USC1961

1 hour ago, notantifun said:

Sounds like it's her kid. If I want to help coz I've got a big heart I don't have to put my name on the kid's birth certificate. I'd buy the formula, give money, etc. You sure you're not being duped? Story sounds like an absolute BS if you ask me.

1 hour ago, notantifun said:

This is what they call stimulated birth. It's what desperate couples with little money do to have a kid without having to do the expensive adoption. It's basically black market for buying/selling babies.

I understand the skepticism but I checked it out.  It's not her kid, she doesn't even have the ability to have kids for one.  Also this was not someone selling their kid, this was a sincere gesture on the part of my fiancee to help a friend. 

20 minutes ago, Sagot said:

I know of a few situations like this.  Sadly this is a fairly common practice in the Philippines.  - And yes the embassy IS very aware of it practice.

 

Do not list child on the I-129F, you are only asking for lots of problems down the road.  Serious problems.   The child is not a biological child, the adoption was not done through official channels ...    And that says it all. 

This is the sense I got after doing my homework, it is fairly common.  And yes, not listing the child is what we have discussed and decided not to do.  Just wanted to check my sanity.

2 hours ago, Greenbaum said:

She should get the necessary paperwork corrected.  Word of wisdom. BE CAREFUL of what you are getting yourself into.  You have the time now to correct, research and if need be RUN.  Don't start the K1 till you have this sorted out.  It's very hard to correct this from the US.  So get it done before she leaves the Philippines.  Just some advice.

TY for this solid piece of advice.  Better to nip this in the bud now to prevent something going wrong in the future.

I remember reading something about this topic a while back, but couldn't find it through a search, hence the new thread.  On to the topic at hand...

My fiancee a few months before we met, agreed to financially help a friend take care of her newborn son.  She did this since the mom was already way over her head with 6 other kids.  Long story short the midwife listed my fiancee as the mom on the birth certificate application, instead of the mom.  Since this really isn't her kid and not a legal adoption so to say, do we need to list him on the K-1 visa application? 

All good questions.  However best advice is to ask your local clerk of courts what the steps are, as each county and state in the USA has different policies and laws concerning marriage.  Good luck!!

You are overthinking this, the CO is not even going to bat an eye.   What they will be interested in is what his background was like in Morocco. 

3 hours ago, Boiler said:

I doubt if there is anywhere that meets the OP's requirement in the US.

13 hours ago, NuestraUnion said:

Sounds like you definitely need to be near a support system (friends and family). Would you be better off returning to your home country that may provide support? 

Best pieces of advice by far on this thread.  Time for a reality check: The OP has no support system  a very poor job outlook and a toddler that requires more than the usual full time care.  Even supposing she qualifies for all the benefits social services had to offer, it would simply not be enough.  Total disaster waiting to happen. 

OP, it's still warm and humid in Florida.  It's in your best interest to go home, I'm afraid you won't receive much help here.  Good luck!!

7 hours ago, Dutchster said:

OP, the USCIS does not expect you to fly your whole family in. Courthouse weddings are extremely common and the USCIS knows that. Therefore it's really not a problem. decisions are made fairly often by us K-1 people. Courthouse first and an actual wedding later so do not stress over that part.

True, the concern is not so much having everyone at the wedding.  What is however is keeping the parents completely in the dark.  If not only from a USCIS perspective but moreso from a relationship perspective.  It will put undue strain on the marriage.   

To the OP:  It's good that you are asking the right questions and getting a feel for how it will all work.  But may I suggest that you consider the option of waiting until your fiancee is financially stable before making such a big decision?  You are putting a big burden on her and her friend while you and your fiancee haven't even graduated college.  And it sounds like her parents aren't 100% on board either.  What does this all mean?  It means if things go wrong there will be no one to back you up.    

