iampatricias

I filled out the same information I put in my supplement for the DS230 but then the space filled up and wouldn't let me keep typing, so that did it for me.

Good morning all,
It's Saturday and I've just booked my own Montreal interview this week. Of course, my head is full of plans that I'm not allowed to make so here I am on VJ, trying to get informed about the next few weeks.
After browsing through 10 pages of Canada-forum threads looking out for passport wait times, it seems this question comes up pretty regularly but hard facts are somewhat obscured within the posts. Hence, this poll!
Your participation is greatly appreciated and feedback is very welcome!

Your situation is a little complicated but the most important thing is that any and all divorces are legally finalized BEFORE you file any K1 papers, or before you sign any marriage certificates.
The fact that your relationship started before a legal divorce was processed is not a major obstacle for the immigration process as long as the paperwork shows that you are legally single and free to marry before applying for anything else.
I don't know much about how to bring a child over on a K1/CR1 but because your girlfriend was technically married to someone else when she had your child may require paternity testing in addition to the paperwork to bring him/her along.

If they were legally married in PH, they MUST get an annulment before you can file, as both of you must be free to marry the date you file.

Keep this foolishness tucked away in your memory when the next elections come around for your rep and US Senators. No matter the party, they are all guilty of letting things get to this point.

You don't have 90 days. You have 6 months and 90 days. 6 months to USE the visa, then 90 days to get married when you get there. Get the visa, plan the wedding THEN immigrate.

Correct, K-1 applicants schedule their own appointments online. You won't be assigned one.
Call DOS and ask them if Packet 4 has been sent to you and if you are now eligible to schedule an appointment. They have access to foreign consulate's databases. You don't need to have your Packet 4 in hand before scheduling if DOS says you can.
Once eligible, schedule it online through the CSC website at http://usvisa-info.com/en-CA/selfservice/ss_country_welcome.

Evidence of engagement means proof of relationship AND engagement. Having an engagement party isn't necessary. An engagement ring receipt will suffice. Plus, do attach photos of you two together, conversations from Skype, Yahoo Mess, phone bills, text messages, letters and just about everything else you think the CO might find useful. For more info, feel free to reply back. Good luck!

We did the legal ceremony a couple days after my husband arrived with just our immediate families (his parents made it over from the UK). Five months later, we had a big she-bang with all of my (really, really, really big) family and his family/friends from Australia, Scotland, and England. It was great.
One note for the OP: I notice that your fiancee is from Phils. If you look through the Tourist Visa section, people from the Philippines sometimes have difficulty getting tourist visas (or at least they seem to based on this section, particularly young, single women). If it's really important for your fiancee to have friends and family present, it might be better to plan for her to come here, have the legal ceremony, then--once she has AP--go back to her country for the big wedding.

That is just not very helpful advice - "file for a K1 and wait"? "you can have a cosponsor which I'm sure someone would do for you"? "easy for them to tell you that"?
The OP has explained:
1. insufficient income to meet Affidavit of Support requirements
2. NOONE can co sponsor (OP's emphasis)
So "all of these people" have tried to give constructive advice: get a second/third job, re-train for a better job, beg a relative (questionable, and must marry first), or move to the Philippines. We're not trying to "get you down" - these are the options available. "Just file and wait" is not a helpful option.

They're just not helpful, eh?
Well, in any case, I seriously doubt it's a 'denial' because those usually come after RFEs have been traded back and forth - don't panic. To me it looks like it either A) should've been an approval that was mis-keyed like someone mentioned above (because "card production" never happens for I129f petitions but it does for other kinds) or B) it's someone else's card approval that was mistakenly associated with your case number. It's very dumb that the USCIS, who takes care of these petitions, won't take a look at your file and see that the error is on their end and making you wait for the mail is a waste of time.

That is just not very helpful advice - "file for a K1 and wait"? "you can have a cosponsor which I'm sure someone would do for you"? "easy for them to tell you that"?
The OP has explained:
1. insufficient income to meet Affidavit of Support requirements
2. NOONE can co sponsor (OP's emphasis)
So "all of these people" have tried to give constructive advice: get a second/third job, re-train for a better job, beg a relative (questionable, and must marry first), or move to the Philippines. We're not trying to "get you down" - these are the options available. "Just file and wait" is not a helpful option.

