Not that I'm that cheap of a person, but my Jenia insisted that I use her agency for doing the K-1 visa process. Jenia has two girlfriends whose Fiances have tried by using attorneys here in the US. One man spent $2000 on atty.in Cal. to only find out that the other atty. in which he (US atty)was working with in Moscow could not complete the whole process because he couldn't process a visa for Moldova, only Russian. The fiance then spent another $750 and used her agency and now the girl is here. Jenia's other friend has been trying to get over here for a year and a half now and is still in Moldova. Her fiance also is using an atty. here but to be honest, the woman has screwed up two interviews and that is why she is still in Moldova. At first, I was not willing to use her agency, but later that night she found a way of making me see it her way. :o)
I have just been sent her paperwork and basically, I am doing this whole thing by myself. I don't know everything yet but will understand everything when it is finished. I had to download copies of various forms, fill them out and send off other copies of things such as Birth certificate, divorce papers, "letter of intent to marry" and so on. It is not as difficult as lawyers would have you believe. If anything is done wrong, I understand there will be a much longer delay but I will not have to listen her complain because I am doing it her way and I explained that to her. By no means am I telling anyone to do it theirselves. I am just letting anyone know that's interested in doing it theirself. So far the filing fee was $165 and I sent the package off Monday and know that it was received Wednesday. I am suppose to hear something from them in about 3 weeks. As I stated before, I am not a lover of lawyers but for something this important I would use one for piece of mind. But then again, there are some websites that help you do this on your own and give step by step instructions with examples of filled in forms. Her agency gave me a time frame of anywhere from 6-9 months to complete the process of getting Jenia here. I have my fingers crossed on this one.
Thanks for the info Dale. I really appreciate it. I will be doing this all myself. I cannot afford thousands of dollars for someone to push paper. I did my citizenship myself and I think I can do this. I used an attorney for my original greencard but it was a complicated matter. This I feel is straight forward. Thanks again.
Dale: Please give further details on how your lady's friend "screwed up" her interview in Moldova for a K-1.
My fiance and I are at that point right now and, frankly, it is a concern of mine. Does she know what she did wrong? Do YOU know what she did wrong? Any tips would be appreciated.
I am hopeful that you could help me with the overwhelming info for K-1. I have corresponded with a lady that I intend to visit in Ukraine April 12 2005. We think we will marry. She wants to visit the US Embassy in Kiev when I get there to apply for the "brides visa' as she calls it. I have never met her and from what I read I can not start the process for the I-129f fiance visa outside of the US. Can I schedule an appointment with the embassy while I am there or do I need to wait to get back to start the process. I work in engineering and am not a totall dummy but this looks like mount everest to me. Any info would be greatly appreciated.
David,
Why not visit first and talk this over while you are there. Take lots of photos, keep all your plane tickets, boarding passes etc and enjoy her company for a couple of weeks. The basic form to fill in for the K-1 is not bad, I took one myself but I waited to talk about it until the end of my visit. Then we discussed it.
I think what you are concerned about is the supporting evidence that comes later. I went through the same thing with my original greencard. Hell, my ex wife even visited the shrink twice to build up evidence! He had to write a report.
In my own case I am going to wait until my next visit in the summer, ask the question properly with a ring and then whip out the paperwork.
As in Blazing Saddles "Excuse me while I whip this out".
"Do what he say, do what he say !!!" :)))
On the other hand totally ignore me, I'm not playing with a full deck anyway :)))
Jet- I wish I would have read your post earlier as I just finished talking to Jenia for over three hours. I'll call her again Tues. and ask her how her friend "screwed up" her interview.
D'Izi- You are correct about collecting evidence and should really try to space yourself from Toad a little more.
David,
I don't know how long you've been writing to this lady, but it rubs me as premature and a quite a bit forward of her to ask to go to the embassy to initiate 'bride visa' paperwork without yet knowing if you both feel goog boinking each other's brains out...pardon my sexual thoughts.
BE CAREFUL.
I am curious when filling out the forms. Down at the bottom it asks the applicant to be sure and put the alien registration number in the box. Where do you get this number?
Velcro- If you are the applicant filling out the G-325A forms and you were born in the US, you have no alien registration number. You would enter "None". There is a website that gives examples of filled -out forms. www.visajourney.com I have to say thanks to JETMBA for this site. It helped me out very much.
I must have done something right. One week ago I mailed off visa application papers and today have received an I-797C (Notice of Action) form from the Dept. of Homeland Security. Basically they state that the process will take 150-180 days to process. I have signed up for E-mail updates everytime they open my case. Now I have a case number and they have my check for $165. Probably cashing it was the first step of the visa process.
Dale:
Often that first notice - the one you received saying that they had merely received your application - is refered to as the NOA1 (Notice of Action 1). Its typical to receive that one in a week. It means you have been put into a queue and they will begin to look at your papers in 10 days (if you filed in Vermont) to about 60 days (if you filed in Nebraska). They TELL you it will take 150-180 days for this step - but thats an exageration - on the other hand...
Did you have a chance to talk with your lady tonight (Tuesday) to find out what her Moldovan friend did to screw up her interview? I am very interested.
Unpleasant footnote - my Moldovan has never asked for an awful lot - she always said she was afraid that doing so would result in her "losing me".
Well now that we are in the final stage - evidently she has overcome her fear - I am amazed at what she is asking for to FIX UP HER APARTMENT IN MOLDOVA. It is a very real concern because I cannot entirely rule ot the possibility that she will not come. But that will, no doubt, because she has such a nice comfortable apartment that I took care of.
It also makes me wonder what she is going to do when she gets here in the US.
This relationship, seriously, has some new major problems.