I hope you’re ready for a fast paced summary of my experience obtaining a K-1 visa! Before I start to yak about this rollercoaster, I’ll remind you that this is Devin’s and my personal process; I don’t know more than our experiences and the research we’ve done ourselves.
Try not to get overwhelmed by the number of, well, numbers. There’s a shitload of paperwork involved, all with different numerical names. K-1, I-129, DS-160….
Let me explain: K-1 is a “fiancé visa,” which, as the name suggests, is a visa for couples intending to marry in the near future. The K-1 gives you ONE entry to the States, and you have to get married within 90 days. If you’re the reality TV-type, there’s a program called “90 Day Fiancé”: In a very artificial reality-tv kind of way, it shows different K-1 applicants with their fiancés. It might sound goofy, but it’s actually a great show–my mom approved it even before I met Devin.
In this blog post I’ll try to tell you about everything that happened after that fateful kiss in London (maybe not everything, I’ll spare you the details…) until I received my K-1 visa in the mail on December 23rd, 2019. It was a whirlwind.
Our process in 9 steps:
1. Make the decision
I know this sounds very romantic; we made the decision while sitting in a parking lot outside Ralph’s 2 years ago. I was visiting Devin for one month Jan/Feb 2019 and we knew that in order to be together for good, something had to happen.
We’d been talking with different foreigners currently living in the States and no other option besides getting married would allow us to be together. Both of us knew, but I remember how we didn’t REALLY talk about it. Until this day in the car, where I asked Devin “What do you think about this crazy idea?” He always knows the right answer: “I knew, from the moment we found out about the options, that I wanted to marry you.” (I know, he’s amazing!).
I’d always imagined a wedding…just far in the future. It would include a romantic proposal, flawless white dress, and a party with all my friends and family (I mean, I’m a girl who loves her romance…). Devin and I didn’t have the money to throw such a big celebration and I wasn’t able to party with Danish loved ones. So we’ll have to save all the festivities for later.
Point is, even though we got married at the unglamorous County Clerk Office, we still recited the knees-weakening words “I do” to each other. I naturally started to think of marriage as a trust bond between two people; the love and loyalty should be just as present the day before the wedding as the day after.
2. Gather proof and research
After tirelessly researching the required documents and proof for the application, we started getting everything together. USCIS (United States Citizenship and Immigration Services) needs a lot of proof to show that the relationship is legit. Proof can be clear pictures together, letters mailed, receipts for engagement rings, etc. We collected and organized it all on Google Drive folders, and by the time Devin visited me in May 2019, we had a solid ground to fill out the I-129F application.
This step continues throughout the whole process to K-1, and even further after getting to The States. It is so important to keep up the streak of pictures and messages, since USCIS looks at the consistency of communication. Of course we travelled to see each other, not only to gather proof, but things like taking pictures where we’re conveniently both facing front without sunglasses or hats is something we kept in mind. I feel pretty sorry for couples applying during COVID-19 though, always wearing their mask…
3. File I-129F, Petition For Alien Fiancé
(“Alien”, yes that’s me. I have had many cute nicknames throughout my 21 years, but I must admit that I didn’t expect alien to pop up on the list.)
Since this was the first official form we had to fill out we might have been a little naive about some things. We shared an awful lot of “Is this right?” moments.
In May, we turned my dad’s office into our own printing center. Devin and I had everything neatly and professionally organized into binders for shipment. The joy of being so well prepared turned out to be pretty short-lived for Devin, however, when he returned to the States. Europe uses A4 paper size which is around 0.5 inches thinner and 0.5 inch taller than the US letter size. It sounds so trivial, but this little clash of cultures brought Dev a lot of unwanted hours at Staples trying to fit additional paper into the Danish plastic sleeves.
In June we were ready for Devin to send this package and pay the required fee of $535. No one said long-distance love was cheap. Before USCIS will receive it, it’ll stop by a visa office that filters all the applications to flag larger mistakes for correction. The applications that halt here are the often ones that don’t have the right form attached or that are missing signatures.
And guess what: our package was paused!
(WARNING: Creating an application to the US Immigration Service is just never a walk in the park; it will take a lot of work and might cause a lot of frustration).
Imagine putting a puzzle together with all the pieces pictureside facing down. And oh yeah, small detail, then there’s having to expose all personal messages, pictures and letters you’ve ever sent to each other…
So, we needed one more signature saying that we are not using any attorney. We heard back around two weeks after submitting the application for the first time. Devin signed it and went right back to the post office. Not everyone uses an immigration lawyer, and we were a little too stubborn saving money. If you can afford it, it’s a great help smoothing the process. Looking back, yes, we could’ve used one to spare ourselves the stress. Of course, a lawyer can’t work magic. There’s still a lot of work involved for the couple.
Just remember that while the K-1 is a big step closer to your fiancé, it’s not the finish line. There’s a bunch of fees along the way even after moving to U.S.
4. Book flight to LAX
I decided to book my flight on the 31st of October 2019 even though I couldn’t be 100% sure that I would have my visa by then. Dev and I just saw the prices rising, and the thought of stepping into 2020 together sounded so perfect. If I absolutely needed to, I could reschedule the date. But I was hopeful, crossing my fingers that by the end of October I’d be standing with my K-1 visa in my hands
5. Notice of approval and interview in Sweden
On November 12th, 2019 Devin received a letter: “The National Visa Center (NVC) received your fiancé(e)’s/spouse’s approved I-129F petition from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). NVC will now forward the petition to the U.S. Embassy or Consulate in Stockholm, Sweden.”
