ZoeUK1989

Thanks again for your responses

I think this is where my confusion was coming from, purely the fact that although you have the intentions of staying as that is what the K1 is all about, I was under the impression that you are not classed as a US resident until you recieve your green card.

It seems different people have different impressions of what should be completed on this card. 

Every other time I have entered the USA they have taken the completed landed card from me and never returned it. Last time I travelled there I gave it them and they gave it me back which confused me lol 

Thanks for your replies!

So just to clarify would I need to fill in the visitor section still?

Also saying that... on the card if i remember rightly it asks my country of residence, do I still put the UK on there or USA. 

I know this probably sounds like really daft questions but I don't want to look like the dumbest person and have them look at my card and say why have you filled that in rather than this one... 

So also based on which one I complete do i write an estimated value of what I have brought with me.

So yeah... my questions are now:

Do i complete it as a visitor still?

Do I estimate a value of my belongings and fill that it?

Do I need to put my country of residence as USA?

I think I am seeing it wrong because I am not actually there yet if that makes any sense. It's hard to imagine me writing country of residence as USA when at the moment it's still the UK and I will not have lived in the US before writing it as my Country of residence. 

Its not as bad as people think it is going to be is it? 

I was so stressed and worried about it and I was in there the same amount of time as you basically.

They were all super friendly 

Have to ask though. I heard they stopped doing the downstairs check recently... Is it true??

Thank you for your response,

I shall definitely be honest on the card for sure

Its just that other bit that confuses me, The bit that says 'Visitors (non residents) are normally entitled to an exemption of $100. Duty will be assessed at the current rate on the first $1000 above the exemption'

I know when people bring things or mail them to the UK over a certain value then the receiver or the person bringing the items with them have to pay tax on it...

I obviously don't want to arrive with my card saying I have a value of $600 say in my suitcase of things that will be left in the USA and then have to pay tax on something I have already paid 20% tax on here in the UK or even have them think its something I intend to sell and make money on because that is not the case. 

Please bear in mind I have not mentioned that I am believed to be dyslexic so I either read things wrong or maybe read into things a little bit too much 

So basically I read that as, if there is over $100 worth of goods in my suitcase (because I have to fill out as a visitor) that will remain in the US that I will maybe come across a problem or a cost. 

If I am reading it completely wrong then please let me know in the nicest way you can phrase it as I know this potentially is just my incorrect reading problem. 

Thanks 

Hi, 

I am hoping someone will be able to answer my question based on experience.

I am flying to the USA on the K1 which is why I have put this here but I am guessing there may be a different place to put my question.

I am flying to the USA on the 21st of January via BA (direct flight), I plan on taking most things I own in my suitcase and will pay for an extra case. The cost of shipping was too expensive for how little I actually have other than my clothes and DVD's.

I am wondering about the declaration card upon landing in the United States. 

Obviously previous visits where it asks you the value of all articles that will remain in the US including commercial merchandise is: I have not had to write anything as nothing has been left, but this time will be different.

I am guessing I will have to declare the amount of everything in my cases as it will all be remaining in the USA with me but this is where i get confused...

The card reads the following:

'Visitors (non residents) are normally entitled to an exemption of $100. Duty will be assessed at the current rate on the first $1000 above the exemption'

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

What does this mean?

Has anyone else taken everything they own in just suitcases instead of shipping and if so, how on earth should I fill out this card?

I am obviously not taking anything to sell as all I am taking is my clothes, DVD's (in a binder rather than all their cases) and a few little bits and bobs which I guess have more sentimental value rather than actual cash value. Its probably a maximum of $800 if that...

And by the way yes, I am aware my DVD's will not work on US DVD player but I plan on packing my DVD player and using a converter  

I never want to fill this out incorrectly and I have no intentions of ever being fraudulent which is why I am asking, so I can fill out the card correctly

Also, Has anyone ever taken something in their case that they thought was okay to take but in actual fact has been removed from them?

Thanks in advance

Any help will be much appreciated 

I can understand that you were probably too upset to get clarification on why they had denied you. You English sounds good to me or at least it is allowing you to communicate

I personally cannot see you being denied a k1 visa because your tourist visa was denied but this is just an opinion and not based on facts.

