Hello everyone. We are new to the forums here. I am a US citizen currently living in the UK with my English husband. We are just starting the process of applying for his visa. Does anyone have any experience with the new K-3 process? We are so confused. It looks as though we apply with the I-130, wait for a Form I-797 and fill that out and send it in with a I-129F?
Do we have to send in a processing fee for both the I-129F and the I-130?
I love my country, but boy...they don't make it easy. It only took me 4 days to get my UK spousal visa.
I would appreciate anyones imput.
Sorry can't help you personally, but have you discovered visajourney?
http//www.visajourney.com/forums/index.php?showforum=81
Thanks for that link monster.
It is so complicated isn't it? So many forms and so many fees. I am just glad we can afford it at this point. I feel so badly for people that just want to be together but can't even afford to file the forms.
Whether we live here in the UK or there in the States, someone is hurting. Not only do we deal with the whole legal process, but we deal with the familes being left behind. cry
Anyways, again, thanks for the link. There is so much info out there, we just aren't even sure where to start.
YES!!! The process is COMPLETELY confusing and I work in the legal field!!!
My situation is SLIGHTLY different, I am a US citizen living in the US and my husband is a UK citizen living in the UK. We are currently in the process of my husband immigrating to the US.
One August 6, 2007 we filed a USCIS Form I-130 (basically a petition sponsored by me as the US citizen to request that my husband come live here) ... his file got sent to the US Department of Homeland Security / US Citizenship and Immigration Services in Laguna Niguel, California.
On January 3, 2008, we received an I-797 Notice of Action basically stating that his USCIS Form I-130 has been approved. From California our information gets sent to the Department of State National Visa Center (NVC) in Portsmouth, New Hampshire where they will send an invoice (in our case to our attorney) requesting the filing fee (which I think is around $450 - $500), we send them money, then they send our attorney two forms ... I don't know yet the form numbers, but the best I can tell you is that one is similar background information to what was filed out in the USCIS Form I-130 and the other one is me agreeing financailly support my husband (basically until he becomes a US citizen for us). To the best of my knowledge, once we return those two froms to the NVC THEN we wait 4-5 weeks for the US Consulate in London to contact my husband to coordinate a medical exam and an interview.
After that I have sketchy ideas about what happens, I BELIEVE that once that happens, at some point, again in our case a K3 visa is issued and then he is permitted to live and work in the US. I BELIEVE that the time that he is required to live here in the US before he has the opportunity to become a US citizen is shortened as compared to most other immigrants, due to the fact that he is your spouse ... I want to say that his wait time is somewhere in the 2-3 year range compared to the normal 4-5 years ... but don't quote me on that, as we haven't gotten that far along in the process.
What I have learned about immigration to the US is that every case is different AND the US government doesn't rush / hurry anything. You're lucky that you and your husband are living together at least, that alone has been a strain for my husband and I.
I would be more than willing to share what I know and have learned (or am still learning), BUT I STRONGLY recommend that if you can afford it you look into hiring a reputable attorney in or around the city you plan on settling in (and I HIGHLY recommend our attorney if you're coming to the Cleveland, Ohio area). I know I said I work in the legal field, but I view attorneys in this case as insurance ... and good guide.
I hope this helps? Please let me know if you have any questions.
Thanks Tribefan. I am seriously looking into getting legal help.
I am contacting the Embassy in London tomorrow to just figure out even how to pay the fee as we don't have an American bank account. The amount of money isn't a problem, its the type of money they want. -?
The whole process for me to get my visa to come here took a total of 4 days once I sent the application and supporting documents out.PLUS, there was a very nice man in the UK embassy in NY that emailed me MANY times and pointed me in the right direction when I got confused with the process.
I am glad things seem to be moving along for you. I know how hard it is to be separated. Hubby and I were together, but apart for 3 years before we were married and then separated for another 3 months while I got my life situated to move over.
Good Luck and I am sure I will have questions for you along the way.