HoosierEh

Hi,
 
As a wife of a Vietnam veteran it is upon me to enlighten you that multiple marriages for veterans, especially those who suffer with mental illness and physical circumstances, to have multiple failed marriages. I am lucky wife number 5 to mine, one of my husband's wives were also 101st Airborne and died in combat but hey what trauma could that cause someone in a time of war.
 
Our veterans face issues with money management, health, post combat stress and re-entry into society even long after their services has ended. You are right he did ask for your help, it was so nice of you to make someone who probably feels bad even worse.
 
Classy.
 

Hi,
 
Fiance Visa or married visa, both applications are going to require you to submit your tax forms.  I'm sure the IRS will want all 8 years but maybe your family could assist you with this first. Then once you file for your partner as sponsors your parents will have to also supply their tax forms. 
 
Help your partner also make good decisions about his future in the US, understanding the consequences to working without a permit could have a long lasting impact on his life and status in the US. 
 
It's not easy but doing it the right way never is.  Good luck 

Hi,
 
As a wife of a Vietnam veteran it is upon me to enlighten you that multiple marriages for veterans, especially those who suffer with mental illness and physical circumstances, to have multiple failed marriages. I am lucky wife number 5 to mine, one of my husband's wives were also 101st Airborne and died in combat but hey what trauma could that cause someone in a time of war.
 
Our veterans face issues with money management, health, post combat stress and re-entry into society even long after their services has ended. You are right he did ask for your help, it was so nice of you to make someone who probably feels bad even worse.
 
Classy.
 

Hi,
 
As a wife of a Vietnam veteran it is upon me to enlighten you that multiple marriages for veterans, especially those who suffer with mental illness and physical circumstances, to have multiple failed marriages. I am lucky wife number 5 to mine, one of my husband's wives were also 101st Airborne and died in combat but hey what trauma could that cause someone in a time of war.
 
Our veterans face issues with money management, health, post combat stress and re-entry into society even long after their services has ended. You are right he did ask for your help, it was so nice of you to make someone who probably feels bad even worse.
 
Classy.
 

Hi Nick,
 
While writing a waiver or having to explain yourself to USCIS or any other branch of US immigration there are some really great numbers and articles that the Department of Veterans Affairs has released with research on the social and familial effect after service; they also include multiple marriages, delays in seeking assistance and stigma when isolated or alienated from others.
 
Using sites such as US Government, US institutions working with the US Government and of course the Veterans Affairs research will help you better back up your personal claims with evidence that you are not alone and you are not the only one going through this.
 
My husband says he never expected to live this long, he never planned for it, had he known he would have. I am not judging you and if you need anymore assistance for a place to look for some good evidence in you waiver or writing for help please feel free to message me privately. It would be my honour.
 
Warmly
J
 
 

Hi,
 
As a wife of a Vietnam veteran it is upon me to enlighten you that multiple marriages for veterans, especially those who suffer with mental illness and physical circumstances, to have multiple failed marriages. I am lucky wife number 5 to mine, one of my husband's wives were also 101st Airborne and died in combat but hey what trauma could that cause someone in a time of war.
 
Our veterans face issues with money management, health, post combat stress and re-entry into society even long after their services has ended. You are right he did ask for your help, it was so nice of you to make someone who probably feels bad even worse.
 
Classy.
 

Hi, 
 
Thank you for taking the time out to answer that, not that I can wrap my head around all nuances of US immigration law but I understand a bit better now. 
 
I  thought he was in the US illegally and knowingly bringing your children over under the care of someone else while illegally in the country was the issue. It's like denying the border service members information. 
 
I'm going to assume the only reason they asked me about my kids was so that it was in a file someplace once my underage children did travel to see me. I'm sure they were on the radar. They're both of age so not an issue. 
 
Again thank you and best of luck to the gentleman posting, didn't mean to take over with a question of my own. 
 
Cheers
 
 

Hi,
 
As a wife of a Vietnam veteran it is upon me to enlighten you that multiple marriages for veterans, especially those who suffer with mental illness and physical circumstances, to have multiple failed marriages. I am lucky wife number 5 to mine, one of my husband's wives were also 101st Airborne and died in combat but hey what trauma could that cause someone in a time of war.
 
Our veterans face issues with money management, health, post combat stress and re-entry into society even long after their services has ended. You are right he did ask for your help, it was so nice of you to make someone who probably feels bad even worse.
 
Classy.
 

