frank1538

If you are asking how soon after the visa is issued can the fiance(e) come to the US, the answer is immediately. The visa is good for one entry into the US within six months, so entry into the US has to occur within that timeframe.

Good to see that the weather folks, no matter where located, still can't predict worth squat - I just compared the two.

First, welcome to Candle. You'll find a wealth of information about the process here. Second, you might try a search. Descriptions of the process are scattered throughout the forum, but here's a condensed version. The US citizen petitions USCIS with the I-129F on behalf of the foreign fiance(e). This filing establishes eligibility to obtain the K-1 visa. Once approved, the files will be sent to the National Visa Center to do name and security checks on the foreign fiance(e). When NVC completes it clearances, it will forward the files to the US consulate in Guangzhou, and GZ will send the actual visa applications and other forms to the fiance(e). After the completed forms are returned to the consulate, GZ will advise the applicant of the interview date at the consulate and require the submission of attitional forms and medical exams. If the interview is successful, the applicant will be given the K-1 visa (usually the next day). Here is another link that will provide you will additional information on the process. http://uschinak1.com/ It sounds a lot easier than it actually is. Figure anywhere from 9 months to a year for the entire process and expect delays along the way. Good luck.

Wonderful news JP. Turn the P3 around as fast as you can, but make sure it's accurate. Then sit back and relax for a week or two. Hope she gets here by Christmas. Good luck. Should I ask why you were writing Jun's mom at 4:30 in the morning?

K-1 visas are not renewable. Check your state's requirements for proof of residency in order to get a driver's license. Some states also now require a social security number. Usually, for a non US citizen, proof of legal residency from USCIS is needed, but you should check with your DPS to see if a work permit (emploment authorization document) is enough. Maybe, just proof of marriage plus your notice of receipt on your I-485 filing might be enough.

This is primarily for the benefit of us CFLers waiting on Atlanta to get its act together for AOS. While I was standing in line waiting, I read the sign that said something like: Q. Should I be standing in line? A. ....Not if you filed your I-485 after July, 2001.

Well gang, I can report that Jingwen and the kids have received their interim EADs and have applied for SSNs. The EAD adventure only took four hours - that's 3 hours and forty minutes of waiting and 20 minutes of actual processing. Since I haven't seen an EAD card before, I can't tell what makes the cards the family received "interim" other than the fact that they expire in 8 months. With EADs in hand, we went over to SSA. Actually, they weren't in hand. Jingwen and KK, ever the fashion minded Asians, had worn shirts and pants without pockets, so they had left their EADs in the car and had to go back to get them. Add thirty minutes to the SSA process. The EAD and passport were sufficient for them to get into the SSA system. This time the wait was only about 30 minutes. Now it's more wait time. The little handout said that foreign citizen SSNs will take at least 45 days to process. Damn, the government sure makes it hard to work legally.

Believe me, the sprayer was my first choice, but when I showed one to Jingwen at the Depot and explained how I would use it, she said NO! We will waste too much paint.

I made the mistake of thinking that we would wait for EADs and then apply for Social Security Cards for Jingwen and the kids. In retrospect, I wishl I had applied for the cards when the family first arrived. Ninety days have passed since the filing for EADs, so I called USCIS and they said that the local office would issue interim EADs. Great I thought. Just to double check, I called SSA to verify that an interim EAD was sufficient to get SSNs since I'm not sure that an expired K-1 would be acceptable. The first lady I spoke to said I'm SOL - have to wait for the EAD. Got pissed and asked her for the number of the local SSA office nearest the house. "Sorry, the number is 1-800 blah blah blah." Hung up and called back and spoke with another lady. She said that a K-1 is okay to get a SSN but wasn't sure about an expired K-1. She said it would not make much sense for USCIS to issue an interim EAD and then not be able to work because SSA would not issue a card. But, she said I should check with the local office. Number please? (all SSA office numbers in Atlanta are unlisted). She gave me the local phone number. Called the Atlanta satellite office and spoke to a nice lady. She agreed that it would not make sense for USCIS to issue an interim EAD for work and then not have SSA issue a card. But, then she said I must remember that I am dealing with the US government, so common sense does not always prevail. Her suggestion was to come by with all my paperwork, including a copy of the SSA policy memorandum re K-1. So, bright and early Monday, we are headed down to USCIS to get interim EADs and then off to SSA to try to get cards for the family.

