K1 Interview Preparation I-134 Questions

[JMCKNG 156]

Hi All-

We received our NOA2 2 weeks ago and have started compiling all the necessary documents in order to be prepared for once we receive packet 3 for his interview in Spain. For the I-134 that I will be filling out, I will get my tax returns for the last year along with the letter from my employer. 

 

Question on the date of the letter from my employer, does it need to be within a certain time frame? I would like to reach out to my HR Dept. now although our interview probably won't be until July sometime. As well, I have seen mixed comments on the Bank Statements, is that required if you are decently above the poverty line in means of support? Will Tax statements and employer be enough or should I reach out to the bank to give statements of the Current Year just to show the direct deposits from work?

 

Thanks!! 

[Ben&Zian 4,397]

2 minutes ago, JMCKNG said:

Hi All-

We received our NOA2 2 weeks ago and have started compiling all the necessary documents in order to be prepared for once we receive packet 3 for his interview in Spain. For the I-134 that I will be filling out, I will get my tax returns for the last year along with the letter from my employer. 

 

Question on the date of the letter from my employer, does it need to be within a certain time frame? I would like to reach out to my HR Dept. now although our interview probably won't be until July sometime. As well, I have seen mixed comments on the Bank Statements, is that required if you are decently above the poverty line in means of support? Will Tax statements and employer be enough or should I reach out to the bank to give statements of the Current Year just to show the direct deposits from work?

 

Thanks!! 

 

I generally lean towards within 30 day time frame. 

 

If making enough annually honestly wouldn't worry about banking information unless you want to show large savings or other things like assets.

[Paul & Mallory 1,398]

I think the date on my employment verification from my employer was within 30 days of the interview. I've never seen a specific timeframe anywhere, but I would think having it closer to the date rather than not is always a good idea, so as to better prove your currently employeed there. I waited until my then-fiancé had his interview date scheduled before I got that information from my employer.

 

As for bank statements - honestly, he said they didn't even look at that stuff during his interview. The Affidavit of Support and some of my tax paperwork was all they really looked at. I only sent the previous 30 days of bank statements, too. Just make sure to block out your full account number information, if it shows on your statements.

[Andsco 89]

1 hour ago, JMCKNG said:

Hi All-

We received our NOA2 2 weeks ago and have started compiling all the necessary documents in order to be prepared for once we receive packet 3 for his interview in Spain. For the I-134 that I will be filling out, I will get my tax returns for the last year along with the letter from my employer. 

 

Question on the date of the letter from my employer, does it need to be within a certain time frame? I would like to reach out to my HR Dept. now although our interview probably won't be until July sometime. As well, I have seen mixed comments on the Bank Statements, is that required if you are decently above the poverty line in means of support? Will Tax statements and employer be enough or should I reach out to the bank to give statements of the Current Year just to show the direct deposits from work?

 

Thanks!! 

Hi! I had the letter from the bank just in case, the letter from his employer (I am the beneficiary) and the taxes. I'm from Spain as well and went through the K1 visa interview back on May 2017. If you want any info or the list of documents you'll have to send back as package 3, let me know! Of course, this would be just to have an idea. You would have to wait for them to send you the letter with the documents required in case they had the list updated.  

[JMCKNG 156]

2 minutes ago, Andsco said:

Hi! I had the letter from the bank just in case, the letter from his employer (I am the beneficiary) and the taxes. I'm from Spain as well and went through the K1 visa interview back on May 2017. If you want any info or the list of documents you'll have to send back as package 3, let me know! Of course, this would be just to have an idea. You would have to wait for them to send you the letter with the documents required in case they had the list updated.  

I was thinking of just including a letter from the bank for the past few months just in case. A fellow person from Spain! I have read the embassy reviews on VJ of Madrid but what was your personal experience with how the interview went and what topics they focused more on? I appreciate it! He is from Malaga!

[Andsco 89]

7 minutes ago, JMCKNG said:

I was thinking of just including a letter from the bank for the past few months just in case. A fellow person from Spain! I have read the embassy reviews on VJ of Madrid but what was your personal experience with how the interview went and what topics they focused more on? I appreciate it! He is from Malaga!

