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Hello all! Glad I came across this forum, I've found a lot of useful information. One thing I haven't been able to find, and I'm surprised, is how the heck do we get a proper Chinese address on the "mailing address" sections? Both my fiance and I are living in China at the moment, and on the other fields like the G-325a, I'm not too worried about abbreviating/shortening the addresses, but the mailing address needs to be totally correct or the paperwork will never arrive here as it should! Plus, as I'm sure you already know, the Chinese way is to give a call when a package arrives, and there are no fields to put in your delivery phone number. What have the rest of you done in this situation? Also, a simple second question for the future interview -- can I join my fiance at the visa interview in Guangzhou?? All stories I read of other people they are not attending the interview. I thought it was an option, but I never see people attending together in anyone's personal story...

Hi there My fiances I-129F got approved. I received the I-797 notice of action letter. On it, I was told to take that to the consulate in chengdu to complete the visa process. But I did some research online and called the chengdu consulate, I was told all fiancé visa are being process in Guangzhou. Is that right. What is my next course of action. Should I wait for p3? I tried calling everywhere for info but the people on the phone don't seems very clear. Will I be receiving p3 here in the United States or will my fiancé receive it in china? I read somewhere online that the NVS don't mail to foreign address. So should I start downloading the p3 forms and mail that to Guangzhou or should I wait. My I-129F was filed on October 18 and it got approved November 18. Thanks a lot!!!!

I bet this question has been asked many times but searching did not reveal an answer. I am wondering which is the safer way to go, K1 or CR1. Thanks, Brad

A lot has changed since I last filed a fiance visa. There used to be several places to mail the fiance visa that were dependent upon your home address. For example, Virginia, California, Texas and so on. Now, it appears there is only one place in Texas? Also, are there any good examples of the letter of intent to marry within 90-days of entry? VJ has an example letter, but it appears very basic. Your thoughts about content are appreciated in advance.

I have been visiting this forum for several months and have found a lot of very good, hard to find information thanks to some very good people on the forum. I am now in the process of completing my own I-129F and am unsure how to answer a question regarding having previously filed any petition for a K-1 fiancé petition. I filed a petition in the year 2000 (13 year ago) that was approved. My fiance at that time came to the US and we came to a peaceful and mutual conclusion to not get married. She departed the US within 90 of arrival, so there was no overstay. The I-129F asked for the filing date and the city/State it was sent to. Because more than 13 years have past, I, nor my past fiancé, have any documentation regarding the month or day it was submitted back in 2000. 1. How would you complete this part of the I-129F? 2. Should I include more information to the DHS-USCIS about why that person and I didn't marry? Thank you. Steve

I've talked to RandyW a little about filing for fiance visa while living in China. My fiance's daughter turned 20 last month and we would like to bring her to the US with us. Because she is a potential age-out, I have been told that it may be possible to succeed using a fiance visa and making the application "RUSH POTENTIAL AGE-OUT." It's important to file now to allow enough time to get all approvals and complete the interview so that her daughter can enter the US before her 21st birthday. I am not sure however about whether there is a requirement to be living in the US for the initial filing of the I129F. Does anyone know specifically whether it's okay to show my current address in China on the first forms, and then later, after the petition is approved to move back to the US to establish residency?

Hi everyone, I'd really appreciate any help, I'm starting this thread to ask questions about the i129f that I can't find answered elsewhere. I want to get this done right! My first question: When typing in mine and my fiance's address on the form, I check "Apartment" and then I assume I would type my apartment number and name in the next box, but it will not let me click there. Am I doing something wrong? My Second Question: I'm a U.S. born citizen, do I need to get a certificate of citizenship before filing? There's an option to check "No, I don't have one," but should I get one? Will it improve anything?