Hi,
 
I won't make any jokes about trying to turn it on and off again  ... perhaps you need to make sure your browser is updated and allow the site to set cookies. 
 
Good luck 

Hi,
 
I won't make any jokes about trying to turn it on and off again  ... perhaps you need to make sure your browser is updated and allow the site to set cookies. 
 
Good luck 

It can be difficult to separate emotions from the facts, I do not believe they expect us too - I look upon them as professionals that can see the facts through the emotion. After all this is a marathon we are on: we have feelings and those of our loved ones involved lol
 
Yes I apologized for my actions and fully accepted the bar I received for my overstay. I approached this with sincerity and I was and am accepting of the consequences. If I was denied a waiver I would have had to truly reconsider my future  ... I had personal beliefs and reasoning for what I did but I subverted US immigration laws and the reality of not being reunited with my husband was the consequence. I told them just that - my apology was my waiver in that sense. 
 
I believe that if your husband wrote a letter on how he truly felt and was not just saying the words that it would come through. Just as I believe they can read through smoke.
 
Oh and as an aside: I let my husband write his letter.  I did not do it for him, I did not guide him or ask to see it or anything and he didn't Google it. If they called him I wanted them to know we were serious and worth the forgiveness. 
 
Good luck! 
If there's anything else please feel free to ask 
 

My husband, the US citizen, wrote a letter describing his reasons for hardship. 
 
I then wrote my own letter, including the circumstances of my overstay, and explained reasons for hardship that would directly impact my husband (US citizen) today and in the future. 
 
His letter was 2 pages. 
My letter was 12, though I presented my whole case to include a picture and a couple cut and pasted information from our banking/investment (I have no opinion if this helps or not nor can I recommend it others).
 
Believe it or not that was me keeping it simple lol
 
I did not want to over burden them with issues that, in my duress, I saw as major factors when they could take away from the bigger picture.  I wanted the adjudicator to see we are people, made a mistake and deserving of a chance to prove ourselves redeemed.  
 
My I-601 Waiver was approved on June 5 2018 just over a year from my application date.  Staying reasonable and keeping in mind that the adjudicators are people too does help. 
 
Best of luck! 

Hi,
 
I think your gut instincts are good on this; marriage or not it will not help the waiver.
 
The CR1 process will take 1 year or more and the Waiver process will take 1 year or more - so lets for the sake of delays, holidays and any forthcoming immigration changes say about 2 or 3 years just for the paper work part and as you said, you don't have definitive hardship... you will find a lawyer willing to take your money but I think you know it wont be successful.
 
It is hard for me to imagine waiting five years, but I have been away from my husband for 2.5 - every day feels like a year but they have sped by quickly in their own right but we are older and have been married for 5 years before I left. When you consider the years of work ahead of your both without a guarantee there would still be years left to wait if her waiver was denied, you two have some time apart to cope with either way.
 
Love defies logic, it's' hard to be logical when we feel we cant live being separated from the ones we love but you two have time to really plan this out and to plan it out the correct way and steer each other from making any other lifelong challenges.
 
Sorry we dont have better news for you or ideas ....
 
Maybe someone here can tell you how long an approved CR1 stays active - if you two did get married as a means of commitment to each other along with the CR1, having that at the ready might be a good idea. Anything can happen in a year let alone 5 ... you might get a great job offer there!
 
Just trying to end it on a good note.
Best of luck

Call CRA.
You have to enter an agreement with them in order to make payments, CRA will make the account number. 

Against my better judgement I am going to respond again.
 
I appreciate what Caliliving is saying but I strangely find it important enough to note - you did not research what could happen and then plan to marrying someone to stay.  Love is grand and is  a wonderful thing but obviously if you wanted to get married you would have but even having done so would not have been a guarantee that you would have gotten to stay. So would have, should have, could have are of no use to you now.  Thinking this way will cause you to act on impulse and feel sorry for yourself - don't.
 
Look towards what you can do, together.
 
You are going through this but for the US Government, it is not an emotional process, the facts here matter. So try to separate the two as best you can when planning to move forward. Get married or don't the reality is you did something wrong, just as I did, and we must abide the consequences of the rules we broke. Your partner will either understand, work with you through this, or not.
 
I would start to write out your facts someplace, a book, not on here.
Entry dates, travel to the US, when your visa was up, work and when you left.
These will be important to tell to a lawyer and an officer and for your applications.
The dates cannot be vague, cannot change and must be truthful.
 
