The K1 visa. My point of view.

My purpose of introducing myself and explaining my position is not about my state of my mind, so we can all be clear about my thoughts.  As in Kazakhstan and in America, there are fans of the K1 visa, there are believers in long distance romance, there are people that say my @KazakhTexas lady is coming here to get American citizenship, or maybe she only has the interest of her children in mind.  Perhaps she is coming here to take control of my car dealership or steal away my race team?  I do not believe so.  I have known this woman over a period of one year and I know what she is all about.  Her intentions are genuine and so are mine.

I do not have any seconds thoughts and I am not writing this in a way to convince myself I am doing the right thing.  The proposition of marriage through a K1 visa is stressful, it is expensive, and it is time consuming.  To say we both took all pros and cons into consideration is an understatement.  For those of you curious about the K1, I would say the cons far outweigh the pros from many angles.  Now I can already hear the keyboard warriors getting ready for a battle.  This has nothing to do with me or the future Mrs. Kazakh Texas.  We can be real about this, I am in my mid 40's and she is in her late 30's.  Marriage is a business contract.  There is money to be made, there are bills to be paid, there are important financial decisions, there are emotional decisions, there are mistakes, there are disagreements, there are major purchases we will make together.  We are not fools and we understand what is involved.

So, I want to first present to you the cons or negative side of a K1 visa.  First, the K1 visa is very expensive and I am not a rich man.  Sure, I own a business but that does not guarantee me prosperity.  We are new and starting up and it is a major challenge.  To get The Kazakh Texas family here will cost about $10,000.  So, as a petitioner for the K1 it is important to be 100% certain you are able to make this sort of investment.  Yes, it is an investment and some of you will put a twist on my words.  I am making an investment in my future, her future, and the future of our kids in America.  The costs only start here.  This is not a complaint, this is a factual statement.  I say this because some people look at the K1 and feel as if they can apply, get approved, purchase a plane ticket and arrive on American ground and assimilate into their new life and role here.  Not at all the case.

To just make some examples of things that will cost money, I can list them for you.  We will need to get married.  The expense on this end is whatever you wish to make it.  We talked about something small and simple.  I imagine we will possibly do a reception at our home where people can come and enjoy themselves and meet the new @KazakhTexas Family.  I will move into a larger home, something with 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.  It is typical of an American family of our size.  The kids have never had their very own room and I want them to feel welcome in their new home.  They will need bedroom furniture, our teenage daughter will need a computer, our son will probably need an Xbox.  Not to mention, their clothes are designed for sub zero weather and we now live in a humid sub tropical climate where the temperature will peak at 38C for most of the summer.

Our public transportation system is awful.  I reside in Dallas, Texas and you will simply not ride a bus or taxi.  To put into perspective, for the @KazakhTexas kids and mom to ride the city bus to the cinema will cost about $10 USD and a Taxi will be double.  We are a society based upon private transportation, so Mrs. Kazakh Texas needs a car.  I am a dealer, of course, I will find something low priced and reasonable for her.  But this is still an expense.  Unless you are in New York or Chicago, plan on your own car.

Your K1 fiance will not be able to work while waiting for their change of status.  Plan on them being unemployed for 6-9 months.  During this 6-9 months, your expenses are going up while your fiance is not working.  During this time, it is important that there is a plan in place.  Without a plan, your fiance will sit at home during this time with nothing but American television and become very bored and depressed.  Mrs. Kazakh Texas is a very independent woman and likes to remain busy.  The fact she will rely on me for money hurts her deeply, so we made a plan.  I am moving our family in close proximity to my store.  We will be 5 minutes by car and she will learn to drive.  If there is any emergency or situation where she needs to get to me or I need to get to her, it will not be a problem.  In the summer, there will be plenty for the Kazakh Texas children to keep busy.  Little Ms. Kazakh Texas is a teen and she is learning to be independent.  I already made a deal with her where she will wash cars and help me at the auto auction to earn money so she can go to Macy's and buy clothes or attend the cinema with her Texas Texas friends she will make.  Our new apartment has a swimming pool and clubhouse.  It will be a perfect place for them to make Texas Texas friends and just relax.  Mrs. Kazakh Texas is an independent woman and she is an amazing teacher.  She will work at the dealership with me and she will earn a salary so she does not need to feel compelled to ask me for money.  There are many administrative duties that will need attention.  We sell and finance about 40 used cars per month.  She will help by running to the auction company to exchange documents, helping me with inventory audits, and other related stuff.  I am fortunate in the sense that this is my business and I can create opportunities for my family here, if you do not have such a luxury you should certainly do something to plan ahead for your K1 fiance.

I am probably more prepared for the arrival of the remaining 75% of the Kazakh Texas family members.  I do recant, Little Ms. Kazakh Texas is probably the most prepared.  We have talked about schools, we have talked about how she will make friends, we have talked about the pool at our new apartment complex.  She has watched a lot of American shows about teen life.  Of course this is Hollywood, but it gives her some perspective.  She can't wait for her mom to get a car.  Mom does not know this yet, but I think Little Miss and I are getting Mrs. KT a Chevy Tahoe.  We will see about that.  This will be a strange thing for them.  A car to go places, not a bus or taxi.  14 hours of daylight and 38C temperatures all summer.  Walmart.  If you don't get the Walmart reference, well you don't get it.  We talked about milk today and I had to explain that Walmart sells over 30 kinds of milk and you can buy it 24 hours a day.  She asked if she should buy new winter shoes in Dallas?  My response was no, there is no winter in Dallas.  We have a week of temperatures close to 0 and that is all.  This year there was no snow, as last year there was no snow, and the year before.  She always worries about my breakfast, I made a video of how I get breakfast some days.  I order from my car at a window and drive away.  There is a lot to learn!