Hello we have a K1 visa in process and she should be getting the P3 packet soon. What is the new appointment process (see below from consulate)? Perhaps they let you call and make an interview appointment (would be much better)? What is the new document delivery system? New Process for U.S. Visa Applications As part of the U.S. Mission China efforts to streamline the visa application process, the Embassy and all Consulates General that issue visas are implementing a new visa appointment, fee payment and document delivery system starting on March 16, 2013. These services will be provided to visa applicants by our authorized partner, CGI Stanley. Immigrant visa applicants who are qualified for an immigrant visa interview will be contacted directly by the U.S. Consulate General Guangzhou with instructions for making an appointment. Please do not try to schedule an immigrant visa interview until you have been contacted by the U.S. Consulate General Guangzhou.

Hi everyone, About to embark on the long journey of k1 and I was hoping you experts will be able to look over our package and see if we will run into any problems. Thanks and I appreciate any help you guys can give us. A little background information on my fiancé and I. I’m a 27 year old Chinese American, aspiring dentist still in dental school. I was born in Shanghai and moved here when I was 2. She’s a 29 year old Shanghainese girl and we met through some friends while I was there vacationing January 2012. Her English isn’t that great but gets by as any college educated girl could. We usually communicate in mandarin and shanghainese. I don’t want to bore you guys with the sappy details so here are the cliff notes. Met in January 2012 in Shanghai through friends. I stayed there until April, and she came back to the US with me and left in July of 2012 on a b1/b2 visa so we spend 7 months together. Then I went back to Shanghai in September 2012 and stayed till November 2012. She then came and visit me in Chicago in March 2013 till June 2013, and we went back to Shanghai together, and I left about 2 weeks ago. We cant bare to spend any more time apart so we decided to hurry up and file for k1, instead of the risky b1/b2 AOS route. Included in our package are the following items: 1. 1 i-129f 2. 1 entire copy of my passport 3. 2 statements intent to marry within 90 days 4. 1 statement of how you met including dates, copies of airline tickets and or boarding pass. 5. Two signed G-325A 6. 2 passport pictures 7. 1 check for $340 8. Evidence of ongoing relationship. a. Facetime records b. 5 pictures of me and her friends, and pictures of us going on vacation together to Miami, NYC, Tokyo, and Hong Kong c. Copies of letters and emails d. Copies of visa to china, and passport stamps from my passport e. Engagement ring and wedding band receipts. As far as I know, it seems like we have everything necessary for a successful K1, granted her interview goes well. The only problem I foresee is financial problems. Since I’m still in school, I don’t have any income. However, nor do I have any student loans and my parents are willing to sign an affidavit of support. So how does everything look? I thank everyone for their support and the wonderful information this forum has provided us in our long journey. Thanks!!!

Hello again, CFL, I have some questions for all of you here on this great site. Hopefully you can lead us down the right path. My wife(Chinese citizen) and I(American Citizen) were successfully married in China on May 20. I'm currently still in Shanghai, where she works and resides, on my multi-entry L visa visiting her and will be here for another couple of months. We were thinking of starting the visa process and then we decided to wait since she plans on staying here in China and working for another couple years. Now we've changed our minds again and she wants to get going on all of it since she'll need to enter the states next year to get sworn in for the NY Barr. We've heard that it'd be tough for her to get a tourist visa being married to me so we're going to apply for the K-3. I guess the thing that concerns me the most is the fact that she doesn't plan on moving to the U.S. immediately after hopefully getting approved so I'm a little confused as to the best course of action here and what to apply for. So my questions are: 1) Should we apply for the K-3 non-immigrant visa since she won't be moving to the U.S. just yet? 2) If so, I understand that involves filing the I-130 and the I-129F. Should I apply for those ASAP? Also, how long after I apply for the I-130 should I wait to apply for the I-129F? 3) Does the K-3 visa approval require her to enter the U.S. within a certain time frame? 4) Does the front-loading start here with these two forms or does that start later on in our process? If so, will I need multiple copies of everything? As in copies for each form and then copies for her and I to keep for interviews? 5) I guess we'll wait to file for her permanent resident status since she won't be moving to and staying in the States the majority of her time just yet. Is this ok? I'm not really grasping how everything works yet or the order of things. She thinks we can look into most of this later but I'd like to get a grasp on what we're going to need to do in the coming steps. Any help on these issues will be greatly appreciated. My wife wants to just get going on everything right now and I'm a little leery from some of the horror stories I've read on this forum. I want to make sure we're doing this the correct way for our situation and at the correct time. Any extra advice or issues that you foresee here is welcomed. Thanks, Tom

