v15ben

Folks,

My first post after lots of reading on the forum.

My situation: I'm from the UK, my girlfriend is from the USA. We currently live and teach in Korea which is where we met.

We want to get married and live in the US when we decide to leave Korea, hence we've looked at the K1 visa option.

My question; do we have to be in our respective home countries to start the process?

Could my girlfriend send her I-129 documents from Korea or elsewhere or must it be done from the US?

Could I start my part of the process from overseas then return to the UK before the visa medical/interview and those face to face parts of the process?

Moxie

You can do the medical and interview in Korea if you wish because that's where you're living. Doesn't matter that you're a UKC.

Noorah101

You might want to look into getting married there in Korea, and starting the CR-1 Immigrant Visa from there (instead of the K-1).

No.

I-129F. (I-129, as you wrote, is an entirely different form for a different purpose.) Your fiancee can send the I-129F from Korea to the USA. She does not physically have to be present in the USA.

It's somewhat difficult to switch consulates mid-way, after you've started your part of the process. I'd decide where you're going to have your medical and interview, and stick to that. If you're still going to be living and working in Korea when your interview time comes around (about 8 months or so after filing the I-129F), then you can have the medical and interview in Korea. If your job will be done by that time, then you should list London as your consulate of choice, and do it there.

Rene

S Folinsky

FWIW, the USCIS has an office at 82 Sejong Ro. They do a fair amount of I-130's for military spouses -- it is akin to the misnamed "DCF" done at the Embassy in London.

v15ben

Thanks for the replies on this everyone.

Sorry, I didn't realise that I never thanked everyone before!

We've decided to do everything in the UK rather than starting in Korea.

We'll apply for the K1 and get married in the US rather than in Korea also.