LOVERS JOURNEY: K1 FIANCEE VISA –FILING THE PETITION (Petitioner Side)

The biggest hindrance a long distance relationship faces is how to bring your fiancée/fiancé in your country and get married. To those people out there who are planning to bring their “wife or husband to be” in the United States might want to know the steps or guidelines I follow to get in the United States without contracting a lawyer to do the process.

First of all, I don’t give a 100% assurance that this will work for all of you. To begin with, below are the steps or guidelines we followed to pass with flying colors the K1 Fiancée/Fiancé Visa application.

PETITIONER INVOLVEMENT:

The Petitioner (your bf/gf) who lives in the country you want to travel and marry must file the petition to the USCIS. There are fees, paper works, documents and other requirements needed before filing the said application. For more information click here. Depending on the volume of the application received, normally, the petitioner will receive a document from USCIS called I-797C, Notice of Action (NOA1) that your application has been received by the said office. It takes three to five months that he or she will hear an answer from his or her application. The petitioner can view the status of his/her application at the USCIS website using the receipt number found in I-797C. My receipt number starts with WACxxxxxxxxxx. Regardless if approved or not, he will receive a second document called I-797, Notice of Action (NOA2). The I-797 (NOA2) simply means that the petitioner application for I-129F is either approved or denied. IF approved, then the person that the petitioner petitions start to work on her or his papers for the US Embassy Philippine Consulate Interview. Take note of the Alien number (usually it starts with letter A then followed by a number) on the top of the beneficiary name (person to be petitioned) because you will use this in all of your future paper works with the USCIS.

FIANCEE/FIANCE INVOLVEMENT:

Once the petition is approved the USCIS will forward the documents to the US Embassy Philippine Consulate. Then the US Embassy Philippines will send the Fiancée/Fiancé a letter that she needs to schedule a visa interview appointment. Details of this scheduling, medical exam, documents to bring, and, etc. will be discussed on my next article.

DOCUMENTS NEEDED for I-129F:

Fiancée/Fiancé (Documents that my husband/bf asked me when he filed for I-129F application.

• · I-G325A.-Biometric form should be carefully filled up.
• · 4pcs of 2x2 Passport pictures with white background (See USCIS instructions for correct sizes)- recent pictures (take within 30 days from filing of the petition)
• · Letter of Intent- to be accomplished by petitioner & fiancé /fiancée. This is a letter of intention to marry your bf or fiancée/fiancé within 90 days of arrival in the United States.

Petitioner/US Citizen (Documents that my husband/bf submitted together with the documents above-mentioned)

1.) PROOF OF AMERICAN CITIZENSHIP: (depending on what category you belong, either one or two of these documents mentioned below)

• · Photocopy of Birth Certificate (Back & Front)-If you are born in the US
• · Photocopy of Certificate of Naturalization (Back & Front)- if you’re a Naturalized Citizen
• · ***But if you are born outside the United States, and you’re US Citizen through your parents, give USCIS:

a.) Original Copies of Certificate of Citizenship or

b.) Form FS-240 (Report of Birth Abroad of a United States Citizen)

2.) I-G325A.-Biometric form should be carefully filled up.

3.) 4pcs of 2x2 Passport pictures with white background (See USCIS instructions for correct sizes)- recent pictures take (within 30 days from filing of the petition)

4.) Letter of Intent (promise to marry within 90 days of arrival)- to be accomplished both petitioner& fiancé /fiancée

5.) Copy of your valid and unexpired US Passport with validity at least five years

6.) Any documents, pictures, letters establishing your relationship with your fiancé/fiancée

7.) Proof that you meet your Fiancée/fiancé in person.

8.) I-129F Form .( Use the current version)

To get the complete instructions about the requirements in filing the I-129F or K1 Fiancee Visa click this >>USCIS form or go to the www.USCIS.gov.

Hiring a lawyer to file in your behalf and fiancée/fiancée incur lots of bucks. The best advices I can give to the petitioner are: make your research, go to the USCIS website and download the instructions form in filing the said petition. If you follow the instructions correctly and do it right in the first time, you won’t get denied as long as your intention and relationship are legit. Note: you should be attentive that the forms you download at the USCIS website are current.

Lastly, make two (2) copies with all the documents you have submitted with the USCIS and put a cover letter enumerating all the documents you have submitted. This move is an assurance for your part that if something goes wrong, and they didn't receive you documents, then you have a back up. My husband submitted all photocopies of the documents and retaining the originals for safe-keeping. My Article for K1-Fiancee Visa Interview click here>>>