googirly

Hello Everyone..

I am an American citizen who will be *officially* getting engaged to
my UK fiance when he arrives for Thanksgiving... So Im thinking what
better a time to get the paper work started.

From what I understand there are a bunch of papers to be filled out,
information gathered and a lengthy wait to get things done.

If you have any suggestions or hints as what I need to do or watch out
for I would be very greatful (this whole paper process scares me - im
sure to screw something up)... Also, does anyone have an estimate on
timing for filing thru Nebraska ( i believe thats correct, im in Ohio)
for myself and a UK citizen?

Thanks in advance for your help!
Karla

katnap8

Hello there

Congratulations on your engagement

In regards to getting started you may want to check out the ever popular, rather informative website:

www.k1faq.com

It gives you alot of info and answers to some popular questions,

You'll also need to download the K1 visa forms from the following website.
www.ins.usdoj.gov

from this site, you'll need the I-129F, and 2 sets of the G-325A (one for each of you, each is 4 pages) and the form on using photocopies, not sure what it's called. You'll also need to get a copy of your birth certificate or documentation to prove you're a US citizen, an Adit photo of each of you, plus you'll need to write a letter of intent (usually used to also summarize how you met, etc) and then supporting documents that you've met within the last two years (copies of plane tickets, passport pages, phone bills, photos of you two together, etc)

Alot of people on the website have UK fiances (like me) and we're here to help as best we can. So take a look at the websites, read some of the earlier posts that may pertain to you and don't worry about the paperwork, it's not that bad)

take care

Baudolino

"katnap8" wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > Originally posted by googirly
    > > Hello Everyone..
    > >
    > > I am an American citizen who will be *officially* getting engaged to
    > > my UK fiance when he arrives for Thanksgiving... So Im thinking what
    > > better a time to get the paper work started.
    > >
    > > From what I understand there are a bunch of papers to be filled out,
    > > information gathered and a lengthy wait to get things done.
    > >
    > > If you have any suggestions or hints as what I need to do or watch out
    > > for I would be very greatful (this whole paper process scares me - im
    > > sure to screw something up)... Also, does anyone have an estimate on
    > > timing for filing thru Nebraska ( i believe thats correct, im in Ohio)
    > > for myself and a UK citizen?
    > >
    > > Thanks in advance for your help!
    > > Karla
    > Hello there
    > Congratulations on your engagement
    > In regards to getting started you may want to check out the ever
    > popular, rather informative website:
    > www.k1faq.com
    > It gives you alot of info and answers to some popular questions,
    > You'll also need to download the K1 visa forms from the following
    > website.
    > www.ins.usdoj.gov
    > from this site, you'll need the I-129F, and 2 sets of the G-325A (one
    > for each of you, each is 4 pages) and the form on using photocopies, not
    > sure what it's called. You'll also need to get a copy of your birth
    > certificate or documentation to prove you're a US citizen, an Adit photo
    > of each of you, plus you'll need to write a letter of intent (usually
    > used to also summarize how you met, etc) and then supporting documents
    > that you've met within the last two years (copies of plane tickets,
    > passport pages, phone bills, photos of you two together, etc)
    > Alot of people on the website have UK fiances (like me) and we're here
    > to help as best we can. So take a look at the websites, read some of the
    > earlier posts that may pertain to you and don't worry about the
    > paperwork, it's not that bad)
    > take care
For me the letter stating we met was enough, no need for pictures and all,
but more might be better.
I went through the Nebraska office too, here's the timeline:
October 2001 - My wife filed finace petition for me
December 2001 - Petition approved
January 2002 - Got information from embassy and filed everything they asked
for (pretty straight forward)
March 2002 - Got visa

So, this went all pretty fast and was pretty simple. The problem is with
applying for an employment permit (EAD), this can take a lot of time so make
sure you have enough savings for the move, the wedding and a few months of
him being unemployed (during his stay as fiance and up to 3 months after you
got getting married).

Just Jenney

Hi Karla!!

Congrats on your impending engagement!!

