Sher&Alex

Hi-

You can go visit your fiance, especially because you just started the process. But it's not recommended when you are close to the final interview at US embassy.

I visited several time my fiancée during the process, I have been honest to the officer at airport, and I could always enter to the US.

What you shall respect to avoid some eventual problem at the airport : never lie to an officer, show him you have not the intention to stay in the USA over your visitor stay, show him some documents which prove you must come back in your country (rental home, job, school, etc).

Have fun with your fiancé !

Hi Everyone,

My fiance and I are just starting the whole K1 process. I'm in Canada and he's in the US. One (of the many..lol) questions that I have is can I stay with him in the US (as a visitor) while we go through this process. I understand that I would have to return up here to complete the process but I lost my job and don't feel like sitting here waiting for months to go by when I could be down there spending time with him and his family. Usually when I fly down there I don't advise that I'm going to see my fiance since I usually stay at a Casino Hotel I just say I'm going to gamble but if I go for a longer period of time there may be a red flag.

I have read conflicting online stories about this and I want to be sure I am aloud to do this before booking a flight.

Thanks for taking the time to read this post!

Signed....nervous but "very excited"

Kat

what does mean AP? Application?

Just to let you know, I have filed k-1 for the same beneficiary two times. Our first time was in 2007 and she arrived in 2008. Because of unforseen circumstances, she had to return to her home country before our wedding date. Those circumstances were taken care of some months later and by early 2009 we were ready to "try again". We filed in early May 09. I filed everything exactly like I did the first time except I wrote a letter explaining the reasoning behind the first visa and why we could not marry at that time. Our approval was pretty much in the same time frame as 2007. The only difference is because I filed before, I was placed into a data base of multiple filers. This seemed to be the cause that a few times we were placed into A.P. Once was at the NVC level and the second was at the Embassy level at our interview. Luckily our AP lasted a very short time in each case (2 days at NVC and 4 days for the Embassy). I hope sharing our story might help you in some way.

Oh very nice, your story reassures us.

Thank you so much

Just to let you know, I have filed k-1 for the same beneficiary two times. Our first time was in 2007 and she arrived in 2008. Because of unforseen circumstances, she had to return to her home country before our wedding date. Those circumstances were taken care of some months later and by early 2009 we were ready to "try again". We filed in early May 09. I filed everything exactly like I did the first time except I wrote a letter explaining the reasoning behind the first visa and why we could not marry at that time. Our approval was pretty much in the same time frame as 2007. The only difference is because I filed before, I was placed into a data base of multiple filers. This seemed to be the cause that a few times we were placed into A.P. Once was at the NVC level and the second was at the Embassy level at our interview. Luckily our AP lasted a very short time in each case (2 days at NVC and 4 days for the Embassy). I hope sharing our story might help you in some way.

Thank you for your answer. My revalidated visa is expired since 15 oct. 09. Consulate told us we must re apply. My fiancée and I just want ot know if any couple here already got a second visa K1 approved and what circumstances in.

Yes I have the documents of police.

Thank you

I would try to make an appointment or get in touch via email, phone, with the US consulate who issued the visa in the first place. Maybe they have a possibility to reissue the visa without going through the whole process again. Take the police report, etc. to proof what you are stating.

Wishing you luck.

Sib

Thank you for your answer. The consulate already told to my fiancée we must reapply because my visa K1 revalidated is expired. We decided I don't use our second approved visa because we realised we lost too much money and it wasted our wedding plan in knowing we have a baby and it costs a lot of money. So, my fiancée moved to her parents to save money while I make money again in France. It's especially a problem of money because we thought get my visa in may09 then I stopped my job in may but unfortunately I got approved in july and my credi card has been hacked in july. When I went to complain at police station in the Us, they told they could do nothing for me because my bank is French and also because we could not know where my credit card has been frauded. In the meam time my bank sent an mail in asking me to complain at the French police if not they consider I am the person who spend money that somone stolen me. Like my fiancée and I were not married yet, I came back to France to complain at the police in the city of my mother.