Administration can you delete my post regarding the not being able to adjust your status from the vwp please. Apparently I am incorrect and was not aware that I was wrong. I would he appreciated as still not want to be the one giving out 'incorrect' information

Thanks

I'm sorry I am not sure you are understanding what I am saying.

If you book a return with no intention of using it and just throwing it away that is classed as ticket throwing. This is against the airlines policies and they can chase you for the outstanding amount that you would have paid if booking the correct one way flight and ban you from using the airline. I have already been advised the airline will not bother doing that as once will not keep them awake at night. However if you want to stick to the rules of the game then yes you would book a one way flight.

It is up to the individual if they want to stick to the rules or run the risks.

Thanks for the info. Yes direct flights can be found cheaper than £1600 depending on where you are flying from and to and the dates. The only way I can get a flight from LHR to PHX direct for £700 is if I book a return.

I just want to say that you can find flights for less, does not need to be one way, nor direct. Look up the Ita matrix and how to do advance search there, very useful.

Hi, no you're right it doesn't have to be one way or direct. But I was just stating the example of mine. If I want to fly direct and not make 2 stops and have my POE God only knows where I had to do a direct. Also to book 2 way means you are likely to either ticket throw or use that return at a later date then next time you book you will have to do the same again. In other words at some point you would have to book a one way flight unless you plan on booking returns well in advance and I'm talking months and just hope you have time of work. Unless there is another way around it. Like I say... my price on flights was purely and example for me to get from LHR to PHX one way (as in theory this is what I will be doing) and direct (personal preference) the flight to do 2 stops I could get for around £600 and they were self transfers. Travel time was about 30 hours. Didn't really fancy that to be honest with you. Just want to get on one flight and be there in the 10 and a half hours

Oh no thank you, my trophy cabinet is already too full. But thanks!

As I was just saying, it's a lesson to be more prepared the next time or people who are just starting this journey and are reading this thread, can learn something of it. Make sure your vaccines are up to date, save money, etc etc.

Haha!!!! I laughed so hard at that, that I think I need to go back and have my medical done again and mention the incontinence when I laugh too hard.

Do you all want a trophy for be the most prepared?

I am also with the other poster who says they do not understand this comment...

People are telling you their stories and how they prepared for the expense that they knew were heading their way. And a lot of these expenses are not mentioned especially things that the beneficiary has to pay for.

I had a nice little nest egg to bring over with me, then I found out about all the costs on my end so ended up penniless instead. I wish I had prepared or even been advised of all these costs so I could have saved more money before giving up my job to make myself available for medicals and interviews with them all being so far away from me.

Weddings are expensive when you live in the same country let alone when you are trying to bring them over from another and support them single handed.

Both the beneficiary and the petitioner can kiss goodbye to any savings they have unless you have thousands in the bank spare.

Just out of curiosity, as I think this is really important, What were your intentions when you applied for the tourist visa? was it to spend time with your Fiance?

Just a visit? How long had you requested the tourist visa for? as in how long were you intending to stay?

I haven't had to apply for the tourist visa being in a country that is in the VWP but don't they ask you for proof that you will return to your home country. For example don't they ask you if you have a return flight, how long you are staying, what your intentions are in the USA, whether you have a mortgage, bank accounts, a job?

That's what I was told anyway. I just cannot see your tourist visa being denied purely based on the fact that you were unemployed. I would have also thought that you were within your rights for them to clarify why you were being denied a visa but again I could be wrong.

Why are you not sure? You don't know the truth? The US Embassy knows the truth since your denied visitor visa application is in their database.

If you answer yes and tell the truth, then the result is that you may or may not get a K-1 visa.

If you answer no and lie, then the result will be you screwing yourself.

Totally agree with this statement!

If you lie you are screwing yourself over and pretty much justifying them denying you.

Is the mother isn't in the picture then he can take her on holiday so long as he and she has their passports and the country will accept him with his criminal history. He can always do a connecting flight to give his daughter a break if the 12+ hours frightens him. Its doable for sure (again so long as he is allowed in the country)

I know you say she hasn't told you but does she know? Does she know if he has been handed any sentences and what all these criminal records relate to?

I get nervous reading this to be honest based on other people speaking of experiences or other peoples experiences trying to get a K1 with criminal convictions...

Would the outcome potentially be different if they were to get married and file for the spousal visa instead?

