Free Guide – How to Prove Your Relationship to Immigration
Welcome to your complimentary guide on how to prove your relationship to immigration. We have a free downloadable PDF guide that goes over all of this information in even more detail. See: Bona Fide Relationship Evidence In any immigration case for couples, one of the requirements is that you prove to immigration that you have…
Spouse Visa Denial – Top 3 Reasons
What are some of the reasons that my spouse visa application would be denied? Recently, there is this rumor that is out there on the internet where a lot of couples say that it’s better to apply for a spouse visa if you’re married to a United States citizen because your case can’t be denied. …
Frustration or Forward Motion – Immigration News Today 2022 USA
The immigration process can be long and stressful. There are many couples, at the start of their journey, who might think that their case is very easy or very straightforward. Easy and straightforward are not words that are typically used to describe the immigration process. The immigration process can seem deceptively simple. However, we are…
USCIS Requesting Documents Already Submitted
Did you receive a request for evidence from immigration requesting the same documents that you’ve already submitted and you’re wondering what to do? The Document Might Have Gotten Lost The first thing that can happen is that you may have really submitted that item. We see that all the time when we submit a birth…
Can I Choose the USCIS Service Center?
Are you able to choose the USCIS Service Center where your case will be processed? The short answer is no. The USCIS Service Centers are determined by immigration based on the case type, the immigration category, and where the individual lives. Couples are probably hoping to choose a certain service center because it has a…
Expedite Request Granted – Now What?
Especially now with the long wait times, there are a lot of individuals who are wanting to know what the process is for an expedite request. We have had clients and other individuals in the Facebook group who have been approved for expedite requests and then they ask, “What happens next? How soon can I…
K1 Visa – Engagement at First Meeting
There’s no set track that your relationship has to follow. There are a lot of people who say, “You can’t get engaged on your first meeting. You have to have a formal engagement. You have to have an engagement ring.” That’s not really the case. The reality is that the burden is on you to…
K1 – Apply for Social Security Number
If you recently received your fiancé visa, you might be wondering when you’re able to apply for your Social Security number. There are actually two times when you can apply to receive your Social Security number as a K1 fiancé visa applicant. The first time is right after you enter the United States on your fiancé visa and…
How to Update I129F
If your fiancé had changed a job and how do you update your application? When you file your application, whether it’s a fiancé visa or your green card application, wait times are long. In life, there are a lot of changes and if you change jobs or you move and things like that, there are…
Domicile Requirement – Does the US Petitioner Have to Live in the United States?
In immigration, part of the immigration case is that you have to prove as the petitioner that you have your domicile in the US. That is a legal term which means that you have your home in the United States. That’s where you intend to live for the foreseeable future. You can prove domicile by…
Great News! Backlog Reduction and Faster Processing Times!
On March 29th of 2022, USCIS announced their plan to reduce backlogs and provide relief for individuals who are waiting for their work permits. Read More : USCIS Announces New Actions to Reduce Backlogs There are a couple things that USCIS is doing and the first thing is that they are going to increase capacity,…
Does My Spouse/Fiancé Attend the Embassy Interview?
Are you wondering if the United States petitioner spouse or fiancé has to attend the embassy or consular interview? The embassy or consular interview is part of the process for a spouse or a fiancé visa. Just as it sounds, it’s the interview that occurs at a United States embassy or consulate in the country where that individual…
Religious Ceremony or Wedding Ceremony Required?
