Many hopeful United States Immigrants and their significant others are forced to decide to pursue immigration status through two different methods: the fiancé(e) petition and the spousal petition. This can be a very difficult decision as both methods wrought with pros and cons galore.

You, like many other frustrated hopeful immigrants or their lovers, might be baffled at our current immigration system and unsure of which method is right for you. This article will discuss the various positive and negative aspects of each type of immigration petition. If, after reading this article, you are left still with a vague picture of your immigration options, I highly recommend consulting with an Immigration attorney who will be able to advise you specifically.

Fiance(e) Petition (I-129F)

Fiance(e) petitions can be filed by US Citizens only. That being said, there are various requirements that one must meet in order to be eligible to file for a fiancée. The one difficult one for many is that the Petitioner must have met (been physically present) with the Beneficiary (fiancé(e) abroad) within 2 years of the Petition’s filing date. This visit must be documented with an abundance of evidence. Once the petition (I-129F) is approved by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service, it will be forwarded to the US Embassy nearest to the beneficiary’s home. The beneficiary will then need to attend an interview with the General Consul.

Fiance(e) Petitions are touted as a faster way of bringing a partner to the United States. Petitions can take from 5-8 months from start to finish. Once the fiancé(e) arrives in the United States, he or she must get marry the Petitioner within 90 days of landing, and must subsequently apply for permanent residence.

Pros and Cons

-Only US Citizens are eligible to take advantage of the Fiance(e) Petition (Legal Permanent Residents are not)

-The filing fees are more expensive for Fiance(e) Petitions- $455 initially, plus $1,010.00 to adjust status once in the US, versus $825 for a Spousal Petition

-Fiance(e) Petitions require more evidence of a bona-fide relationship and Interviewers seem to be more capricious

+Partners need not rush their marriage to be eligible to petition, but can get married in the United States (within 90 days)

+Petitions are processed relatively quickly

Spousal Petition (I-130)

US Citizens and Legal Permanent Residents are allowed to file Spousal Petitions for their wives or husbands. Immigrant visas are immediately available for US Citizens’ spouses, but the immigrant visas for Legal Permanent Residents are not (check out uscis.gov under Processing Dates- currently the USCIS is still processing the Spousal Petitions by LPRs filed in 2005).

The I-130 Immigrant Petition must be filed with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service and once it is approved, it will be forwarded to the National Visa Center for processing. The National Visa Center will then request information about the beneficiary of the immigrant petition (the immigrant spouse) before forwarding the petition to the US Embassy where an Interview will be scheduled.

Pros and Cons

-Processing takes longer- for US Citizens can take up to a year, for Permanent Residents takes around 3 years

-Partners must be married before the Petition can be filed- this most likely means the US Citizen will have to travel outside of the US to marry his or her partner

-Spouses must live separately while waiting for their immigrant petition to process

+Spousal Petition Fees are less expensive than the Fiance(e) Petitions- Fees are $825 total, versus $1,465.00 for Fiancee Visa

+Once the immigrant spouse arrives in the United States, he or she is automatically a legal permanent resident and need not adjust status. The spouse visa immigration lawyer will provide information about all the legal procedures to the person after the arrival. It will be convenient to the spouse to adjust in the other country.

+Interview is not quite as capricious as the Fiance(e) Visa Interview, however cases are still decided upon discretion of the Consul

I hope this breakdown of the pros and cons has assisted you in choosing which method of immigration is better suited to your circumstances. If you are still unsure if you are eligible for these petitions, please check the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services website at uscis.gov. There are also various other Immigration forums online that may lend you some guidance. Immigration attorneys are the best resource however, and many offer cheap or free first consultations and advice.

If you would like the opportunity to observe underwater sea life without all the complicated equipment needed for scuba diving, then snorkeling might be your sport. Snorkeling is a fun recreational sport that does not require any special certification. The Hawaiian Islands are ideal for snorkeling, and Kauai in particular has some great snorkeling spots throughout the island. This is a guide to snorkeling on the island of Kauai. 

There are a number or snorkel rental shops throughout the island if you decided to leave your own gear at home. If you are not into renting gear, you can buy gear relatively inexpensively at some of the big box stores on Kauai. 

If you have never snorkeled before, there are two outfits that offer guided snorkeling tours. Aloha Kauai Tours offers their SeaFun Guided Snorkel tour for about $80. They pick you up and take you to a safe snorkeling location and provide drinks and snacks. Seafun Snorkel tours are one of the best on the island; they can help anyone enjoy snorkeling. At the Princeville Hotel, Hanalei Watersports also offers guided snorkel tours for $45. 

The north shore of Kauai has some great snorkeling beaches, but the snorkeling here is seasonal. The best times to snorkel on the north shore of Kauai is from May till September. Ke’e Beach is great for snorkeling, tons of fish, clear waters and turtles. Tunnels is another beach on the north shore that is great for snorkeling. The ocean is a rainbow of colors and truly amazing. Make sure you bring your waterproof camera. 

The east shore also has some great beaches for snorkeling, as long as the seas are calm. Lydgate State Park is one of the best snorkeling parks on the island. The beach features bolder protected pools that allow for relatively calm water perfect for snorkeling. Nukoli’i Beach Park can also be a good place for snorkeling, but only when the waters are calm. 

On the south shore of Kauai Po’ipu Beach Park is a great place for snorkeling, especially when the north shore is swelling with waves, Po’ipu is calm like a swimming pool. Kiahuna Beach, which is right in front of the Sheraton Hotel, is one of the most user-friendly beaches on the island and is nice for snorkeling. Lawa’i Beach is calm and good place for beginner snorkelers, except when the tide is high.

The seas on the west side of Kauai are a little less predictable and there are few protected swimming areas, and therefore know known safe snorkeling beaches. 

If you want to swim with the fishes, get your mask, snorkel and fins, and get in the water. Kauai has some of the most beautiful fish in the entire world. This guide to snorkeling on Kauai will help get you started. 

In conclusion, snorkeling is a fun sport that can be enjoyed by one and all and is one that every swimmer in existence has tried it out atleast once in his/her lifetime because they all have found it to be far more adventurous than scuba diving, which can be considered its parent organization and what better place than Kauai to unleash the swimmer inside you. So grab onto some of the best full-face snorkeling masks and take the plunge into the deep waters of the sea. 

Some people love to keep their keep with them even if they are traveling from one place to another, and if you are a pet owner and planning to have the beach holidays with your pet, then you must be very attentive about your pet.

Yes, it is true that now pet-friendly rentals can be booked by the internet, but keeping your pet safe over there and preventing other guests from getting disappointed by your pet is also your duty.

So it would help if you considered the below mentioned instructions to have better enjoyment at the beach with your pet

Try to keep your pet calm and do not leave them alone

• If you were traveling with your pet for the first time and booked the rental at pet friendly condos Myrtle Beach, then you should try to keep your pet calm during the entire time of traveling.
• This is true that these rentals are pet friendly, but you should hold the leash tightly when you are roaming with your pet on the premises as it may be not liked by the other tourists

Train and put an identity on your pet

• It would be best if you made your pet learn some of the etiquettes to behave in the crowd so that hit should not feel uncomfortable and able to resist in the situation when far away from you.

• And you must include any kind of identification tag on your tag, and don’t forget to add your contact details on that tag as this will not let him away from you.