I live in Los Angeles area. Why does this site tell me to send my I-129F to Texas?

[Stu4Lee 66]

Although you are a bit negative and condescending, I thank you for your insight.

You think that was condescending?

Wow you really are new here

FWIW...You have been given good advice already.

[Darnell 8,479]

Okay I'm just going to pray pray pray & cross my fingers we'll make it... I don't see why the Texas processing center says one timeline and the CA one says 5 months?

Sorry, you are confused about the Texas Lockbox vs the Texas Service Center.

They ain't the same beasts, at all.

The Texas Service Center processes (poorly, I might add) petitions.

The Texas LockBox (the place yer sending to) forwards petitions to CSC or VSC, depending.

Rarely is the Texas Service Center used for petition processing; but when it is, it's all mucked up.

Pray, really hard, yer petition NEVER gets to the Texas Service Center.

[L+T 71]

Vermont...not Virginia.

Hopefully this thread is yet another reminder to not make any time-sensitive plans before the visa is in hand!

No wonder is taking so long, they sent my app to the wrong state!!

[LeftCoastLady 441]

No wonder is taking so long, they sent my app to the wrong state!!

Uh oh, I hope it isn't at Quantico!

*turns off TV*

[Xanax 349]

Hi, hope you find this helpful.

I do agree with everything everyone else has said but I have read of "fluke" cases were people got expedited for minor things like losing 1 weeks pay etc.

I really think the expedited process is for people who really need it and trying to use the system to your advantage just because you were not thinking ahead isn't very fair if you do get approved early. AND as other's have said even a religious ceremony could void the K1 if you go ahead with it before approval.

Below is the information regarding expediting:

All expedite requests are reviewed on a case-by-case basis, and are granted at the discretion of the Director. The burden is on the applicant or petitioner to demonstrate that one or more of the expedite criteria have been met. The criteria are as follows:

• Severe financial loss to company or individual
  
• Extreme emergent situation
  
• Humanitarian situation
  
• Nonprofit status of requesting organization in furtherance of the cultural and social interests of the United States
  
• Department of Defense or National Interest Situation (Note: Request must come from official United States Government entity and state that delay will be detrimental to our Government)
  
• USCIS error
  
• Compelling interest of USCIS
  

Note: Discretionary expedite requests for petitions and applications that have Premium Processing Service available will not be considered for expedite processing. The only exception is when the petitioner is a not-for-profit organization designated by the Internal Revenue Service. For information regarding premium processing.

If you have already filed your application or petition:

You can make an expedite request by contacting the National Customer Service Center (NCSC) at 1-800-375-5283. The NCSC will take a “service request” and forward your expedite request to the office with jurisdiction over the application or petition. You also have the options of 1). visiting your local office by scheduling an InfoPass appointment or 2). writing a letter to the local office or service center.

[AKSinghSingh79 143]

You should never toy with "playing married" when you're doing the K-1. A friend of mine was recently denied and slapped with material misrepresentation because they thought her and her fiance were already married. They didn't even do a religious "wedding" ceremony, only an engagement ceremony (Which might I add, is VERY common in India). I believe someone has already provided the link to my thread regarding this.

You should never ever make firm wedding plans while doing the K-1. You never know what bumps you are going to encounter along the way. You have to remember that you are not in a normal relationship and because of this, you may not have the flexibility to plan your wedding like people that are residents of the same country. If your wedding plans are that solid and cancelling them is not an option due to severe financial loss, then cancel your K-1 and instead file for the IR-1/CR-1. This is a much wiser decision than doing a "faux marriage" or trying to get an expedite based on financial trouble.

[Peter_Pan 661]

I dont see how the embassy would know about the religious ceremony, unless someone brought it up voluntarily.

[AKSinghSingh79 143]

I dont see how the embassy would know about the religious ceremony, unless someone brought it up voluntarily.

You should never lie when dealing with the government. COs have been known to pull up personal accounts such as facebook during the beneficiary's interview. If you have any pictures up that may look like a wedding, you're done. Why play with fire when you don't need to?

It's very simple. If the OP wants to get married, then they are advised to go the CR-1 route as this visa is for a married couple. If they want to remain as engaged throughout the immigration process, then go the K-1 route. The K-1 is not for "faux marriages" either. Get married or stay engaged.

Material misrepresentation is NOT to be taken lightly.

[flocy 0]

Look over all the steps in the process. The I-129F approval is just the first step. In a lot of states in the US a religious wedding is legally binding, whether or not you get a license and a certificate. They won't approve expedite based on losing deposits, but you can try. Other people have tried in the past and failed. You shouldn't make any plans until the visa is in hand.

my fiance lives in California and he sent his petition directly to CSC. its been approved. it took us 4 months and 20 days to have it approved.

[LeftCoastLady 441]

my fiance lives in California and he sent his petition directly to CSC. its been approved. it took us 4 months and 20 days to have it approved.

You got lucky in two ways, but that's a textbook example of "exception, not the rule."

[*Snowdrop* 604]

OP - at this point as you have not yet sent your petition in you also have the following options to consider:

1. Try to move the wedding date - call your suppliers, venue etc and see if you can move it back a few to several months. See if family and friends can change flights and other arrangements. This gives you breathing room and allows you to actually enjoy the run up to your wedding.

2. Choose the spousal visa (CR1) instead of fiance. The main consequence of this is that you will have to be apart after the wedding which is hard (I know as I am the UK spouse)and you won't be able to start the visa process until after you are married so it will be late 2013 before your husband can join you in the US permanently. (He can visit as a tourist in the mean time every now and then)

If neither of the above works for you then at least consider the following points:

1. Check, double check and triple check your paperwork. You don't want to risk any delays with Requests For Evidence (RFEs). Research all aspects of the visa journey really really well so that you can respond immediately at every stage of the process and you are not making any delays on your end.

