News on Visa Processing due to US Embassy Staff Reductions

[tanderson64 201]

Here is news from US Embassy site.

 

https://ru.usembassy.gov/fact-sheet/

 

Interesting how this will affect K1 visas, since they are immigrant visas.  

 

Looks like longer wait times for interview.

[Dashinka 23,198]

1 hour ago, tanderson64 said:

Here is news from US Embassy site.

 

https://ru.usembassy.gov/fact-sheet/

 

Interesting how this will affect K1 visas, since they are immigrant visas.  

 

Looks like longer wait times for interview.

Technically K1s are non-immigrant visas, but in general, they are treated like immigrant visas at the consulates.  To my knowledge, the consulate in Moscow was the only place you could go for a K1 interview, but I imagine this may impact wait times considerably.

[tanderson64 201]

44 minutes ago, Bill & Katya said:

Technically K1s are non-immigrant visas, but in general, they are treated like immigrant visas at the consulates.  To my knowledge, the consulate in Moscow was the only place you could go for a K1 interview, but I imagine this may impact wait times considerably.

Yes the nonimmigrant and immigrant classification for K1 is confusing.  If you go to the US visa sites, K1 is under "immigrant" visa.  And USCIS petitions are filed for immigrant visas.

So why it is called a nonimmigrant visa, yet classified as immigrant visa makes no sense.

https://travel.state.gov/content/visas/en/general/all-visa-categories.html

 

http://www.ustraveldocs.com/ru/ru-niv-visatypeinfo.asp#

 

 

[Dashinka 23,198]

8 minutes ago, tanderson64 said:

Yes the nonimmigrant and immigrant classification for K1 is confusing.  If you go to the US visa sites, K1 is under "immigrant" visa.  And USCIS petitions are filed for immigrant visas.

So why it is called a nonimmigrant visa, yet classified as immigrant visa makes no sense.

https://travel.state.gov/content/visas/en/general/all-visa-categories.html

 

http://www.ustraveldocs.com/ru/ru-niv-visatypeinfo.asp#

 

 

I think it has something to do with the fact that the visa by itself is not a guarantee that the recipient can stay as of course there are other conditions that have to be met before the immigration route can be taken.  However, since the eventual purpose of the K1 is for immigration they treat it as such at the consulates.  Yes, confusing, and sort of a limbo class of visa, but I think people applying for it know what it is for, or at least I hope they do.

 

Edited August 21, 2017 by Bill & Katya

[Pennycat 880]

I came here looking for this, wondering if the Russia folks had a better idea (just saw the news). The K1s are processed by the non-immigrant visa unit and they're non-immigrant visas because they don't come with green cards on arrival and they aren't a guarantee that the beneficiary will stay. That said, I would hope (and somewhat assume but one never knows) that they'd shift the K1 workload to the immigrant visa unit because this move was mostly to effect work visas and tourist visas and the like--not family-based visas.

[tanderson64 201]

36 minutes ago, CatherineA said:

The K1s are processed by the non-immigrant visa unit and they're non-immigrant visas because they don't come with green cards on arrival and they aren't a guarantee that the beneficiary will stay.

I don't understand which unit processes K1 visas.  I have read a couple of embassy reviews in the past where they mention that, as K1 interview, they were pulled out of line with immigrant applicants and sent to different "window" from nonimmigrant applicants.

 

By the time the embassy starts re-opens interview scheduling on September 1, I should be ready to schedule my fiance's interview then.  I will be ready at 0800 Moscow time to login and get the best possible time!

 

I will post what the wait is...

[TBoneTX 43,014]

The K-1 is a "hybrid" visa -- a nonimmigrant visa with immigrant intent.  This is why they're always processed by the IV (Immigrant Visa) units of the consulates.

[tanderson64 201]

5 minutes ago, TBoneTX said:

The K-1 is a "hybrid" visa -- a nonimmigrant visa with immigrant intent.  This is why they're always processed by the IV (Immigrant Visa) units of the consulates.

