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Old 08-10-2007, 03:03 PM   #1 (permalink)
kstoss9
 
Posts: 3
Default Getting the right answers??

I am engaged to a British citizen. He is living in Wales, and I am
living in Maine. We have not picked a date for the wedding because we
want to sort out the visas first.

I have spoken to several lawyers. I am looking for someone who has
gone though this and knows the correct answers because I keep getting
different ones.

It was my understanding that I needed to file the K-3 fiance visa
(I-129F) application first. Once approved my fiance could come over
to the US and get married within the 90 day window allotted. Once
over I would file the I-130 and the I-485 together (including with
those the G-325A; I-864; I-864A; I-765) then after the two year
probation period, 90 days before the annaversary of the I-130 I would
send in I-751.

I was just informed by someone that I need to file the I-130 first and
then apply for the I-129F fiance visa, but dosen't that only apply if
you are living in the Us and already married? I was going to apply
for the K-3 first and then send in the proof that we are legally
married with the I-130 forms.

I guess I am just checking on the order of the forms. I believe my
understand is correct and the person who told me to file the I-130
first is wrong.

Does anyone know which is the correct order?

Thanks for your help!
~Kate
 

Old 08-10-2007, 03:44 PM   #2 (permalink)
Noorah101
 
Posts: 12637
Default Re: Getting the right answers??

> I am engaged to a British citizen. He is living in Wales, and I am
> living in Maine. We have not picked a date for the wedding because we
> want to sort out the visas first.
>
> I have spoken to several lawyers. I am looking for someone who has
> gone though this and knows the correct answers because I keep getting
> different ones.
>
> It was my understanding that I needed to file the K-3 fiance visa
> (I-129F) application first. Once approved my fiance could come over
> to the US and get married within the 90 day window allotted. Once
> over I would file the I-130 and the I-485 together (including with
> those the G-325A; I-864; I-864A; I-765) then after the two year
> probation period, 90 days before the annaversary of the I-130 I would
> send in I-751.
>
> I was just informed by someone that I need to file the I-130 first and
> then apply for the I-129F fiance visa, but dosen't that only apply if
> you are living in the Us and already married? I was going to apply
> for the K-3 first and then send in the proof that we are legally
> married with the I-130 forms.
>
> I guess I am just checking on the order of the forms. I believe my
> understand is correct and the person who told me to file the I-130
> first is wrong.
>
> Does anyone know which is the correct order?
>
> Thanks for your help!
> ~Kate

Hi Kate,

You have things completely mixed up. First of all, how do you want to
bring him to the USA....as a fiance or a spouse? You have to decide
this first.

Assuming you want to bring him as your fiance and then marry in the USA
and have him remain in the USA permanently after marriage, you are
looking at a K-1 visa (not a K-3...that's a spouse visa).

For the K-1 fiance visa, you (the USC) will submit an I-129F here in the
USA at your service center. After it's approved, the file will be
transferred to London, where your fiance will receive his visa
application paperwork. He will get a police report, medical, and return
a checklist to the embassy when he has all the paperwork ready. He will
attend a visa interview and receive his K-1 visa.

He uses the K-1 visa to enter the USA, and must marry you within 90
days. After you marry, you will apply for his adjustment of status
(AOS). This includes filing form I-485, I-864, I-765 for work
authorization, and I-131 for travel purposes (optional). You don't need
to file an I-130 at any time during the K-1 or AOS process. Once this
is all filed, you sit back and wait for an AOS interview. At the
interview, if everything looks good and security checks are done, he'll
be approved and will receive a green card.

If your marriage is less than 2 years old at the time of AOS approval,
he will receive a 2-year conditional card (then you will file I-751 to
remove conditions in 2 years). If the marriage is more than 2 years old
at the time of AOS approval, he will receive the 10-year green card and
you do nothing more until or unless he wants to become a USC later.

See here for more info on the K-1 process:
http://britishexpats.com/wiki/K1

Best Wishes,
Rene
 
Old 08-10-2007, 11:19 PM   #3 (permalink)
Ian-Mstm
 
Posts: 6030
Default Re: Getting the right answers??

> I am engaged to a British citizen. He is living in Wales, and I am
> living in Maine. We have not picked a date for the wedding because we
> want to sort out the visas first.
>
> I have spoken to several lawyers. I am looking for someone who has
> gone though this and knows the correct answers because I keep getting
> different ones.
>
> It was my understanding that I needed to file the K-3 fiance visa
> (I-129F) application first. Once approved my fiance could come over
> to the US and get married within the 90 day window allotted. Once
> over I would file the I-130 and the I-485 together (including with
> those the G-325A; I-864; I-864A; I-765) then after the two year
> probation period, 90 days before the annaversary of the I-130 I would
> send in I-751.
>
> I was just informed by someone that I need to file the I-130 first and
> then apply for the I-129F fiance visa, but dosen't that only apply if
> you are living in the Us and already married? I was going to apply
> for the K-3 first and then send in the proof that we are legally
> married with the I-130 forms.
>
> I guess I am just checking on the order of the forms. I believe my
> understand is correct and the person who told me to file the I-130
> first is wrong.
>
> Does anyone know which is the correct order?
>
> Thanks for your help!
> ~Kate

Rene is 100% correct. Many of us, me included, did this exact same thing
in this exact same order and have lived to tell the tale! And, while
I'm thinking about it, kudos for not setting a wedding date until
*after* the visa stuff is settled. I can't tell you how many
disappointments we've seen posted here recently because people set the
date first before realizing that the visas won't arrive in time...
that's a real heartbreaker! So... good for you.

Ian
 
Old 08-11-2007, 04:49 AM   #4 (permalink)
Ray
 
Posts: 3484
Default Re: Getting the right answers??

> Rene is 100% correct. Many of us, me included, did this exact same
> thing in this exact same order and have lived to tell the tale!
> And, while I'm thinking about it, kudos for not setting a wedding date
> until *after* the visa stuff is settled. I can't tell you how many
> disappointments we've seen posted here recently because people set the
> date first before realizing that the visas won't arrive in time...
> that's a real heartbreaker! So... good for you.
>
> Ian

Cancel the whole idea ..A welshman could never survive a
Maine winter ....
 
Old 08-11-2007, 12:16 PM   #5 (permalink)
Ian-Mstm
 
Posts: 6030
Default Re: Getting the right answers??

> Cancel the whole idea ..A welshman could never survive a
> Maine winter ....

ROFL!

Ian
 
Old 09-04-2007, 05:20 PM   #6 (permalink)
kstoss9
 
Posts: 3
Default Re: Getting the right answers??

On Aug 11, 8:16 am, ian-mstm <member2...@nomx.britishexpats.com>
wrote:
> > Cancel the whole idea ..A welshman could never survive a
> > Maine winter ....
>
> ROFL!
>
> Ian
>
> --
> Posted viahttp://britishexpats.com

haha you know he said the same thing!! We went ot visit Maine and all
he did was complain about the cold, I told him he would get used to
it, but probably not!!
thanks for all the help! You saved me a lot of money on forms I dont
need.
~Kate
 
 


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