There are lots of good sites out there which will detail the steps you need to take in the K-1 process. Here are some that I've found particularly helpful:

Ben & Jennie's K1 Quest -- A personal website documenting in excellent detail how this UK-US couple got their K-1 visa. Has tons of helpful links, too.
http://www.geocities.com/ben_jennie/frames/k1main.html

Doc Steen's Marriage Visa Pages -- After the K1 FAQ, probably one of the most concise sites out there. This is the main page; the menu at the left will take you to topic-specific sections.
http://k1.exit.com

US Embassy in London - K1 visa section -- A must-read since your fiance is from the UK.
http://www.usembassy.org.uk/cons_web/visa/iv/fiance.htm

The Mysterious Brown Envelope -- This contains links to other sites with information relevant to the K1.
http://www.k1faq.com/faq_index.htm

Application Assembly Tips
http://www.ins.gov/graphics/fieldoff...al/index.htm#H


Let me also give you some advice...

1) I-134 AFFIDAVIT OF SUPPORT -- I have learned the hard way that it is important to prepare your I-134 BEFORE you send in your I-129F petition, particularly if you need a co-sponsor. If you don't need a co-sponsor, then you're much better off. If you DO need one, then I strongly recommend sorting that out before sending in your petition.

2) ADIT PHOTOS -- Try to get both of your ADIT photos done together. I'm so glad Mark and I did it that way, because otherwise I would be worried that our photo specs would be different. Plus, you don't have to wait for them to arrive in the mail!!

3) ORGANIZING THE I-129F -- Like you, Mark and I became "officially" engaged a long time after we knew we wanted to marry each other. We started researching and preparing for our visa quest months ago. As a result, I was able to send off our petition only a week after he'd gone back to England (the I-134 mistake notwithstanding).

Assuming your fiance is ok with this, see if he can get the ball rolling in the UK before he even comes over. For instance, he can send off for his police certificate and long form birth certificate. Doing these sorts of things in advance can save you lots of time.

Ask him to bring with him any letters or cards you've mailed him, boarding passes/plane ticket stubs he might have from trips to visit you, copies of phone records, etc. You will need these sorts of things for the petition as proof of your relationship. This is what Mark did, and it made things so much easier for me when I was organizing the petition.

Before he arrives, type up documents that you'll need him to sign, such as his Statement of Intent to Marry, etc. and print off 3 copies. Have him sign and date all three originals. Of other items you need to include (phone records, emails, birth certificates, etc.), make 3 copies of each. One copy is for the petition, one is for you (as backup) and one is for him. Same goes for photos. Hang on to the originals until your petition is approved, then send him the originals to take to the interview.

4) G325-A BIOGRAPHIC FORMS -- I highly recommend downloading the fillable G325-A forms instead of getting the carbon-copy versions the INS sends you. Those things are A PAIN!!! However, I've heard the fillable forms don't leave you enough room to complete all the information in some sections (like employment), but I suppose you could always just use attachments. Again, I recommend having 3 originals of the G325-A for EACH of you -- have your fiance sign and date his forms while he's here.

5) "N/A" vs "NONE" -- Don't ever leave a space blank on any of the forms. However, don't confuse "N/A" with "NONE" -- there is a very important distinction between these two terms.

Example: Let's say you have never been married and have no children.

Q) Name(s) of former spouse(s)?
A) N/A [not applicable, as you've never been married]

Q) Number of children you have?
A) NONE [because, well, you have none!]


Ok.... That's all I can think of for now, my brain is out of juice!!

Good luck!!

~ Jenney

rogerpenycate

Just one thing to be careful of for his trip for Thanksgiving.
I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong.
If they happen to ask him at his POE (Point of arrival - airport) why he is in the US and he says "to get engaged" the INS may wonder whether he's going to try to stay (it's happened before to other people)
Normally the return ticket is OK but it may be worth him bringing evidence of his job, mortgage etc, therefore he intent to return back to the UK.
What you don't want is him being denied entry on this trip which could cause you hassle in the future.
One very important point from now and for the future, NEVER tell the INS any lies, on any forms of verbally, it could come back to haunt you.

Good luck

Patrick

More importantly - don't tell them your a pirate or what pirate ship your from, they might want your Spanish gold

Patrick

pepsi

how old are you two?