Will it be a minus for your case if you don’t do the religious ceremony or wedding reception and only did the civil ceremony? It’s your burden to prove you have a real relationship. There are certain things that immigration will look at that they consider to be important aspects of proving whether or not…
Immigration Updates – Russian Citizens
What kind of impact do the current events have on citizens in Russia? Last May 2021, the US embassy in Moscow, Russia closed due to political reasons. The government of Russia made the United States cease operations at that US embassy. The visas and the review of files and cases were transferred to Warsaw, Poland.…
Adjustment of Status – Work Permit Timing
“I filed my adjustment of status or recently entered on my fiancé visa and I’m getting ready to file my adjustment of status. When can I start working?” Part of that adjustment of status application is a work permit and you would receive that work permit to be able to work. In some states, it’s…
Why Did Processing Times Increase? I130/I129F
Why do processing times continue to increase specifically for the I-130 and the I-129F visas? There are a lot of applications that are going to immigration and they don’t have the people power to review the applications. The applications are going to certain service centers that handle the spouse visa I-130 petitions. There are other…
Spouse Visa Wait Times – Mexico
Wait times for spouse visas in Mexico are very long. The US consulate in Ciudad Juarez in Mexico is the one that handles all visas. Fiancé visas are handled in Mexico City but the US consulate in Ciudad Juarez has one of the longest wait times in the world. Mexico has the highest volume of…
Prioritization of Visas for Ukraine – Processing Time Impact
How does the prioritization of visas for Ukraine citizens impact processing times for other cases? Immigration shifts cases around from different countries to different US embassies and consulates on a more regular basis than you would think. Things happen all the time; natural disasters, politics, and things that occur that make it such that visas…
Spouse Visa Received – Green Card Timing
Once you’re approved for your spouse visa, what happens next? When do you get your green card? Once you have that visa, you need to make sure you enter the United States before the expiration date. Typically, they give you six months. Once you enter the United States, immigration will put a stamp on your…
K1 Visa Wait Times – Should I Just Get Married?
Processing times are a year or more right now just to receive a decision on that first step. It’s disheartening but we want to caution all of you about taking extreme measures out of desperation. There have been a lot of individuals who have gotten married, thinking that it would be faster. You’re already in…
Immigration Options for Ukrainians
Here at Immigration for Couples, we are heartbroken and horrified by the recent invasion of Ukraine. There are a few options for couples who are going through the process and one of them happens to be a citizen of Ukraine. For those who are outside of the United States, if you have already started a…
Can K2 Enter US After K1?
Can a K2 enter the United States after the K1? The K1 visa is the fiancé visa and part of the fiancé visa process is that you can bring your children as well as long as they are under 21 years of age. These children would receive a visa called a K2 visa. Do they…
Police Clearance Requirements – Immigration for Couples
Hi, everyone. I am Attorney Megan Pastrana of Immigration for Couples and I’m here for our weekly live immigration attorney chat. We’ve been seeing an uptick in interviews being scheduled and so, a lot of individuals are asking about the police clearance certificate requirements. There are also people in our Facebook group who are just being…
Fiancé Visa: Is Religious Ceremony Risky?
“Is it okay for my fiancé and I to have a religious ceremony?” We encourage all of our clients when we’re talking about this topic to think about the risks of doing a religious ceremony. The first risk is that in some countries, the religious ceremony is a legally binding ceremony that would make you…
Does the US Allow Dual Citizenship?
Do we allow dual citizenship in the United States? That question usually comes up when an individual is thinking about filing for naturalization to become a United States citizen. The interesting thing about the United States is that the US law does not mention dual nationality or require a person to choose one nationality over…
221(g) Visa Refusal
A 221(g) is a visa refusal under 221(g) of the Immigration Nationality Act which means that the applicant didn’t establish that they were eligible for the visa. The Immigration and Nationality Act is the list of immigration laws and 221(g) is part of the immigration laws and says that a consular officer cannot give a…
Should I Apply for a Tourist Visa?
Is it okay to apply for a tourist visa before I file or while my spouse and fiancé visa is pending? With immigration, there are so many complexities and aspects, so it depends. What it depends upon is your prior immigration history. Have you ever applied for a visa previously? Have you ever violated the…
Waiver of J1 Visa 2 Year Requirement
The J-1 visa is what they call a non-dual intent visa, which means that your intent is to be here temporarily and not long-term. Part of that is a two-year requirement that you have to return to your country. In general, if you have a two-year requirement on your visa itself, it’ll say two-year physical…
K1 Visa -REQUIRED EVIDENCE – 2022
There are three main categories of K1 visa required evidence. There can be other types of evidence and other documents that you might need depending on the specifics of your case but in general, there are three categories of evidence that are required for your fiancé visa petition to show that you’re eligible. 1. You…
Impact of Mortgage on Affidavit of Support
What is the impact of a mortgage on my eligibility to be the sole sponsor for my spouse’s case and how would a mortgage impact the case? Previously, there was a form called I-944 that was in addition to this affidavit of support where immigration wanted to see your debts as well as showing that…