Greetings, everyone. This is my first post as a new member. I am a 61-year-old gentleman who, after being a bachelor all my life, has finally found the love of his life. And of course, she is on the other side of the planet in China. She is nine years younger than myself and is elegant, educated, intelligent, and treats me like a king. I am ecstatically happy. But, of course, I now face the inevitable morass of American Immigration. For my first post I have two questions I would appreciate some help with. The first question deals with the evidence data that we are to submit with the I-129F. I know we should “Front Load” so I have amassed quite a large collection of material. What I would like to know is what is the best way to submit it. I have everything printed on high-quality inkjet printer paper and I will be printing the photos on photographic quality paper. Currently I have all printed pages inserted into sheet protectors and everything neatly placed by category (letters, emails, Skype data, etc.) inside professional grade binders. It all looks pretty good, but is bulky as an African Bull Elephant. I would have to ship it all in a large box and I am afraid the huge, awkward nature of the binders may be an annoyance to whoever inspects them at the Immigration Service. I am considering having all the printed materials professionally bound into nice books, sans the bulky binders and sheet protectors. What does anyone think about this issue? Any comments gratefully appreciated. The second question deals with my age and the age of my fiancée. Does an older age of an applicant, and that of his beneficiary, reflect positively or negatively on an application? Because of my age, this is essentially my “last chance” at this kind of happiness and I cannot afford to go through a massively extended process filled with problems. Nor can I do a lot of “repeat” filing or long-term legal work. And neither can I go looking for a new lady, if I loose this one due to government red tape. I would not want to look for a new lady, as this one is the only one I ever would want. Any comments on “older-age-applicants” would also be very gratefully appreciated. Thanks.

I was wondering the impact of having the letter of intent signed but not having the actual proposal would affect the K1 application for a Chinese citizen? Was hoping to get a head start on the paperwork since I won't be able to get a chance to get to China until the Fall.

If my fiance's daughter is turning 18 this september, does she still qualify for the visa under the fiance visa? Do we only have to start the process before she turns 18? My fiance will be coming to the U.S. in July for 6 weeks. Is it legal for us to marry while she is here? If we marry, how does this affect the daughter coming here?