Ronald Austin

As noted - DO NOT lie to the INS. Answer any question they ask truthfully,
but do not volunteer any information.
Ron


"rogerpenycate" wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > Just one thing to be careful of for his trip for Thanksgiving.
    > I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong.
    > If they happen to ask him at his POE (Point of arrival - airport) why he
    > is in the US and he says "to get engaged" the INS may wonder whether
    > he's going to try to stay (it's happened before to other people)
    > Normally the return ticket is OK but it may be worth him bringing
    > evidence of his job, mortgage etc, therefore he intent to return back
    > to the UK.
    > What you don't want is him being denied entry on this trip which could
    > cause you hassle in the future.
    > One very important point from now and for the future, NEVER tell the INS
    > any lies, on any forms of verbally, it could come back to haunt you.
    > Good luck
    > --
    > Posted via http://britishexpats.com

Patrick

keep up Pepsi for god's sake

http://britishexpats.com/forum/t80940.html

katesuiter

Patrick, what's this????? No mention of pirates?????!!!!!
Kate. xxxx

L D Jones

pepsi wrote:
    >
    > how old are you two?

Old enough to know that pirates are dangerous

dbark

LOL Patrick, I see your pieces of eight are still gleaming!

Debbie

NC Penguin

[QUOTE][SIZE=1]Originally posted by Ronald Austin
As noted - DO NOT lie to the INS. Answer any question they ask truthfully,
but do not volunteer any information.
Ron

<<snip>>

Yes, answer any questions at Immigration truthfully but provide just enough info to answer the question, no more.

Otherwise, there may be follow-up questions and it could get sticky.

Best to have your fiance to be prepared- he should bring a lot of evidence to show his ties to the UK.




NC Penguin

Matthew Udall

Hi Jenny,
Please don't take my posting/reply correcting one of your tips as a personal criticism. I'm not posting for that purpose, however I have a completely 180 degree contrary opinion about one of your tips, and since I've seen this issue cause RFE's for some (not all who use N/A get RFE’s, but enough do to make it a genuine concern) do-it-yourselfers, I feel compelled to post my thoughts about it. I know you are trying to help, and for that I salute you.

If you have not been married before, on the G-325A and I-129f where it asks you to list prior spouses, put "None". Putting N/A is sort of ducking the question. The INS does not really care whether or not you think the question is applicable, but rather they simply want to know the identity of the prior spouse or be told there are no prior spouses.

When it comes to listing the children at the top of the second page of the I-129f: If there are no children, I write "No Children". When it comes to listing "spouse" on the I-134, I put "None", and when it comes to listing children on the I-134 (again, when there are no children) I list either "None" or "No Children".

I first keyed into this whole N/A v. None potential problem years ago when I took a call from a do-it-yourselfer who heard on the INS Direct Phone line that she would soon be receiving her RFE. She couldn't figure out what she had done wrong or omitted to give them, and she called me for a consultation to see if I could spot anything.

I had her fax copies of all of her forms to me (she was located in another state) and I took some time to review them (and of course, reading her data sparked an extensive conversation about the supporting documentation she sent in, what she should have also sent in, tips and general information about what to do for the rest of her case [including tips on her I-134 and how to support that], that sort of thing).

All in all, she had done a pretty good job in filling out the forms, although she did a few things differently than I would have done. However one thing that stood out was her use of N/A for prior spouses. I mentioned that I never use N/A for that particular answer since that particular question “is very" applicable, and that although "I" know what she probably meant by using N/A, the INS might not accept it. I asked her to call me once she actually received her RFE in the mail, to let me know what the RFE letter actually said.

Sure enough, they wanted a copy of her divorce decree, or a statement from her that she had never been married before.

After that, I started harping about this whole N/A v. None issue in the news group, and I've seen that tip picked up and echoed all over the net now (including Jenny's post).

Did you ever play that game when you were a kid, where someone at the front of the line whispered something to the person behind him, then that person turned and whispered it to the next person in the line, and on and on. By the time the information reached the last person in the line, it was often very different from the information that originated at the front of the line. Jenny, perhaps this is the sort of thing that has happened with my information/tip that I first started harping about years ago in the newsgroup.

Good luck with your cases,
Matthew Udall
Attorney
http://members.aol.com/MDUdall/fiancee.htm