samnrong

I'm in the process of doing Adjustment of Status for my wife, and so far just on the forms I spent around $3K. Her trips to embassy, medical exam, vaccinations and travel to US was another $3K. So just to get her here was around $6K. And I've done everything by myself, without help from the lawyers. I'm very happy that I found this forum. It's a gold mine for information.
Many times I've been frustrated with un-clearity of the immigration forms, but simple post on this forum helped me gather all the info that I needed very fast.
I thought that gathering documents and filing forms for K-1 visa was hard, but then came AOS process.
 
So think hard if you can afford to bring her to US.

Word of advice to OP: You need to reset expectations as to overall cost of the process. As others mentioned, it will be much closer to $10K, if not more, than $3K.
 
Just the fees themselves will come close to $3K when you factor in each of the following has fees:
 
I-129f (K-1 Petition) Medical DS-160 (Non-Immigrant Visa) I-485 (AOS) Removal of Restrictions That's not even including things such as plane tickets (you will likely need multiple visits to show bonafide nature of your relationship. With a 12 year age gap, low income, and new relationship (I presume you met online through a dating site?), one 2 week visit may not cut it for purposes of passing the interview (others with more experience with Manila may have a better idea here). Also don't forget plane tickets when she comes to the US and additional expenses associated with adding an additional member to your household (e.g., food, rent, clothes, health insurance, car insurance). She will not be able to work for 6 - 8 months upon arrival most likely, so also you'll need to plan for that.
 
In short, while the actual fees may be only $3K, your total expenses going through the process from filing the K-1 until when she is in the US and able to work are likely in the $10K - $20K range. Unfortunately, this is not a cheap process so best to be aware of everything upfront and plan accordingly.
 
Good luck!

Word of advice to OP: You need to reset expectations as to overall cost of the process. As others mentioned, it will be much closer to $10K, if not more, than $3K.
 
Just the fees themselves will come close to $3K when you factor in each of the following has fees:
 
I-129f (K-1 Petition) Medical DS-160 (Non-Immigrant Visa) I-485 (AOS) Removal of Restrictions That's not even including things such as plane tickets (you will likely need multiple visits to show bonafide nature of your relationship. With a 12 year age gap, low income, and new relationship (I presume you met online through a dating site?), one 2 week visit may not cut it for purposes of passing the interview (others with more experience with Manila may have a better idea here). Also don't forget plane tickets when she comes to the US and additional expenses associated with adding an additional member to your household (e.g., food, rent, clothes, health insurance, car insurance). She will not be able to work for 6 - 8 months upon arrival most likely, so also you'll need to plan for that.
 
In short, while the actual fees may be only $3K, your total expenses going through the process from filing the K-1 until when she is in the US and able to work are likely in the $10K - $20K range. Unfortunately, this is not a cheap process so best to be aware of everything upfront and plan accordingly.
 
Good luck!

Word of advice to OP: You need to reset expectations as to overall cost of the process. As others mentioned, it will be much closer to $10K, if not more, than $3K.
 
Just the fees themselves will come close to $3K when you factor in each of the following has fees:
 
I-129f (K-1 Petition) Medical DS-160 (Non-Immigrant Visa) I-485 (AOS) Removal of Restrictions That's not even including things such as plane tickets (you will likely need multiple visits to show bonafide nature of your relationship. With a 12 year age gap, low income, and new relationship (I presume you met online through a dating site?), one 2 week visit may not cut it for purposes of passing the interview (others with more experience with Manila may have a better idea here). Also don't forget plane tickets when she comes to the US and additional expenses associated with adding an additional member to your household (e.g., food, rent, clothes, health insurance, car insurance). She will not be able to work for 6 - 8 months upon arrival most likely, so also you'll need to plan for that.
 
In short, while the actual fees may be only $3K, your total expenses going through the process from filing the K-1 until when she is in the US and able to work are likely in the $10K - $20K range. Unfortunately, this is not a cheap process so best to be aware of everything upfront and plan accordingly.
 
Good luck!

Word of advice to OP: You need to reset expectations as to overall cost of the process. As others mentioned, it will be much closer to $10K, if not more, than $3K.
 
Just the fees themselves will come close to $3K when you factor in each of the following has fees:
 
I-129f (K-1 Petition) Medical DS-160 (Non-Immigrant Visa) I-485 (AOS) Removal of Restrictions That's not even including things such as plane tickets (you will likely need multiple visits to show bonafide nature of your relationship. With a 12 year age gap, low income, and new relationship (I presume you met online through a dating site?), one 2 week visit may not cut it for purposes of passing the interview (others with more experience with Manila may have a better idea here). Also don't forget plane tickets when she comes to the US and additional expenses associated with adding an additional member to your household (e.g., food, rent, clothes, health insurance, car insurance). She will not be able to work for 6 - 8 months upon arrival most likely, so also you'll need to plan for that.
 