A crazy story, grrrr

Hi everybody,

I am seeking for people here who already applied for a second K1 after got approved a first visa K1.

i got approved at Paris last July 09 and I went to US the same month. Unfortunately, my credit card has been hacked in the US and my bank was thinking I spent this money. So I came back to France to complain to the police and stop the problem. We were not still married with my fiancée. This bad story changed all our plans about money, especially wedding, childcare for our baby, I stopped to wark in France in may09. I got the revalidation of my visa K1 but it was short to get married and we lost too much money since may09, then and we decided I stay in France for some months, just the time to make enough money. Grrrrr, what horrible story

Ok, now, we have to re apply and we would like to know the same experiences from people here. We wonder if USCIS may not approved again our case.

Thank you in advance for your answer.

Have a nice day

You need to get things in order and follow a plan. I do not understand why you would have had to go to France to file a police report..but anyway, neither here nor there. While I cannot claim any similar circumstances to yours, K-1s have been re-petitioned for by many people successfully. Your fiancee will have to include a waiver request with the petition. You can try the consulate but sounds like you exhausted that route.

You really need to make a plan, understand the process, follow that plan and do not deviate. Revalidating the visa and THEN not using it (which by your time description the visa may still be valid) is a really bad idea. You will not be able to petition a new visa if you currently have a valid visa. You seem to keep shooting yourself in both feet. Put the gun down. Stop shooting.

Slow down, decide, study and follow the plan.

Hi everybody,

I am seeking for people here who already applied for a second K1 after got approved a first visa K1.

i got approved at Paris last July 09 and I went to US the same month. Unfortunately, my credit card has been hacked in the US and my bank was thinking I spent this money. So I came back to France to complain to the police and stop the problem. We were not still married with my fiancée. This bad story changed all our plans about money, especially wedding, childcare for our baby, I stopped to wark in France in may09. I got the revalidation of my visa K1 but it was short to get married and we lost too much money since may09, then and we decided I stay in France for some months, just the time to make enough money. Grrrrr, what horrible story

Ok, now, we have to re apply and we would like to know the same experiences from people here. We wonder if USCIS may not approved again our case.

Thank you in advance for your answer.

Have a nice day

thank you so uch for this information!

aie aie aie... thank you for your answers. How do you know about the possibility to revalidate the K1? Did you already have or to know a similare experience like this?

My fiancee and I are collapsed... Whe have a little boy who is just 2 months ago ... I had a problem of bank, my credit card has been hacked in US and it was complicated to handle this situation from the US. I just got today the police record in France. I came back in emergency cause I was afraid to lose the money I saved hard to get Us and take of the baby... What drame

Check the last item on the FAQ at http://www.visajourney.com/faq/k1k2visa-enter.html and this recent thread: http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=200111

Contact your consulate, and be prepared to have your US citizen fiance contact his congressman and/or senators for assistance.

Good luck!

aie aie aie... thank you for your answers. How do you know about the possibility to revalidate the K1? Did you already have or to know a similare experience like this?

My fiancee and I are collapsed... Whe have a little boy who is just 2 months ago ... I had a problem of bank, my credit card has been hacked in US and it was complicated to handle this situation from the US. I just got today the police record in France. I came back in emergency cause I was afraid to lose the money I saved hard to get Us and take of the baby... What drame

Hello everybody,

I got visa K1 in july 2009 and got US the 17 July. I came back to my country 10 August and I hear I cannot to re-enter in the US now? That is true? My fiance and I didn't apply for marriage yet. I guess it's not possible after mariage until get the Greencard?

Thank you for your help

The K-1 is a single-entry visa. If you leave before marrying AND applying for adjustment of status AND receiving your green card or advance parole, you cannot enter again on the K-1.

