My name is John. I am a 54 year old vet. I met a woman from the Philippines online. We fell in love and after we saw each other in person we decided to make it official and immigrate her to the USA as my fiancé.

I went online and looked for what needs to be done. I saw plenty of forms and other requirements for immigration. I looked for other people who went through this process. Some of them made formal mistakes and were not successful.

What did we do next?

I decided to do it properly with a lawyer. I went online and googled the best immigration lawyer and “Immigration Lawyers — Allan S. Lolly & Associates” showed up. I called the office and told the lovely lady that I want to get my fiancé into the USA. She asked me a list of questions. Don’t worry, it is necessary to collect as much information as possible. It helps with the process and the visa requirements to understand if you qualify at this time or need any waivers or a joint sponsor, etc.

What did the receptionist ask me?

• Basic contact information:  name, state I live in, and email and phone number for further communication.
• She asked for my availability that day in case I could not immediately connect with an attorney.
• My fiancé’s name and country of origin.
• Whether either of us have children.
• If we already spent time in person.
• What happened next? (We got her here in 8 months instead of 10)

I received a call from an associate from the firm. She discussed more information with me. For example – whether I have a criminal conviction. Allan’s firm specializes in AWA cases and IMBRA. She asked about my plans with my fiancé because there are different ways to go about immigration and she wanted the immigration plan to meet our needs.  I was told that The K1 fiance visa is currently taking up to 10 months for approval as a general estimate.

I hired the firm based on an agreement that was suited to what we wanted. We were done in 8 months. Once in the U.S. on the K1 visa, we got married and asked Allan’s firm again for help to adjust her status to become a U.S. permanent resident.

Everything was done efficiently

I returned the signed agreement, paid the initial fee, and was ready to go. I was assigned with my personal Case Manager. Allan stepped in at certain points in the process. His team is coordinated. Data intake was done online which made things so convenient. We communicated about issues via email, so everything is documented and clear for me. At a point, things got confusing, but we sorted it out via phone.

How does the process work?

During the process, I was a little bit worried if we would be successful. My Case Manager assured me that the firm has over 25 years of experience. Allan understands complex issues. He is sort of like the doctor who shows up when he needs to check on the patient and give direction. Other than that, we had a good connection with my Case Manager. They did over 400 cases last year, including complicated immigration matters and waivers, so the team has a lot of knowledge.

Step by step

With help from our Case Manager and attorney, we prepared all documentation for the K1 fiancee visa. Since everything was in order, our approved I-129F petition for a fiancé visa was transferred to the National Visa Center for further processing and then we waited for some time (a couple of weeks) for security checks.

What Did the Case Manager do for my Fiancé?

When all of this was done my fiancé received an invitation to schedule an interview at the U.S. consulate in her country of origin. She was a little bit anxious about that but our attorney told us what to expect and she relaxed a little bit. When the day came she spent the whole morning there. She was asked about our relationship. The officer was strict. Our documentation was in order and my fiancee was prepared and so she came out o.k. At the end of the interview, she was told she was approved! They kept her passport so they could affix the K1 visa into it, and mailed it to her.

Then she had to go through an exit interview, and then she was finally ready to go to the USA, and become my wife!

It was less expensive than I expected it to be!

There are two different kinds of costs – for assistance and mandatory state fees. In my situation, the attorney charged $1,950 to immigrate my fiancé to the U.S. As I look back on things, it was worth it.  They did a good job. I was told that the amount can be broken into partial payments beginning with a $550 deposit followed by monthly payments. The government filing fees and the foreigners medical exam are separate.

I know that every case is different. I felt that if surprises came up or the government did not do things correctly, I trusted that these guys would handle it. They find the best way that fits your specific needs. And do not worry. If you choose the right firm, you can be sure that they handle your case successfully.