sma1488

This is a question that comes up fairly regularly, and I'm not sure there is a clear answer.
I do believe that if you are considered a US resident for tax purposes for the 2015 tax year, you will have to pay taxes on everything you earned during that year, which would include work that you do for a foreign company before you can legally work in the US. So make sure you either set aside some extra money from your paychecks for that expense or consult with a CPA who can give you a clear answer.

...but today's approvals (if any) won't start showing up until a couple hours from now. No reason to give up just yet!

I'd like to think it was a well-intentioned policy at first, but its execution is definitely flawed. If you read USCIS' description of the measures, they do NOT include I-129F petitions. They also specifically say that expedites will be available UPON REQUEST, but in fact are granted automatically. I've even seen Filipinos residing in and interviewing in other countries be expedited. And all of this pushes the rest of us even further back in line.
Thanks, USCIS.

I'd like to think it was a well-intentioned policy at first, but its execution is definitely flawed. If you read USCIS' description of the measures, they do NOT include I-129F petitions. They also specifically say that expedites will be available UPON REQUEST, but in fact are granted automatically. I've even seen Filipinos residing in and interviewing in other countries be expedited. And all of this pushes the rest of us even further back in line.
Thanks, USCIS.

5.5 months at TSC? That's not what USCIS' official processing times say.

You're more than welcome to try, but this is not going to work. Expedites are intended for serious circumstances only.

...but today's approvals (if any) won't start showing up until a couple hours from now. No reason to give up just yet!

Nobody in recent months has been approved at TSC after two months without being expedited. Their way of processing cases has quirks, sure, but it's far less random than many people make it out to be.

You should start by reading the consulate reviews on this website. The good news is that the vast majority of K-1 interviews at Rio go smoothly and there is no hassle with additional documents or excessive waiting. If you do your medical too close to the interview date, though, you might have to wait for the results, which can delay things a bit.
The bad news is that the Sedex 10 next-day service has very limited coverage. Unless your fiancée lives in a big city, the chances it will be available are slim. You can check here: http://www.correios.com.br/para-voce/correios-de-a-a-z/sedex-10
You might have to use the normal service, which can take a week or more.

Unless the ink has compromised the other side of the photo, I can't imagine it being a problem.

From a legal perspective, this is fine.
From a personal side, it of course depends on your situation. But you won't have any problems with USCIS in the future, if that's what you're worried about.

I think the use of "everyone" was a bit of hyperbole on his part, but his point is well-formed in that no other country in the world has an immigration system of the same scale and complexity as the US, so references to "how other countries do it" aren't very useful. Is some of that our own fault due to botched policies and lack of sufficient investment of resources in the past/present? Sure, but it doesn't change the situation that we have now.

Nobody in recent months has been approved at TSC after two months without being expedited. Their way of processing cases has quirks, sure, but it's far less random than many people make it out to be.

People with similar NOA1 dates are being processed right now. You probably won't have to wait until April/May. But

Nobody in recent months has been approved at TSC after two months without being expedited. Their way of processing cases has quirks, sure, but it's far less random than many people make it out to be.

It's a beard mate, not a swastika on your forehead.
Every 2nd Aussie has a beard, I was one of them when I had my interview... If shaving will help you relax then go ahead, otherwise don't bother.

Signatures can't be translated. She signs the same way she would in any other instance, even if that means using characters from her native language.

If things continue the way they are at the service center that handles petitions from that state, 4-6 months is a good estimate.

In addition to all of the other things people have mentioned, the fact that you've known him for 10 years will be a HUGE red flag which, taken with the other circumstances, will be very difficult to overcome.

In the past, London has sent letters to the beneficiary after six months or so of no action on "packet 3" basically saying "are you going to apply for a visa or not"? They hold your case open longer than your 4 month NOA2 as a courtesy. I think it is a good idea to inform them (via the contact form Pheebs posted) that you will no longer be seeking a fiancé visa and do not intend to marry John R. Smith at this time.Future questions that could come up for you to answer--
Yes, a petition has been filed on your behalf.
No, you have never applied for a visa (if you never submitted Form I-160.)
No, you have never been denied a visa.

Here is a suggestion, and I know it's difficult. If you filed in June/July/August, I would urge patience. TSC is working on July right now (even though they will say June). This means they will get to you soon. You cannot do what you suggest in the UK, and it certainly would not be legal to do what you suggest in the US either. Please know that you will finally be through the worst of it soon, and that if you can hang on a while longer you won't ever have to be apart. Remember that you'll be together *this year* and keep a focus on that. If they don't get to your case within a month or so, start calling them, ask for a T2, and put in a request. You can even contact your representative as others here have done.

