This is not just for those who are filing for a K1 visa, but for any application that goes through the USCIS office.

The link that you will need to go to to check your application status is:

https://egov.uscis.gov/cris/Dashboard.do

There are 13 characters which you will look for on your receipt letter that you will need to enter into the USCIS website to check the status of your application. Once you enter the number just click on Case Status to check the current status of your case.

Your case status will now appear and the details of where your case is will appear on the screen. Each time your case goes to the next step in the process, you will be able to see online. Bookmark this link so that you can always keep yourself informed of the status of your case.

You will need to go to this link which will take you to the USCIS website:

https://egov.uscis.gov/cris/processTimesDisplayInit.do

This is the area where you will be able to see more about the fiance visa, or k1 visa processing times.

You have to go to the bottom of the page and select the field office or service center and then you will be taken to a page which displays the processing times for the different visas. You will probably need to look for form I-129F, or whichever other form that you have applied for. Look to the right and you will see the approximate processing times.

In our case, the processing times were either the time shown on the chart or sometimes surprisingly sooner. It really depends on the center that is handling your case and how many applications are going through their office.

He also mentions that if you fail the interview at the embassy or if for some reason, the embassy suspects some type of fraud, your application will be sent back to USCIS. Since it is only valid for 4 months after it was initially approved, you would basically have to reapply for the fiance visa.

Feel free to register yourself in the forum and start writing away!

You would think that something as simple, and as necessary for making a new life, would not be so hard to get if you are doing everything legally and the right way.

Be sure to go to the DMV as soon as you can to apply for your fiance(e)’s driving permit and state identification. I am not sure if all states run the same way, but according to what we were told was that the state of California requires that your form I-94 be valid for at least 60 more days in order to apply for a driver license, driving permit, or California identification.

Your form I-94 is valid for only 90 days from the time you enter the United States to give you time to marry.

It is difficult to find a bank who will help you open an account if you do not have a state issued identification, as well as many other businesses/organizations that require it.

The DMV does not make your life any easier, as we all probably already know. We have made countless trips to the DMV only to leave frustrated and empty-handed.

The best thing that you can do for yourselves is to know, in advance, that this will most likely be one of your frustrations. Keep in mind that after you receive your conditional permanent resident card, or your work permit card, everything will get much easier.

Bring a lot of patience with you when you go to the Department of Motor Vehicles.

If you are beginning to even think about getting married to a foreigner, start collecting any evidence of your relationship.

When Josue and I had to show our evidence, which was several times in the process, we had an abundant amount of proof to show that we were, indeed, truly a couple. Be sure to never throw away any piece of evidence that you have compiled since USCIS will ask you for these several times throughout the process.

Also, when you are asked to submit these evidences via mail, be sure to send copies (unless otherwise specifically stated in the instructions). If you send in the originals they will be kept in your file and will not be returned.

Save any little thing that you can. Some examples of evidence that you should save are:

• phone cards
• emails to each other
• phone bills that show that you have called one another
• letters that you have sent to one another
• airplane tickets/airline baggage claims that show that you have traveled to see your fiancé in person
• receipts with dates from when you were together (especially if your names both appear on them)
• letters from friends talking about your relationship
• wedding announcements
• newspapers with the dates that you were visiting your fiancé in his/her country
• birthday cards or pictures of gifts that you have sent to each other
• brochures of places that you have gone together
• photos – take TONS of photos of both of you together, with family and friends, in the house, out in the city, on vacation together, etc.

Also, try to keep evidence in both countries since you may be asked to show them in both places.

We were asked, on several occasions, to submit our evidences. I had to send in the proofs along with my petition for Josue – Form I-129F. Josue also needed the evidence with him when he went in for his interview at the United States embassy in his country. We also needed to show the proof at our appointments at USCIS here in the states for Josue’s change of status to conditional permanent resident, permanent resident, etc.

Save EVERYTHING you can! Accumulate all you can, even too much may not be enough!

We also realize the importance of providing clear, valuable, and useful information regarding the Fiance Visa journey.

Watch the video below to learn more about exactly what our site has to offer!

With this card, and your fiance’s passport, you will be able to go to the Social Security Administration office to request a social security card. This number, of course, will be very important to have here in the U.S., be sure to apply for a social security number quickly after your fiance’s arrival to the United States.

When we went to the Social Security Administration office, we did not have an appointment so we had to wait in line. The wait time was really not bad, probably no more than an hour.

Josue just needed to show his passport with his visa as well as his I-94 at the window where we were being served. They handed us a receipt as proof of our application. They said it would take a few days longer than normal because it has to go through a verification process for his immigration.

They processed Josue’s application and the card arrived to our house in about 3 weeks. It actually arrived much quicker than we had originally expected.

The only setback with the social security card is that it will say “Valid for work only with DHS Authorization”. When an employer asks for your social security card, you will also need to show them proof of permanent residency like a green card or a work permit card.

When you do receive your conditional permanent resident card, be sure to go back to the social security office to get this stipulation removed.

We were actually not informed about this form before Josue arrived and had no idea that such a small piece of paper could hold so much value. This card is usually stamped as a final approval for the foreign resident to enter the U.S. It is usually surrendered at the time of departure from the country. Since Josue was planning, of course, to not leave the United States, we thought that this card would not be that vital.

Little did we know that Form I-94 would be absolutely necessary for every next step we took.

We needed it for everything that we had to do to start his new life here in the states. Whether it was for forms to fill out for USCIS, appointments that we had to go into USCIS to show form I-94 to an immigration officer, to apply for a driving permit/license/identification at the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), or for obtaining a social security card at the Social Security Office, everybody asked for the card.

Guard this card with your life, don’t lose it! We wish we knew more about its value before we started this adventure, but knowing this will give you a bit of a head start!

My suggestion to you is to try to get everything for the wedding planned before your fiance arrives, especially if you want something more extravagant. There will not be much time to plan once your fiance arrives.

When we got married we decided to do something really simple for our wedding. We really didn’t have too much time to plan because we did not really know when our visa would be approved or when Josue would  receive his appointment and approval from the embassy.

No matter what type of wedding you have, be sure to send out some kind of wedding invitations or announcements, and keep record of it. Also, take plenty of pictures at the wedding and be sure to bring them in to your interview when you go for your fiance’s change of status. Save any wedding cards that people may have sent you as well. The more proof that you have that your wedding was genuine, the better.