You can apply to the consulate that issued your K-1 visa (Paris, I'm assuming?) to revalidate it. In certain circumstances (usually bona fide emergencies) they will do this, though they are under no obligation to do so. To have a chance at this, you will have to show that there was a compelling reason for you to depart the US before marrying and applying for AOS. Further, the revalidation does not reset the clock—the visa will only be good for the remainder of the 90 day period that began when you first entered (17 July).

If this doesn't work, you will have to start over with a new I-129F or marry outside the US and file an I-130 for CR-1 status.

Hello everybody,

I got visa K1 in july 2009 and got US the 17 July. I came back to my country 10 August and I hear I cannot to re-enter in the US now? That is true? My fiance and I didn't apply for marriage yet. I guess it's not possible after mariage until get the Greencard?

Thank you for your help

Thank you very much :-)

No, it won't have any effect whatsoever. Have a nice trip.

Moving to General Immigration Discussion.

Hi everybody !

I am French and live in France and wait the letter from US Ambassy about the date of interview. I need to flight to Roumania (in Europe like France) this weekend. Normaly I don't need of my passport because it's the Europe, only my French identity card is enough.

I would like to know if it can bother the process of visa K& so close of the interview because I filled out in the forms all the countries where I went to.

Thank you in advance for your answers.

Have a nice day

Congratulations! I don't think it will be a problem to get the visa being pregnant. My fiancee is pregnant too and will delivery 12th of July, so, regarding the current time processing, I should not be able to be with her for the birht :-( I miss the best of her pregnancy and cannot take care of her. It's really hard but we don't have the choice. In fact, we lost almost 2 months at NVC because of some additional review and now the US ambassy at Paris is overloaded...

Good luck

Hi all,

I'm the beneficiary, I just found out last week I'm pregnant. My husband is not very happy for few reasons.

He thinks if we get stuck at NVC stage as it has happened to other people, then pregnancy would not be good for our situation. He does not want to be away from the baby, he wants to share first emotions with me, too.

Another reason is the medical test for the interview. They will find out I'm pregnant. Could the medical prevent me getting a visa somehow?

I just wanna hear different opinions here and personal experience.

Thank you all, much love, Ani

Hi everybody-

After I have received the packet 3, I have filled out all the forms (DS-156, DS156K, DS157, letter of Engagement to marry...) but I have not signed yet them. So, I sent the DS-2001 to US ambassy to get a scheduled interview but I wonder when have I to sign and date the forms? Now or just before the interview of once I will know the date?

Thank you in advance.

Have a nice day everybody!!!

Thank you very much for your answers. I will explain to US Ambassy at Paris the situation.

Have a nice day

Hi everybody,

Does anyone knows if it is possible to travel to US while interview preparing?

My problem :

- My American fiancée is pregnant and must delivery 12th of July.

- NVC told her this week that our case has been sended to US Ambassy at Paris (not received today yet).

- So, I think I should be able to send the packet 4 the last week of May, maybe before.

- The statistics on VJ tells about average time between NVC sent and interview : 58 days... So, does mean I gonna miss the birth of my child, because interview possible after the 12th of July

- Of course I am gonna ask to US ambassy to expedite my date of interview regarding the delivery.

- But if it's not possible to get the interview sooner before delivery, can I travel to US (I have a WVP passport) to be with my fiancée for the birth in julyand come back to France for my interview some days after the birth?

Did anyone already have this frustating experience?

Thank you in advance to share your experiences.

Hi and thank you for your answer.

You're right, unfortunately... NVC told to my fiancée today that our case was not sent then she got a letter from NVC which stated I'll get soon the packet 3 from Paris! In fact our case is undergoing additional review...

Wait and see now...

Hi everybody-

Is it possible to know the statut of our case at the US consulate? NVC sent our case at end of March and I don't still hear about the packet for the interview and don't know date of interview too.

Thank you in advance for your experience !

You first have to be sure the NVC has sent your case on the the consulate. Receiving the letter from the NVC saying they will send it within one week does not mean they have actually done so. I got that letter more than one month ago and my case is still in "additional processing" at the NVC.

Call the NVC (sorry - don't have number handy) to confirm that your case was sent on ... Then call your consulate.