I found everyone extremely helpful! I got there (to the embassy) and they asked for my name. Once they found it, I had to leave everything with them and take ONLY the necessary stuff for the interview (they took my phone too) and gave me a key to give back before leaving. After, I walked up the stairs and got into a room with chairs and little windows where the interview would take place. First they called me to give the X-ray's, Medical envelope (remember, it has to be closed!! it is not acceptable to arrive with any of these open!) and then I gave the letters (employer and bank). After waiting for around 5 min, they called me for the interview and told me if I wanted to do it in English or Spanish (I have all the questions they asked me in my profile here in VJ! ) and I remember him asking me for pictures (which I brought a bunch where we are seen with family, friends and in different trips to different countries we went together). The interview itself took 5 min (if so) and it was really pleasant. After the interview, the man told me I was approved and that I would get my passport and visa in a week and that it would be sent to my home. 
Like he said, a week later I had my visa and 2 days later I was on my way to the US!  

Tell him to make sure to have EVERYTHING ready before leaving to the US after he gets his visa as, once he is inside the country, he cannot leave until he gets an authorization or his GC!
Btw, I have family in Malaga as well! 

[JMCKNG 156]

1 hour ago, Andsco said:

I found everyone extremely helpful! I got there (to the embassy) and they asked for my name. Once they found it, I had to leave everything with them and take ONLY the necessary stuff for the interview (they took my phone too) and gave me a key to give back before leaving. After, I walked up the stairs and got into a room with chairs and little windows where the interview would take place. First they called me to give the X-ray's, Medical envelope (remember, it has to be closed!! it is not acceptable to arrive with any of these open!) and then I gave the letters (employer and bank). After waiting for around 5 min, they called me for the interview and told me if I wanted to do it in English or Spanish (I have all the questions they asked me in my profile here in VJ! ) and I remember him asking me for pictures (which I brought a bunch where we are seen with family, friends and in different trips to different countries we went together). The interview itself took 5 min (if so) and it was really pleasant. After the interview, the man told me I was approved and that I would get my passport and visa in a week and that it would be sent to my home. 
Like he said, a week later I had my visa and 2 days later I was on my way to the US!  

Tell him to make sure to have EVERYTHING ready before leaving to the US after he gets his visa as, once he is inside the country, he cannot leave until he gets an authorization or his GC!
Btw, I have family in Malaga as well! 

This is great information! Thank you! We haven't received our case number yet from NVC but he already has obtained his police certificate, birth certificate, and is gathering his immunization records in order to get prepared to bring to the medical. He then will be in contact with a certified translator because it is under my understanding that all documents in Spanish have to be translated into English, as well for him to bring to the US in order to get our marriage license. 

 

When the medical and the interview were needing to be booked, after packet 3 was mailed, how available were the medical and interview time slots in regards to how quickly you were able to get an appointment?

[Andsco 89]

48 minutes ago, JMCKNG said:

This is great information! Thank you! We haven't received our case number yet from NVC but he already has obtained his police certificate, birth certificate, and is gathering his immunization records in order to get prepared to bring to the medical. He then will be in contact with a certified translator because it is under my understanding that all documents in Spanish have to be translated into English, as well for him to bring to the US in order to get our marriage license. 

 

When the medical and the interview were needing to be booked, after packet 3 was mailed, how available were the medical and interview time slots in regards to how quickly you were able to get an appointment?

Any day I said was just fine for them! What I did is to take the medical 1 week before the interview (because it takes a week for the results to come in) so, the morning of my interview, I went to the medical, took the results and went to the interview! About the translations..I am not 100% but I did hear that as long as the papers are either in English or Spanish, they are just fine. In my case I had german papers to bring as well so I did have to translate those. As long as the papers are used ONLY by the embassy, I believe they are fine either way (English or Spanish) but if the papers have to be used later on to apply for the AOS then yes, translate them to English. 
You could always contact the embassy by email (they do not answer the phone) and ask if the papers that has to be provided only to the embassy have to be translated and then see what they say. But like I said, papers that has to be sent later on for AOS..yes, translate. 

