Hey All:

First, a lot of respect to all of you who have been waiting for visas and paperwork. I have been separated from my newly wed wife for a week now (had to leave her after 21 days of being married... ...feel like crap that I could not stay with her). Coping is not easy and frankly, this sucks for the both of us. But we have little choice and have to get through it. So again, for all of you who have been counting the months...too much respect.

Now, I submitted my I-130 last week and awaiting my NOA1 (petition received and filed) so I can file the I-129F for the K3. However, the wonderful guide here makes it quite clear that being prepared in advanced is the way to go. So I am looking into all the paperwork that could be slow in obtaining. One such paper is the police certificate. My spouse is in London, U.K. and the embassy information states that the police certificate can take up to 40 days to get. So I am wondering what stage of the application process to have my spouse fill out that form. Any information in this regard would be most appreciated.

Also, does the K3 require the I-134 Afficavit of Support or does the I-864EZ (I meet the requirements...unless it is better to file the I-864...please advise) cover that requirement as it is required for the I-130 petition (or does this vary by embassy)?

Any tips on staying sane in this entire period would be most appreciated. My spouse and I are not taking the separation well. I plan on visiting her every 5-6 weeks and hope to ease this time...I have told her that a reasonable estimate to obtain the K3 is about 6 months...sigh...

Sorry...forgot one thing.

Anyone have a good timeframe in which I would be done with all the paperwork on the U.S. side? I am asking basically when I could leave the U.S. and not expect any paperwork to be sent to the U.S. address (and I intend to be the choice of agent) to be with my spouse.

Thanks in advance for all your help.

Hi there,

Im afraid that your sitiuation is all too common and many people are seperated from their spouse. As for your questions, the Police certificate is valid for 1 year from the date of issue, so I would apply for it as soon as you get your NOA1, that way it is out of the way...

As for time frame for a K3, dont want to be the bearer of bad news but I have heard that the K3 can take as long as the CR/IR1, take some time to look at peoples timelines as many are taking 8+ months, but remember that many cases are different.

As for the question on paper work, if you are the choice of agent then all paperwork will be sent to yourself, therefore you will need to get the DS-230 which is the last form to be filed, once this has been sent back to the NVC it will be processed then sent to the Embassy. It has taken us aroud 6 months to get to that stage so far... try to keep you chin up !! and the best of luck to you both............

As for surviving the process.. we found cheap calls over the internet very handy !!.. companies such as Skype and Iconnecthere.. provide a good service.. also get involved with the community here as this will occupy your time and help you and others on their journeys...

I wish you both the best of luck on your journey !!

God Bless

Hi ms514,

I am waiting for my CR1 so I can´t really help you with the K3 info, as we never applied for one. But if I could say something, I´d tell you to wait until your case gets to the NVC to get the police certificate. And by the way, I don´t think you have to wait for your I-130 to be approved to be able to send the I-129. Please check the K3 forum.

Me and my husband are also having a very difficult time being apart. Unfortunately he cannot travel here to see me very often. It´s been almost a month since he came to see me and it feels like forever! Our case is already at the consulate and we hope to get an interview date soon (we have some foreign police certificates complications).

My I-130 was approved in about 3,5 months, but a lot of people have it finished quicker. If you go for the CR1, every paper you send to the NVC takes 2-3 weeks to get processed, so it´s good to have everything ready in advance. Download the DS-230 from the Dept. of State website (http://travel.state.gov) and have her fill it out, sign and give it to you the next time you are together, with a copy of her passport´s biographical page. So you have it when they send it to you. My paperwork timeframe is a little off because we had lots of issues with our papers. And I believe the London Consulate has a very different timeframe from the Rio de Janeiro Consulate. So try the London forum for more info as well.

I hope this helps. Also try to look for James´Shortcuts. Maybe that can help you speed things up at the NVC.

Alix

Hey everybody. I am not applying for a K3, we chose the K1 route. But just want to clarify a point above. My best friend IS going the K3 route and you do NOT have to wait for your I-130 to be approved prior to filing your I-129. But, you do have to wait until you file the I-130 because you have to put the receipt number for it on your I-129.

Hope this helps and good luck to you.

Thanks to everyone who has offered advice so far. Been really helpful. Still trying to invent that hibernation chamber so the wife and I can sleep the time between processing...

I would get the certificate now.. we got ours as soon as we sent the I-130... remeber its valid for a year... you have free time now so why not get it out of the way !!

Apply for the police records as soon as possible.
You would require the I-134 form for the Affidavit of support.