Thank you for your answer.

Yes my fiancée received the letter from NVC. So I think our case is at Paris... but maybe not...

I am going try to call them, we never know!

Hi everybody-

Is it possible to know the statut of our case at the US consulate? NVC sent our case at end of March and I don't still hear about the packet for the interview and don't know date of interview too.

Thank you in advance for your experience !

You first have to be sure the NVC has sent your case on the the consulate. Receiving the letter from the NVC saying they will send it within one week does not mean they have actually done so. I got that letter more than one month ago and my case is still in "additional processing" at the NVC.

Call the NVC (sorry - don't have number handy) to confirm that your case was sent on ... Then call your consulate.

Hi everybody-

Is it possible to know the statut of our case at the US consulate? NVC sent our case at end of March and I don't still hear about the packet for the interview and don't know date of interview too.

Thank you in advance for your experience !

You should not write this letter!!! Even if you are under K1 process, your fiancee can to visit us but must prove to the officer she will come back to her country. So she can tell to the officer at passport control that she comes to visit her boyfriend and that is all. But never lie to the officer, you never know what other questions they can ask you more... Your fiancee just needs to have documents which prove she has a life in her country (job or student, home, bills, etc). If the officers asks her about visa K1, don't lie but do reassure them that your fiancee must go home to continue her life in awaiting news about visa K1.

That was my case last sathurday at NYC in knowing my US fiancee got NOA2 last week!!!

Good luck

My fiance is visiting in 11 days. She will be staying for just over a month and a half (purchasing a wedding dress and whatnot). We have received our NOA1, of which she will obviously be bringing a copy. I was wondering if I should email her a scanned/signed letter for the border official to claim financial responsibility and to support her claim that we know what the hell where doing to avoid her being turned away at the border. My letter goes as follows (rough draft):

To whom it may concern,

I am writing this letter as documentary proof that I, Neil xxxx will be taking full financial responsibility of Salli xxxx for the duration of her trip (4/11/09 - 6/3/09) to Minneapolis, MN. As we are making wedding plans, we are fully aware that we cannot proceed with the actual wedding until her K1 visa is approved. We are also aware that if our I-129F petition is approved before her stay is completed she must return home immediately to proceed with the next phase of the K1 process (medical exam, police certificate, interview, etc.). If we are approved before her intended return to Helsinki, I will be purchasing her a one way ticket home.

Sincerely,

Neil xxxx

Good idea or worthless?

Yes your situation seems to be a little bit complicated cause the job of your boyfriend but anyway, visa K1 or K3 are currently both long process, so you must accepted to wait, that is the painful of everybody here :-(. K3 is longer than K1, statistics shows this on VJ and the US consulate of my city in France confirmed this last year and did advertise me to rather apply for K1.

I think, your problem is to know is you are able, to wait several months before to get a visa. I am not sure but I seems that US soldier can get their application more expedited, so you should find out about this point. I read something like this here and a couple told me this also here. You should also look at onto the USCIS website what are the criteria of Premium process for visa K.

I am sure you will end up to find the best solution

Good luck, Alex

Hello,

I am new here and like most of us, I am seeking for answers. Alex's post caught my attention because I am French aswell.

Here is my situation :

I met my fiancé online a lil bit more than 2 years ago (yes me too, hehe), till we fall in love in March last year. We didnt know at the time if we would ever have a chance, and things going as they were, my boyfriend joined the military and is now in the Air Force since July 2008. After 9 long months of waiting, he finally managed to visit me in Dec.-Jan. and we had a wonderful time. Though now, we cannot bear to be apart anymore.

Now it is my turn to go visit and I have planned to go in May for 3 weeks. What we intended to do was to make a civil union within that time period so that he is granted the permission to live off the base (he is in McGuire AFB, NJ), which is not possible before a year if he is not married (I know, lalala this is so complicated). However, I do NOT intend to stay in the US after this union, I have university exams awaiting for me after my stay in the US, and also my summer job. Both which I cant avoid.