My fiancee and I are just starting the process of immigration to the US for her and getting married. Our situation is unique with added opportunity but also some unique challenges. While we are both pretty sharp at navigating the immigration process when we know what to address, we could use help for what we don't know to address. Here is our story as it is evolving: I have never been married and have no children. She was divorced 2 years ago and has a daughter that is a junior in high school.We met mid September, 2012 on www.ChinaLoveMatch.netOur attraction for each other was very strong and fast. Emailing, chatting and video-chating almost everyday.In a few days I purchased plane tickets to China dated for mid November, 2012A few days later I purchased more plane tickets to China for late December, 2012.We met in person 11/11/2012 in her city in China. We spent 2 weeks visiting each other: her friends and business contacts near her home; then her daughter, brother's family and her parents in another city; her old classmates in yet another city; and tourists sites in Beijing.By the time we met her parents 11/17/2012 we told them of our plans to get married. They have given us their blessing.I purchased more plane tickets to China in early December dated for early March, 2013.We will be together in her city for two weeks starting 12/23/2012.We will travel South China together for two weeks starting 3/3/2013.We have completed our I-129F but have not submitted it because I'm not sure about some issues: My address is confusing and I don't want to confuse where I'm living now and where we plan to live when she gets her visa.My home is in Montana. I am a self employed Chemical Engineer and an Apartment Landlord. My Apartment Bldg. is in MT. This house is where we will live when she gets her visa.Almost all of my Chemical Engineering work is in Utah. I rent a room in a shared house there. My schedule is typically 1 week off per month. If I wasn't going to China so much I would spend most of that time off at my Montana house.It's not relevant now, but 1 year ago, similarly I lived in my small home in central WY for 3 years while I did chemical engineering work there. Utah was an opportunity I couldn't say no to when I thought I was returning to MT.In December, I started extended work trips to central Nevada. I am given shared company housing there. They are patient with all my trips to China. I think this project will last through April, 2013 but so far I have only completed two weeks so we are still developing the scope of work.Our plan is for me to keep working until at least the end of April, 2013 while we wait for her Visa but if the wait for the visa stretches much later, I am interested in living in China for 3 month intervals with about 1.5 months in the US between trips.On one hand we would like her to experience my traveling work and be part of the decision when to quit.On the other hand we would rather be together in China if the wait for the visa gets long.She is also self employed, in China of course. Her business is very valuable for the time it requires.She has a daughter that is a junior in high school at a boarding school some 400 miles away, but near her parents and her brother's family.The idea is to keep her business and home going until she can give them to her daughter after graduation.But maybe her daughter will go to University, maybe she won't.If her daughter doesn't go to University, the daughter might be better off with the business, the house, and continuing education in art and business nearby via some less conventional way. (In the US I would call it night school or community college plus private art studio training. I'm told those don't exist in China.....)Her parents are retired and are willing to keep the business and home going for some time to help transition to the daughter after she gets her visa.She would like to visit China each year between October and February to participate in the business' busy season.Our big picture plan is to live in Montana, manage the real estate investments, enjoy our home, potentially start another small business, and be snowbirds to China during the winter.Some of the annual trip to China will be to visit family.Some of the annual trip to China will be to touch base with the business.Some of the annual trip to China will be to visit south China to enjoy the weather.So while it would be nice to have a quick Visa process, what we really need is some certainty to not mess anything up while we live a somewhat transient lifestyle, and some guidance how to complete all the application paperwork in a way that doesn't alarm someone looking for “conventional stability” as part of our qualifications. In summary, some key points: On the I-129F, is it a problem for me to list different address for my current location and where she (we) intend to live in the US after she gets her visa? Of course we will live together there, but the I-129F doesn't allow us to make that clear.She has a high school junior daughter in boarding school so far away that they only see each other about once per year. She moving to the US and then being back in China for 3 months each year doesn't really change anything with their relationship but again the I-129 doesn't offer anywhere to explain (I guess it doesn't even address if the child will stay in China or not.) The daughter stays with her father during summer breaks.We would like to proactively manage my engineering business but we need some idea of time frame for her visa. 4, 8, 12, 16 months?...... there are certainly some grueling stories on www.CandleForLove.comAnd one last question, I saw that Shenyang is listed as a US consulate that can be used for visa application. Is that true or do we have to specify Guangzhou? What suggestions do you have for us?

Two questions. I want to send my packet via USPS as priority--not express. Which address should I use for this? Secondly, what's this NVC Electronic Processing? Can it really reduce the waiting time by 60-120 days? http://www.visajourney.com/wiki/index.php/NVC_Electronic_Processing Application packet ready to go out TOMORROW. It's been long enough waiting to collect papers.

My boyfriend has just proposed to me and now I need to decide whether we should get a fiancee visa and get married in US or if I should go to China and get married there and then bring him here as my husband. I understand that fiancee visa may be faster, but my concern is that I am significantly older than my boyfriend. Will this raise a red flag for a fiancee visa?

