RFE received, waiting on NOA2. What should I do now to get ready for next steps?

[grastysam 2]

Hi!

My timeline has gotten a bit messy lately and I'm looking for more information on what to expect next.

11/8/14- My fiancé and I hastily put together the I129-f forms (the 6 page packet only, no evidence)

11/14/14- Received NOA1

12/8/14- Put together all evidence that we didn't originally submit as advised by USCIS employee. We went on our trip to visit his family thinking that everything was taken care of with the evidence.

12/17/14- Received RFE (This was not posted in our case status that we were checking daily to see if they'd received our packet. When I came back from my trip on 1/2/15 I received the hard copy of the RFE and sent it the next business day with 1-day shipping)

1/5/15- Sent response to RFE

1/6/15- USCIS received RFE response

Here are my questions:

1) Since our timeline was delayed by 19 days due to the RFE I'm wondering what that will change about our timeline. Since they're having to process ALL of the evidence will it take longer? Do we just add 19 days onto the typical K1 timeline?

2) Now that we've had a misunderstanding we definitely want to avoid any future delays! What should we get ready for the interview and next steps? What paperwork should we prepare?

3) We currently have our wedding planned for the middle of August. Should we change the date??

Thanks to all of you for any help you can give us! We are so in love and so ready to be in the same place!!!

[Pheebs1201 269]

Hello!

There is no way of knowing the exact effect it will have on processing times, but as you're at CSC it will be fairly quick. Assuming you have no other RFE's I think it's safe to say you'll have your NOA2 within the month. At this point, you can start preparing for the interview by gathering stuff for the affidavit of support, obtaining police certificates and thinking ahead to booking your medical. Remember, your visa will expire six months from your medical date, not your interview date.

There is lots of helpful information in both the K1 guides (for example, the flowchart) and also the UK specific forum which you'll want to start reading through as your approach your NOA2.

Hope that helps a bit.

Good luck!

P.S It seems to me that August will be absolutely fine

Edited January 10, 2015 by Pheebs1201

[grastysam 2]

Hello!

There is no way of knowing the exact effect it will have on processing times, but as you're at CSC it will be fairly quick. Assuming you have no other RFE's I think it's safe to say you'll have your NOA2 within the month. At this point, you can start preparing for the interview by gathering stuff for the affidavit of support, obtaining police certificates and thinking ahead to booking your medical. Remember, your visa will expire six months from your medical date, not your interview date.

There is lots of helpful information in both the K1 guides (for example, the flowchart) and also the UK specific forum which you'll want to start reading through as your approach your NOA2.

Hope that helps a bit.

Good luck!

Wonderful!

Thank you so much for your quick response!! Yes I'm reading lots of good things about CSC! Yes that's a good point. Getting another RFE is our biggest fear at this point! I'll look up more information on how to obtain the police certificate, and start getting together the affidavit materials As far as the medical, can we book that now?? He has had a J-1 visa before and has gone through that process so he's very familiar with how that medical part of this works. I've read a couple of issues with people having trouble booking appointments for medical. It makes sense that we'd just book it now and assume like you said that we'll get it within the month!

[Pheebs1201 269]

I've noticed you're Oregon also- that's where my fiance lives! Like your fiance, I have also had J1 visas before and I personally think this makes things easier as the US government already has a fair amount of info on you. Just a theory though

Once you get your NOA2, your petition is sent to NVC. You can start called NVC after a week or two to get your London case number. Once you have the case number, you can book your medical. However, it takes about five days for the petition to get from NVC to London and you want to make sure his medical results arrive AFTER your petition gets there from NVC so they can match them up to the appropriate file, so bear this in mind when choosing his medical date.

There are more specific details about this in both the K1 flowchart (in the guides) and the UK forum, with a particularly good thread pinned to the top of the UK one about all the (London specific) steps following NOA2. I recommend reading it!

A UK police certificate is good for 12 months at the London embassy so he could go ahead and order that now.