It's difficult enough to start a marriage on the right foot.  And the #1 reason couples get divorced in the USA is because of money issues. There is the possibility a CO may take this and your situation into account when you apply for the K-1.  Waiting a year or two would make things much easier.  If I had to guess her parents would be much more in favor of the whole situation knowing you two are stable financially.  And it would also allow you to have a much nicer wedding with family etc.    Good Luck!!

5 hours ago, geowrian said:

There's no "expedite" here. You are permitted to request an inquiry at any time, and once you are out of normal processing times (~6 months for the I-129F), you are more likely to get a response for a reason for the delay. Most I-129Fs are taking 3-4 months to be adjudicated, not 6 months. There's no gaming the system here.

I'll agree with your point on the inquiry (I got a bit carried away with my post.)  But I still would not write my congressman right off the bat.  What I meant by expedite was being a bit too hasty with that pen.  Nice to know you have an ace up your sleeve.

58 minutes ago, llaz said:

Has anyone had any experience with writing to their congressman or doing a USCIS case inquiry? We are thinking of writing right at about 6 months of waiting or once the USCIS changes their processing cases date to after our received date. 

How long does each one take for a response (I thought I saw someone say that they opened a case inquiry and USCIS said give them 30 days and they never heard from them even after the 30 days)? Which is faster? Which one is more effective? 

I'm not sure I understand completely.  Are you saying once you hit the 6 month mark after submitting your K-1, that you are automatically going to write your congressmen?  Just to get your case "expedited" so to say?   If so I disagree with this tactic.  Hold off for if/when you really need their help.  And just opening a case inquiry for no reason other than trying to game the system hurts the rest of us in the long run.

3 hours ago, Kevin&Kanyanat said:

Include the photos of you both. I put mine in a photo album format. I went so far as to put the date and location of each one. Probably overkill. If you're on social media print out pictures of your Facebook posts of public messages you sent back and forth and things you've tagged each other in. I would even print out comments if people have made. Such as the cliche "oh you look so cute together". 

Print out all emails and texts you've sent back and forth.  Be that through iMessages, Facebook or any other messaging app. I have over 1,000 pages of texts. Again probably over kill but it shows the contact this is not an all inclusive list and I'm sure others would have suggestions as well. All said I am probably going to make Fed Ex's year when I send all of this. It weighs damn near 4 pounds. I killed some trees

Most definitely overkill, as no one is even going to bother to read 20 pages let alone 1,000.  And if your chats are anything like ours, a lot of it sounds like the Howard Stern show.  Not a good idea to submit those conversations. 

19 hours ago, FN&KO said:

If there's no valid path to adjustment then there wouldn't be the ability for her to adjust after her daughter is a US citizen. 

 

Overstaying her visa is not fraud, it's just illegal. 

Quote

Non-cash benefits (other than institutionalization for long-term care) are generally not taken into account for purposes of a public charge determination.

ACA (Affordable Care Act) in your case is a fancy term to describe subsidized health care plans.  So unless they determine that your mom will need long-term care you can't afford, you are good to go.

13 hours ago, FN&KO said:

It's only visa fraud if her intent when she traveled here was to never go home.   Otherwise, it's just a change of plans. 

 

OP, of course it will be your burden to prove such. 

Not so.  This isn't a case of someone marrying a USC while on vacation.  It is fraud because the mom will knowingly be overstaying her tourist visa when there is no valid path to adjustment.   Whether that was her intent or not while entering doesn't matter in this instance.  Although if it was done with intent it would make the fraud even more severe.

47 minutes ago, milimelo said:

If she's your spouse how do you intend to claim BAH if she's not living with you? Spouses can live on bases even if they're foreigners.

They aren't married yet, just engaged. 

I would look into some local credit unions as opposed to the big traditional banks.  They are usually much more customer friendly. 

5 hours ago, Traceratops said:

@FN&KO Hi again! Can you help me with how you printed the passport photo? I've asked various photo stations like Walgreens and Fedex/Kinkos but they keep telling me there's no way to print a digital photo in passport size, only to use their passport photo service. Obviously I know there is a way, but I don't have a photo printer and I want to make sure it's the right quality for the application. How did you go about printing your fiance's photo?

