Pedro Thiago

I am a November filer for the K1 and I am (hopefully) expecting to receive an NOA2 (or an RFE) at some point soon. My fiance's phone number in Kyrgyzstan just changed and I was wondering if it is necessary for me to call USCIS and have them update it. Also, will the embassy contact her by phone or by postal service?

Thank you!

You should wait for the RFE. If you do get an RFE, then you can send in additional evidence, and processing time afterwards is generally pretty short. You'll still be at the front of the line for getting your NOA2. I also realized all of the other things I should have included in my evidence months after sending in the I-129F!

Oh, I would really hope that they wouldn't shut down USCIS. It seems like social security and passport applications were put on hold when this happened in the past, so it seems likely that visa applications would as well. This process is slow enough already! How frustrating it is to deal with these things.

I use Orbitz almost every time I travel, in or out of the country. I find that they usually have the best prices, and they are completely legitimate and reliable. They have good customer service and you can buy fairly extensive travel insurance in case you are worried about anything.

I hope that this is not a completely ridiculous question. I know that it is difficult for the beneficiary to visit the US during the K1 application process and that if they try that they have to prove very strong ties to their country, but is this true at all the other way around? I know it wouldn't make much sense considering that we are applying to bring them to the U.S., but perhaps there is a fear of overstaying if there is a fiance involved? I ask because I am planning on visiting my fiance soon and I'm terrified that there would be some reason to get turned back at the airport after a 24h+ journey.

Thank you!

Pretty much every red flag issue is localized, as to its impact. Race, religion and culture all impact any red flag issue, particularly the reverse age difference issue.

Wow, that's a suprise for me. I hadn't realized all of that was taken into account. My fiance is older than me but by less than 2 years and we are both in our twenties so I don't think it should be too glaring a difference. I guess the evidence of a genuine relationship is most important here though.

Does a red flag for race difference only apply to certain areas? I was under the impression that a very large number of VJ users were married outside of their race. In my case I am in a relationship with a girl of a different race among whom interracial marriages are not terribly common, but I have met my fiance's family and they have given me their full approval and we even developed a good relationship.

Thanks for the advice. I guess I was thinking of more of an 'engagement' party to celebrate a coming marriage but now I see where anything appearing to be a wedding celebration would be discouraged. I am still awaiting a reply from the embassy but if anything, if it would be possible to have a completely informal celebration with no special clothing or ceremonial aspects, just a dinner with some close friends and family, then that would be nice, but if it's not possible I will simply have to bring it up with my fiance and we will have to leave that part out. The most important thing for both of us is simply that she comes to America so that we can have a married life here, so I obviously don't want to do anything to endanger that.

For the most part I agree with nearly everyone’s input. However, if you take the K-1 visa route, do not mention any wedding ceremony within your packet! As well, do not submit any photos of you in a tux let’s say or her in a wedding dress. It is far better to have an “Engagement Party” if you elect a K-1 process. Make certain you include photos of the “Engagement Party” and stay away from any verbiage or notion of a wedding if you decide to go with a K-1. Many have commented on the fact that USCIS picked up on a wedding impression within their paperwork and it caused havoc! Once you have completed the K-1 process, and then received a GC, then you can go back and have an official blessed ceremony. Just my input and experience brought to the discussion table. (Smile) May God Bless.

My intention has always been to get married in the U.S., I just wanted to have a celebration with my fiance and her family in her country as well, not the actual marriage there. I simply wasn't aware that such a celebration could also constitute a 'marriage' per se.

My fiance will be moving to a new address soon, most likely before I receive the NOA2, so I was wondering what I should do about that. I assume the change of address process through the USCIS website applies only to the applicant. Do I need to call or write USCIS?

It depends on the country in question. Some countries do recognize ceremonial weddings as "legal" marriages. An e-mail to the embassy would likely resolve any questions. The recommendation is to not mess with it, or have it confused with an actual marriage, but one shoe does not fit all. Be safe and check with your embassy would be my recommendation.

Thanks for the advice. I did not even realize that a ceremonial marriage could automatically be recognized as a "legal" marriage in some countries, so I have written the embassy for clarification. I do hope it is possible, because I know my fiance will be disappointed otherwise, but I guess there would be no problem with a simple celebration with food and drink if the ceremonial marriage is not possible.

So would I be correct in assuming that a completely ceremonial marriage event without any documents or paper-signing would still be possible while intending to travel on a K1, even if it is of a religious nature? My fiance's family would really like us to observe their traditions but no legal processes would take place.

Being married to an Asian (Nepali) I know and understand this to be true as well. If things are not directly asked, they are sometimes not shared at all.

I am not asian, but I also feel reluctant to share every part about my past relationships with my husband. He does not ask a lot of questions about them (due to his culture) and I don't offer excessive information. I hope to have learned from my past mistakes and not have to relive them.