If you choose to lie or misrepresent anything on official documents it will only make things worse.
Right now you might be emotionally hurting, but if you two truly love each other, do this right so you can do the whole happy ever thing.....
 
Oh and by the by, the tone of some message here that were removed, expect those from anyone you tell your story too, including US officers, because no matter how much you fell in love with a City or  person, the law abiding citizens of the world had to follow the rules and wait .... do not ever expect sympathy or feel you have any rights to claim injustice.
 
There is a lot of sadness out there in the world and come waiver time you are going to come to realize that 'being apart' from the one you love is a rain drop in the sea of misery.
 
This will not be easy but it can be done.
 
 
 
 
 

Against my better judgement I am going to respond again.
 
I appreciate what Caliliving is saying but I strangely find it important enough to note - you did not research what could happen and then plan to marrying someone to stay.  Love is grand and is  a wonderful thing but obviously if you wanted to get married you would have but even having done so would not have been a guarantee that you would have gotten to stay. So would have, should have, could have are of no use to you now.  Thinking this way will cause you to act on impulse and feel sorry for yourself - don't.
 
Look towards what you can do, together.
 
You are going through this but for the US Government, it is not an emotional process, the facts here matter. So try to separate the two as best you can when planning to move forward. Get married or don't the reality is you did something wrong, just as I did, and we must abide the consequences of the rules we broke. Your partner will either understand, work with you through this, or not.
 
I would start to write out your facts someplace, a book, not on here.
Entry dates, travel to the US, when your visa was up, work and when you left.
These will be important to tell to a lawyer and an officer and for your applications.
The dates cannot be vague, cannot change and must be truthful.
 
If you choose to lie or misrepresent anything on official documents it will only make things worse.
Right now you might be emotionally hurting, but if you two truly love each other, do this right so you can do the whole happy ever thing.....
 
Oh and by the by, the tone of some message here that were removed, expect those from anyone you tell your story too, including US officers, because no matter how much you fell in love with a City or  person, the law abiding citizens of the world had to follow the rules and wait .... do not ever expect sympathy or feel you have any rights to claim injustice.
 
There is a lot of sadness out there in the world and come waiver time you are going to come to realize that 'being apart' from the one you love is a rain drop in the sea of misery.
 
This will not be easy but it can be done.
 
 
 
 
 

Against my better judgement I am going to respond again.
 
I appreciate what Caliliving is saying but I strangely find it important enough to note - you did not research what could happen and then plan to marrying someone to stay.  Love is grand and is  a wonderful thing but obviously if you wanted to get married you would have but even having done so would not have been a guarantee that you would have gotten to stay. So would have, should have, could have are of no use to you now.  Thinking this way will cause you to act on impulse and feel sorry for yourself - don't.
 
Look towards what you can do, together.
 
You are going through this but for the US Government, it is not an emotional process, the facts here matter. So try to separate the two as best you can when planning to move forward. Get married or don't the reality is you did something wrong, just as I did, and we must abide the consequences of the rules we broke. Your partner will either understand, work with you through this, or not.
 
I would start to write out your facts someplace, a book, not on here.
Entry dates, travel to the US, when your visa was up, work and when you left.
These will be important to tell to a lawyer and an officer and for your applications.
The dates cannot be vague, cannot change and must be truthful.
 
If you choose to lie or misrepresent anything on official documents it will only make things worse.
Right now you might be emotionally hurting, but if you two truly love each other, do this right so you can do the whole happy ever thing.....
 
Oh and by the by, the tone of some message here that were removed, expect those from anyone you tell your story too, including US officers, because no matter how much you fell in love with a City or  person, the law abiding citizens of the world had to follow the rules and wait .... do not ever expect sympathy or feel you have any rights to claim injustice.
 
There is a lot of sadness out there in the world and come waiver time you are going to come to realize that 'being apart' from the one you love is a rain drop in the sea of misery.
 
This will not be easy but it can be done.
 
 
 
 
 

I have a 10 year bar for an overstay.
 
I am however married to my husband, not engaged and he is obviously the US Citizen. We chose to use a lawyer for the whole process.
 
We did the CR1 application (because we are married ) from start to end it took 10 months. As expected and as it was explained to me I was refused a visa at the end of my interview.  
 
My I-601 waiver was being prepared while I waited.  I expect the waiver process to take just as long. 
 
