The K1 visa (also known as the fiancé visa) is a unique visa that permits a US citizen’s fiancée to visit the United States, marry their fiancée (who is a US citizen, and get a green card while in the country. If your US citizen fiancé cannot go overseas to marry you for any reason, a K-1 visa is far speedier than filing for a spousal green card through consular processing in another country.
While it is possible to go about the K-1 visa process alone and without help, many aspiring couples choose to employ the services of an immigration lawyer. While this is no guarantee of a successful application, many opt to engage the services of an immigration lawyer, since lawyers tend to be well-versed in the minutiae of the application process.
Some of the many reasons why people opt for a K-1 visa immigration lawyer include:
- Paperwork: Immigration lawyers possess knowledge about the forms and documents required for a successful application. They can properly fill out forms, mail papers, reply to RFEs, and more in your place. They are better at paperwork than we are since they do it for a job.
- Notices: Sending out notices to the US Embassy, the USCIS and congressional offices can bring about issues regarding correspondence. Immigration lawyers help find out what’s wrong if such issues come up or if there’s a delay in response.
- Act as a Guide: Immigration lawyers know how to address a wide range of difficulties thanks to their years of expertise and resources. They know what is effective and what isn’t because they have worked on various immigration issues. If you run into a snag, past cases with identical conditions might also be referred to. If you think your situation is unusual, they’ve likely seen it before. They tend to have an archive of previous examples from which to draw.
Spotting a Good K-1 Visa Lawyer
Suppose you’re seeking the help of an immigration lawyer to help facilitate the K1 visa application process. In that case, you should look for a lawyer who is frank about the application process. Ideally, they should be easy to contact through various communication portals (email or phone), have a designated office and should answer any general questions you might have without charging a fee.
A good immigration attorney should also map out the circumstances surrounding your application right from the onset. In addition, they should hold conversations with you to know the details about your fiance’s visa case. Finally, they should be able to draw references from similar cases in the past. You’ll also want to contact a lawyer who isn’t a newbie and has years of experience as an immigration lawyer and can help clarify whatever holdups prevent you from understanding the K-1 visa process.
On the other hand, try to avoid lawyers who won’t return your phone calls or keep to appointments. If a lawyer shows signs that your application isn’t a priority or takes on one too many cases, seek out another lawyer. Such lawyers will prove negligent, forget to respond to RFEs, and make mistakes that could contribute to your application being denied.
Also, watch out for misleading immigration attorney ads. For example, no honest immigration attorney should be offering a “100% success rate.” K-1 visa denials happen regularly for reasons unrelated to application process errors, so a 100% success rate indicates dishonesty.
Lastly, ensure you’re involved in the process since you want to be familiar with everything regarding your application when you attend the final interview.