I am almost there on bringing my fiancee to the USA! Later this month he will have his interview in Telgucigualpa, Honduras. Do i have to buy a round plane trip ticket ? Can buy a one way ticket only? Will i have a problem with immigration if a one way ticket is bought for his trip?
A one way ticket is fine.
US Immigration understands that the real purpose of the trip is to marry you and remain permanently in the USA.
Comments: I met a lady who was a tour guide in The Mekong Delta for our group. I did NOT have a photo taken of the two of us because I didn’t have a plan to bring her over here at that time. Is it mandatory that I go BACK to The Mekong Delta in Vietnam to have ONE or more photos taken of us together? This is NOT fraud…just circumstances as I would prefer to spend the air fare money to bring the lady here rather than for me to go back and forth myself. Thanks for all the good work you do. John 91320
The generic answer is, you could get the people who were on your tour to write affidavits and swear that you and her were on the tour together, and that they saw you spending time together. Such affidavits could be used in place of a photo to prove to prove you actually met in person.
The specific answer for Vietnam is: Vietnam is the most difficult post to get a fiancee visa from. The proof you must provide to have any chance of approval, is much more burdensome than just proving you and her were in the same place at the same time.
The HCM consulate reviewers expect you to make more than one trip, expect a long courtship before a proposal of marriage, and expect a formal engagement party, Vietnam style.
If you are serious about marrying this gal, or any gal from Vietnam you will have to put in time, effort and money.
Sorry to bring bad news, but I always tell clients “like it really is”, even if it is not what they want to hear.
Assuming you choose to proceed (I can help you whether you take my advice more trips or ignore it)
Get more info at http://www.fianceevisaservices.com/
First: Couple has a genuine relationship (courtship). They have recently met face-to-face. They are both ‘free to marry’. They intend to marry.
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The US Citizen submits the Fiancee Visa Petition to USCIS (Homeland Security).
Fee: $340
USCIS reviews the petition and the FBI conducts a background check.
Currently USCIS takes 3 – 4 months (on average) to complete their review and approve the case.
The case is passed on to the US Department of State’s National Visa Center, in Vermont (NVC). NVC sends the US Citizen notice they have taken over processing, and have sent it to the US Consulate nearest the Fiancee.
It takes about 1 month from the time USCIS approves till the Consulate recieves the case.
Then the Consulate contacts the Fiancee via mail, telephone, or not at all (sometimes she is expected to contact them first). She gets additional instructions and more government forms to fill out.
Usually, the interview is scheduled 1 to 2 months later.
In Philippines the process is very efficient and fast. Interviews can be arranged as fast as 3 to 5 WEEKS after USCIS Homeland Security approves. In Vietnam it may take 2 to 4 months later before the interview is scheduled.
A week or so prior to the interview, she attends a medical at a clinic approved by the Consulate. The clinic fees vary between $150 to $200.
Also, prior to the interview, she pays to the Consulate a visa application fee of $350. This is typically paid at a local bank, post office or at the consulate.
At the interview she will be asked to present identification documents, forms required by the consulate, an Affidavit of Support and income proof from her US Fiance (showing his income is sufficient) as well as proof of her ‘bone fide’ relationship with the sponsor. The consular officer asks various questions to confirm (in his opinion) that the relationship is genuine.
The decision to grant the visa is normally made ‘on the spot’. Her passport and visa is returned by courier usually within a week of the interview.
The visa is good for 6 months. She must start her journey to the USA before the 6 months is over.
Once she arrives in the USA she has 90 days to marry her Fiance, or return home.
After marriage, the final step is to apply for Adjustment of Status to be approved for permanent residency. The couple submits yet another important petition to USCIS (Homeland Security).
Filing cost is $1,070.
Doctor’s review of her Vaccinations $100
After about 1 month she visits a USCIS office for fingerprinting and photo.
Finally, 3 to 6 months later, she gets her Green Card which proves she has permission to remain permanently in the USA.
I met a Filipina on my last day of a trip to Philippines. We are in love and want to marry. I am 30 years older then her. Do I have a chance to get my fiance or marriage visa application approved?
I am a matchmaker and founded http://www.heartofasiaonline.com I have helped many thousands of Filipina – American couples find each other. When marriage results, my couples often ask advice on how to accomplish immigration, and reunite in the USA.
The two issues are The relationship is brief and a large age difference.
Large Age Difference:
Large age differences between Filipina wife and Husband are common and generally acceptable in Philippines culture. Maturity and stability are valued. Respect for elders is a cultural trait. The US consulate in Manila sees a lot of December – May couples. And approves their petitions.
So, the large age difference is not a problem.
Brief Relationship
A brief relationship generally IS a problem. But the solution to the problem is easy. The couple should spend a little more time, a little more effort, in developing the relationship first, before petitioning for the Fiancee Visa.
Immigration is mandated to weed out visa fraud. They look for couples that pretend to have relationships, dishonestly attempting to enter the USA. These “sham” relationships make it harder for “genuine but brief”, or “genuine but poorly documented” relationships to be approved.
