K-3 Visa expertise ?

[Deckard]

Hi everyone,

Does anyone here have any expertise on filing a K-3, and may be able to answer a LOT of questions about it?

I find myself in need of assistance with understanding the entire process, by speaking with someone about how to go through with it.

Peace,

-Deckard

[ChrisNJ]

... in response to K-3 Visa expertise ?, posted by Deckard on Jan 7, 2003

I read your trip report up until the point you were in that hospital but could not locate any more posts after that.  Is their more to the story?  Obviously there is but have you posted it?

Thanx

[Deckard]

... in response to for Deckard, posted by ChrisNJ on Jan 7, 2003

Chris,

I had become burned out of making long posts after by the time I had gotten to the hospital post. But also there was the fact that there wasn't anything outstanding and extrordinary to add, other than the fact that I was in a completely foreign country and falling in love with the most wonderful woman I've ever met, and the previous posts I had made reflected that, or at least I intended for them to reflect that.

In a nutshell, I stayed there till Oct. 8th, 2001. Started working again in December 2001, where I've worked ever since. Originally we were going to go the K-1 route and get married here. I was going to save up extra money for her arrival, and so we were waiting for this last summer, only we changed our minds at that point and decided that I will marry her over there. During all of this there was a nightmare trying to get her international passport, which took months to get. And with the winter upon us, we *tearfully decided to wait for me to come early this Spring, partially because of health reasons (same thing that put me in the hospital) and partially because of honeymoon reasons. And bam, here I am, 15 months apart from my fiancee. By rights we should have already been married by now.

That's 15 months condensed into less than a minute

And so, apart for as long as we've been, I'm considering not leaving her behind this time while we wait for everything to be approved, or at least staying as long as I can before having to come back.

I should have been working on researching the K-3 all along, but it was terribly depressing, seeing as how I wasn't able to see her yet anyways. I kept my sanity by staying away from it all.

Somehow.

She sends me pictures almost monthly, which helps. Although it's a double edged sword

Peace,

-Deckard

[ChrisNJ]

... in response to answer for Chris, posted by Deckard on Jan 9, 2003

And I did enjoy your tale very much.

I wish you both
ALL THE BEST

Chris

damn 15 months!

[Griffin]

... in response to K-3 Visa expertise ?, posted by Deckard on Jan 7, 2003

I used the Doc Steen site and didn't have any problems.

[Deckard]

... in response to Got so into my rant I failed to answer y..., posted by Griffin on Jan 7, 2003

Griffin,

Thanks! I did a search on Doc Steen and found the site I believe you used: http://k1.exit.com/ . I had seen this website back a long time ago when I was trying to figure out what was needed for a K-1 visa... but I had since lost track of it. I'll check out what it has to offer on the K-3, already seems to have better explanations than other sites.

Sounds really rough though ... the K-3 .. with just a few pioneers having tried it out, and not many to report on its success.

I hope finally your reunion date is at hand soon.

Thanks again,

-Deckard

[Griffin]

... in response to K-3 Visa expertise ?, posted by Deckard on Jan 7, 2003

My wife got a call from the consulate yesterday that they had received the file and she could come in and begin the process with them to get the visa.  They have told me that will take one to three weeks.

If you're already married you don't have a choice.  I chose to get married over there because at that time K-3 visas were being processed much more quickly than k-1s.  Murphy's law!  I would still be waiting if my congressman hadn't interceded twice, once with the MSC and yesterday with the National Visa Center (who approved the petition in December and then sent it to the WRONG MFNG EMBASSY!!!)

I'm creating a new bumper sticker, "Guns don't kill bureaucrats.  Extremely frustrated people kill bureaucrats."

If you're not yet married you can make a choice, but I don't believe there is a right way to go.  We have become such wusses after 9-11 that we are virtually paralyzed.

[Dan]

... in response to I began the K-3 process June 12, 2002, posted by Griffin on Jan 7, 2003

Griff:

You said; "If you're already married you don't have a choice."

That's not quite accurate. The choice is betwen filing DCF(Direct Consular Filing) and filing K-3. There is quite a big difference between the two.