In short, while the actual fees may be only $3K, your total expenses going through the process from filing the K-1 until when she is in the US and able to work are likely in the $10K - $20K range. Unfortunately, this is not a cheap process so best to be aware of everything upfront and plan accordingly.
 
Good luck!

You have a long way to go, meet first , maybe a few visits and see how it goes.

The DS-160 is through the CEAC website of the US government. The fee is paid through CGI website (ustraveldocs) that you use to schedule interview.
 
When you hit complete the DS-160 just gets uploaded to the US government servers. It takes you to a confirmation page with a barcode. Print 2 versions of this confirmation page (English and Chinese). The English version you need for consulate interview and to send back with P3 and the Chinese version you will need to schedule the medical exam. 
 
You can hit “complete” on DS-160 before you receive P3. It will just sit in the system until you complete P3 and schedule interview.

Nothing to worry about. Status changes to AP anytime someone goes into the account to update. The status will jump in and out of AP several times throughout the rest of the process.
 
Only time to worry is if you get denied at the interview and your case is sent to AP because they need further info. 
 
Your current AP is likely because they’re getting ready to send you the P3.

Yup. All communication with the consulate will flow through CGI website. You will also use this website to select the location for pickup of your passport (if you decide to have delivered via EMS for an additional charge or delivered to a CITIC bank location through the consulates courier service) and to track your passport once you’ve been approved subsequent to your interview.

The timeframe for that is entirely unknown.  Could be weeks or months.  Better to go into the interview prepared with all documents than to have to respond to a 221g denial.

Agree with Jorgedig on this one. Since your case is borderline, have co-sponsor documents prepared for the interview. If you’re approved without them then great. If you need them you have them in hand already.
 
Your timeline for processing if you have to send in subsequent to the interview is an absolute best case scenario and I WOULD NOT put much faith behind it.
 
At the interview there are only 2 possible outcomes, approval or denial. In this case you’d be denied for failing to have sufficient evidence that beneficiary will not become a public charge once in the US. You’d then be placed in Administrative Processing and given a chance to overcome this denial by finding a co-sponsor. Once you’re in AP it can be a black hole and there is NO GUARANTEE as to the timeline for how fast your documents will be reviewed. It may be 2 weeks, it may be 6 months. Take a read through the AP forums on here and you’ll see stories of simple issues taking months or years to resolve in AP. One read through those forums and it will become clear to you why you want to avoid AP.
 
I can’t stress strongly enough my suggestion to avoid AP at all costs. Take the co-sponsor documents with you to your interview and save yourself peace of mind.
 
good luck!

The DS-160 is through the CEAC website of the US government. The fee is paid through CGI website (ustraveldocs) that you use to schedule interview.
 
When you hit complete the DS-160 just gets uploaded to the US government servers. It takes you to a confirmation page with a barcode. Print 2 versions of this confirmation page (English and Chinese). The English version you need for consulate interview and to send back with P3 and the Chinese version you will need to schedule the medical exam. 
 
You can hit “complete” on DS-160 before you receive P3. It will just sit in the system until you complete P3 and schedule interview.

It's not quite as simple as "current income", because without sufficient evidence to prove your co-sponsor really does make the income they claim they do, it may be declined. If you put a value there, be sure to show how this value makes sense.
 
This is why submitting enough evidence of self employed income is so important.
 
Profit / Loss statement, earnings statement, accountants letter, and of course those tax documents. 
 
Another good idea would be to go to the bank and get a letter from the manager showing the business bank account balance over the course of the current year (12 months). This isn't to use the balance as an asset, but to show that the income is consistent. If this is managed by a CPA, they would provide that letter.

I suggest you find a good immigration attorney to help handle the matter. Make sure you get one with experience dealing with this matter.
 
Not being able to produce documents does occur and the consulates will accept evidence that such documents can not be produced (i.e., document he hardship). However, this is outside the “normal route” of K-1 issues. When things get complex and unique circumstances arise, having an experienced attorney can make the difference.

I would strongly suggest lining up a co-sponsor. It sounds like even in a best-case scenario his income will be barely above the "guidelines".
 
As others mentioned, these are guidelines, not hard redlines. The CO conducting the interview will make a determination based on the "totality of the circumstances". Being barely above the "guideline" DOES NOT mean that approval is a foregone conclusion. Plenty of people have income slightly above the "guidelines" and still get rejected and a request for co-sponsor.
 
Can you line-up a co-sponsor prior to your interview? It's better to have one and not need one than need one and not have one.
 
Good luck!

I suggest you find a good immigration attorney to help handle the matter. Make sure you get one with experience dealing with this matter.
 
Not being able to produce documents does occur and the consulates will accept evidence that such documents can not be produced (i.e., document he hardship). However, this is outside the “normal route” of K-1 issues. When things get complex and unique circumstances arise, having an experienced attorney can make the difference.

Read carefully. RFE is not asking for original copy of the terms and conditions from the website. The “original” copy refers to the RFE itself, as in “return all support with this ORIGINAL copy
of the RFE on top”. 