In order to be approved for the visa a couple must be able to prove to a skeptical immigration official that the couple has a “bone fide” or genuine relationship. In considering this they look at the longevity and the quality of the relationship.
I have recorded a youtube video on proving a genuine relationship. This is visible at
http://fianceevisaservices.com/youtubegenuinerelationship.html
Longevitity is how long the couple have been courting. In the above case, it looks like the couple has been courting only 2 months. There is no specific rule about how much time is needed, but for most countries I suggest clients have a minimum of a year. The US consulate in Manila is a bit more “couple friendly”, so for there I think a minimum of 6 months is ok.
Quality is basically how much time the couple have devoted to the relationship. Most important is “face to face” time. How many trips to be together. How many days face to face. A trip of 2 weeks together is more quality than a 1 week trip. Two trips is more quality than one trip.
Then, when separated, how regularly, how long and how often do they communicate?. Most couples can communicate via txt messages, emails, telephones, web cams and post. All of these methods can provide a “paper trail” of the contacts. The more regular, frequent, and time consuming the couple contacts each other, the more quality the relationship demonstrates. For example a couple that talks on skype once in the morning, and once at night is much more believable than a couple that trades one email a week.
In the case above, they have only 2 days of “face to face” time in the Philippines. I strongly suggest that the American sponsor add much more quality time by taking another trip. This time to devote himself to courting his Filipina fiancee, and meeting her family and friends. And of course now that they are separated he should communicate with her regularly and frequently. If he is computer savvy he can use web cams’ and emails. If not he should make regular phone calls. If he uses an inexpensive calling card (these are very popular) he should check that the service provides an itemized list of every call he makes. He will need this as proof of the contact when he submits his petition. I recommend the following prepaid card, cause it is cheap and ALSO provides an itemized call record. See http://fianceevisaservices.com/international-prepaid-long-distance.html
Above Case:
The age difference should not be a problem. Adding some more time and effort to the relationship, communicating regularly, retaining a “paper trail” of communications, and making another trip will overcome the ‘briefness” of the relationship.
Recommendations:
To obtain either Fiance or marriage visa, you will need to put longevity, and quality into your relationship in order for it to be deemed genuine.
What is the Adjustment of Status Process?
do i need to file i-130 forms?what exactly is this form ? came us then marriage through fiance visa?
I am a matchmaker and founded http://www.heartofasiaonline.com When marriage results, my couples often ask advice on how to accomplish immigration, and reunite in the USA
The K-1 visa gives your Fiance the opportunity to enter the USA in order to marry you. If the marriage takes place before her visa expires, she can ‘apply to stay’, this is called Adjustment of Status. When her request is approved, she gets a drivers license sized id, called a Green Card which proves she has permission to stay and work.
Just like when you applied for the Fiance visa, you must prove to Homeland security that you have a genuine relationship. Now in addition you must ALSO prove that you are living together as man and wife.
What you should do is:
1. Marry early within 90 days of your fiance’s arrival to the USA. Obtain your Marriage Certificate.
2. As soon as married, start working on a ‘paper trail’ of documents that help you demonstrate a genuine marriage, and cohabitation.
Open Joint accounts for Banking. Such as Checking, savings, credit cards. Make sure monthly statements show both names and your current home address
Add her name to utility bills, such as phone, gas, electric, water, sewer
Add her name to your lease if you rent
Get her a drivers license, showing your current home address
3. Arrange her appointment with a ‘Civil Surgeon’ approved by Homeland security, who will confirm (I-693) she has all required vaccinations.
4. After you have the above ready, then submit your Petition Package I-485 to USCIS. Often Green cards are issued within a few months, but sometimes they take much longer. If you think your Spouse may need to work, or travel outside the USA before her Green Card is approved, you can at the same time apply for immediate permission for her to work (Employment Authorization, I-765) and for immediate permission for her to travel (Advance Parole, I-131)
This is probably the most important question on the whole Fiance Visa petition.
Couples don’t get denied if they forget to attach a simple document, or fill in a blank. When that happens they are given the opportunity to make a correction.
Couples DO routinely get denied when they fail to convince the consular officials that they have a “bone fide” relationship.
The process of proving this, starts with answering question #18. I help my marriage clients draft a 3 to 5 page letter that describes the entire history of their relationship, including detailed descriptions of how they met, what attracted them to each other, how and how often they communicate, what trips have been made, how they spent their time together, what their plans are for the wedding, what plans are for children and future together.
The purpose is to differentiate your petition from a couple attempting a “sham marriage” or immigration fraud. Sham couples don’t have much to say about their relationship. Real couples have plenty to say.
Don’t shoot yourself in the foot. Tell a long, detailed and believable story. This is the only way to ensure success when applying for a fiance or marriage visa.
See a video I recorded on “proving your genuine fiance relationship”
http://fianceevisaservices.com/youtubegenuinerelationship.html
There are a lot of details involved. I have recorded a series of three videos that explain the
process:
http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=6229C8E44191DB9D
To summarize.
First of all you have a real courtship and relationship with the gf and you plan to get married.