Hello everyone, It’s been over five months since I mailed out my K-1 application. Under the advice of my lawyer, about 3 months into the processing time, I submitted an expedite request based on an emergent situation. Two months have passed since my expedite request was received by the Vermont Service Center, and I have heard nothing back yet(not even a denial.) Furthermore, the last two times I called the NSC, they told me that normal processing time was 5 months. When I called again yesterday to find out the status of my expedite request, (which they still had no answer for), I was informed that the processing time was now 7 months. They were still working on Feb. 28th applications! I’m not sure what else I can do. My fiance and I really don’t want to needlessly wait 2 more months. Is it worth asking a senator for a letter at this point? Could a senator’s letter possibly annoy anyone at the service center and cause more harm than good? Some insight would be deeply appreciated. I don’t want to rock the boat if there is the risk of it tipping over.

Hi, I have a few brief questions about the I-129F, specifically part B, regarding her information, the Part B section on the I-129F. PART B 1. Should I go by what is on her passport? If so, her Chinese first name would be written "Yilin." I just want to make sure there will be no issues later regarding "Yilin" or "Yi Lin." Like I said, passport writes the first name without a space, should I stick to that? 2. Address - Which address should I go by? Her parents live in Henan, she herself up until recenlty was living in the dorms of her university in Wuhan. This year I rented her a small apartment... I guess common sense would be to use the address of the apartment in which she lives now, but as far as the bureaucrats are concerned, is there some other criterion by which to determine OFFICIAL address? 4. Date of birth - The date of birth on her passport is one month off from her actual date of birth (typical in China), but again, I go by the passport, right? 18. I wrote: "We met and were together in Wuhan from December 25th 2010 until July 2011, then again from September 2011 till February 2012, and finally from July to September 2012." Required evidence notwithstanding, is this what they want to see in this box? Or must I attach an extra piece of paper and describe our meeting in more detail? 20. Should I put "Guangzhou" here? Isn't that where all the interviews take place? I'm also confused about the part regarding my own citizenship and the "through your parents" thing. I was born abroad and naturalized here when I was sixteen, so ticking "naturalization" should be enough, right? Or must I also tick "parents" One more thing. If something doesn't apply can I just leave it blank or must I put "none" or "N/A" on ALL empty fields? For example, I've never been married before. Can I just leave that blank? I don't know what they expect to see. Thanks for the help.

Hi, guys... My girlfriend and I would like to start the K1 process this year and I'm a bit confused about our options. We met in China in December 2010 and were together up until February of 2012. Then I left for Europe for a few months and we just spent this summer together, two months to be exact. Now I'm back in New York and she's in Wuhan and we'd like to apply for the K1 right away. What I'd really like to know is what can we do to ensure we have the best possible chance of getting this thing? I have seen some people say it's best to do it all yourself, but bureaucrats make me nervous, no matter how meticulously I fill out their forms and jump through their hoops. The reason I found this forum, actually, was by seeing Marc Ellis' name mentioned frequently when I did searches on this topic, and I traced him back here. Long story short, I'm heavily leaning toward just hiring a good, recommended lawyer and letting him advise and guide us through the process. This way I can concentrate on what I'm doing now (starting a new job) and, also, he can help prepare my girlfriend for the interview, when the time comes. I know this all sounds jumbled. I feel...worried, I guess. I'd just like to find a thread to latch on to so that I can just get this started. Do you guys think, in your experience, that getting a lawyer is a good step? Also, how much would one cost? I've seen prices ranging from $1,000 to $1,500. Also, lawyer fees aside, how much do the actual application processing fees cost on the government's side? That information I haven't been able to find anywhere. Pardon the long post. I really appreciate your advice.