2. When it gets to the London Embassy stage, you might have some chance of pushing for earlier appointments. In the past they have been responsive to some people. I got my interview date moved up by 2 weeks just by asking. You have to phone the Embassy on the day you want to email them and ask for the special 'email code' which you put in the subject line of your email - that way your email gets seen and not ignored. Also get your fiance to research all the info needed for his medical etc so that he can move quickly forward through those stages.

Also - I noticed from your profile that you did ask a number of questions when you joined including the option of your fiance to travel once he had entered the US on the K1. I don't know if you ever got an answer to this or have since found this out. But with the K1 visa your husband should not leave the US without either his greencard or a document called Advance Parole. You get either or both by sending in the Adjustment of Status paperwork as soon as you are married (AOS) - it can take up to 3 months to get the document to leave. If he leaves the US without either that or his greencard it will be considered that he has abandoned his application and you will have to start again with the spousal visa and he will have to remain outside the US while this happens. So plan that he won't be able to leave the country for at least 3 months or so. It was one of the reason I decided not to do the K1 as I wanted to be able to travel immediately.

[C-ma'am 684]

It takes less than 200 days to receive the NOA2 approval, not the K-1 Visa. Again, I suggest you review the K-1 Flowchart and the timelines from others.

It seems as if you're just looking for someone to justify your plans and to tell you to go ahead with what you have planned in spite of the advice and recommendations of others on this board. If that's what you want, I doubt you'll find it in this forum.

And if I sound condescending, perhaps that's true, but when someone comes on with the expectation that everyone will justify their ignorance, it annoys me. Have a good evening and good luck with your visa journey.

This forum has many knowledgeable members that will guide you in the right direction. We can always sugar coat it for you, but the truth is, we take this process very serious. In the long run, what you are describing, can hurt your process and you WILL get denied.

As always.. it's up to every individual, to take the info provide it here and do as they see fit. LeftCoastLady gave you proper information and guidance... what you do with it, is completely up to you.

[L+T 71]

OP - at this point as you have not yet sent your petition in you also have the following options to consider:

1. Try to move the wedding date - call your suppliers, venue etc and see if you can move it back a few to several months. See if family and friends can change flights and other arrangements. This gives you breathing room and allows you to actually enjoy the run up to your wedding.

2. Choose the spousal visa (CR1) instead of fiance. The main consequence of this is that you will have to be apart after the wedding which is hard (I know as I am the UK spouse)and you won't be able to start the visa process until after you are married so it will be late 2013 before your husband can join you in the US permanently. (He can visit as a tourist in the mean time every now and then)

If neither of the above works for you then at least consider the following points:

1. Check, double check and triple check your paperwork. You don't want to risk any delays with Requests For Evidence (RFEs). Research all aspects of the visa journey really really well so that you can respond immediately at every stage of the process and you are not making any delays on your end.

2. When it gets to the London Embassy stage, you might have some chance of pushing for earlier appointments. In the past they have been responsive to some people. I got my interview date moved up by 2 weeks just by asking. You have to phone the Embassy on the day you want to email them and ask for the special 'email code' which you put in the subject line of your email - that way your email gets seen and not ignored. Also get your fiance to research all the info needed for his medical etc so that he can move quickly forward through those stages.

Also - I noticed from your profile that you did ask a number of questions when you joined including the option of your fiance to travel once he had entered the US on the K1. I don't know if you ever got an answer to this or have since found this out. But with the K1 visa your husband should not leave the US without either his greencard or a document called Advance Parole. You get either or both by sending in the Adjustment of Status paperwork as soon as you are married (AOS) - it can take up to 3 months to get the document to leave. If he leaves the US without either that or his greencard it will be considered that he has abandoned his application and you will have to start again with the spousal visa and he will have to remain outside the US while this happens. So plan that he won't be able to leave the country for at least 3 months or so. It was one of the reason I decided not to do the K1 as I wanted to be able to travel immediately.

As back-up plan... From the UK, you could also hold ceremony, but not TECHNICALLY get married... call it an engagement ceremony if you will.. After approval of k-1, do simple justice of peace or go back and sign papers with church...

[Adriene H 89]

As back-up plan... From the UK, you could also hold ceremony, but not TECHNICALLY get married... call it an engagement ceremony if you will.. After approval of k-1, do simple justice of peace or go back and sign papers with church...

And take lots of pictures!

[Justine+David 218]

I second the recommendation about the CR1.

Get married now, and file for the spousal CR1 visa. The advantages are less money and less time overall (you complete the adjustment of status part in a few weeks vs a few months) and he gets a green card in a few weeks of arriving in the US and can work or leave the US immediately.

Seriously, I would really consider it. You can have just a small legal ceremony and then celebrate with the big wedding later...

Or, what you can also do is wait until the big wedding and actually get married while he's using the Visa Waiver Program, but he would have to leave at the end of 90 days. You can file for the spouse visa while he's still visiting though.

Immigration is lots of patient waiting and understanding that there is little you can do...and understanding that you come from a low-fraud country and many other people are stuck with an extra YEAR of processing on top of the normal processing solely because they live in a different part of the world and have immigration officers ask them extraordinarily personal questions like their sex life and get away with it.

p.s. to those at large: I remember the change to send it to Texas now, the I-129F, but whhhy? seems like a waste of time, no? I sent mine in '09 to VSC.