Website for Visa info

[crashfirepm53]

I had a website(think I found it here) that provided detailed info on filling out the required documents for K-1 and K-3 Visa. Ring any bells anyone?

[crashfirepm53]

Never mind . www.visajourney.com

[Ray]

The K-1 & K-3 visas are for entirely different purposes.

Read up on the different visas and what they are used for, along with general procedures, but don’t worry about filling out any forms at this stage.

You will first have to decide if you will marry overseas or over here before you even think about filling out forms.

Most of the stuff on the visa petition forms is self-explanatory, with the details provided in the accompanying instructions.

Ray

[piglett]

I intend to educate myself on visas once i get back for my trip.
Rite now i think i have enough on my plate, no point in muddying the water.


piglett

[robert angel]

Piglett--I think that as you're marrying her there, the only way to go is with a K3 Spousal Visa. Last time I checked, it was faster than the K1 fiance's visa, so it looks like you're in a good place.

There is some stuff you probably should know, if you don't already, about what you HAVE to bring and bring back to get started. I think Ray mentioned stuff like bringing your original or a certified copy of your birth cert. & divorce decree if applicable, etc.

Ray, Bob S and William could probably weigh with 'yay or 'nay' on the above, as well as what you need to bring with you for paperwork purposes, as well as bring back, to get things going.

The whole process is not rocket science difficult, I just made it seem like it was to myself, by reading stuff between the lines that really wasn't there. I didn't trust my judgement on what basically were usually common sense decisions on how to do the paperwork. I'd get annoyed in my confuzement and procrastinate, costing us time and really annoying my wife....

I remember with the K1, we had to have 'real' handwriting on some stuff and the  $40+ a pop cost to express mail stuff back and forth can really add up, as you and Kfc know.

Kfc's a gent, going through the same course as you and we can learn by following his 'play by play' of course...

[piglett]

Piglett--I think that as you're marrying her there, the only way to go is with a K3 Spousal Visa. Last time I checked, it was faster than the K1 fiance's visa, so it looks like you're in a good place.

There is some stuff you probably should know, if you don't already, about what you HAVE to bring and bring back to get started. I think Ray mentioned stuff like bringing your original or a certified copy of your birth cert. & divorce decree if applicable, etc.
Ray, Bob S and William could probably weigh with 'yay or 'nay' on the above, as well as what you need to bring with you for paperwork purposes, as well as bring back, to get things going.
The whole process is not rocket science difficult, I just made it seem like it was to myself, by reading stuff between the lines that really wasn't there. I didn't trust my judgement on what basically were usually common sense decisions on how to do the paperwork. I'd get annoyed in my confuzement and procrastinate, costing us time and really annoying my wife....
I remember with the K1, we had to have 'real' handwriting on some stuff and the  $40+ a pop cost to express mail stuff back and forth can really add up, as you and Kfc know.
Kfc's a gent, going through the same course as you and we can learn by following his 'play by play' of course...

I think i remember either Ray or it cauld have been William posting infomation about CR1 visas for married ladies , but i could be wrong. I think the K3 had been the best way to go because it was a few months shorter however with the current economic down turn the CR1's are taking about 1 year from start to finish.
So why not just go for the brass ring & that way there is no need to walk on pins & needles until the ajustment of status hearing is over & done with?


piglett

[Ray]

I intend to educate myself on visas once i get back for my trip.
Rite now i think i have enough on my plate, no point in muddying the water.

HUH?

Muddy the waters?? The waters will get a lot muddier if you don’t get busy now. When you get back, it will be too late.

Since you are going to marry over there, you will be wise to get hot and start studying up on this visa stuff NOW!

Now go to the USCIS Website and download the following forms: I-130, along with the instructions, & G-325A. Study the instructions and forms to see what you will need to file your petition when you return from your trip.

You better have her fill out the G-325A and get the photos while you are there, or as Robert pointed out, you will be making FedEx rich.

Also, go to the Immigration section of this forum and start reading everything there!

