Passing The Torch... Support For Visa Explorers

As I mentioned several posts ago, our journey through the rough and wild land of visa applications and immigrant status was testing at the best of times. Upon reflection I think that the hardest part, aside from the necessity for me to return to the UK minus my new fiance, was gathering information that was actually CORRECT.

Please trust me when I say that there is a world of speculation and faulty illumination out there that can have you running in circles indefinitely. This I know from first hand experience; trying to navigate and tame the process of applying for a Fiance K1 Visa into the USA. As a primary resource the USCIS website (links at the bottom of this post) has plenty of useful overviews and links to official forms (always handy!). In terms of the very human experience however, of collecting 'evidence of relationship', establishing a format of submission and adding in all the extra bits and pieces that make up the elusive application package, I dare say it falls short.

Informal resources such as VisaJourney.com go a long long way towards clarifying the hundreds of tiny, yet imperative details of these Fiance K1 Visa applications. Providing up to date and monitored insight into couples' processes, experienced and written from every corner of the globe, VJ allowed my husband and I to find our confidence during this complicated, ever changing process. Through VJ we were able to oversee the timeline's of other petitioners from the UK and Europe, follow their experiential advice and be often comforted by their personal stories. When my dreaded Medical Exam and Immigration interview were finally scheduled, I was able to alleviate my (very real) worries by reading hundreds of first hand accounts, all of which had taken place within the same US Embassy I was attending. I knew before even arriving at the building where the restrooms were, how much I needed for snacks and what kind of questions the Tuesday morning officers favored.  Frankly, it was a Godsend.

Later on, I will post in more detail about the general tricks of the trade I have learnt while applying, and as far as I can tell throughout the VJ community, there count for anything you happen to be applying for through the USCIS. These little observations are claimed by many to go a long way towards tackling the system requirements effectively and hopefully avoiding the heart wrenching and sadly not uncommon loss of files within the vast entity. These tips are as simple as adding a well versed cover letter here, labeling a photo effectively there, keeping constant records of seemingly trivial things and above all, knowing what to expect at each and every stage. At the first sign of trouble you can be ready to get to the bottom of things and not waste vital months in the vast no-mans land of Visa applications.

http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis

http://www.visajourney.com/