I don't know this girl's intentions, but when you love someone, sometimes it is scary to tell about things that may cause you to lose them.

This visa thing tends to make us all a little more paranoid about questioning someone's motives.

I agree with the sentiments about Asian (non-exclusive) culture and trying to save face. I had to learn how to communicate with my fiance about things that she didn't necesarily want to talk about, but we have been able to have conversations on serious issues that needed to be discussed even when one or the other of us lost face. I don't think I would be able to trust her if she had been hiding a previous engagement to an American followed up with the decision to marry me in such a short time span. I have a rather frank Thai friend who came over on the K1 who has told me a few horror stories about friends getting their green cards and running wild afterwards. She advised me to think very carefully about the type of girl that I am bringing over to the States. Luckily for me, my fiance was initially surprised and hesitant when I told her I wanted to bring her over to America and she wouldn't make a decision until she had discussed it with her family and friends and thought it over for a few weeks. Looking back, that was the best reaction I could have hoped for, though it wasn't what I expected!

Thanks for the advice about primary evidence! I guess I'm worried because I have little that can absolutely prove that we met in the past two years because all of my receipts only have my name on it and I have nothing to show for her. Also, most of my evidence rests on us having met in Japan and not in her present home country, so I don't know how I can prove that she was also in Japan at that time, though I suppose I can have her mail some evidence if it comes down to it. I have a hotel invoice from Japan showing 2 people, one being me as the one who paid, but her name is not on the invoice. I did include passport stamps and highlighted and labeled itineraries and photos of us together. Well, I guess if I get an RFE now I have a pretty good idea of what further things to look up!

I no longer have my boarding passes from the trips from when I went to visit my fiancee, but I do have my confirmation e-mails for the flights and visas and recent photos from places that would be very unlikely to be in America. Does this seem like sufficient evidence? The longer I have to wait for this NOA2 the more my paranoia works me over.

Thanks!

I miss him too.. Although I just came from Kyrgyzstan (we had a wedding ceremony, but we are not legally married yet), I can't wait to see him again! I can't wait for the day when I see him at the airport *DREAMINGLY*. Every morning when I wake up, I tell myself "I am one day closer to seeing my love!" I am so hoping he would be here by April (keeping my fingers crossed).

Hang in there, guys. I heard that this process used to take at least a year. And some couples right now don't even get approved by the end of their K-1 visa journey because the person at the embassy did not believe the relationship was genuine (how absurd!). We have to believe that our case will go smoothly, and at the end, we will be with our loved ones for the rest of our lives. That's all that should matter now.

I know it's hard to wait this long.. but we have to be strong! I am happy to learn that we are not alone. We are all going through the same stages, and we'll get through this. A year from now, we will be talking about our marriage lives, and how wonderful it is! =)

I wish you all the best of luck and fast approval!

Interestingly enough, my mom went through this process in the 80's and it took her 2 years back then, even though she already had children with my dad. She's another good source of moral support for this journey. Thanks for the positivity, it is important to realize how temporary this situation is and that one day we will all be looking back with our loved ones and remembering how much we went through to be together. Good luck to all!

We only text each other in the mornings and evenings (other times, either I am asleep or he is..)

Occasionally, we call each other..

does this mean I don't have strong feelings for him? I LOVE him a LOT, it's just I don't know what to talk about with him on a daily basis (through skype, for instance - although, he doesn't have internet at home, so he would have to go to the nearest internet club)? We know what each of us doing by means of text messaging.

I'm in a similar situation. My fiancee doesn't have internet so she has to go to the net cafe for us to Skype, and this can be very inconvenient with our schedules. I do text her everyday though, and we talk about four times a week. It would be so nice if she had internet, but I just think, a few decades ago there would have been no way for me to communicate with her in Kyrgyzstan at all. I miss her all the time though.

I last saw my girl in July of 2010 for only two weeks and with current processing times it looks like I won't see her again until at least August of 2011. Those were a wonderful two weeks though and I find myself constantly revisiting pictures and memories and talking about all of the funny things that happened when I met her family. It is very rough having to wait so long, not enjoyable at all, but it must be a true test of love and endurance of our relationship! As tough as it is, we are completely committed to spending our lives together as we have been for the past few years and I have faith in our love. We all have to be strong in this!

Thank you everyone, you've all been so helpful! This website and these forums are a treasure for people going through this process. It's very encouraging to see so many success stories and so much determination from the members.

Hello,

My fiancee lives in Kyrgyzstan and her nearest U.S. consulate is in the capital Bishkek. However, they do not process immigration visas there, which are handled in nearby Almaty, Kazakhstan instead. Should I inform USCIS that she will be applying in Almaty or will the file automatically be forwarded to the nearest consul which handles immigration visas?

BTW, I heard Manila doesn't accept co-sponsors, is this true of other consulates or is it an unusual limitation?

Thank you!!!