I'm guessing you filed late July/early August. Many of us can empathize.
What the previous poster stated is correct. It would be considered visa fraud and you would not be able to simply adjust status. But I'm not going to go into any of that as I'm sure you are going to be bombarded with posts telling you what you 'plan to do' is wrong. I did not see you state that you intended to do anything. I saw "Please help". So many of us can relate to that feeling, but unfortunately there is really nothing you can do. We have exhausted every avenue we could come up with, trying to see if anyone could give us any information at all and it amounted to nil.
TSC is currently processing mid to late July petitions. Going by what you stated, you shouldn't have too much longer to wait to hear something. Don't jeopardize your future opportunities by trying to save a month. It's not worth it.
Don't worry. Your post was quite clear. It was answered by someone who's petition was processed in about a month.

Gaa! I hate being the downer here..
I want to be sympathetic but.. Look if I go out and commit a murder today and get caught I will end up in prison. This will devastate my wife, my mother, my family.. This is not stated in the media as "law enforcement splitting up families." though that would clearly take place.. I took an action that had possible consequences and chose to do it anyway. Whos fault? My fault.
In this case.. He knew his situation, where it could lead, what could happen.. Still he chose to follow that route and put himself and his family in that position. He is at fault. His child is a victim but Immigration is not the victimizer, he is... Not that it matters, he has a permanent ban so what? He is in Mexico.. He has to be back on June 30th so he will just cross back over on July 1st and be home for 4th of July weekend. His situation will be exactly the same as before.
And similar to the guy that was a manager for Best Buy for years after they new he was here illegally.. How does he own a business (he is listed as the owner) that is bonded and have a million dollar insurance policy?

Right. We can keep going around in circular reasoning with ample snark and provide examples to prove our points or..
I appreciate the fact that you would like an open border policy. But that desire is one that will not happen, for any country on the planet. Just like the desire for a corporation handling the immigration process. That is something I think you'll find most persons agree with. Not that you shouldn't have your own ideas of course.
I am and always will be a realist. I'm sorry that you are saddened by that. Congress (the bureaucrats) are given the authority by the people to continue to maintain the laws, processes, and procedures when it comes to immigration. Whether it be a pencil pusher behind a desk reviewing our files or an immigration officer scowling at us and deciding whether or not they are going to give us a bad day -- they all have been given the authority to say no. A look on this forum shows so many times when it's happened. We have little recourse without extreme hardship in that regard, and while we citizens have the right to liberty and happiness, we do not have the authority to be approved speedily or be guaranteed to be approved at all. Now, chances are each and every one of us here will be approved just fine -- but the only recourse we have to get it done in a reasonable timeframe is to either sit and wait patiently or petition those same bureaucrats that you'd like to keep out, but that we have to have an uncomfortable relationship with because we put them there. I have no problem with those with legal authority given to them to maintain the immigration process, so long as that process is one that is fair and works effectively. When it does not work effectively, I'm not of the mind to throw the baby out with the bath water. I'm one that grows tired of talking-heads whining about how to fix it, or those who can't get off the couch to fix it, or those that feel it's too politically risky to want to fix it. I'd be in there, fixing it years ago. And as has been suggested for so long now by lovely people here on this forum, there are many very effective ways to fix it without resorting to extremes. That's one reason why I'm writing letters to my bureaucrats (the ones that actually do care to do something). So no, I'm not apologizing for anyone. I'm just calling it as I see the situation. It's a painful situation that we have to support each other about, but there it is.

Btw, I'm a little unusual when it comes to flying. Despite the fact it's probably statistically safe mode of travel, I'm very convinced that planes are flying death-traps of necessity no matter who is behind the controls. When I sit in my seat, I hope that there is a good one behind the controls, and that the hunk o' junk holds together. But I know that despite whatever safe measures are in place, if my plane goes down I know that it's unlikely I'll be able to tell the tale afterwards. Therefore, I come to peace with that fact, and trust in someone else other than the pilot. And strangely enough that's what I'm also doing about this whole waiting game process.

All we can do is support each other, advocate, pester our bureaucrats, and spread knowledge. I don't call that defeatist by any means. We're all on this same aircraft. ;-)

We only had 1 encounter when I filed I-129F & only 1 additional encounter while the case was adjudicating. Now happily married. I don't see our case as any more risky than someone who gets to see each other every month. See the problem there? It's all based on opinions & the innate ability of humans to twist matters to conform to their personal experiences.