Hello All, I've been reading through this forum, and it has been very helpful, though has made me very anxious about this process. I have been with my girlfriend for almost 2 years now, and have been living together for over 1 year. We love each other very much, and hope to get married and move back to the U.S. together. However, after research, it seems the best way is to first get a K-1

Can anyone point me to some recent time line information? The CFL search engine only points me to time line information that is several years old. I am interested in time lines that are recent, like couples who have received K-1 visas in 2011 and 2012. It has been 2 months since I received the first NOA. I read on the USCIS website that the CSC is taking 5 months to render a decision before sending out NOA 2. Are there any recent applicants here who can verify this? How long did it take from receiving NOA 2 until your fiancee received P3? At one time I knew where every Candle post was, along with the author, content, and his or her personal story and timeline. But my, how CFL has grown over the years! It is now a really difficult and time-intensive task to find information via the CFL search engine. My 12-hour work days do not make it any easier for me to find the information I seek.

Sent out the package on Valentines day being told it would get there the next day since i sent it express mail thru the USPS. I sent it to the Lewisville address for express mail not the lock box. Went to the post office today and they told me that the Lewisville location may not accept packages!? The USPS supervisor will call the Coppell post office where my package is located supposly tommorow to find out more info. Just wondering if anybody has come across this before? Here is my tracking number EG932727647US if anybody is courious You can track it at http://www.usps.com Starting to think the lock box would of been a better idea and less postage. Now my parcel is limbo.

Hi all...another question. I sent in everything that was required with the I-129f back in September (photos, proof of meeting, chats, my birth certificate...etc). My fiancee has been told that we should have also sent in her birth certificate and her sons with the I-129f. Can anyone tell me if this is true? I read a lot before sending everything in and NO WHERE did I find that we should send in her birth certificate or copy of her passport for that matter. Thanks everyone

Hello Everyone, I filed my I129F form in March. They received March 2nd. I received an RFE notice May 26th. They wanted more information. They received my additional information June 7th. I checked the USCIS website and it told me that the response could take up to 60 days. Has anybody had a similar experience? Does Immigration really take that long for an RFE? Thank you for your help.

I have a trip booked for this June and I am really troubled by the choices between: file immediately OR wait a few months for more front-loaded evidences to go with the I129 petition. We will definitely have a lot more photos and 'total time spent together' after that trip, but at the cost of 3 months delay to our reunion and I figure those new evidences will be available for the interview anyway. Will visa interview officer there already made up his/her mind when reviewing your case before the interview even started? Here is a brief overview of my current situation: I petitioned for a K1 Visa 9 years ago (2002) for my ex-wife (also from China). A legitimate marriage and we stayed married for more than 7 years. I was very young at that time (earlier 20s) and made a mistake. I divorced in May, 2010 and meet my current girlfriend (in person) around Oct 2010 in China. (5 months after my divorce) The two of us have been communicating with each other ( Skype, email, chat) almost daily since that. I took another trip back to China this February and spent a lot of time together. At this point, we have known each other for more than 6 months and we have spent more than 3 weeks together. ( I have another trip booked for June and will bring my engagement ring this time.) I think we have enough photos for the I129F petition (to proof we have meet in person), but I am little concerned about the negative impact of my previous K1 marriage and the length of time (6 months) we have known each other. Things that can help my petition in a positive way will be our age: (both in early 30s) and our job & education background. My income is way above the poverty line and have assets such as house & savings in 401K(and IRA) in US. My girlfriend studied & received her degree in UK and currently has a white collar level job with an international firm in China (She has traveled all over Europe for business reasons & personal pleasure during last 10 years and even worked outside China for a few years. However, she has never entered US before.) This will be her first marriage and my second, neither party has kid. So, should I wait 3 more months to front-load I129F after the trip? Or just sent out the petition now and let her bring the additional photos to the interview? I have always believed that ‘All the legitimate marriage will eventually be approved’, but started getting scared after reading some of the bad stories here. Are there any estimated success rate for K1 interviews at Guangzhou? (Would marry her in China then file for CR1 increase my chances because I have already done K1 once before? ) Thanks for any comments & suggestions.