Unfortunatelly, I have found only recently about how much complicated are the conditions to marry a US citizen and be able to stay in the US and now I dont know what to do anymore. Basically I have 2 options :

( a )

- come visit on my VWP time in May, marry him and come back to France as scheduled so that I can deal with all that I have to do here.

- ask for a K3 spouse visa asap (and hope it takes less than 6 months) so that I can come back later to the US with it and then actually ask to stay.

=> But then I do not know if it will be possible or easy to come for short visit while I'm waiting on the K3, how long the process would take (and if we can ask for a military expedit) and all that.

( b )

- ask for a K1 fiancée visa asap and pray for it to be delivered quickly

- come visit in May and do not make any union

- come back and marry him after I obtain my K1 visa.

So here is my dilemna,

- if I take the option of the K1 visa I know my bf wont be able to move out of base so we wont have a place to stay the times I come visit, and both of us are really broke so idk how we could afford to pay the hotel and stuff (cuz I'm not allowed to stay at the dorm but for like a week-end ofc). The other thing is that I dont know when my bf will be deployed and unfortunatelly that may happen when I finally obtain my K1 visa or shortly after. That would be a problem considering after i get married on a K1 visa I need to stay in the US and ask for an AOS and would probably not have it before he gets deployed.

- if I take the option of the K3 visa, he will be able to move out the base (and just as I am writting he received an email saying he got approval for an apartment) and save some money, thought that -same as if K1 option- I would not be able to stay : 1. I dont wanna do visa fraud 2. I need to return in France cuz I'm not done with my stuff before a few months. However, this option seems to be a bit more risky so I dont know what to do.

I know my fiancé would prefer to go the K3 visa way, and tbh he is really much more confident than I am. As for myself, I am really lost and idk what choice to take (cuz in both cases i gotta come back in France anyways) and I dont wanna disappoint him or ruin our projects. I really cant stand being apart anymore and you all know what I mean, and all of that would not be any problem if it wasnt a matter of money (then paying the plane tickets and hotel would be np to do a few times more), but as usual, it is.

So I hope that anyone of you here can provide me interesting info or help cuz I'm really really lost and I need to make a decision quite soon.

Thanks in advance.

Yes the best is to do what they tell on the USCIS website page you found. You can also call the flight company or and at worse, you introduce the I-94w you forgot to give to the flight company to officer next time you will go to US. If you are honest, there is no reason to be deported at a US airport.

So the most important thing to know about I-94w, that is us have to give this part of the green form to flight company desk before the back boarding...

And also, about all the people who have a WAIVER passport, don't forget to fill online (just the first time) the ESTA I-94w : https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/esta/esta.html?_fl...BD-B0E4099F8B3D

Have a nice day to everybody :-)

Hi,

I was in the States in January, and I just realized that I still have the I-94W green paper on my passport. They did not take it out when I left.

Should I send it somewhere? Will this be a problem?

Thank you.

ok I found the answer here:

http://help.cbp.gov/cgi-bin/customs.cfg/ph...amp;p_topview=1

lazy lufthansa check desk

Hello everybody,

Following many questions about this site, I just wanted to share my own experience to reassure some of you about the question: can we go to the U.S. while we wait for approved K visa?

The answer is yes, if you are careful and honest with the officer at the airport. If you stay a short period, that you show a flight back ticket, you fill in the plane the back of the green form I-94W on your return flight, you must return because you have a job in your country, so it will be ok. So, don’t show to the officer that you arrive with the intention to stay in US for un long time, especially as a tourist!