All of this aside, the immigration process is VERY expensive and you really need to take that into consideration. Not only is there an application fee, there is the cost of the medical(not sure how much it is in the UK, but for my husband 5 years ago in Jordan is was more than $400 US dollars), there is the adjustment of status after you marry which is well over $1k, biometrics fees, any many other incidental fess that add up very quickly plus plane fare for him to travel here. You're looking at a minimum of around $5k on the low end. Then once he's here he will not be able to work for several months after you marry and file for AOS because he has to have EAD. I applied for a CR1 on behalf of my husband, which meant he had his green card the moment he set foot into the US giving him the ability to work on day one and it took him 5 months to find a job, he's a computer engineer and that job was loading trucks at Walmart. No one was willing to hire him in his field with no US work experience. It took him an additional 5 months(a total of 10 months) to find a job in his field and it was only(he had to get his foot in the door somehow) an intern position for only $10 an hour and 4 months on top of THAT to be hired full time as an engineer. So 14 months from the day he arrived to find a full time job in his field. I'm not trying to frighten you I'm only being honest, the process is long and difficult.

You need to read the guides at the top of the page and the application for the K-1 to even begin to understand how much time, effort and money goes into this process. I wish you the best of luck, but you really need to be in a better place financially before you jump into this process. You do not earn enough and you cannot depend on "what ifs" as far as getting enough hours to earn 19k which is well below the 100% minimum, once you file adjustment of status that goes up to 125% plus you stated that you don't have a viable joint sponsor.

In addition to this you also do need to consider the finances of the beneficiary. There are several costs for the beneficiary so where they say it is around the $500 mark from tomorrow to apply for the K1 this is all the USC has to pay at this point...

The benificary will have to pay for the following:

• Birth certificates (if they don't already have them) - £30 aprx dependant on amount of copies ordered
• Police check (ACRO) - £40 aprx dependant on amount of copies ordered
• MPV visa payment - £222
• Medical - £290 excl. any vaccinations required if missing, these are additional costs on top of the £290
• courier for home delivery - £18 optional I believe, you can collect but DX depots are spread out and few and far in between depending on where your Fiance lives
• Flight - Don't know the price to help but one way flights to USA from UK tend to be expensive. mine from London to PHX (this is the only direct flight) is £1600

If you are earning money then I can pretty much promise you that the London Embassy will request that tax return even if you earned a low amount of the previous year, They did for my Fiance even though I advised them she hadn't earned anywhere near enough on 2015 tax return.

Although they can approve the K1 on 100% of the poverty guideline they do strive for you to be over that 125% because that's what you need for the AOS. My Fiance earns above that 125% and I can tell you when we look at how much it is going to cost to have me there without me working straight away, its going to be really tight on money and that is with no luxuries.

she is tied into her companies insurance so to insure me and her its looking around $450 for the month, along with the rent for the apartment, electric, gas for the car to get her to work we are looking at $1300 a month. That's before food, mobile phones, internet so your fiance can keep in touch with family back home, Pets if you have any, cable TV ect...

The 125% at the moment is $2025. I am not sure if anyone else knows when it is but isn't this likely to change at some point? As originally when me and my Fiance looked into the K1 right before we applied it was more like $19000

someone has advised 6 monthly pay stubs but this is not what I used, for proof of income as she was now earning over the 125% was the following:

6 x weekly pay stubs (not monthly)

Letter from employer on letter headed paper confirming permanent employment, hours contracted, start date, hourly wage.

Several bank statements showing deposits

1 x tax return (showing she earned less then $11000

I think the first time they ask for proof of income is at the beneficiary's interview so I would personally find out about your raises or try to get a final salary from them. If its under the income requirement for AOS then I would definitely look for a co-sponsor. If that is not an option for you then I would look at either holding off until you are on the right amount of money for the 125% or get a new job (if possible, I know it is easier said than done) that meets the 125% requirement.

out of his 30+ criminal records has he ever been sentenced and served time in prison?

Also, Sorry to ask but why would having a 4 year old daughter stop him from visiting her in her home country? Or is it the fact that they will not let him in your friends home country with such a background.

If the main part she is worried about is the criminal records then I can understand. Especially now people have reminded me that they do the background check on the USC via the I-129F.

She needs to know what these convictions are in my opinion before she even thinks about marrying him. The 2 domestic charges would worry me personally. It would be in her best interest and for her own safety to know what these are.

