Hi, everyone. Welcome. I'm Attorney Megan Pastrana. We've had a lot of individuals who are feeling
very very stressed out about the fiané visa processing times. If any of you are currently going
through the fiancé visa process, I'm sure you can absolutely relate that the processing times are
a year or more right now just to receive a decision on that first step.
I know that that is long and I know that's disheartening but I want to caution
all of you about taking extreme measures out of desperation. There have been a lot of
individuals who have said this fiancé visa wait time is just ridiculous. I'm thinking, I
should just get married and that would be faster or they're saying, "I wish I would have gotten
married. That would have been faster." The first thing I want to caution you on is that you're
already in line for your fiancé visa. That fiance visa requires that you aren't married so if you
decide to get married, you're basically having to start a process over for the spouse visa because
you'll no longer be eligible for the fiancé visa. I have sadly seen individuals who have done this, who
have later come to our office and said, "I got married. Can this be faster now?" And that
just breaks my heart because you're putting yourself at the beginning of a line.
You're starting over. Be very very careful. Do not just jump into getting married if you already
have a fiancé visa pending. Please get legal advice first because I would hate to see that. I'd hate
you have to come to my office and say, "I'm married now, what happens?" And then, have to tell
you now we have to file a spouse visa and you're going to be put in a line again. Be very careful.
Understand that yes, the wait times are long but be careful of taking quick action out of desperation.
The other thing that I want to give advice to all of you about is it really comes more
from a place of, I am not a licensed therapist but I'm a human being and I'm an
individual who has gone through the immigration process and that feeling of desperation, that
feeling of just all of the variables that you can't control in the immigration process,
I completely understand. I've been there. I feel that. I know it's so stressful to not be able to
control certain aspects of the immigration process like wait times but it's really not
healthy to look at your case and say, I see all these people who filed a spouse visa,
I should have done that. That would have been faster and feeling like you made a mistake.
Please know that if you filed a fiancé visa and just because it seems like spouse visa cases
might be going faster. That's comparing apples to oranges and immigration
wait times are so different by case type, by person. There's just so many
variables that it's oftentimes hard to say that one option is better or faster.
Instead of looking at it as I should have, I wish, I would have, a common phrase that I
like to say is to not to quit shooting all over yourself. It's just this idea that
be grateful that you have an application filed. I know the wait times aren't fun
but don't beat yourself up for picking a path. Just celebrate the fact that you did
pick a path you have an application filed and you're one day closer to a decision. Don't beat
yourself up for the path that you picked. Your application's filed, you're one day closer to being
together even if the wait times are long. That's just more of a little more advice from
somebody who's gone through the process. Just a more healthy mindset, a healthier
way to look at your case and wait times and where you're at in the process.
I really hope that that helps give you peace of mind and an understanding of where
you're at at your case and that the decision you made to file was a good decision.