Leave this field blank. Then in the Additional Information section state “N/A -  K-1 Visa Applicant”.
 
Basically the “intend/do not intend” question is meant for specific support to be given. For example, if you were sponsoring someone on a student visa and planned to pay their rent and give them money for food.
 
Since the K-1 is marriage based, you will be providing all support since you will be married and all expenses will fall under the marital household. Therefore, this question is N/A for K-1.
 
Some people check “yes” and still put in the additional info. We did not check either box and had no issues. The key point being to add the additional information.

I believe that employment authorization can be filed concurrently with the Form I-485 for no additional charge. The I-751 would be filed after 2 years, but not another I-485. The USCIS website should be able to give you all the instructions on the various forms. Have you checked there?
 
Overall you are looking at additional filing fees over $2K. Immigration is not cheap : )
 
Good luck!

the k1 is only to enter the country to marry, there is no GC at this point
 
after marriage you will file the adjustment of status, the work and travel permits don't cost anything when sent with the i485, so the cost is waived, you don't need to pay for the i765 or i131. there is no adjustment of status after the removal of conditions', since your spouse will be a US Resident
 
before the 2 year gc expires, your spouse must prove once again that your marriage is bonafide to get the 10 year GC. he or she sends the form with the evidence. if all goes well, your spouse will get the 10 year GC
 
 

Leave this field blank. Then in the Additional Information section state “N/A -  K-1 Visa Applicant”.
 
Basically the “intend/do not intend” question is meant for specific support to be given. For example, if you were sponsoring someone on a student visa and planned to pay their rent and give them money for food.
 
Since the K-1 is marriage based, you will be providing all support since you will be married and all expenses will fall under the marital household. Therefore, this question is N/A for K-1.
 
Some people check “yes” and still put in the additional info. We did not check either box and had no issues. The key point being to add the additional information.

It likely matters how long she has lived in the city.
 
I do recommend that you ask the current Gong Zheng Chu whether there is any way they can issue the document if you obtaint he appropriate reports from the local PSB. In my fiancee's case, the Tier 1 Gong Zheng Chu prepared the reports after she obtained the relevant PSB documents from her hometown. This may be worth the ask, as the preparation of the document can take a week, thereby forcing you to stay in the local town for an extended period of time.
 
Does she have any family left in the local town that can help? At the end of the day, I'd suggest just doing whatever the officials tell you to do. From my experience, everyone is helpful and just doing their job. If they say go to the hometown, it's likely because that is what is required and they cannot offer you the document, but can't hurt to ask for further clarification.
 
Good luck!

Additionally, you mentioned that you had an attorney prepare the packet for you. This is a HUGE miss on their part and I would request a refund from them. If they do not offer you a refund, I would report them to the BBB.
 
Since they are advertising themselves as an immigration attorney, this is absolutely something that should not be missed. A simple google search or visit to the VJ forums will show that these letters of intent are critical pieces of the application. In fact, I believe the USCIS website and I-129F form instructions even indicate that this is required evidence. The fact that your attorney missed this is inexcusable for a professional and borders on professional negligence.
 
Personally, I would demand a refund. At a minimum, I strongly suggest that you terminate their services and use a different immigration attorney going forward. The fact that they missed something so simple as this on the I-129F application is a huge red flag and I would not trust them to get anything right whne the potential issues get more complex.
 
Good luck!

Additionally, you mentioned that you had an attorney prepare the packet for you. This is a HUGE miss on their part and I would request a refund from them. If they do not offer you a refund, I would report them to the BBB.
 
Since they are advertising themselves as an immigration attorney, this is absolutely something that should not be missed. A simple google search or visit to the VJ forums will show that these letters of intent are critical pieces of the application. In fact, I believe the USCIS website and I-129F form instructions even indicate that this is required evidence. The fact that your attorney missed this is inexcusable for a professional and borders on professional negligence.
 
Personally, I would demand a refund. At a minimum, I strongly suggest that you terminate their services and use a different immigration attorney going forward. The fact that they missed something so simple as this on the I-129F application is a huge red flag and I would not trust them to get anything right whne the potential issues get more complex.
 
Good luck!

Additionally, you mentioned that you had an attorney prepare the packet for you. This is a HUGE miss on their part and I would request a refund from them. If they do not offer you a refund, I would report them to the BBB.
 
Since they are advertising themselves as an immigration attorney, this is absolutely something that should not be missed. A simple google search or visit to the VJ forums will show that these letters of intent are critical pieces of the application. In fact, I believe the USCIS website and I-129F form instructions even indicate that this is required evidence. The fact that your attorney missed this is inexcusable for a professional and borders on professional negligence.
 
Personally, I would demand a refund. At a minimum, I strongly suggest that you terminate their services and use a different immigration attorney going forward. The fact that they missed something so simple as this on the I-129F application is a huge red flag and I would not trust them to get anything right whne the potential issues get more complex.
 
Good luck!