cosmopolitan

Everyone,

Thank you so much for prompt replies!!

I am already feeling better now that I know what "touch" means and where i can find it out.

I appreciate your help a lot.

One worry is gone thanks to you all.

This waiting time requires so much patience but I am lucky to have this support network!

Hi,

I often see the word "touch" in the forum. But I never quite understand what it means and how you find out if your petition or document is "touched".

I have gotten NOA1 in mid September and now in the stage of the long wait.

Of course, I often visit the site of Immigration service to see my status but it just says "Initial Review". I never see the word, "touch" there.

Could you please explain what "touch" means and where you can find it.

Thank you so much!!

I need to clarify what i said in my first posting.

I am sure you understood what i had meant but just in case.

my partner filed a petition in early September. Of course, he did not apply for k1 visa though it is part of the whole process.

Currently I am at the waiting stage for NOA2.

Yes, after all it is up to you. I know some people who took the risk and visited the US.

But if i were you i would avoid any risky choices to make in this situation.

You are going to spend the rest of your life with your partner and continue to deal with the US immigration for quite a while.

Hi Craig,

I have applied for K-1 visa in early September this year. I am Japanese and my partner is American.

Since my work requires a lot of travels to the U.S. I hired an American well-experienced immigration lawyer to get the right information.

Too much information is out there. We really have to be selective and smart about it. Also, you need to ask the right person.

I asked my lawyer if I could enter the U.S. for work before my visa is officially issued.

The answer is No. But technically you still could do it under the visa-waiver program for those who are from the allied countries including Japan.

But it is too risky. Very risky. My lawyer highly recommended that I should NOT give it a try even with the documents proving that i am invited to a conference as a speaker, i have a returning ticket to Japan, etc.

Craig, my advice is that it is better to apply for K-1 after your visit to the U.S. in March.

But if you still want to apply soon you might want to check if it is possible for your partner to submit a petition while you are visiting the U.S.

Good luck!

Hi Craig,

I have applied for K-1 visa in early September this year. I am Japanese and my partner is American.

Since my work requires a lot of travels to the U.S. I hired an American well-experienced immigration lawyer to get the right information.

Too much information is out there. We really have to be selective and smart about it. Also, you need to ask the right person.

I asked my lawyer if I could enter the U.S. for work before my visa is officially issued.

The answer is No. But technically you still could do it under the visa-waiver program for those who are from the allied countries including Japan.

But it is too risky. Very risky. My lawyer highly recommended that I should NOT give it a try even with the documents proving that i am invited to a conference as a speaker, i have a returning ticket to Japan, etc.

Craig, my advice is that it is better to apply for K-1 after your visit to the U.S. in March.

But if you still want to apply soon you might want to check if it is possible for your partner to submit a petition while you are visiting the U.S.

Good luck!

I just joined the community and it is truly a relief to read all the messages. Thank you!

I have been feeling the same way - unfocused, unstable, and impatient.

I am a young scholar specializing in globalization and it is quite ironic that I am personally facing the thickest wall of "nation-state" in the age of "globalization".

It is in deed harsh to be away from your loved one and you cannot meet in person.

In addition, you do have no control over the process. This is quite frustrating.

Also, I find it very challenging to plan my work because I have to visit the US for meetings. But my immigrant lawyer strongly suggested that I should not enter the country until the visa process completes. Anyway, let's continue to be patient and positive. Don't forget that you are not alone!