Transcript of the above video: 

As the title of this video suggests, we are discussing being "painted" if you will into a corner of a K-1 Fiancé Visa. What are we talking about here? Well I thought of making this video actually initially after reading a post on Twitter.

Quoting directly: "For $1 lost, $2.20 Gone. The Multiplier Effect of Declining Tourism in the U.S. - Lost in inbound tourism will cause further unemployment throughout the supply chain." 

I did another more expansive video on US Tourist Visa policy, but I wanted to make this video because I want to specifically talk about Fiancé and to some extent Marriage Visas, and how people sort of feel like they are sort of boxed into doing it because in a way they kind of are. We get a lot of emails from people who say, "hey I want to get my girlfriend - or boyfriend in some cases - a Tourist Visa to come to America." And our response is look the likelihood of getting that Tourist Visa is relatively low due to what is called section 214b of the Immigration and Nationality Act. I have discussed that section in many other videos throughout my tenure here on YouTube. I urge those who are watching this video, go to the search function, type in 214, the numbers, and just press enter. You are going to get a laundry list of videos where I have done deep analysis on 214b. But long story short, they do this strong ties, weak ties analysis wherein the Consular Officer has to be satisfied that the applicant presents strong ties to their home country and weak ties to the United States. Basically, they have to be assured this person isn't going to use a Tourist Visa to come and live in America. That coupled with what is called the Doctrine of Consular Absolutism or Consular Non-reviewability which basically gives Immigration Officers, or I should say Consular Officers at Embassies pretty much non-appealable, non-reviewable discretion in these matters, results in a high number of Tourist Visa denials. Then this results in a situation where folks are like look we have got a relationship but are we quite ready to get married? Do we know? What do we do?  

Now Congress in their infinite wisdom came up with the Fiancé Visa to sort of bridge the gap if you will between Tourist Visa and Marriage Visa. Now it was made during the Eisenhower Administration if I remember correctly, so I'm not quite sure if the legal thinking or the policy thinking behind the law is quite up to date with modern times, but it is what we have to work with. And I very much understand how people can think, look I am really being shackled into a system I don't particularly want to be involved with. I may not want to get married or that's really not where we are going right now. Again, depending on your circumstances, even a K-1 may not be right for you. There just may not be an available option depending on the circumstances. 

But that said, anyone who finds this sort of overwhelming, it may not be a terrible idea to contact a legal professional, gain some insight and guidance into how best to proceed.