30 WAYS TO SPEED UP YOUR K1 FIANCE VISA

2015 EDITION

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Published by RapidVisa720 Village Center DriveColorado Springs, CO 809191 (800) 872-1458rapidvisa.com

©2015, RapidVisa, Inc.

NOTICE: RapidVisa is not affiliated with the government and is not a law firm. This complimentary e-book is for personal reference and self-help pur-poses only. This e-book has been prepared for informational purposes only. This Guide is no substitute for individual legal advice.

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30 WAYS TO SPEED UP YOUR K1 FIANCE VISA

The K1 fiance visa process can seem to drag on forever.

Spending months away from your fiance can feel like an eternity. The fact is, little delays can add up, causing you unnecessary delays that can turn what would have been 5 months into a year or more. With this process, it’s a matter of attention to detail, and staying organized.

The best way to speed up the process is to avoid slowing it down. The primary me-thod of slowing it down (Notorious for do-it-yourselfers) is receiving an RFE (Request for evidence). You’ll notice tons of people in the DIY forums talking about various RFEs they have got, and how they overcame them.

Nobody is immune to RFEs, in fact, they can happen even with a perfect petition. But if your goal is speed, you should do everything you can to avoid receiving one. Why? They can add weeks or months to the process!

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30 WAYS TO SPEED UP YOUR K1 FIANCE VISA

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1. Make sure you actually qualify.

Before starting down the K1 path, you’ll need to determine if you’re even eligible for the visa. To petition your fiance for a K1 visa, you must:

• Be a U.S. citizen aged 18+

• Intend to marry within 90 days

• Be legally free to marry

• Met in person within 2 years of application date

• Meet the fiance visa income requirements

For full details about the K1 visa requirements, go here.

2. Take lots of pictures.

Take tons of pictures with your fiance and their family during any trips you take. Even better are timestamped photos.

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30 WAYS TO SPEED UP YOUR K1 FIANCE VISA

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3. Keep receipts.

Receipts are good primary evidence and help prove you actually met.

• Airfare

• Restaurants

• Hotel

• Taxis

• Shopping

4. Save online chats.

If you’re in the habit of deleting your Facebook or Skype chats, stop. You can use these later as proof of your ongoing relationship.

5. Check for missing signatures.

Check every form as well as the USCIS check for signatures. You woudln’t believe how many people make this simple mistake.

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30 WAYS TO SPEED UP YOUR K1 FIANCE VISA

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6. Write the correct check amount.

Even one penny off will cause a delay. Make sure your check to USCIS is the exact required amount.

7. Don’t assemble a huge petition.

Many people think the more the merrier. But this isn’t the case. Government em-ployees like easy, straight forward cases. If you saw a petition that was 2 inches thick, and a neatly assembled petition with just what is required, and you had the goal of processing as many petitions as you can, which one would you grab? Give them what they want, nothing less, nothing more.

8. Don’t use outdated forms.

Forms are updated all the time. Make sure you check on the day you plan on mailing your petition that no updates have been made. USCIS.gov has the most up to date forms.

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9. Send all pages of the passport.

A common mistake is to take copies of just the biographical page of the passport. Send copies of all pages, including those without stamps, and blank pages.

10. Don’t hide court convictions.

Disclose all court convictions to avoid an RFE. You can’t hide them anyways.

11. If you met online, remember IMBRA.

If you met on a site that charges fees and specializes in relationships with Ameri-cans meeting foreigners, (ie. many of the „Cupid” sites), make sure you comply with IMBRA. For more info, go here.

12. Provide adequate income proof.

Tax returns are good, but don’t forget pay stubs and bank statements. Prove the income is ongoing.

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13. Make sure everything is in English.

Example: If the alien’s birth certificate is in a different language, make sure to sub-mit it with an English translation.

14. Don’t make dumb mistakes.

The simplest mistakes & typos can cause an RFE. Misspelled names, incorrect dates, or any other discrepancies that vary between your form answers and your accompa-nying evidence.

15. Use original signatures when required.

Copied signatures won’t work. Read the instructions carefully.

16. Submit the long-form birth certificate.

As opposed to a short-form version, if applicable.

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17. Don’t leave gaps in your evidence.

For example, if there was a period of time you were unemployed, or had a new resi-dence, account for it in the evidence. Leaving gaps will cause an RFE.

18. Don’t postdate a check.

They won’t wait, they’ll kick it back to you.

19. Don’t exclude old divorce decrees.

It doesn’t matter if your divorce was in 1904, you need to provide the decree. Older divorces might be more difficult to obtain records for, but it’s possible.

20. Keep boarding passes.

Not just your itinerary, but the physical boarding passes that prove you were on the flight. Keep them safe, because they’re easy to forget about and lose.

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21. Don’t forget proof of citizenship.

Don’t assume you’re special. Prove your citizenship.

22. Avoid certain forum riff-raff.

It’s common in DIY forums to get straight up wrong advice. Just remember that the people in these forums have done this process maybe one time. That doesn’t qualify someone as an expert and advice should be taken at your own risk.

23. Pick the correct embassy.

Not all embassies process K1 visas. Some countries have multiple U.S. embassies (ie. Canada & China). Make sure you know which embassy is required in your country to avoid unexpected travel.

24. File children together, not separately.

Save money and time by including your children in the initial petition, rather than trying to bring them separately.

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25. Only use qualified cosponsors.

If you’re going to use a cosponsor, you need to make sure their income is strong, as well as the evidence. They need to prove their income the same way you would, bank statements, pay stubs, etc. Not just tax returns.

26. Don’t leave boxes and fields blank.

Don’t leave any boxes unchecked. Don’t leave fields blank. Write N/A if it doesn’t apply. By leaving it blank, it’s essentially unanswered.

27. Provide the correct passport photos.

Many countries don’t use inches, but the photo needs to be 2x2 inches. Also, some countries don’t care about the background. White only. Get the photos right the first time.

28. Triple check everything.

It’s common to find mistakes, even the third time through. Be thorough and save yourself weeks of delays.

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29. Get assistance.

Spending 60 hours of your own time learning this complex process may be worth your time. But if it’s not, work with someone who can save you this learning curve. But be weary of attorneys who use snail mail and can even prolong the process be-cause of their pre-21st century habits.

30. Stop reading eBooks and start NOW.

Gathering your evidence is required before the clock starts ticking. There’s no better time to start than now. Don’t be the actual reason for your delays.

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How can RapidVisa help?

RapidVisa ensures that your application is filled out correctly and the proper eligibi-lity documentation is attached. Our highly trained agents will manually review your application and evidence a second and third time before we package and ship it off to the USCIS just how we know they love it. Although the USCIS forms are free onli-ne, there is a greater risk for error when you fill out these forms alone. We don’t just complete the forms. We are a full service agency that holds your hand from start to finish.

RapidVisa can also be a great time saver. The Department of Homeland Securityreleases the estimated time burden of each application, which includes the time needed to read the instructions and fill out the application. Their estimate is ap-proximately two hours and 45 minutes, but this does not include the collection of your supporting documentation. With RapidVisa, we not only cut the amount of time that it takes to fill out the forms, but we also provide assistance in compiling the eligibility documentation and support you through the entire process.

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