A million questions for the totally confused...
 

Hiya,

I am so glad I was suggested this site. I am totally overwhelmed by the visa/immigration process and thought maybe someone could answer it simply for me. A bit of background:

My fiancè is from Jersey Island,UK. We met after awhile of just talking online and on phones this April. I have 2 children and he has 1 son.

Now my questions (thankyou so much for reading this):

1) His son has just turned 17, I do know that he is able to get visa status under his dads.... sorta . My question is the son's mother did not put down that my fiancè was the father on the birth certificate or on the batismal record. Both familys,grandparents, the step dad, etc know that he is the father. How hard would it be to get him a visa under such circumstances?

2) My fiancè would like to be able to get a job as soon as he gets here. How (and what visas) do we go about that? I read that thru the K-1 the person had to wait until they were here and apply thru the INS and it would take some time before they were able to work. Any ideas?

3) Cost...... what are the costs involved in the whole process? {The cost of each formal immigrant visa application is US$260 and issuance is US$65.} Surely, it costs more? I got that info from a gov site.

4) What visas do most folks recommend when they marry a US citizen? Im totally lost between K-1, K-3, K-4 ????

Im just completely over whelmed with all this information they throw at you on the INS site and some of it is confusing. I thank one and all in advance for any advice. Thanks! :)

Re: A million questions for the totally confused...
 

For a go to the following sites, and read as much as you can. The first is the FAQ
which is based on this newsgroup: http://www.txdirect.net/users/mike38/k1faq.htm and
http://www.mindspring.com/~docsteen/...o/visainfo.htm Then post any questions you
may have. You will find all your questions answered here. About your step-son who
does not have his Dad's name on his birth certificate I think your fiance will have
to have this changed legally, to include his name. It can be done. He will have to
talk to lawyer about how. I'm sure if some one has an idea how this can be
circumvented they will come forward with a suggestion. But my personal opinion is
that this has to be done legally, before the US Embassy is going to accept it. Best
wishes, Ranjini

"Tahsa" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > Hiya,
    >
    > I am so glad I was suggested this site. I am totally overwhelmed by the
    > visa/immigration process and thought maybe someone could answer it simply for me. A
    > bit of background:
    >
    > My fiancè is from Jersey Island,UK. We met after awhile of just talking online and
    > on phones this April. I have 2 children and he has 1 son.
    >
    > Now my questions (thankyou so much for reading this):
    >
    > 1) His son has just turned 17, I do know that he is able to get visa status under
    > his dads.... sorta . My question is the son's mother did not put down that my
    > fiancè was the father on the birth certificate or on the batismal record. Both
    > familys,grandparents, the step dad, etc know that he is the father. How hard
    > would it be to get him a visa under such circumstances?
    >
    > 2) My fiancè would like to be able to get a job as soon as he gets here. How (and
    > what visas) do we go about that? I read that thru the K-1 the person had to wait
    > until they were here and apply thru the INS and it would take some time before
    > they were able to work. Any ideas?
    >
    > 3) Cost...... what are the costs involved in the whole process? {The cost of each
    > formal immigrant visa application is US$260 and issuance is US$65.} Surely, it
    > costs more? I got that info from a gov site.
    >
    > 4) What visas do most folks recommend when they marry a US citizen? Im totally lost
    > between K-1, K-3, K-4 ????
    >
    > Im just completely over whelmed with all this information they throw at you on the
    > INS site and some of it is confusing. I thank one and all in advance for any
    > advice. Thanks! :)
    >
    >
    >
    > --
    > Posted via http://britishexpats.com

Re: A million questions for the totally confused...
 

1) The child, being over 16, does not need his mother's or a court's permission to leave. I would imagine that the US consulate would need some proof of your relationship, eg a paternity test.

2) If he arrives in the US with a K1 or K3 visa, he will have to apply to the INS for a work permit before being allowed to work. How quick this process is depends on where you live, ie the INS office you are dealing with.

3) The cost of a K1 visa is less than that ($45 springs to mind, but don't quote me on that). There are other costs though - the I129F petition, the medical exam, the annual work permit, adjustment of status, advance parole (if he wants to travel outside the US prior to receiving his green card).

4) If he enters the US as a fiancé, he needs the K1 visa (K2 for the minor child). If he enters as a spouse, he would need either the K3 or CR-1 visa.

The information does seem overwhelming at the beginning, but after a few weeks it does all sink in and you realise that it isn't so complicated after all. There are various websites that you can look to for information. The first I would point you to is the website of the London consulate - their fiancé visa information is really good: http://www.usembassy.org.uk

There are also various FAQ sites which the previous poster has already mentioned. From these, you may be able to link to personal websites that describe in detail individual experiences - these are useful to put the whole thing into perspective.