estimating time of K1 process to set wedding date

[Wade&Carito 0]

I know the times may vary greatly and I have seen some posts that seem to go relatively quick and others that take a very long time. Assuming that everything goes well, I am wondering if a mid August wedding date is appropriate?

We have only gotten as far as receiving the NOA1 on October, 10, 2012. The USCIS website says about 5 months to process. I wonder what recent experiences for other people are. Is it still 5 months or are there more delays to some of the stuff going on with immigration laws these days?

Still waiting for NOA2 and trying to plan as much in advance to help expedite the process.

thanks,

wade

[X Factor 1,112]

Don't set a wedding date until you are approved. We did prepatory work like choosing wedding them, buying wedding dress etc. But we didn't set the date until she was approved.

[Jeikun 65]

Ditto. Don't set the date. You can't predict what will happen, how long it will take, complications, etc. 5 months is only the goal. Not the actual.

[Cathi 5,770]

Never set anything in stone until you have the visa in your hand!

[Dave&Roza 748]

I know the times may vary greatly and I have seen some posts that seem to go relatively quick and others that take a very long time. Assuming that everything goes well, I am wondering if a mid August wedding date is appropriate?

We have only gotten as far as receiving the NOA1 on October, 10, 2012. The USCIS website says about 5 months to process. I wonder what recent experiences for other people are. Is it still 5 months or are there more delays to some of the stuff going on with immigration laws these days?

Still waiting for NOA2 and trying to plan as much in advance to help expedite the process.

thanks,

wade

Here's a thought. The K-1 visa is usually good for 6 months. So you have 6 months to enter the US. Then you have 90 days to get married. That gives you about 8 months to plan for the wedding AFTER the visa is issued. That is when I would start making concrete plans. Do not make any plans that cannot be changed or you may be out a lot of money if things don't go as planned.

Good luck,

Dave

[Wade&Carito 0]

Ditto. Don't set the date. You can't predict what will happen, how long it will take, complications, etc. 5 months is only the goal. Not the actual.

thanks for the replies, we want to get married at a beach house with a private beach. The place has to be reserved in advance because it is always booked as much as a year in advance. I wanted to try to make a gamble on it. There is a weekend open in August.

I also heard that the guayaquil, ecuador office has been known to ask about wedding dates, asked to see wedding invitations, etc... It is one of the most difficult consulates so i also thought it would be a good idea to have it planned with wedding invitations. but maybe have only a few of the invitations made and printed, even just print a few on my computer. then if there are more delays I won't be out much, just the cost of my own paper and ink. But if there is a longer wait time that would mean having to find a different place to be married.

anyway, I am overthinking everything as I have to keep waiting for so long. I just want this process to be over!!!

looking at the times it seems like

5 months to process i129f - that would be by the end of March

then NOA2 and by the time the guayaquil gets the info and processes ,, maybe May or June

Then interview in July?

Then to US in late July/early August?

if all goes smoothly, are those estimates about right? Since we have 90 days to get married I wonder if a September wedding would be better to plan?

[Jeikun 65]

Is your application going to the California or the Vermont center? Right now the California center is slowing down quite a bit. It will likely take 8 months. The Vermont Center seems to be speeding up a bit, but 5 is perhaps overly optimistic.

[BaBamSam 239]

thanks for the replies, we want to get married at a beach house with a private beach. The place has to be reserved in advance because it is always booked as much as a year in advance. I wanted to try to make a gamble on it. There is a weekend open in August.

I also heard that the guayaquil, ecuador office has been known to ask about wedding dates, asked to see wedding invitations, etc... It is one of the most difficult consulates so i also thought it would be a good idea to have it planned with wedding invitations. but maybe have only a few of the invitations made and printed, even just print a few on my computer. then if there are more delays I won't be out much, just the cost of my own paper and ink. But if there is a longer wait time that would mean having to find a different place to be married.

anyway, I am overthinking everything as I have to keep waiting for so long. I just want this process to be over!!!

looking at the times it seems like

5 months to process i129f - that would be by the end of March

then NOA2 and by the time the guayaquil gets the info and processes ,, maybe May or June

Then interview in July?

Then to US in late July/early August?

if all goes smoothly, are those estimates about right? Since we have 90 days to get married I wonder if a September wedding would be better to plan?

It is averaging longer than 5 months right now - especially if you are at California Service Center. I would be cautious and not expect a NOA2 until end of May at current rates...if not later than that. That would not make your August wedding possible, unfortunately

[fantonledzepp 159]

As far as the questions about specific plans from the consulate, don't worry about them. You should have plans, but they won't crucify you if you don't have plans set in stone. Explain to them that you're planning the wedding for around a certain date, and that it'll be a courthouse wedding or church wedding. They asked about my fiancée's dress and luckily, we prepared for that. You should also.

I wouldn't make plans just yet. After our petition approval, we still had to wait 11 weeks for our interview, and another week for the visa to be in hand, provided you get approved at the consulate that is.

Edited March 10, 2013 by fantonledzepp

[Pitaya 2,577]

The general forum recommendation is that you do NOT make any non-refundable, date-specific wedding plans until the beneficiary has their passport, with attached visa, in their personal possession. Other responses have voiced similar sentiment.

[Penguin_ie 5,994]

How about planning the wedding for summer 2014? Have a quick legal/ court wedding whenever she gets here, then do the ceremony and reception next year.

[Alcatraz63 9]

How about planning the wedding for summer 2014? Have a quick legal/ court wedding whenever she gets here, then do the ceremony and reception next year.

That's what we are doing. It's too hard to plan anything with the way the K1 visa process is at the moment. I'm waiting on an interview date and still feel a million miles away from actually getting over there.

[Oregon Bound 30]

Don't plan anything you can not change. You will only set your self up for disappointment when the process takes longer than you thought it would.

[baron555 934]

I know the times may vary greatly and I have seen some posts that seem to go relatively quick and others that take a very long time. Assuming that everything goes well, I am wondering if a mid August wedding date is appropriate?

We have only gotten as far as receiving the NOA1 on October, 10, 2012. The USCIS website says about 5 months to process. I wonder what recent experiences for other people are. Is it still 5 months or are there more delays to some of the stuff going on with immigration laws these days?

Still waiting for NOA2 and trying to plan as much in advance to help expedite the process.

thanks,

wade

Don't plan on anything buy in your mind think about 11-12 months.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Here is the simple SURE-FIRE way to do that...

Wait until you have the VISA IN YOUR HAND, then make plans. Doing so before that is foolish and often very expensive. NO ONE cares what plans you made and they will do things in their own time and the process can be delayed at any point for any reason...or no reason.

Making any plans before the VISA IS IN YOUR HAND is foolish.