Starting the process before getting engaged

[monkeyking]

My Chinese girlfriend and I aren't officially engaged yet. She would like me to come to China again to meet her family and have a proper engagement. But is there any reason why we couldn't start the K1 visa process now? Do we need to provide proof of a ring, etc. upfront? And aren't there periods of leeway time where you have a few months between when one step is approved and when the next one needs to start?

[dnoblett]

No reason to not start now, the I-129F does not specify a formal engagement is required, Just a letter of intent from both parties is needed.

 

http://www.visajourney.com/examples/Fiance...r_of_Intent.doc

 

I did include a copy of a receipt for a simple ring as an "engagement" ring.

[david_dawei]

the one good reason to wait until after the second trip is you give a better appearance of not rushing into the relationship. But only you can say how the overall case will look to them.

[lche195]

Another reason to wait is to front load with lots of photos with her family

[monkeyking]

I'm not too worried about rushing into the relationship, as we've been dating for over a year (and most of that time was spent together in China). I don't have any pictures of me with her family, though, which I sense is something that really helps the front load.

[warpedbored]

I agree with Dan, file now. The process takes too long as it is without delaying.

[weiaijiayou]

I think you could be onto something with front-loading the petition with pictures with her family.

 

The other good thing about taking another trip first is that you can talk to her family about your plans. Depending on how old she is and whether or not she has been married before, it might be a considerate thing to do to let them meet you first before embarking on this course which is going to have her moving to another country and getting married.

[dnoblett]

In our case I did have a few pics of my wife and I at a dinner with sister in-law and mother in law.

 

However if you can provide evadence of being in China for some time this will help your case.

 

Visit while I-129F is being procesed and get som family pics to bring to interview.

[monkeyking]

Is more information required to prove your relationship at the Guangzhou interview than the initial petition from the US citizen?

 

I have two residence permits in my passport issued by the city my girlfriend lives in. The first permit was good for a year. The second was for six months. I'm hoping that would be enough to show I was there without needing copies of plane tickets, etc.

[Randy W]

Is more information required to prove your relationship at the Guangzhou interview than the initial petition from the US citizen?

 

I have two residence permits in my passport issued by the city my girlfriend lives in. The first permit was good for a year. The second was for six months. I'm hoping that would be enough to show I was there without needing copies of plane tickets, etc.

 

I like to look at it as painting a picture. You want to illustrate it thoroughly enough to hit the GUZ VO over the head with the fact that this is a loving relationship. Plane tickets show that you were there, but don't say anything about the quality of the relationship.

 

Remember that everything submitted with the original I-129F petition will be in the hands of the VO prior to the interview.

 

It's up to you how best to paint that picture. Sending "enough" really isn't good enough.

[steveandrong]

Is more information required to prove your relationship at the Guangzhou interview than the initial petition from the US citizen?

 

I have two residence permits in my passport issued by the city my girlfriend lives in. The first permit was good for a year. The second was for six months. I'm hoping that would be enough to show I was there without needing copies of plane tickets, etc.

Proceed with the constant thought in mind that you can never have enough. GUZ proceeds with the thought that you and/or your fiancee' are guilty or a scammer until you or your fiancee' can be proven to not be a scammer and innocent.

Edited April 10, 2010 by steveandrong (see edit history)

[warpedbored]

Front load your petition with proof you have spent that amount of time with her in China. Having a long term relationship and spending long period of time together should carry a lot of weight with a VO. Don't stress over not having pictures with her family. They never even looked at our pictures.

[monkeyking]

What were some of the most important things you included in your petition to prove your relationship?

[weiaijiayou]

What were some of the most important things you included in your petition to prove your relationship?

As Randy said, everything that painted a picture of a loving relationship. With the initial petition: pics together over several years' time in different places, pics together with family and friends, evidence of email communication over time when apart, copies of letters when apart, a letter about our relationship history and feelings (usually people here call this an "Evolution of Relationship" letter, but I just included this information in my "Letter of Intent to Marry" document).

 

The important thing to do is think about the potential "red flags" in your personal case and include evidence and explanations for these in your original petition. For example, one important thing in my case was to demonstrate proficiency in Chinese because my wife's English was not very good and all of our communications were in Chinese.

 

Keep in mind that anything you send in now will definitely be in the VO's hands prior to and during the interview. Things your wife/fiancee brings to the interview will only have a chance of being asked for or accepted by the VO. This is part of the rationale for "front loading" the initial petition with everything you deem important or relevant to red flags.

Edited April 11, 2010 by weiaijiayou (see edit history)

[david_dawei]

Is more information required to prove your relationship at the Guangzhou interview than the initial petition from the US citizen?

 

I have two residence permits in my passport issued by the city my girlfriend lives in. The first permit was good for a year. The second was for six months. I'm hoping that would be enough to show I was there without needing copies of plane tickets, etc.

your confusing two issues which is common to do.

 

your passport only proves you were in china; not that you actually spent time with her. The former gives them some knowledge about your being in the country... the latter will be what they really want to know; how much time did you spent together; how can you 'prove' that?