Ray

[evoltnvii]

I have to recommend following the guides on visa journey for you petitions they are great. I just got my K-1 approved today it took 45 days my girl was crying when she heard the news. Now comes the medical exam and the visa interview in Manila.

[robert angel]

Evolt,
The medical at St. Lukes was fine--no problem. My wife was really worried, as their are all kinds of horror stories about mean dyke nurses and doctors, rough exams, etc. For us and those we know who've also been through it, the worst part was the line and once in, the waiting. If you have your period at the same time as you go there, (your finance, not you, hehe) that'll cause a delay, and having to fly from wherever your home is to Manila's St. Lukes for the exam is an inconvenience, but the exam should be fine.

It's annoying that my wife had to fly from Davao to Cebu for her CFO, then later on to Manila for several days to wait for her physical, but that's just the way they were doing things.

At least, unlike the physical, they're doing the CFO in multiple locations now and I hear you can do it in Manila right before she leaves to fly to the USA, but they can't leave w/o taking the CFO class.

[thekfc]

HUH?

Muddy the waters?? The waters will get a lot muddier if you don’t get busy now. When you get back, it will be too late.

Since you are going to marry over there, you will be wise to get hot and start studying up on this visa stuff NOW!

Now go to the USCIS Website and download the following forms: I-130, along with the instructions, & G-325A. Study the instructions and forms to see what you will need to file your petition when you return from your trip.

You better have her fill out the G-325A and get the photos while you are there, or as Robert pointed out, you will be making FedEx rich.

Also, go to the Immigration section of this forum and start reading everything there!

Ray

This is what I am currently doing.
When I was in Manila, I downloaded the G-32A & I-I30 forms on my laptop & left it with Ahya - she already looked at both forms. It is also downloaded on my computer & I am filling out samples "as a test" so I can get familiar with them. Some of it was a little confusing at first but I am getting the hang of it & will ask questions when needed.

I lost 2 months of chat history (couldn't recover it) - from the 2nd week of October to late December - the hard drive/computer I had it on died around x-mas time. so now, I back-up all my chat history on both an external hard drive & on a cd.

I saved all the receipts of stuff I bought while I was in the Philippines. My airline stubs, Express Mail receipt as well as printing out the tracking info of the packages/letters that I sent Ahya, the receipts of stuff I sent/bought her via gifts2pinas & the other sites, the Balikbayan Box receipts & the tons of pics with us together. I am saving just about everything.

So guys - you should be saving all these things too & keeping them in a safe place.

[Ray]

Robert.

The CFO class can be done in either Manila or Cebu. They normally require it as a prerequisite for a passport for fiancées & spouses of foreign nationals.

If she already has a passport, then yes, it can be done anytime before departure.

Ray

[Ray]

Good advice kfc!

Yes, you should be saving all of that evidence from the time of the first contact if possible. Also, advise your lady to save letters and cards in the original envelopes.

She can download a fillable G-325A and print it out but it will save some time if you take care of that while over there and carry the signed form back with you, along with the required passport photos. I strongly advise guys to help your lady fill out the G-325A while you are over there to avoid the need to redo everything if there are any errors.

There is really no reason to give her the Form I-130 or I-129F because those are your responsibility to complete and file.

Ray

[robert angel]

Ray--it's interesting that with 7366 posts, you're still keeping up on the new regs! You're the Cal Ripkin of P-L!

As you know, your diligence is waranted, as they can change them at any time, as well as the fees. It's important that people keep on top of it. If you don't and they change a fee or the format for passport photos, as they've done in the past, it can cost you time.

We had a hard time with passport photos in the RP for our K3 paperwork, which I think is unusual.

Heck, we even had trouble this week getting decent ones for our USA passports at the CVS drugstore and ended up going to Walgreens. Walgreens PP Photos were still a bit blurry for my tastes, (they blamed 'the new machine') but the Post Office took them.

If my wife wasn't into saving a few bucks, I'd have gone to Kinkos, as they seem to have it down pat.

[Ray]

For visa photos in the PI, I recommend a FloroFoto store. They know what they are doing and they were recommended by the US Consulate.

Ray