So that is what the "IV" is for.  Thanks!

[Alya and Joe 130]

hi) we are february filers and i will have interview on Friday, 25 august. i pray for no delay!!! (at the moment no e-mail or anything about delaying the interview...)i hope k1 is more immigrant visa.... i will share my experience after my interview, im very optimistic about it)   i believe there will not be delay about interview..but i think it may be some delay about issuing visa and passport in hands....well, friday will come and time will tell!

[Pennycat 880]

2 hours ago, TBoneTX said:

The K-1 is a "hybrid" visa -- a nonimmigrant visa with immigrant intent.  This is why they're always processed by the IV (Immigrant Visa) units of the consulates.

Ah, I could have sworn that we were at the NIV..... I could also be remembering incorrectly at this point. Or we submitted something to the NIV or got an email from them... something. I remember being a bit confused by the non-immigrant visa part of things (even though I knew it was a hybrid visa, I expected to go through IV). That said, even if this is the case, I would 100% expect for K1s to be taken care of. That is not what the USG is after.

[tanderson64 201]

1 hour ago, Alya and Joe said:

hi) we are february filers and i will have interview on Friday, 25 august. i pray for no delay!!! (at the moment no e-mail or anything about delaying the interview...)i hope k1 is more immigrant visa.... i will share my experience after my interview, im very optimistic about it)   i believe there will not be delay about interview..but i think it may be some delay about issuing visa and passport in hands....well, friday will come and time will tell!

Good luck.  Hope and prayer everything goes well.  I do not think they will cancel your interview - it is immigration visa (IV).

 

Please let us know how everything goes.

[Dashinka 23,198]

2 hours ago, CatherineA said:

Ah, I could have sworn that we were at the NIV..... I could also be remembering incorrectly at this point. Or we submitted something to the NIV or got an email from them... something. I remember being a bit confused by the non-immigrant visa part of things (even though I knew it was a hybrid visa, I expected to go through IV). That said, even if this is the case, I would 100% expect for K1s to be taken care of. That is not what the USG is after.

They (K1s) are technically NIVs as there is no guarantee for the recipient to remain in the country when it is issued, i.e. The marriage and AOS has to follow to gain LPR status.  That being said, when my fiancé went through her interview in 2014, only Moscow handled the K1s, we entered the consulate through the normal processing, then were shuttled up to Window 5 (if I remember correctly) for the rest of the process which was the same window handling immigrant visas such as CR1s, diversity GCs, etc.

[Alya and Joe 130]

On 21.08.2017 at 10:25 PM, tanderson64 said:

Good luck.  Hope and prayer everything goes well.  I do not think they will cancel your interview - it is immigration visa (IV).

 

Please let us know how everything goes.

my interview is delayed to 31 of august...well...not long to wait) everything will be fine

[tanderson64 201]

1 minute ago, Alya and Joe said:

my interview is delayed to 31 of august...well...not long to wait) everything will be fine

Man sorry to hear that.  It is good it is not canceled though.  

 

I will be scheduling my interview soon.  Hope the delay for us is not too long.

 

Good Luck!!!

[Alya and Joe 130]

On 24.08.2017 at 9:50 AM, tanderson64 said:

Man sorry to hear that.  It is good it is not canceled though.  

 

I will be scheduling my interview soon.  Hope the delay for us is not too long.

 

Good Luck!!!

hi) i see you made appointment at the end of october) nice!!! just want to tell you to be ready to wait some time also after interview...my interview was on 31 of august and i still do not have passport with visa in hands, but i got the phone call yesterday from embassy and they told i will get my visa SOON. (i hope within several days, maybe one week......as the satus at ceac website changed already) but in any way it has been 3 weeks after interview already...so its not like 2-4 days of waiting for visa in hands, unfortunately...wish you GOOD LUCK at your interview, keep us posted about news, fingers crossed for you!))hope in october everything is going to be faster and you will get visa without any delays