You are asking the right question but in the wrong places.  Fed/Ex/Kinkos and Walgreens (even though they have a photo department) aren't in the photography business.  And to be honest, you could do it on your own, but the fact you are asking how to print it out means you would have a heck of time accomplishing the task.  Your best bet would be to find a photographer in your area, or drop into a portrait studio.  Just ask around, you'll be surprised how quickly one can be found.   They would have the equipment and means to get the job done in no more than a few minutes.  Yeah they may charge you $5-10, but IMO it's worth not having to pull your hair out.  One less thing to stress about.  Good luck!  

To the OP, take a deep breath and don't rush into making any rash decisions.  Yes the process is long and being away from someone you love is tough.  But (and this may sound counter intuitive) sit back and enjoy the upcoming months of being single.  In other words instead of worrying about how much time the process is taking, fill up your free time doing things you enjoy.  It will make the process seem that much less stressful.  Good luck hope you hear something soon!

9 minutes ago, Rezaf_2000 said:

If one's income is much more than the required (poverty) level, does he or she still need to report ALL their financial assets? Or only to show "enough" income / assets?

 

For some people listing ALL their financial assets would require tens of pages and supporting document, while their income and main bank account could be enough. My question is, is it required to disclose ALL of one's assets to file a I-134 form?

 

 

Nope, if your income is enough then anything else is redundant and time consuming. 

54 minutes ago, janet3 said:

I have recently filed the I 129f and have received the NOA1. I am trying to get the paperwork ready for the I 134 (I am visiting my fiance next week in Algeria). My question is.....my 2015 tax return says I meet the 125% but just by  $500....but that is my salary I receive and report on my personal tax return (I own my own business and take a salary) But......through a family trust I actually receive an additional  $15000 a year in rent. That $15000 is not recorded on my personal tax return since the taxes are paid through the trust. My question is....do I list the additional income on the 134 and if so.....where? And what documentation do I need to provide? Thank you for all of your help!

Sounds like you won't need it.  However if you have a nice sized savings account, proof of that can help.  If not for the K-1, down the road when AOS comes up.  Good luck!

This sounds like a new subplot for a modern version of Casablanca....

31 minutes ago, Moknroll said:

Try using this tracking website and see what it says 

https://www.17track.net/en

Not to be out of place here, but that website isn't going to help with tracking a simple USPS shipment.  Nor is it going to help with finding out the status of an application when it is already in the hands of USCIS.  If I had to guess, it's a spam post. 

3 minutes ago, caliliving said:

YES;) 

 

I ment to quote the one you responded to - my bad!  you explained it well!  

All good, thanks for re-emphasizing. 

People should rehearse what they are going to say beforehand.  The Visa Journey is long and tiring.  On top of that It can be nerve racking to finally arrive and have an immigration officer asking questions.  Better to be prepared than not.  

Isn't that what I just said.....

5 hours ago, JulieinMD said:

If he had said, "I really want to marry her but we haven't set a date yet", would that have changed what happened?

I don't see that as a problem at all.   Key word here is "intent."  A better answer would simply be I'm here to marry my Fiance(e).  And then if the CBP officer asks "What day do you plan to marry?"  Or "Do you have a date set?"    Then you could say "We tentatively plan to marry on (fill in date range here), we are still planning to make sure friends and family can attend."   Last thing you want to do is be ambivalent and give an indication that you may not marry. 

Entering on a tourist visa with intent to marry and stay in the USA is considered fraud.  The right thing to do would be to either apply for a K-1 Fiance visa and then marry here in the USA. Or alternatively marry in the UK and apply for a CR-1 Spousal visa.  There are numerous threads concerning this subject on visajourney.  Also reading the guides will give you an idea of both visa types.  Good Luck!