I would love some help...

[Quisqueya430]

Hi. I'm new to the forum, but I really appreciate some help. I was born here in Manhattan, NY. I came back in Aug. of 2006 from my yearly 3-month trip {since birth} to Bahoruco, Barahona, RD., only this time I came back engaged. I have always hated leaving my boyfriend behind, but now that we are engaged it hurts so much more. I decided that it would be a better idea for him to come over here, rather than me living with him over there in the campo. It makes no difference to us where we would live as long as we're together; however, if we plan on having a family, I believe the opportunities of giving our children a better future are greater here where I live, than in the campo he's lived in all of his life. Now, to get to the point... I was wondering if anyone can guide me in the right direction. I hear that the k-1 visa is a good choice to bring him here with. I have also heard that it doesn't take as long as the others for my boyfriend to come over on and I wanted to know if that is true. I also would like to know if it is wise to hire a lawyer to help you through the process, or is it a waste of money? To those who have gone through this process especially {or anyone else}, what are some things I can expect? What can I look out for? How would it be possible to show proof that we've known each other for more than 2yrs.? How can we show proof of our relationship, if we don't have any? ... ... ... If anyone can would take the time out to help me in this, I would really, really appreciate it.

[twincactus]

OK first off, the K1 is not neccessarily the best option right now. In fact, I 'm not sure what IS the best option at this point in time. Make sure you are sitting down for this. There is currently a waiting list for visa appointments for all types and the list is 28,000 cases long. The current wait is over 2 years from start to finish. You are probably better off getting married and filing for a K3 at this point because your wait will only be a month or two more and the advntages of the marriage visa far out weigh the month or two extra you may have to wait to get married. The wait has been this long for almost three years but some people are still under the mistaken impression that it will only take 3-6 months with the K1.

Yes, you can do this whole process without a lawyer if your case has no funny stuff like illegal entries into the USA or a criminal history. If your case is just plain vanilla, you don't need a lawyer and if you DO hire one, please do not listen to people who tell you that you need one from the DR. You need a US immigration lawyer. Dominican attorneys don't practice US law, and the visa is issued by the USA not the DR.

Another myth is that you have to know each other 2 years to get a visa. This is simply not true and a common misconception. The rule is you have to have MET in person sometime in the last 2 years before you file the petition.

Sorry to have to tell you about the long wait. We have a board just for dominicans coming to the USA. The address is Dominicans to the USA

Please stop by and post your questions there also.

-Tim