Then check that you both meet the marriage visa eligibility requirements: You are US citizen. You both are currently ‘free to marry’. You earn over $18,300. You have met each other ‘face to face’ at least within the past two years.
You will have to ‘prove’ that you have a real, genuine, ‘bone fide’ relationship. You do this with
a combination of correspondences, photos, letters, plane tickets, etc.
See my youtube on ‘proving your genuine relationship’
http://fianceevisaservices.com/youtubegenuinerelationship.html
You should make sure that you build from the start a solid ‘paper trail’ of the communications of your relationship. This means itemized telephone records, emails, instant messages, voip calls, snail mail, packages. If you use prepaid cards make sure yours gives you an itemized call list, or switch to http://fianceevisaservices.com/international-prepaid-long-distance.html
When traveling to visit your fiance, take plenty of photos, vary the shots, locations, wardrobes. Meet her family, and friends. Document with photos. Turn date stamping on.
See my youtube video on what photos to take:
http://fianceevisaservices.com/youtubepetitionphotographs.html
Don’t move too quickly. Couples that instantly fall in love and get engaged or married may be suspected of fraud. Go slowly, build your relationship.
Once your relationship gets serious, don’t let too much time elapse between trips. The longer the separation, the more suspect the relationship is. I recommend travel to meet with your Fiance every 6 to 9 months.
Once your relationship has progressed, you have made 1 or more trips, and you have abundant proof of your relationship. Then you apply for the visa, to USCIS Homeland Security.
Then about 3 to 5 months later your Fiance will be asked to come to the US embassy in Manila to have her interview. If all goes well she is granted her visa, comes to the USA and you can marry.
Once you marry, she applies for her Green Card and can remain with you.
Each petition process K-1 Fiance or CR-1 Marriage Visa takes 6-8 months on average, start to finish. And roughly 70% of the processing time the petition is deliberated in the USA, and the balance of the time it is deliberated at the overseas consulate handling your case.
If your K-1 Fiance visa petition is currently AT the embassy in UAE, you are probably less (far less) than within 2 months of getting this visa approved.
Or you can obtain a civil marriage, then START COMPLETELY OVER AGAIN, this time filing for a CR-1 marriage visa. Which will probably take another 6 – 8 months from the time you submit a brand new petition.
Your choice is 2 months on your current Fiance Visa path, or start a new Marriage Visa path for an additional 6 – 8 months.
If it was I, I certainly would wait to see what the results of the Fiancee Visa petition are first. If approved, your fiance comes to the USA and you marry.
There always is a chance the Fiance Visa petition may be denied. If that happens then you ‘up the ante” by having your civil marriage then applying for the CR-1 marriage visa. It is good to have this marriage visas option ‘in reserve’ in case it is needed.
He does NOT have to wait 3 months before being able to work. He can apply immediately for Employment Authorization, even the very same day he arrives on the Fiance Visa. Normally Employment Authorization is granted within a few weeks.
I am a matchmaker and founded http://www.heartofasiaonline.com A lot of Filipino – American couples first met at my dating service. And I am often asked to provide them with advice. I am happy to help you too.
The consulate in Manila is probably the busiest US consulate anywhere in the world. The good news is that they have worked extremely hard, and WELL to make the process there smooth and efficient.
The way the Fiance K-1 visa process works, is USCIS (Homeland Security) takes a few months to process your case. They conduct a background check on your Fiance. Once that is accomplished, they send the case to the US State Department’s offices in Vermont called the National Visa Center (NVC). Just as soon as NVC gets your case, they send a letter to your American Fiance, confirming that they have the case, and telling him what case number (for the Manila consulate) has been assigned to your case. This is a case number that starts with “MNL”
Just as soon as your fiance receives the case number, he or you can IMMEDIATELY call the consulate directly and make an appointment for your interview. Once your appointment is scheduled, the consulate sends your name to St. Lukes, and they expect you to take your medical about a week prior to the appointment.
Sometimes, 1 in 100, when St. Lukes takes your X-rays, they find “a spot” on your lungs. When that happens, they will contact the consulate, and your case will be put on hold, until about a month later, when you can take the X-rays again, and hopefully then have a clean bill of health. Whenever a delay is caused by issues with the medical, that is when St. Lukes gets involved with the scheduling of your interview.
I have put together a collection of about 100 questions that may be asked at the consulate interview, to get a copy go to http://www.fianceandmarriagevisas.com and sign up for the newsletter.
Best of luck with your interview.
Fred Wahl
Matchmaker
First Homeland Security/FBI reviews your petition. This takes from 2 to 6 months.
Then they send the case to the consulate nearest to your Fiancee. Some consulates work faster than others. If he is in Philippines the process is very fast, with interviews arranged as fast as 3 to 5 weeks after Homeland Security approves. If he is in Vietnam it may be 2 to 4 months later.
Once he attends his interview the decision to grant the visa is made “on the spot”. If granted he gets his visa in a few days usually. Sometimes the consulate officer wishes to avoid confrontation, and does not tell denied applicants they are denied, instead telling them to come back later to obtain the results.
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