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question reguarding forms for fiance visa
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Posted by: bigl21601

I've started working on the forms for the fiance visa and I'm moderatly and can't find it on any of the embasy websites. Do I mail the I-129F and the G-325A and the photos and all of the paperwork together or is there a certain order that they must be filed in?
In case anyone has read my previous posts, my woman and I have decided to forgo the russian wedding due to time contraints. I'm a member of the military and get deployed frequently and if I get deployed we will only have a very limited time that I can do anything. and even if I don't get deployed I only get 2 weeks vacation per year and thats not long enough to do a russian wedding and the paperwork to bring her back home with me.

Posted by: That1Guy

Hi bigl,

Here's a useful link:

http://www.uscis.gov/graphics/howdoi/fianceapp.htm

and here's what it says:

Only a U.S. citizen may file USCIS Form I-129F (Petition for Alien Fiancé(e)) on behalf of a fiancé(e). The U.S. citizen filing the petition must provide the following items to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (more complete instructions are on USCIS Form I-129F):

Form I-129F Petition for Alien Fiancé(e) (if your fiancé(e) has unmarried children who are under 21, they are eligible to accompany your fiancé(e), but only if they are listed on this form.)
Evidence of your U.S. citizenship - your original U.S. birth certificate, your U.S. passport, your Certificate of Naturalization, or your Certificate of Citizenship. (Please see USCIS Form I-129F for information on the use of copies.)
2 Form G-325A Biographic Data Sheets (one for you and one for your fiancé(e))
One color photo of you and one of your fiancé(e) taken within 30 days of filing (please see Form I-129F for more instructions on photos).
A copy of any divorce decrees, death certificates, or annulment decrees if either you or your fiancé(e) have been previously married.
Proof of permission to marry if you or your fiancé(e) are subject to any age restrictions. (For instance, in some U.S. states, you must receive special permission to marry if you are under the age of 16.)

visajourney.com is also a very useful site. I was there frequently when I was going through the process. Of course, you'll find many here with experience, and happy to help!

Guy

Posted by: That1Guy

Oh...sorry,

You file all these in the same packet.

Posted by: bigl21601

I know once the visa is given we have to be married within 30-90 days but how long will it take for the visa to be granted? this is especially important because Olga won't finish with her studies untill june and its higly probable that I'll be back in Iraq for another 18 month tour.

Posted by: That1Guy

I am in California, and I sent our I-129f on 9/6/2005, and she went to her interview in Moscow on 3/16/06. She received her visa a few days later (as I recall there was a holiday and the weekend between her interview, and when she was given the visa), and arrived in the U.S. on 3/21/06.

Hope this gives you some idea. You can view current stats at visajourney.com.

Posted by: dagpop

Hi Big, It took Rima and I 6 months from filing the forms until she got her visa. Good luck!

Posted by: bigl21601

thanks guys, appreciate the knowledge

Posted by: GoingToRussia

If you get married in Russia and file her forms at the US Embassy in Moscow, you can have your bride state-side in 2-3 months. There is a way around the 30 day Russian waiting period to get married. In other words, if you were in Russia now and got married, you would be in the sataes with your bride in 3 months or less.

Good luck!

Posted by: That1Guy

By the way Big,

I may not agree with our leader's foreign policy, but I admire and respect those of you who put it out there - regardless of the tremendous risk. Good luck during your next tour!

Best wishes,
Guy

P.S.

If you have time and access to a PC, please let us know how you're doing!

Posted by: bigl21601

thanks, and the last time I was over there we had pretty good access to the internet so I'm assuming I'll have access again. I'll definatly be sure to keep everyone updated

Posted by: gonlaz

Quote:

Originally Posted by GoingToRussia

If you get married in Russia and file her forms at the US Embassy in Moscow, you can have your bride state-side in 2-3 months. There is a way around the 30 day Russian waiting period to get married. In other words, if you were in Russia now and got married, you would be in the sataes with your bride in 3 months or less.

Good luck!

This is interesting, I have read about thesame for the fiance visa. My girol and I are discussing that one, to see if we can live together befroe we actually get married. Isn't it about the same - 3-6 months that way as well?

Posted by: GoingToRussia

Quote:

Originally Posted by gonlaz

I don't know about fiancee visas. I think it for married couples only. A fiancee visa through the mail takes at least 6 months.

Posted by: gonlaz

Quote:

Originally Posted by GoingToRussia

I don't know about fiancee visas. I think it for married couples only. A fiancee visa through the mail takes at least 6 months.

Hmmm, could you provide that visa link again, via pm?

Posted by: pondr

HI!

First, Thanks you for what you do for us and our country. Much luck and best wishes for you!!

With the experiences I have had in life, I would be the last oerson to suggest a lawyer...but I think this is your best bet if you are looking for the most reliable and least time-consuming way for you to get your fiance here to the states.

I can only speak from the experiences I had, but I can tell you I am INCREDIBLY glad my Sveta and I used an immigration attorney to do all the paperwork for us...and I was never so glad of it as I was the day of the interview when THREE couples went before us in Kiev, and all were denied their visas simply because of incorrect paperwork...I still feel terrible for them...

Of course the disadvantage of using a lawyer is the money aspect...ours cost about $3500.00 total...but after your fiance is here, they (at least the one I used) provide free legal advice and assistance for the change of status...and they definitely were a big help there too!

The advantages far outweighed the disadvantage, though...They were knowledgeable about the minutae of applying for a visa and the correct preparation of paperwork...for instance, on the "police report" that your fiance has to have...if she has ever been married before, or if there are different spellings of her name...these names all have to be on the SAME police report, NOT on different reports for each name...this is only one instance of things I saw happen that screwed peoples chances of getting their visa...

The attorneys I used also had a paralegal in Moscow familiar with Russian Law, the bureaucracy of the Russian government and with the necessary forms, and was able to get a document for us in 6 weeks that my fiance was told would take 6 MONTHS when she applied for it in Kharkov...the paralegal helped my fiance fill out her paperwork, helped her prepare for the visa interview, even advised her on what to wear to the interview and likely questions she would be asked...it definitely made her feel a lot better and less nervous...

As far as my end, they took care of all the paperwork for me, made sure everything was filled out properly, reviewed EVERYTHING, and sent it to the proper offices...and since they were in CA, their processing time was 3 months faster than if I had sent it to the processing center that serves my area of the country...

All in all, next to asking my Sveta to marry me, it was probably the best decision I ever made, and the best money I ever spent...

Yes, it is possible to fill out all the paperwork yourself and to file everything, and it would save you a lot of money...the forms aren't that hard to fill out...but if you are in a hurry and want everything done right the first time, you might want to look into an immigration attorney..I used Holmes and Lolly, and based on my experience I recommend them highly...

Good luck over there, and good luck with your visa!!!