Immigration-Ready Tips to Make Your Time Together Count Towards a Stronger Visa Case

Congratulations on your plans to meet your fiancé in person! This exciting step in your relationship is not only memorable but also important for your future fiancé visa application. When applying for a K-1 fiancé visa, one of the key requirements is to prove that you have met in person at least once within the past two years and that your relationship is genuine. By gathering the right evidence during your visit, you can help ensure a smoother visa application process.

Most of our fiance visa clients fall into one of the following categories: 

• Online Dating: 

  The couple meets online through an online dating app and then falls in love during a long-distance relationship that often spans a year or more. The US Citizen fiance will usually visit their foreign national fiance to confirm their relationship and then eventually the couple decides to apply for the fiance visa. 

• Vacation Romance:

  The couple meet in some part of the world and embark on a romantic relationship. For example, the US Citizen travels to the Carribbean and falls in love and then may visit again before applying for a fiance visa. The fiance visa usually is a good option as the couple still needs time to build on their relationship and there is no way for the foreign national fiance to obtain a non-immigrant visa to visit the US. 

• Meeting through Friends or Family Abroad:
  The couple is introduced by mutual friends or family members while the US citizen is traveling abroad or living temporarily in another country. Over time, they maintain a long-distance relationship, frequently visiting each other when possible. The K-1 visa becomes an option when they decide they want to marry but face challenges with tourist visas for regular visits.

• Meeting at an International Event, Conference, or Work Assignment:
  The US citizen and foreign fiancé(e) meet during an international work assignment, conference, or cultural event. This often leads to a relationship where they meet periodically in various locations, including other countries. With career or travel limitations, the K-1 visa offers a practical solution for the couple to begin their life together in the US.

• Childhood Friends Reuniting:
  The couple originally met in their childhood or teenage years, perhaps when the foreign national was in the US as an exchange student, or during the US citizen’s family vacation. Years later, they reconnect online or through a visit and decide to pursue a relationship. When visiting each other becomes difficult, they opt for a K-1 visa to bring the foreign fiancé(e) to the US so they can marry.

• Engagement Following a Study Abroad Experience:
  The US citizen and foreign fiancé(e) meet while studying abroad together, where one of them is an international student. After completing their studies, they continue a long-distance relationship. Since a student visa doesn’t allow the foreign fiancé(e) to return to the US permanently, the couple decides on a K-1 visa as the most suitable option for marriage.

• Military Personnel Stationed Abroad:
  A US citizen serving in the military meets their fiancé(e) while stationed overseas. Due to their deployment schedules and visa restrictions for the foreign fiancé(e), they choose the K-1 visa as a practical option to ensure the foreign fiancé(e) can join them in the US after the service period ends.

• Meeting Through Cultural or Religious Exchanges:
  The couple meets through a cultural or religious exchange program where one of them visits the other’s country. Despite geographic distances, they continue to build a relationship. Given the limitations on non-immigrant visas for frequent visits, they see the K-1 visa as the best route to marriage and a life together in the US.

Regardless of how the couples meet, marriage in a foreign country is an impossibility in some instances. This may be, for example, because of legal restrictions on the marriage. Certain countries, such as Senegal or India, do not recognize same-sex marriages.

For many LGBTQ+ couples, the K-1 visa is a lifeline, providing a legal path for partners from countries where same-sex relationships or marriages are not recognized or even criminalized. In such cases, the K-1 visa allows LGBTQ+ couples to reunite and marry in the United States, where their relationship is legally protected. This visa is often the only option for couples facing restrictive laws abroad, enabling them to start their lives together in a supportive environment. By applying for a K-1 visa, LGBTQ+ couples can overcome legal barriers that might otherwise prevent them from being together, making it a crucial option for many in the LGBTQ+ community.

Immigration-Ready Tips to Make Your Time Together Count Towards a Stronger Visa Case

In instances where a couple does not already reside together abroad, gathering proof of the legitimacy of the relationship for purposes of a K-1 visa application requires some planning. To make that easier for you, we have outlined several ways in which you can proactively prepare for the visa application over the course of a trip to see your loved one.

Before the Trip

1. Organize Travel Documentation

   - Book flights, accommodation, and any transportation in advance.

   - Save copies of your travel itinerary, booking confirmations, and receipts.

