Now, if you are just missing eachother and want to see eachother, then visit- either you him or he you.

I don't know. I didn't really think about a visa to France. I've been to Europe as a tourist but never thought of moving there.

I wasn't thinking it would take six months to be able to join him in France. I thought maybe 2 months. And what if he doesn't do it and for some reason we get further delayed

or not approved for the K-1 visa? I'll go off the deep end.

We can't visit now. Neither of us can take more time off work.

Hi butterfly, if you submitted your petition in march you are still very much within the 5 months processing time line stipulated by USCIS. You would be giving up a few weeks shy of an approval.

But isn't that just the first step? Then it has to go on from there?

If it were just a few weeks, I could bear it, but I am thinking this way:

They are processing January 27 at TSC. We submitted end of March. That means two more months before we get our second N of A. Then, isn't it like 3-5 months more before you get your embassy interview? That's 5-7 months.

Last time I saw my fiance, we wanted to get married then and just stay together, but then we decided to do the K-1 visa. Well, I decided, and now I regret it so much.

I don't know how long citizenship from France takes for your husband, but it can't be that much longer than the K1....it usually takes 7 months to a year max...don't know what's currently going on, but it shouldn't be long till you hear something...that being said, I think it would be awesome to live in Europe...you can travel to Turkey so much easier....buuuut will you be happy in the long run once marriage settles and becomes routine...comfortable, yet routine, once the excitement if a new relationship

wears off? That's something to think about....the time waiting is hard, but it serves a purpose..

It will take him a year of living there to get his citizenship from Belgium. Sorry for the confusion, it is Belgium, not France. But he doesn't have to live in Belgium, just prove ties.

The way things are going in TSC, they are still reviewing from January, and that is just the first step. Every day I check, the dates have not progressed. It looks like it will be 2-3 more months before NA-2, then who knows how much longer for the embassy....7 or 8 months or who knows. We are already at our emotional limit, both of us. It is beyond and way past the point where it is healthy for us to be apart.

I am not from Turkey, I am from USA....I am the one who was requesting the K-1 for him...Sorry, maybe it seems I am not from USA because my English grammar is so bad.... ;-) But that is just because I am so stressed, tired, and lonely right now.