Funny you should mention the picket fence and paint. We had to stain and seal our deck. Off to Home Depot with Jingwen in tow. She loves the place too. After prepping the deck, it was time to paint. I'm using a roller, but Jingwen is down in that classic Asian squat with a tiny paint brush, painting and sealing between the planks. She worked for two days, and I must admit that I wouldn't have had the patience or the flexibility to squat and paint that long. Minghao, a typical 18 year old boy, eventually came out to watch, so I put him to work - something that he is not real fond of. I let him apply the stain to the planks and watched for a few minutes while he began to paint himself into a corner. Decision time. Do I let him continue or do I stop the comedy? Stop! Stop! One thing I will say is that Minghao is not nearly as meticulous as mom.

yyp, this is wonderful news, and I am very happy for you two. I know what a relief this must be. Best of luck as you move forward with the rest of the process. It would be very helpful if we could get some details on what seems to be a very unique procedure. Since your case represents the first time any of us have heard of that required an interview of the US citizen, I am very curious as to what happened? Which government agency conducted the interview. Was it USCIS? If so, was it at the Service Center or some other office? When you say you were approved, do you mean that your boyfriend's I-129f petition was approved? Did the interviewer give you any indication as to why an interview was conducted? What kind of questions did he or she ask? Again, congratulations. I certainly hope the rest of the process goes more quickly for you.

Not a stupid question. My answer is based on the procedure that was in effect in February, 2004, so I can't say if it's the same today. There were a couple of forms (I forget which ones) that required a signature in front of the VO, so Jingwen did not sign these forms when she gave the medical folks her paperwork. She signed them at the conclusion of her interview.

Extensions are routinely granted/given. I have never heard of an applicant being denied because his/her approval had expired. Jingwen's approval was "old", but it did not seem to matter to GZ.

When Jingwen went for her medical exam, the staff said that she needed a non-marriage certificate. I challenged them on this, and said that the divorce documents indicating that she had not registered a marriage since her divorce was sufficient. I can't remember if they noted this on the documents, but GZ was satisfied with all the paperwork. The K-1 visa fee should still be 830 RMB. I think the higher number refers to other immigrant visas.

You have no idea what it will cost. Clifford tried once to accumulate the costs of having a fiancee overseas. As for myself, I'd bet that a small house could have been purchased with what was spent of travel, food, hotels, rings, gifts, fees, medical exams, vaccinations, schooling, computers, and on and on and on. But, it was worth every penny. Frank Sr. PS. Our beloved ruler and mom, aka donahso, will likely comment on your use of all caps.

Another interview!! Great news. Sounds like the halls of GZ will be filled with CFLers chanting "No more Cheetos". Good luck.

Welcome to CFL. Wonderful news. Best of luck to you.

Interesting Carl, In March of 2003 my lawyer suggested thailand. he said we could then get the visa in 6 months.. but then again my lawyer said many things that were wrong. I explored the Malaysia DCF route - many websites said that the USC did not need to be a resident of the country to file DCF and Jingwen could get a tourist visa to visit the country. Unfortunately, when I attempted to get confirmation from the embassy, I was informed that I had to be a resident fo the country to file DCF.

Welcome to CFL. It might be a good idea to go ahead and get that letter from your employer before a possible layoff. Getting such a letter after a layoff will probably not do any good since the former employer will have to disclose whether you are still employed. Hopefully, you will be employed by the time the I-134 is needed (for the interview) and your current or new employer's letter will do the trick. If everything else fails, a co-sponsor could be lined up just in case. The GZ website says that the I-134 is not a required document as long as you can demonstrate that your fiancee will not become a public charge. In fact, the VO didn't even bother to look at my I-134 when Jingwen went for her interview.

I think so. Maybe they want to make sure about our close relationship. We do not worry about it. But I still have something to ask. When my boyfriend came to China to meet me, we stayed together for almost three weeks. He wanted to buy a diamond ring for our engagement, but I did not want him to buy because I thought it was too expensive and I did not realize the engagement ring was important proof of our close relationship. But he met my parents, my family and my best friends, and had dinner within my family to show that we were engaged. Although we have lots of other proofs to show our close relationship, we do not know if the engagement ring receipt is the necessary proof. If they ask about it, what should we explain? And after they mail our file to GZ, does GZ contact my company to check if I am really working there? Because I moved to another city, I do not want to make our case delayed again due to my moving. Thanks. A receipt for an engagement ring is not that important - nice to have but not absolutely essential. As far as verifying employment, I have never heard of GZ doing so.

Hey, I've laid claim to Frank 15**. To avoid confusion, you shall henceforth be know as Frank Jr or grasshopper. Welcome to CFL. There is also a list of acronyms in the Information section at the bottom of this website.

Wow. Congratulations to you both. Who opened the floodgates?

Really? Are your sure??? About as sure as anyone can be given the government's instructions. If I remember, no I-130 is needed for a K-1 fiancee who enters the US and gets married to the petitioner within 90 days. An I-130 is needed if the marriage takes place after the 90 day period: http://uscis.gov/graphics/howdoi/lpreligibility.htm#d

Good to hear that you have finally made it through what is the longest phase - CSC/USCIS. Now it's off to NVC and never never land. Good luck.

My sense is that it doesn't. No I-130 is necessary to adjust status from a K-1 to conditional permanent resident.