   - Ensure you’ll receive passport entry and exit stamps upon arrival and departure.

2. Prepare a Communication Record

   - Print or save screenshots of chats, emails, video call logs, and messages showing regular communication.

   - Organize any significant correspondence that reflects important milestones, such as planning the visit or discussing future plans together.

3. Plan Shared Activities

   - Research activities or places you’d like to visit together, such as restaurants, cultural sites, or local events.

   - If you intend to meet family or friends, coordinate these plans in advance and inform your fiancé’s family about your visit.

4. Bring Small Gifts or Mementos

   - Consider bringing a small gift for your fiancé and their family. Document these gifts as they add to the personal aspect of your visit. You can collect receipts for gifts to give to each other, especially those exchanged during significant occasions like birthdays, anniversaries, or holidays.

During the Trip

1. Take Photos Together

   - Capture photos in various settings (restaurants, local landmarks, etc.) and with friends and family. Including family in photos shows that both families recognize the relationship.

   - Take both formal and casual photos, ideally with date-stamps, if possible.

   - If you’ve participated in any cultural or religious ceremonies together, photos and event programs are valuable as they demonstrate integration into each other’s lives.

2. Save Receipts and Evidence of Shared Activities

   - Keep receipts for activities you did together, such as movie tickets, restaurant bills, or event passes.

   - Collect mementos like ticket stubs, brochures, or postcards as physical reminders of your time together.

3. Meet Each Other’s Family and Friends

   - Take the opportunity to meet your fiancé’s family or friends if possible. Photos with them can add strength to your application.

   - Encourage family members to take photos of you together. This helps demonstrate family support for the relationship.

   -  If you have meaningful interactions with each other’s families, screenshots or records of these messages show that your relationship is acknowledged by both families.

4. Document Your Travel Together

   - If you take trips together during your visit, save all relevant travel documents such as boarding passes, accommodation receipts, and itinerary details.

   - Make a note of meaningful conversations and shared experiences; these details can be helpful when writing personal statements later on.

After the Trip

1. Collect and Organize All Evidence

   - Compile your photos, receipts, and travel documents in a folder. If you have digital copies, back them up to a cloud storage service.

   - Save all documents showing travel dates, locations, and shared experiences in a timeline format for easy access.

   - Evidence of one partner supporting the other during difficult times, such as medical records showing hospital visits with the partner or records of traveling for funerals or family emergencies, demonstrates a serious commitment.  

   - If you’re both members of organizations or online memberships (like streaming services or travel rewards programs), they can indicate a shared life beyond just the relationship. If applicable, evidence of joint ownership of a pet may also be used to show commitment and shared responsibility and can take the form of veterinary records or adoption papers. 

2. Request Affidavits from Family and Friends

   - Ask your fiancé’s family or friends who met you to write brief statements supporting the authenticity of your relationship. These affidavits should explain how they know you both, their impressions of your relationship, and any notable observations.

3. Save Ongoing Communication Records

   - Continue your regular communication with your fiancé, and save these records, including any significant messages or plans you discuss post-trip.

   - Screenshots of ongoing messages, emails, and video calls will show that your relationship has progressed even after your visit.

4. Update Social Media (if comfortable)

   - Share photos or posts from your trip on social media if it aligns with your comfort level. Screenshots of social media posts showing you two together, such as photos, check-ins, or posts about significant milestones in your relationship, as well as comments from family and friends can further support your case.

5. Organize Financial Documentation

   - If you supported each other financially during the trip or have joint financial responsibilities, keep records of any money transfers, shared accounts, or expenses related to the visit.

6. Document Future Trip Plans

   - If you plan to visit each other again before your K-1 visa application, save any related bookings and travel plans.

   - Document ongoing planning to show the continued intention to marry and live together in the U.S

By following these steps before, during, and after your trip, you’ll gather comprehensive evidence to support a successful K-1 visa application. Taking the time to capture each stage of your visit will not only strengthen your case but also create meaningful keepsakes of your journey together. Should you or your loved one have any questions or need representation, please do not hesitate to contact us. Although we are located in New York City we represent clients all over the 50 states of the US. Call us, email us at info@khunkhunlaw.com, or review other options to get in touch with us for an immigration consultation. We have represented many clients with successful results even with the most difficult set of facts.