I also hate to say it but the same as Merrytooth said...

With such a extensive criminal background is the person able to hold down a stable job that meets the income requirements for the K1 let alone the AOS.

I always thought that the US was not very forgiving towards people with criminal backgrounds for anything let alone a job. ( I am just comparing that to the the UK by the way so I am quite aware that I could be wrong with that assumption)

Sorry, Please forgive me I forgot that although the USC doesn't have to have the police check like the beneficiary they do still have to disclose the convictions on the I-129F.

Again sorry, I completely forgot purely because my USC fiance didn't have to have a police record check like I did.

The age difference is not huge at all...

I think if she was 21 and he was 50 or something like that then the age gap would be questionable. I am not so sure 11 years is a big red flag in my opinion, Just good proof of a genuine relationship would cover that I think.

I do not think the USC has a criminal record check for the K1, Or at least my US fiance never mentioned that she did (unless this is something they do without you knowing when you apply). He has domestic violence charges but 30+ criminal records.... WOW! that's a lot of criminal records almost 1 for every year he has been alive. Is she aware what all of these are for? I would want to know every single last detail about those before I gave up my life in my home country.

I don't think the Autism is an issue although in the UK it does ask you at your medical if you have any disabilities. Also I think the heart condition will depend on what it is, whether it requires medication and whether it is ongoing. I don't think they are grounds for visa denial, I think they look for things that are commutable diseases and whether they can get the right treatment in the USA for ongoing conditions.

Does she know what those 30+ criminal records are?

That is a good question, I do not know how you would check that you don't have a ban. I don't know if you receive a ban if they write to you or something like that. I have no idea.

Guess I didn't do anything that would risk this happening to me so I would have no clue how to check.

You will find out for certain if your GF petitions you for a K1. The interview will cover those issues.

Do you mean he will find out at the interview if he has a ban after his Fiance has paid and applied for the K1 or do you mean he will find out whether it will affect his case?

I have read on here a few times that people have been refused a tourist visa for all sorts of reasons, main one being their ties to the home country or should I say the lack of...

Even after being refused the tourist visa they have applied for the K1 and managed to get it perfectly fine...

Do not even think about lying to them, EVER! Under no circumstances is lying going to be good for you or your Fiance. If caught lying it will give you a nice long ban from the USA maybe even a life time ban as you sign to say the information you are giving is correct and then in your interview you will be under oath. It would be classed as visa fraud!

Be warned, If you lie and come back on here to say you have been denied, I don't think you would get much sympathy as I think we all know to well from other VJ'ers stories that lying turns out badly because the US immigration do a great job.

Be honest with them, Honesty is the best policy as they say!

Also, If you got denied, they will know as they will have it on record somewhere, the US immigration seem to know everything about everyone and I don't think they leave any stone unturned. Besides its not like your tourist visa was denied because you are a violent criminal or so I am guessing as you don't even know completely why it was denied

Sorry I misread the title of your post (My apologies, all part of being dyslexic)

The visa waiver doesn't allow you to work at all I believe, also as previous poster advised, you doing it voluntarily means you took a job from a US citizen.

I could be wrong but I think somewhere in the process of the K1 visa it will ask if you have ever been denied entry into the united states. I am not sure if looking for work (all be it under the table) would been seen by the US immigration of taking advantage of their kind nature to let you enter the country on a VWP.

You need to be sure that you didn't receive a ban as well as the deportation.

I also believe although people will advise you it shouldn't affect you K1 petition there is a much higher chance of it doing so.

I would say that you will need extremely good amounts of proof of your relationship.

Sadly you didn't stick to the rules of the VWP so there is every chance of this affecting your case.

Your story doesn't make much sense. did you enter on a K1 visa or the VWP? These are completely different from each other.

Did you get a ban from the USA?

As in when they denied you entry did they ban you from using the VWP and said in future you will have to apply for a tourist visa or did they ban you from entering the USA all together?

Jennifer, that isn't what I meant. I didn't mean that the whole AOS fee would be waived. I might be stupid In some respects but not that stupid. I was told you had to apply for the AOS within that 90 days but if you didn't apply in the 90 days but instead applied in 100 days then the 10 days over would be waived.

I have since been informed correctly that you don't have to apply for AOS within the 90 days but believe me I never thought for one second the AOS fee would ever be waived, like I said I'm not that dumb ?