Now my lawyer costs were reasonable for me and I believe a lot of couples successfully file the first part  application on their own.  A K1 visa application that needs a waiver does happen -  application first and then waiver, in that order. 
 
However  .... this is my opinion only  .... knowing that I was going to have to file a waiver I wanted consistency in my paper work.  I paid for the advice of lawyers to keep me focused and not make mistakes that could have prolonged or damaged my chances more than I already had. I did not want the burden of saying or filing something that could hurt my chances down the road or at my interview. 
 
There's advice all over the Internet but those people are not accountable to me or my circumstance.  
 
Talk over things with your fiance and whatever you do as hard as it is think long term not instantaneously. 
 
Good luck! 
 

Against my better judgement I am going to respond again.
 
I appreciate what Caliliving is saying but I strangely find it important enough to note - you did not research what could happen and then plan to marrying someone to stay.  Love is grand and is  a wonderful thing but obviously if you wanted to get married you would have but even having done so would not have been a guarantee that you would have gotten to stay. So would have, should have, could have are of no use to you now.  Thinking this way will cause you to act on impulse and feel sorry for yourself - don't.
 
Look towards what you can do, together.
 
You are going through this but for the US Government, it is not an emotional process, the facts here matter. So try to separate the two as best you can when planning to move forward. Get married or don't the reality is you did something wrong, just as I did, and we must abide the consequences of the rules we broke. Your partner will either understand, work with you through this, or not.
 
I would start to write out your facts someplace, a book, not on here.
Entry dates, travel to the US, when your visa was up, work and when you left.
These will be important to tell to a lawyer and an officer and for your applications.
The dates cannot be vague, cannot change and must be truthful.
 
If you choose to lie or misrepresent anything on official documents it will only make things worse.
Right now you might be emotionally hurting, but if you two truly love each other, do this right so you can do the whole happy ever thing.....
 
Oh and by the by, the tone of some message here that were removed, expect those from anyone you tell your story too, including US officers, because no matter how much you fell in love with a City or  person, the law abiding citizens of the world had to follow the rules and wait .... do not ever expect sympathy or feel you have any rights to claim injustice.
 
There is a lot of sadness out there in the world and come waiver time you are going to come to realize that 'being apart' from the one you love is a rain drop in the sea of misery.
 
This will not be easy but it can be done.
 
 
 
 
 

I have a 10 year bar for an overstay.
 
I am however married to my husband, not engaged and he is obviously the US Citizen. We chose to use a lawyer for the whole process.
 
We did the CR1 application (because we are married ) from start to end it took 10 months. As expected and as it was explained to me I was refused a visa at the end of my interview.  
 
My I-601 waiver was being prepared while I waited.  I expect the waiver process to take just as long. 
 
Now my lawyer costs were reasonable for me and I believe a lot of couples successfully file the first part  application on their own.  A K1 visa application that needs a waiver does happen -  application first and then waiver, in that order. 
 
However  .... this is my opinion only  .... knowing that I was going to have to file a waiver I wanted consistency in my paper work.  I paid for the advice of lawyers to keep me focused and not make mistakes that could have prolonged or damaged my chances more than I already had. I did not want the burden of saying or filing something that could hurt my chances down the road or at my interview. 
 
There's advice all over the Internet but those people are not accountable to me or my circumstance.  
 
Talk over things with your fiance and whatever you do as hard as it is think long term not instantaneously. 
 
Good luck! 
 

I have a 10 year bar for an overstay.
 
I am however married to my husband, not engaged and he is obviously the US Citizen. We chose to use a lawyer for the whole process.
 
We did the CR1 application (because we are married ) from start to end it took 10 months. As expected and as it was explained to me I was refused a visa at the end of my interview.  
 
My I-601 waiver was being prepared while I waited.  I expect the waiver process to take just as long. 
 
Now my lawyer costs were reasonable for me and I believe a lot of couples successfully file the first part  application on their own.  A K1 visa application that needs a waiver does happen -  application first and then waiver, in that order. 
 
However  .... this is my opinion only  .... knowing that I was going to have to file a waiver I wanted consistency in my paper work.  I paid for the advice of lawyers to keep me focused and not make mistakes that could have prolonged or damaged my chances more than I already had. I did not want the burden of saying or filing something that could hurt my chances down the road or at my interview. 
 
There's advice all over the Internet but those people are not accountable to me or my circumstance.  
 
Talk over things with your fiance and whatever you do as hard as it is think long term not instantaneously. 
 
Good luck!