Common Mistakes Leading to Fiance or Spouse Visa Denial: Reduced Frequency of Visits
Today I would like to talk about, how the frequency of your travel to meet your partner, (your Fiance or Spouse) may determine whether your visa application is approved or denied.
Often times, a couple, in the first flush of excitement when they start their courtship, are so eager to spend time together, that they meet pretty often, as often as they can afford. Then once engaged or married, they apply for the K1 or CR1 visa. And sometimes, while their applications are underway, the frequency of in-person meetings, drops way off or even stops.
Usually the reason is to save money for their future, or they hope the next trip will be the one to the USA after the visa is granted. Unfortunately, when the time between meetings, stretches or stops, you are in real danger of having your case denied at the interview.
A real life example. A guy calls me up. First time caller. His case has just been denied. He was not a VisaCoach client. Frankly if he was, I could have saved him from his disaster.
His timeline was that he had met with his partner, a total of FIVE times before sending in his K1 Fiance Visa application. He had made 2 or three trips each year for two years, and then submitted an application that he had prepared on his own. He expected the case to be promptly approved and decided not to travel to meet his Fiancee because he expected her to soon travel to the USA to meet him. His DIY application was missing critical documents, and delayed, and then delayed again. Missing documents and scheduling problems at the consulate, caused his case to drag on and on. He still put off any travel to meet his fiance, he thought that “any day now, she would be on the way to him”.
Finally after 14 months of processing, his fiancee finally had her consular interview. The couple had not been together for even longer than that. The couple had tried to save money for their future, but what happened is that the consular officer felt that their relationship was not bona fide, that to go so long, without making any effort to spend time together indicated that they were not serious, not a genuine couple.
Not keeping up believable appearances of a bona fide couple, by meeting in-person, whenever time and money permitted, caused the denial. That left the couple with only one path, to start ALL over again, and reapply. (and hopefully, lesson learned, to benefit from my help, instead of going it alone).
I am confident that if the couple had had even one single trip, during the 14 months processing time, that that would most likely have been the tipping point for success. But now the couple is back at square one.
What do I advise VisaCoach couples?
Tip # 1: Once a couple has sworn their undying love, I recommend that they find a way to meet up, face to face, in-person at least every 6 to 9 months. Of course it depends on time and money, but if at all possible make the trip.
Tip # 2: The best time to submit the application is immediately after a trip. This service to minimize the time that elapses between your last trip and the interview. And if processing goes smoothly and quickly, often by the time you are past due to take another trip, if you are lucky, your partner has already had the interview, been issued the visa and is on the way to join you in the USA.
Tip # 3: Travel because you WANT to spend time together, versus an agenda to collect your partner right after the interview. Given the choice of travel just to spend quality time with your love, or to be there at the interview, being there “just because you want to” appears a more genuine demonstration of your relationship’s sincerity. If you can only take one trip, take it for fun while the case is underway. Don’t wait to only make a single trip to “pick up” your partner.
By Fred Wahl
the VisaCoach