My bad experience was in September 2008 When I came to Philadelphia. The officer was not friendly with me and seemed to seek for some things about me. He asked me my flight back ticket and why I come to the U.S. (I always answer the same thing when I go to US: "I come to visit my girlfriend"). He also asked me lots of questions about my fiancee and even pictures of us ... So, after 10 minutes so long, he asked me to go to the second check point, aie aie I thought I was having cold sweats ... There, another officer asked me the same bunch of questions while tapping on the keyboard of his computer and she did not appear to understand what was happening. After 10 minutes she told me that I had probably forgotten to fill the back of the green form I-94W (flight back info) on my last trip in June 2008... So they thought that I was still in US in their computer system! But the worst is that I had forgotten to fill the back of that damn paper at this trip in September! So, it is successful and the officer let me go, finally... And of course since that experience, I never forget to fill the back of the I-94W about my flight back LOL!

My last experience, more positive, was Saturday 28 March 2009 at the airport of New York Newark. The officer did not seem to be kind rather than the one. He began to ask me the usual questions: how long time you stay in the U.S.? Why you come? Is what my fiancee is American? I immediately felt that he wanted to dig it ... He looked at my passport and saw that I came 8 times to the U.S. and said ironically to me that my relationship with my fiancé must be expensive ... I answered to him, yes with a smile. He asked me where she lives, etc ... and I answered to him with accurate ...

He also asked me when my fiancée and I have the intention to marry? I answered to him that we do not know, unfortunately, because it depends on visa K approved or not… that we sent our petition in October 2008 and recently leart that the NOA2 has been sent by VSC on 25 March 2009, so we hope to be together in June 2009. He told me, ha ok you applied for visa K ... I think he was typing on his computer keyboard at the same time.

He asked me the name of my fiancée and then what is my job, I told him that I am quality engineers in software development ... and it tells me that this is a good job for all these flight travels but always without smile ... I told him, yes it is a good job but I'm going to lose it soon to join my fiancé. So, I don’t remember more other issues and what I told him more. I am really wondering if he could see on his computer our case of K visa because he really gave me the impression that its latest issues related to what Sher and I had filled in the forms of the petition for approval K.

He took my fingerprints and wishes me a good stay with my fiancee, with a slight smile ...

To resume, it is not forbiden to travel to U.S. as a tourist, while while visa K ongoing ☺ I know an another man who did this several times in 2008 and he never had some problems with the officers f passport control.

I have to tell that I have a passport WAIVER, so that does mean that I do not need to ask for tourist visa to travel to USA. I do not know what does happen about the people who don’t have this kind passport and must gets a visa of tourisme.

If you respect the process documents, fill out the paperwork on the plane and especially not to hide anything to American officers at the airports, everything will be ok. Prove them that you will return to your country because you have a job, an apart, so, some real constraints that you do not intend to make a visa fraud! Personally, I always on me to the airport in the U.S., my flight ticket, my contract of work and my last salary documents and photos of my fiancee and me.

It is true that lawyers do not advise to do this and tell that is very risky to do this, because in fact it depends a lot on the officer. But under the conditions that I mentioned before, there is no reason to be deported airport; Just understand the "spirit" of their visa systems.

We hope that experience will help about this question ☺

Good luck to those who wait as we ...

Le Lyonnais

Hi,

I wonder if keep my job until the interview is important to hope get approved visa K ? I would like stop my job between packet 3 an the interview to be able to join my fiancé to US as soon as possible after get the visa.

Thank you in advance fr your answers!

Thanks a lot! I understand better now.

Ps- it's very too long at VSC

packet 3 will be sent to you when it reaches the French embassy, it will contain details of the medical and what forms are required to be sent back straight away and what you need to bring to the interview together with the check list.

Packet 4 is sent to you when they have checked all of your packerwork and give you your interview date.

If you have a look in the guides it will explain it to you better than I can

To be honest with you dont pay to much attention to the dates that are given to you from VSC they give you the longest it will take, most people find that the date given by VJ is the closest date as it is based on what is actually happening

Hi everybody,

Does everyone know what does mean those three steps before interview at consulate ?

Packet 3 Received

Packet 3 Sent

Packet 4 Received

For your information, my American fiancé called VSC last week about processing time. They told her there should be 190 days to process our I-129F

Then, why VJ statistics tells 154 days?

Thank you in advance for your answers !

Alex