Edited June 5, 2018 by Andsco

[JMCKNG 156]

6 minutes ago, Andsco said:

Any day I said was just fine for them! What I did is to take the medical 1 week before the interview (because it takes a week for the results to come in) so, the morning of my interview, I went to the medical, took the results and went to the interview! About the translations..I am not 100% but I did hear that as long as the papers are either in English or Spanish, they are just fine. In my case I had german papers to bring as well so I did have to translate those. As long as the papers are used ONLY by the embassy, I believe they are fine either way (English or Spanish) but if the papers have to be used later on to apply for the AOS then yes, translate them to English. 
You could always contact the embassy by email (they do not answer the phone) and ask if the papers that has to be provided only to the embassy have to be translated and then see what they say. But like I said, papers that has to be sent later on for AOS..yes, translate. 

Wow that's great! Such useful information! So you didn't encounter any issues with long wait times after you received packet 3 with the doctor's office being too busy or the interview slots being a month away?! That's amazing news if that is the case. He went to the University of Birmingham for 5 years so he needs to get a police certificate from there as well in order to follow policy and he should be set. That's nice to know about the translations as well. I think he will just translate them in case because he has a friend who is certified and then we have the documents for back in the US for the marriage license and AOS.

[Andsco 89]

1 hour ago, JMCKNG said:

Wow that's great! Such useful information! So you didn't encounter any issues with long wait times after you received packet 3 with the doctor's office being too busy or the interview slots being a month away?! That's amazing news if that is the case. He went to the University of Birmingham for 5 years so he needs to get a police certificate from there as well in order to follow policy and he should be set. That's nice to know about the translations as well. I think he will just translate them in case because he has a friend who is certified and then we have the documents for back in the US for the marriage license and AOS.

Not at all! (about the waiting times) the only thing I had "problems" was with choosing the date of the interview with the embassy (there's counted interviews every month). As I was looking for a date, I saw one open for the same month at the end of it and I went for it haha I remember the girl at the embassy telling me that I was one of the quickest interviews they had (because my package got to the embassy the second week of May 2017 and the last week of May I was having my interview.) 

Edited June 5, 2018 by Andsco

[JMCKNG 156]

14 hours ago, Andsco said:

Not at all! (about the waiting times) the only thing I had "problems" was with choosing the date of the interview with the embassy (there's counted interviews every month). As I was looking for a date, I saw one open for the same month at the end of it and I went for it haha I remember the girl at the embassy telling me that I was one of the quickest interviews they had (because my package got to the embassy the second week of May 2017 and the last week of May I was having my interview.) 

That is really quick and great! When you mention "counted interviews every month" what does that mean? They have only a few days available per month of when you can interview?

[javadown2 308]

23 hours ago, JMCKNG said:

Hi All-

We received our NOA2 2 weeks ago and have started compiling all the necessary documents in order to be prepared for once we receive packet 3 for his interview in Spain. For the I-134 that I will be filling out, I will get my tax returns for the last year along with the letter from my employer. 

 

Question on the date of the letter from my employer, does it need to be within a certain time frame? I would like to reach out to my HR Dept. now although our interview probably won't be until July sometime. As well, I have seen mixed comments on the Bank Statements, is that required if you are decently above the poverty line in means of support? Will Tax statements and employer be enough or should I reach out to the bank to give statements of the Current Year just to show the direct deposits from work?

 

Thanks!! 

I wouldn't overthink this process...especially if your income meets the requirements. Just bring your latest tax return and the letter from your employer, if you get one right now it will be sufficient. Don't worry about bank statements, it isn't necessary. 

[JMCKNG 156]

Just now, javadown2 said:

I wouldn't overthink this process...especially if your income meets the requirements. Just bring your latest tax return and the letter from your employer, if you get one right now it will be sufficient. Don't worry about bank statements, it isn't necessary. 

Thanks! I was thinking that would be sufficient, I will probably include the last few months of bank statements just in case but I wouldn't think they would even be looked at, better safe than sorry I suppose with this process! 

[javadown2 308]

1 minute ago, JMCKNG said:

Thanks! I was thinking that would be sufficient, I will probably include the last few months of bank statements just in case but I wouldn't think they would even be looked at, better safe than sorry I suppose with this process! 

Yes, I did the same thing but from a different country...they didn't even go over our financial paperwork. It doesn't hurt to have the extra pay stubs, but honestly it isn't really needed, just peace of mind