Help! This is the site that I met my future husband on. He is in the US, I am in Canada. We are in the process of submitting the application (K-1 aka fiancee visa) and we really want this to go as smoothly as possible and get it right the first time. Are there any Immigration Officers on the forum or people who have been through this? I’d really like some advice and to hear about what to expect because I’m a nervous wreck right now.
Thank you in advance and good or bad, I’d love to hear about it.
[quote]nephorm wrote:
I see how it is… you want the benefits of our help, while withholding the details of this clandestine union.
Shenanigans![/quote]
Well, it sounds a little one-sided when you put it that way, doesn’t it?
I’m sorry and I know that I’ve been secretive. When you start to get a little older, you’re torn between wanting to tell everyone and wanting to be very private.
I was once considering a cross-border situation like this with a girl in Calgary, but she wouldn’t let go of her ex-husband, so I walked away before I had need of the paperwork.
Wish I had the knowledge to help, but, alas, I do not.
[quote]Rykker wrote:
I was once considering a cross-border situation like this with a girl in Calgary, but she wouldn’t let go of her ex-husband, so I walked away before I had need of the paperwork.
Wish I had the knowledge to help, but, alas, I do not.
I hope things do go smoothly for you, though.
[/quote]
Wow, Calgary? Were you in South Carolina at the time? I’m sorry that things didn’t work out.
Thank you and it’s alright; I know you would help if you could.
First off you need your fiance to petition for you on a I-129f, it’s valid for 4 months: you must pass your medical exam. Then you need to be married within 90 days of your entry into the US. Do not get married in Canada. That would cause you not to be allowed in the US until you get stuff changed around. After you get married you need to (significant other) needs to file an I-130 for you to change your status to a K-3. Now remember this—once the I-129 has been filed, you are to stay out of the US until the K-1 visa shows up. Hope this helps.
Thank you super saiyan for the link. That’s the one that we’ve been getting a lot of our info from. It’s been extremely helpful so far. I love the forum area and reading about all of the unions.
[quote]Hoosier wrote:
First off you need your fiance to petition for you on a I-129f, it’s valid for 4 months: you must pass your medical exam. Then you need to be married within 90 days of your entry into the US. Do not get married in Canada. That would cause you not to be allowed in the US until you get stuff changed around. After you get married you need to (significant other) needs to file an I-130 for you to change your status to a K-3. Now remember this—once the I-129 has been filed, you are to stay out of the US until the K-1 visa shows up. Hope this helps.[/quote]
Thank you so much, Hoosier. Right now he has about 2 million things to gather up to file it. He’s just waiting on a couple of things now before he can submit the I-129f. The physical I’m kind of dreading. I know I’ll pass it with flying colors, it’s that I think I have a bit of a distance to go to have it done.
I totally agree with not getting married in Canada; we looked into that and that would cause a really long wait! 90 days sure is a scramble but it doesn’t matter to me where we are married or if we even go on a honeymoon or any of that. We’ve even kidded around about an Elvis wedding in Vegas. lol
Definitely staying out of the US. I’m not taking any chances and doing everything by the books. Not worth taking any risks.
Not sure if you’re familiar with children being on the petition at all? My 11 y/o son is moving as well. I know that he has to be on the original petition but other than that, I am not really all that familiar with that yet. The most important consideration, obviously.
Thanks again for all of the help everyone! As always, some great advice here.
[quote]MsM wrote:
nephorm wrote:
I see how it is… you want the benefits of our help, while withholding the details of this clandestine union.
Shenanigans!
Well, it sounds a little one-sided when you put it that way, doesn’t it?
I’m sorry and I know that I’ve been secretive. When you start to get a little older, you’re torn between wanting to tell everyone and wanting to be very private.
Help. Please.[/quote]
No worries. I have nothing to add, although I have a friend who married a woman from Mexico. I can ask him specific questions if you have any, but it looks like Hoosier has you covered.
Yes, MsM you are correct. Your son will be a rider on your petition. You can come and go from the US as long as you haven’t filed the petition yet. If you do, I would just refer to yourselves as boyfriend/girlfriend until the time of filing. Just be patient, everything will work out fine!!
[quote]Hoosier wrote:
Yes, MsM you are correct. Your son will be a rider on your petition. You can come and go from the US as long as you haven’t filed the petition yet. If you do, I would just refer to yourselves as boyfriend/girlfriend until the time of filing. Just be patient, everything will work out fine!![/quote]
Should everything that we’re waiting on arrive on time, I would estimate the petition will be submitted within the next week. Still waiting to find out if I have to submit a photo of my son along with the petition since that is not entirely clear on the website(it only mentions our photos and that children be named on the petition).
We’re going to do everything by the book and have him come here to visit. I know I’m not supposed to cross the border so I won’t.
Thank you! I appreciate that. Patience is one thing I do have, I’m just concerned about accuracy and sending everything that we need to in order to prevent delays.
No worries. I have nothing to add, although I have a friend who married a woman from Mexico. I can ask him specific questions if you have any, but it looks like Hoosier has you covered.[/quote]
Can’t really think of anything specific ATM, other than photos with the original petition but if I can, I will definitely post them; thank you, nephorm.
Don’t sweat this, MsM. Not only did I immigrate with my folks from Calgary to California, I’ve been in the immigration business for over a decade now.
I would venture to say that Hoosier and I are in the same field. Both of us are in DC.
I can’t really add much more than Hoosier as he is right on the money. I chimed in to give you a little more piece of mind that although stressful, the system works quick for Canadians compared to other countries.
[quote]MaloVerde wrote:
Don’t sweat this, MsM. Not only did I immigrate with my folks from Calgary to California, I’ve been in the immigration business for over a decade now.
I would venture to say that Hoosier and I are in the same field. Both of us are in DC.
I can’t really add much more than Hoosier as he is right on the money. I chimed in to give you a little more piece of mind that although stressful, the system works quick for Canadians compared to other countries.[/quote]
Thank you for that and it did give me some piece of mind - very much so.
I was going to venture out and guess the same thing.
Not entirely sure if you will know this or not but are Montreal and Vancouver the only places in Canada that do interviews? I figured since you came from Calgary, you may know the answer to that. Those are the only two places we seem to come up with. Mind you, I will still travel to Montreal but it seems like a great distance.
I believe that the interview is at an American Consulate. I do know that there is one in Vancouver, but I don’t know about anywhere else. I’ll do some checking.
[quote]nephorm wrote:
MsM wrote:
Just out of utter curiosity, how did they meet?
He went on a trip to Mexico with a friend. They both met and ended up marrying a pair of friends they met there. I don’t know much beyond that.[/quote]
Close friend of yours? lol I kid, I kid!
Ohhhhhhhhhh? So all four of them were married? Wonder what the odds of that happening are? I say, good for them.
[quote]Hoosier wrote:
I believe that the interview is at an American Consulate. I do know that there is one in Vancouver, but I don’t know about anywhere else. I’ll do some checking.[/quote]
Now I’m confused. lol I thought for sure that the petition was started in the US and that Canada was the country issuing the visa. I was under the impression that my medical and my interview would be here. I see I have some more homework!
Thank you for your help there though. I appreciate all of it, truly I do.
On a sidenote, I wish that instead ‘passport-type photos’, that you could submit a glamour shot instead. Yikes, they are unflattering! They are like mug shots with better lighting.