- Dan

[Griffin]

... in response to Not Quite True . . ., posted by Dan on Jan 7, 2003

Here's a sample.  Don't know how up to date it is.

http://www.usaimmigrationattorney.com/DCFandnoDCFcountries.html

In my case it wasn't an option.

[Dan]

... in response to If they can squeeze through the rules., posted by Griffin on Jan 7, 2003

It points out the importance of ALWAYS distinguishing between FSU countries as their requirements are, indeed, different.

In Ukraine, DCF appears to be the fastest way to file presently.

Cheers,

- Dan

[John F]

... in response to K-3 Visa expertise ?, posted by Deckard on Jan 7, 2003

Hi Deckard!  I've been wondering how things have gone with you.

You can get a lot of help with visas at the webusenet newsgroup alt.visa.us.marriage-based.  They try to limit their discussions to visa related topics after you're married or engaged rather than international dating.  There are even a couple visa attorneys and occasionally an INS person who provide help.  I access it through outlook and my ISP, but you can also get to it through www.google.com by clicking on the Groups tab.

[Deckard]

... in response to Re: K-3 Visa expertise ?, posted by John F on Jan 7, 2003

Hi John,

I will check out the tip by using google (best search engine I'm aware of!).

I've been hanging in there. It's been really really really hard being away from the fiancee for 15 months and counting . She's been pleading with me to stay this time after I come and wait there with her for as long as it takes before she and I can come here together. For as much as I've been disliking my job, and as long as we've been apart, and as long as we'd most likely be apart if I were to leave her again ... I'm finding it hard to disagree with her, even knowing what a financial bind we'd be in later on. Least we'd face it together I suppose. The ultimate test of marriage is to go through hard times together, isn't that true? I'm just trying to seperate my personal feelings about my job, versus what is actually right for us .. to be apart a lot more, or to be together but to be tight on money.

You may remember the trip report I was posting a year ago, which is (quite amazingly to me) somehow still in the trip reports section. Well our feelings for each other have continued to grow and grow since I've last made those posts. I haven't been hanging around her much, because it just reminds me more of the distance between her and me. But I'm going in the Spring now, to HE11 with work (for the second time I'm going to quit my job), because I don't feel like limiting my premarriage, marriage, paperwork, and honeymoon time to just 6 weeks. Neither of us want that. It took a while, but I've finally made my decision. On top of all of this, my Luda was having a lot of trouble getting an international passport in less than 5 (yes 5 !) months. By the time she found someone who would do it in less than five months, and for less than $500 (yes someone wanted $500!!), it was like 7 months later. She's finally received word, that her passport is finished and waiting for her. Dear god I hope this isn't indicative of how difficult the rest of this process is going to be.

I'm applying for a 3 year multiple entry business visa so that I do have the freedom to stay there a LONG time if we deem it best.

And now comes the daunting task of learning and preparing to file for all of this paperwork.

That's a quick unorganized update from Deckard

John, how's married life?

-Deckard

[Dan]

... in response to K-3 Visa expertise ?, posted by Deckard on Jan 7, 2003

Both have personal experience with the K-3. In fact, Jimmy's wife was just issued her K-3 visa within the past month.

Be advised that Jimmy's experience (I'm sure he'll confirm) was that the K-3 visa took quite a lot longer than he was led to believe (by me and others).

Are you already married Deckard?

- Dan

[Deckard]

... in response to Check With DR and Jimmy From This Board ..., posted by Dan on Jan 7, 2003

Hi Dan,

Thanks as always for your input. Guess I will have to check out what DCF(Direct Consular Filing) is .. I hadn't heard of it prior to today. Ye gods ... up to my neck in research and surfing the internet for clues on how to decipher all these terms and procedures!

Not married yet, we are aiming for marriage in Spring, over there. This way both of our families can be present. I am preparing to stay over there for 6+ months while we wait for everything to be approved.

-Deckard

[Dan]

... in response to Re: Check With DR and Jimmy From This Bo..., posted by Deckard on Jan 7, 2003

I apologize Deckard, but I've forgotten that detail.

It *is* important as Ukraine allows DCF whereas Russia does not.

- Dan