Houston Business Litigation and Employment Law attorney Lee Solomon offers comprehensive business planning, employment law, business law and litigation and immigration services to corporate clients Throughout Texas and across the United States at www.thesolomonlawfirm.com. We hope this PPT raises your awareness of the importance of deciding whether or not to hire a lawyer to handle your fiancée visa or marriage visa case.

1. Bringing A Foreign Fiancée or Spouse To
US - Houston Immigration Lawyer Services
www.thesolomonlawfirm.com

2. Bringing a Foreign Fiancée or Spouse to the United States:
» So you met a woman who lives in another country, fell in love with her
and either married her already or want to bring her to the United States
and marry her here.
» The reverse situation could also be true, where you are an American
woman and your fiancé or spouse is from another country. If that is the
case, please bear with me and understand that the focus on American
men and foreign women in this discussion is solely for ease of
presentation.
» Quite frankly it is also because the number of American men who marry
foreign women tends to be higher than the number of American women
who marry foreign men.
www.thesolomonlawfirm.com

3. » Let’s address a couple of issues right up front. You will quickly learn that
your fiancée is called an alien by our government. That’s right, an
alien. Not a foreign fiancée, but an alien fiancée. Don’t be offended. Alien
is just a word. She is still your sweetheart.
» And while we are discussing the meaning of words, let’s talk about
another one that you will see repeatedly if you are looking at marrying or
have married a foreign woman: Petition. Don’t let this word throw you. It
is a word that lawyers use a lot. You can think of it as meaning
“application” when used in the context of applying (petitioning) for a K-1
fiancée visa or a K-3 marriage visa.
www.thesolomonlawfirm.com

4. » There may be others issues that are on your mind as you start this
process. Maybe the love of your life has children who you and she want
to bring to the United States with her.
» Maybe the child or children can not accompany their mother when she
comes to the United States, either because of school or other
reasons. Does that mean they can never come later? Is the mother
making an irrevocable decision to leave her children behind in order to be
with you?
» These are legitimate concerns, and you probably feel like you have a
million other questions swirling through your head. You don’t know
where to turn for help. It is so confusing.
» What must you file, where do you file whatever you need to file, what
does it cost, how long will it take, what are the rules? One very important
question is whether you are you even eligible for whatever process might
be out there for people just like you? We know how you feel. We have
stood in your shoes.
www.thesolomonlawfirm.com

5. » We don’t provide you a legal advice. However, we provide some general
information that will help you get started with the process of bringing a
Foreign Fiancée or Spouse to the United States by filing a petition for a K-
1 fiancée visa or a K-3 marriage visa. The Immigration lawyers at The
Solomon Law Firm will also provide practical information from someone
who has personal experience in going through what you are facing.
» You might decide that you don’t need a lawyer, and perhaps you can
handle your case on your own, but we have seen enough cases to have
reached the conclusion that most people would be wise to hire a lawyer.
www.thesolomonlawfirm.com

6. » One reason for this is that there is a common misconception that all that
is involved in the process is to fill out some forms and send them in with a
few documents.
» Nothing could be further from the truth. There is a reason for each
question on a form, and unless someone knows the reason for that
question and the law that applies to it, they face the risk of a disastrous
denial and a much more expensive legal fee after that happens.
» There are services that offer a low fee to help with filling out the forms
but that is actually much more expensive than hiring a law firm because
the fee you pay is just for filling out the forms. There is no legal advice
provided, and that is what most people really need.
» Sometimes, for example, a knowledgeable immigration attorney will
know that filing for a fiancée visa will result in a denial, whereas filing for
a marriage visa will be successful because of the difference in the laws
that govern these different kinds of visas.
www.thesolomonlawfirm.com

7. So with all of this in mind, let’s revisit the first question you should ask
yourself, which is whether you want to try to do this (apply for a K-1
fiancée visa or a K-3 marriage visa) on your own, or hire an attorney who
understands immigration law.
www.thesolomonlawfirm.com

8. » Be careful, though, if you decide to hire a lawyer. If you aren’t careful,
you may just think you are hiring a lawyer when in fact, once you sign the
legal services agreement and pay the fee, you will find it is very difficult or
even impossible to speak with a lawyer about your case.
» Instead, your case will be processed by paralegals or legal assistants and
merely be signed by a lawyer. If you end up in this situation, you will be
frustrated to no end because the lawyer is not available to answer your
questions during the processing of your case, and believe me, you will
have questions.
www.thesolomonlawfirm.com

9. CONTACT THE SOLOMON LAW FIRM, P.C.
Main Office
510 Bering Drive, Suite 300
Houston, Texas 77057
Toll Free 888.777.6391
Fax to 713.358.5513
www.thesolomonlawfirm.com