Anything else just let me know, hope that all makes sense

[Pheebs1201 269]

Just wanted to add- the medical for a K1 visa is not the same (based on my experience) as the medical for a J1. For my J1 visas, I just had my local doctor sign the medical forms for me. For a K1, the medical has to take place at Knightsbridge in London (costs about £245 right now). This is the only US approved physician in the UK so unfortunately, we cannot get the medical done anywhere else. Again, more info regarding this can be found on the London forum

[grastysam 2]

Just wanted to add- the medical for a K1 visa is not the same (based on my experience) as the medical for a J1. For my J1 visas, I just had my local doctor sign the medical forms for me. For a K1, the medical has to take place at Knightsbridge in London (costs about £245 right now). This is the only US approved physician in the UK so unfortunately, we cannot get the medical done anywhere else. Again, more info regarding this can be found on the London forum

I've noticed you're Oregon also- that's where my fiance lives! Like your fiance, I have also had J1 visas before and I personally think this makes things easier as the US government already has a fair amount of info on you. Just a theory though

Once you get your NOA2, your petition is sent to NVC. You can start called NVC after a week or two to get your London case number. Once you have the case number, you can book your medical. However, it takes about five days for the petition to get from NVC to London and you want to make sure his medical results arrive AFTER your petition gets there from NVC so they can match them up to the appropriate file, so bear this in mind when choosing his medical date.

There are more specific details about this in both the K1 flowchart (in the guides) and the UK forum, with a particularly good thread pinned to the top of the UK one about all the (London specific) steps following NOA2. I recommend reading it!

A UK police certificate is good for 12 months at the London embassy so he could go ahead and order that now.

Anything else just let me know, hope that all makes sense

Good news about the J1 benefit. My fiancé and I had the same thought Yeah this timeline is sounding more and more familiar. Learning about all of this visa stuff is like learning a new language! That's good to know about booking the medical. I've read through the k1 flowchart and the UK forum with the london specific guide is amazing. This forum has been such good resource. Great news about the police check. That part about the medical is unbelievable! 245 is a lot of money!!! Good thing our bank account will be combined soon! haha!

[Pheebs1201 269]

Yes it is so expensive, not to mention the cost of flights between here and the UK! (I am in Oregon right now visiting haha).

Best of luck with everything!

[grastysam 2]

Yes it is so expensive, not to mention the cost of flights between here and the UK! (I am in Oregon right now visiting haha).

Best of luck with everything!

Haha very good point. I'm sure you're wishing your fiancé lived on the other side of the US as much as my fiancé is!! If anything just for the better time difference!

[Pheebs1201 269]

Yes eight hours is a killer! We met in June 2013 and have been trying to spend as much time together as possible ever since! We met at a summer camp also haha But I do love Oregon and I think I will like living here (if I get my visa!)

[grastysam 2]

Yes eight hours is a killer! We met in June 2013 and have been trying to spend as much time together as possible ever since! We met at a summer camp also haha But I do love Oregon and I think I will like living here (if I get my visa!)

It is so great to talk to another fiancee that's dealing with this crazy time difference and a fiancé from summer camp! Jack and I would have done long distance for much longer, but we were both very ready to get married and be in the same place. I can't imagine doing this distance for longer than a couple of months at a time! When have you found to be the best time to Skype? We usually Skype when he wakes up in the morning (around 10:45 pm my time) and when I get off of work (around midnight his time). We are both feeling pretty sleep deprived! You will absolutely love living in Oregon. Jack loves it here and can't wait to live here!

[Pheebs1201 269]

I'm going to send you a PM

[raven52 233]

There are different views on how much an rfe, slows your petition. Some say 20, some 30 some say more. I do not think anyone knows for sure.

As for the info. you will need in the future, it is right here on the home page of this site.

Click on "Guides" go to K-1, print it all, do not miss the part of "keeping two copies of everything, and everyting you need to send for K-i and what to do after the NOA 2.

Then "click" on K-1 Flow chart. Print this out, study it also, know it up and down! You can prepare some things now, or at least how to obtain what is needed.

This is excellent, the best I have seen, information, about the K-1 visa, and how to obtain it.

Good luck and a speedy approval, be sure, try to double and triple check the list, to make sure all is there.

I have heard of extended delays if you get a second rfe, I just read it here, on a post, it has been weeks ago.

[Al422 221]

I had an RFE because of a stupid mistake by me, not checking three boxes on a form. I sent the corrected form out the next day, and the total slow down was three weeks.

Yes the process is expensive, but that is the way it goes. I heard it summarized nicely with this expression: "Immigration is neither for the faint of heart nor for the light of wallet".

There are tons of stuff to read here in VJ about each step. Read it and be prepared, and that will minimize the risk of another RFE, not to mention tips on how to keep a lid on costs.. But there is no way to reduce the risk to ZERO. Just do your best.