Just as a special note too, the K3 is not an option anymore.
For how you'd like to proceed through this relocation process, it sounds like the IR1/CR1 visa (a spouse visa) is more applicable to you. As everyone else has said, you may not apply for K1, marry, and then wait to receive the K1, and then enter the US. The K1 allows fiance(e)s of US citizens to enter the US, marry and stay legally. The IR1/CR1 visa does the same, except it allows a spouse of a US citizen to enter the US and stay.

Ha! Since I'm not yet under Uncle Sam's jurisdiction, I will do as I please while I can!!

As long as you meet the income requirements (and have tax returns and pay stubs to prove it), you don't even have to declare assets and savings, according to senior members on this site.

The likelihood really is the same for K1 and CR1 - I don't think there's any reason the CR1 is more of a sure-thing than the K1 from everything I've read the last few months... For the K1 visa, at the USCIS stage, you only have to prove you've met in person the 2yrs before filing, and at the consular stage, "proof of a bona fide relationship" seems to be less of a concern than for the CR1 visa, in which case you have to provide more evidence that you're engaged in a real marriage relationship, which I personally think is more difficult when you're living apart...
I might be off base on this - if so, I'd be happily corrected!

Not for me! I've had many more "easy" crossings in Fort Erie/Buffalo than in Toronto, plus the airport in Buffalo is much smaller, and less crazy to drive to than Pearson (and in my case, much closer!) Plus you save a ton of money! I mean, we've seen enough of what could go wrong, so don't overpack, print your flight plans and show those border agents you know just what your responsibilities are as an I-129f petitioner.

I remember seeing a thread about this a few months ago and many people opt for a return ticket simply because it is much cheaper!
The trouble at least one person encountered is that they forgot to cancel the return flight and several months later were rejected at some later step because according to flight records, they "had left the country"! In fact, the airline had sold their seat to someone else but had not changed the seat assignment record, so this poster was actually on file as having been on the flight though he (or she?) was not there. The suggestions from everyone in that thread were to book the return flight as far in advance as you can (6 months?), cancel the return portion promptly, and print confirmation of the cancellation should something like that come up with you.

How long has she been talking about postponing the wedding to be able to have a bigger/better one next year? If this has just come up in the last day or two, I really would just give her a couple of days to consider the options and what she really can and can't live without.
From personal experience, I find in the heat of a discussion that I want to win, I say things are perfectly reasonable or else entirely impossible one day and after venting with a few friends (who try to gently set me straight), and deliberating about the reality of a situation, sometimes my perspective changes.
If she is a reasonable person she will face the reality of your situation soon enough - she might not be able to have her "dream wedding" in August, but she can still have a beautiful wedding for $3500. Like others have said, it's just "stuff" after all, but these are memories especially SHE will cherish for a long time, so she has to figure out what she can ultimately be happy with.
I wouldn't go throwing out ultimatums about your relationship yet, though (unless this has been going on for months). Almost everyone fights about money during wedding planning.

Hmm, that is a difficult position... maybe let her think it over for a couple of days and see if parents don't come forward with some money. Many of my friends hold a "Stag and Doe" party, like an engagement party, with drinks and games and prizes to fundraise for their weddings. Or maybe she'll be able to compromise in light of the reality of the situation.
This sounds like it'll be a difficult one to negotiate, but there'll be even more of this when you're married, so however you approach it, remember how much you love each other and treat each other well!

Don't just take a lot of pictures though! KEEP all your boarding passes (or his boarding passes, whatever), luggage tags, and tickets if you can, and then make several copies of them. These are your PRIMARY EVIDENCE of having met in person before applying.
The pictures are also a great idea, but only support your case as SECONDARY evidence.
Have fun together in February!!

My brilliant, detail oriented engineer fiance and our well-paid lawyer BOTH missed a lone box on one form asking whether or not the petitioner had ever been convicted of a crime.
An RFE was issued 5 months and 2 weeks after our NOA1.
There was nothing to do but check the appropriate box. Getting angry won't get you through the process any faster.