Sweden?! Just to clarify: Stockholm is a good 10 hour drive away without traffic (if you have a car)… After hours spent trying to reach different embassies, we found that all K-1 applicants from Norway, Denmark and Sweden (they just lump us all together) are sent to Stockholm due to the low number of applications. But, I mean, seen in a more positive light: I do love to travel! That was my first trip to Sweden; two birds with one stone.
6. File DS-160
While accepting the change of plans and my long trip to Sweden, I started my DS-160 application. The DS-160 is an online non-immigration form. The fact that this form is online is awesome and so much easier than the paper forms. I filed the form (and paid another $160 fee) the 19th of November. We were now ready to contact the embassy for an interview…at least I thought. It took me another day of calling and emailing several people to figure out that I would have to wait a few days for a checklist package. This package is just an email, but during this process it feels like all news is good news. Email will remind you what to bring/not to bring to the interview at the embassy, a scanned copy of your accepted I-129 and a link where to schedule the interview date.
7. Schedule medical examination and X-ray
On November 25th, a Monday, I prepared to travel to Copenhagen for two medical appointments (totalling $520–yes, this is getting expensive; are you keeping track?)
It ended up a little more chaotic than I expected.
I was staying at a friend’s place the night before, so I would be able to get scheduled for the early hours. First stop would be a special immigration medical clinic, second stop the X-ray clinic, and third (and final) stop would be a five-hour bus trip home.
The immigration doctor tried to take a blood test three times before he gave up, laid down the needle, and sent me to a hospital forty minutes away. I didn’t have a car, but luckily public transportation is easy, affordable and not scary in Denmark (see that, America?!)
I came to the hospital with a nice little piece of paper from the secretary at the immigration office indicating I’m scheduled for a blood test. I ran into yet another obstacle after waiting about an hour in those “pull a number” lines. I was sent to the wrong department, and trying to reach the immigration doctor during his lunch break is about as difficult as teaching Gen X’ers about Instagram. I probably waited another hour before a very friendly nurse decided to help me after I told her I had a bus to catch in 50 minutes. While Friendly Nurse completed the test on her first try, another Boss Ass Nurse (an angel sent from Heaven, really) took my phone and convinced the secretary at the other medical office that she made a mistake and fixed it. These saintly nurses may have been the reason I didn’t have a mental breakdown in front of everyone.
8. Interview in Stockholm
Not as intimidating as feared, although I must say I was preparing myself for the worst interrogation.
To limit stress, I rented an Airbnb in Stockholm from December 4th to the 5th, mere walking distance from the American Embassy. I bought plane tickets to ease travel time, although two whole days on a bus with a bunch of strangers does sound very appealing. Keep in mind that my flight to LA was booked for the 31st, meaning I’d have but a few weeks to ensure I was mailed the Visa package in time.
On the 5th, I got through security and was assigned to a waiting area. They called out my number and I approached a row of counters separated by small room dividers (kinda like those we see now everywhere, because of COVID). The young woman on the other side asked me obvious questions about Devin and our relationship. I wanna say she might have asked between five and ten questions, but it was very conversational and relaxed. “Where did you and your fiancé meet?”, “When have you seen each other?” and “Have you met your fiancés parents?” After the interview, I was asked to sit down in the waiting area again. It felt just like anticipating a grade after an oral exam: would I leave with an approved K-1 case?
Spoiler: I left empty-handed. I wasn’t denied, but they weren’t able to approve it either before seeing more information on Devin’s dad’s tax returns and pay stubs.
I went back to Denmark the same day at once relieved to know this was the only remaining document, but also exhausted that the Visa wasn’t already on its way. I only had 25 days!
After emailing back and forth with the embassy and my father-in-law, I gathered the last needed documents and got confirmation that my package was now on its way from Sweden. Now it was just a matter of countdown.
9. Received my K-1:
It was a pink letter with a Swedish return address. It arrived on December 23rd, the day before we celebrate Christmas in Denmark. I can’t remember ever having danced around because of a letter, but I was overjoyed. And I couldn’t have imagined a better Christmas present.
I was ready to leave on New Years Eve! Visa printed in my passport and in my carry on the visa package. This package is sealed when you receive it from the embassy and it’s essential that no one opens it, except for Mr. Never-Smiling in border control. Why America has to be that extra, I don’t know; I assume they hid something more exciting than my medical exam in that package.
With suitcases packed (how to fit your life in three suitcases remains a mystery to me) I now had NO excuse to stay safe and sound under comfy bed covers in Denmark. I had to say goodbye to friends and family for now.
In the end, the complex process taught us a lot about each other. While obtaining a visa may not be the ideal entry into marriage, it made Devin and I even closer.
Going through this process asked for us to stay realistic, mature and organized. And then the final reward–a visa! a fiancé!–felt beyond satisfying. We feel like we can handle anything as a couple.
— And that’s without knowing a year long pandemic and a slowed-down Green Card process was awaiting. I’ll catch you up on that later, I promise!
Kys og kram,
Victoria Liv
