New to this/need help!

[david_dawei]

Welcome to CFL.

 

For a step by step of what to do, see this link, which is in our Visa FAQ:

 

http://www.visajourney.com/faq/k1faq.htm

 

 

Feel free to ask questions about the visa for a chinese beneficiary.  You will find a lot of knowledge and help here.

139570[/snapback]

thank you for the help. Question: What is the quickest you have seen from start to finish in this process? I guess I am wondering if we do everything as quickly as possible, and don't delay anything ourselves, how long are we looking at. I know it will be an estimate, but it would still help. My girlfriend Ellen is hopingthat I might have a phone conversation, or email correspondance with you or someone who really knoes the ropes. We think it might help. Thanks in advance

139572[/snapback]

The fastest possible way is if you are working in china and marry. This takes about 7-8 months.

 

If you file from the US, you want to be only engaged. The filing is based on where you live. If you are in the northeast, it will take about 9 month. otherwise it takes about 10-13 months.

 

If you want to be together, move to china. If you can wait apart, you will file in the US...

139581[/snapback]

Would it make any difference if we married over there, but I returned home? I am trying to implement a plan I have that will at least accomidate me going there more frequently, but I don't know if I could make it a sitiation where I was there for a long time as if I was living there. I work in real estate/mortgages, and teach people here on a small scale how to invest in the Florida realestate market. I have seen that there is money coming in to Florida from Shanghai. So basically, I am working on setting up meetings with real estate and financial groups in Shanghai to educate them on the concept. The bottom line is that it would put me in Shanghai more often, and help offset the costs. I really don't even care about profits and returns in this situation. I just want to see Ellen as much as possible.

What are your thoughts on me marrying over there? Would it help speed the process at all?

139639[/snapback]

Marrying in China will increase the time by about 4 months in processing.. but then also add that you have to marry before you can submit.. so there is even more time to setup the ceremony. SO you adding A LOT of time.

 

I would stay engaged, submit the 'fiancee' petition (I-129F), ASAP .. and go to her often as you outline...

[david_dawei]

If you want to go into the Chat room, we can talk.. and Ellen as well.. At the top right you'll see a link CFL Chat...

[Robg8888]

Welcome to CFL.

 

For a step by step of what to do, see this link, which is in our Visa FAQ:

 

http://www.visajourney.com/faq/k1faq.htm

 

 

Feel free to ask questions about the visa for a chinese beneficiary.  You will find a lot of knowledge and help here.

139570[/snapback]

Hey David,

 

I have another question. I am not going to be able to go to China to meet Ellen until about the middle of September. I had to apply for my passport first, and will take up until then. When I go, we will of course document our having met in person. But can we still start the process....the first steps.....of the application? The i-129f form? I am just trying to save time. I was thinking that if the process is going to take a while before I have to prove our meeting, I will have time to get there before hand.

????

 

Thanks, Rob

[Guest Gene]

I am not David, but to answer your question, you don't want to start the processing and then try to add to it later. The having met part is a major piece of the file. Be sure to take copies of the I-129 and the G-325 and get notorized and translated copies of her Birth certificate, Divorce( If needed). Does she have any children that will be coming with her?

Edited July 23, 2005 by Gene (see edit history)

[hakkamike]

If you send in the 129F before you two meet, it will be sent back(RFE) requesting further evidence of having met in person.

Edited July 23, 2005 by hakkamike (see edit history)

[HanLi]

Rob,

Welcome to CFL, as you can see already, there are many willing and capable people here that have the knowledge and experiences to help you and Ellen. My wife is from Shanghai also, we married there on February 28, 2005 and I was fortunate enough to live in Virginia and was able to file through the VSC (Vermont Service Center) Good luck to you, and keep records of all your contacts with Ellen. You could check out OneSuite.com they have super good telephone rates and provide good printouts of your calls. You will see this theme repeated many times, you must prove the relationship and contacts...

 

Best wishes to you and Ellen from your new extended family at CFL

 

Hank

[david_dawei]

We had a great chat in the CFL chat room with the two (robg8888 and EllenLiu), ... very easy to cover topics quickly.

 

manguera made an idea of having set times for questions on visa in the CFL chat ? Sounds like a great idea...

[Stats]

Worrying about speed is only going to make your "aggravation" factor go through the roof.

 

My $.02USD, do it by the numbers (i.e. follow the FAQ's & info above), be prepared to do everything in triplicate, and just go with the flow.

 

You are at the beginning. If you are focused on speed now, you are setting yourself up for future disappointment.

 

Relax, do it right, and focus on the goal, not the time. Goal = getting your loved one here. It might be a rocky road, maybe not.

Edited July 24, 2005 by Stats (see edit history)

[warpedbored]

It is doubtful that getting married there will speed up the process any. Generaly K-1 is a little faster than K-3 but not always. Same goes for the I-130 vs K-3. If you get married there you can only do a direct consular filing if you have the Chinese equivilant of a green gard. A permit that allows you to legally live and work in China. Otherwise you must file the I-130 and if you wish an I-129 for a K-3 visa. Doing an I-130 and K-3 is more complicated and costly than K-1 as well as making it more difficult for your fiance once she is here and you are married to change her last name to her married name, get a social security card or file AOS (adjustment of status) since you have to wait until the I-130 is approved to file AOS. The decision is more of a personal one than a practical one. Some husbands or wives feel better being married than engaged. If your decision is based solely on which is faster I would advise that you file K-1.

[cosmiclobster]

Good luck Rob and welcome to CFL.

Bring 2 or 3 copies of the I-129F and G-325 forms. She will have to sign the ones that you send in and it's good to send in ones that do not have corrected errors on it!!!

Also, MAKE A COPY OF EVERYTHING!!!!

Later in the AOS process, you will need the same G-325 form that you are filling out now for the initial petition, the P1.

 

The real estate angle sounds great! I am also a real estate agent and if you went the extra mile to go to Shanghai and meet/persuade the investors, you will have much better results then just "send us money, we know what to do with it"

 

Shanghai is a pretty nice city. Get a hotel close to a Metro station and you'll be set to go almost aywhere in the city.

P.S. Take the maglev train to the airport! What a trip at 268 MPH !!!

Edited July 24, 2005 by cosmiclobster (see edit history)

[mikem]

Rob

Welcome,, use to live in Bradenton..

I believe you will file through the Texas service center you can check our time line for the journey ahead.. Was just at Sharkys in May thats where the picture is from.. Buy the way the statustitions here informed me that we had one of the fastest P3 P4 at one time anyway may have changed..

Good luck ask away..

Edited July 25, 2005 by mikem (see edit history)

[Jim - Portland, USA]

Ron,

 

Welcome to CFL! To answer your question (redundantly so?) ...

 

- You have to meet her in person first before you do your initial filing (e.g. I-129F)

 

- No, you can't fly to Vermont and drop it off there. It's all based on your current residency. If you can prove that you have been living in the Vermont Service Center (VSC) jurisdiction, then you can file with them. Otherwise, you gotta wait.

 

- Be prepared to wait at least a year, there's no way around it. Non-VSC wait times are like a bell-curve, with a year being about average. Some get lotto-lucky and fly through in less than 6 months - others are painfully dragged though the process over 2 or more years. In my opionion, if you only have to wait a year, that ain't bad and consider yourself lucky.

 

TIP: go visit your girl as often as you can! It's good for you, good for her, and good for the Feds. Oh and communicate with her as often as you can. Get one of those phone cards where you can call her for 2 cents per minute - anr/or email/chat a bunch too. We went 14 months thru the process and now we are all done - I can say that the painful wait was worth every minute - times a million!