Wedding venue booked - need visa within 10 weeks of NOA2. Help!

[SherryandDaniel 4]

I think as long as you stay on top of it, you have a good chance of getting it in time. Just make sure to have everything ready & call, email, etc. until you are blue in the face. I don't think you have to worry about too many vacations in the middle if winter in Oz, so at least that's in your favor. Good luck!

[Peter_Pan 661]

Took me a month from NOA2 until I could schedule the interview, so I think you can do it.

[*C&C* 6]

Thank you everyone, this is all so helpful. We're now thinking through everyone's comments.

As of today, the NVC says it has not received our petition from the USCIS, so we don't have a case number yet. I've ordered the police check. When we get the case number, I'll book the medical. My fiancee is posting the affidavit of support tomorrow. And I've begun filling out the online versions of the Packet 3 forms in advance.

We'd like to get really clear about

1) where the delays are likely to be from here, and how we can speed them up

2) what might go wrong, and how we can help make sure it won't

We know there's a chance we'll have to postpone the wedding. But if we know the key hurdles, then as we clear the big ones we can at least update my Australian family on the 'probability' of it happening on Aug 9th, as the weeks progress.

Hope this thread will be helpful to others too.

[Adrian_Trischa 6]

Thank you everyone, this is all so helpful. We're now thinking through everyone's comments.

As of today, the NVC says it has not received our petition from the USCIS, so we don't have a case number yet. I've ordered the police check. When we get the case number, I'll book the medical. My fiancee is posting the affidavit of support tomorrow. And I've begun filling out the online versions of the Packet 3 forms in advance.

We'd like to get really clear about

1) where the delays are likely to be from here, and how we can speed them up

2) what might go wrong, and how we can help make sure it won't

We know there's a chance we'll have to postpone the wedding. But if we know the key hurdles, then as we clear the big ones we can at least update my Australian family on the 'probability' of it happening on Aug 9th, as the weeks progress.

Hope this thread will be helpful to others too.

1) Delays...it's hard to give you a definitive list on where these may be! Could be postage - your documents from your fiance may be lost or take longer than anticipated to reach Australia. Consulate - they may take their sweet time in contacting you with the Packet 3 AND with the Packet 4 and even when you do receive the Packet 4, you may find that the interview scheduled (Which only happens on Tuesdays for K1 Visa) may not be within a time frame that is suitable to you. Some people have contacted the Consulate and have been successful in booking an earlier interview but of course, this is subject to availability.

2) Um...How long is a piece of string? My suggestion to you is to ensure that all forms are filled out and you review them THOROUGHLY. Read the instructions in the link that has been provided to you THOROUGHLY.

All in all, a lot of this is out of your hands. Like I said previously, too many variables for you to control in its entirety. All you can do is make sure you have followed the instructions.

[NikLR 13,220]

In most cases, you have six months to enter the U.S. before the K-1 expires. Then, once you enter the U.S., you have 90 days to wed.

I get that most people want to hurry and enter the U.S. as soon as possible, but if having a big wedding is that important, then delay when you enter to make the plans rather than risk having to lose money if the visa doesn't arrive in time. You're dealing with the federal government and in most cases, they work on their own schedule.

I agree with this completely. You do NOT need to rush into the USA to get married if having a big wedding is important. What you need to do is set the date AFTER the visa is in hand for up to 9 months from either the date of the interview or the medical (depending on what determines your 6 months of entry eligibility.)

OP you may or may not be able to get the medical done without an interview letter. In some countries, that is a requirement. (Most countries I think.)

[Rebecca Jo 1,962]

I agree with this completely. You do NOT need to rush into the USA to get married if having a big wedding is important. What you need to do is set the date AFTER the visa is in hand for up to 9 months from either the date of the interview or the medical (depending on what determines your 6 months of entry eligibility.)

OP you may or may not be able to get the medical done without an interview letter. In some countries, that is a requirement. (Most countries I think.)

But what are the standard procedures for Australia?

I don't know them. It sounds like you are unsure also.

OP needs to research the norms for the Australian consulate.

Any other information, except NVC protocol, is useless to the OP.

[aralnaej24 1]

It's not advisable to book a venue until your visa is approved... Since you've already booked yours, I wish you good luck and I hope you won't need to reschedule your wedding.. My fiance and I couldn't book a venue for we have no idea of when I'll be able to go to the US yet because we're still waiting for our NOA2. Booking a venue ahead without a specific date of arrival is not practical and it's a hassle to reschedule. Aside from being expensive, you can't do refunds too.. Anyway, good luck and best wishes to you guys!

[SteveKarlaMayer 21]

It would have been safer if you didn't make any wedding arrangement while your visa is not yet granted. But who knows, just pray that everything will be fine.

God bless.

[Andrea&Henry 311]

My k1 petition took 6 month and 3 weeks since we file til the day I moved to the US. Got my noa2 within 3 month but it took me a month to get an interview appointment (My embassy doesn't have package 3 or 4 wich it makes everything faster) and they gave me my appointment for april 3, 2012 (2 month and 3 weeks after my noa2). I finally got my visa in hand in april 16 (3month after my noa2). So if I were you I wouldn't make plan until she got her visa. August 9 is aroubd the corner

[GJ&Rach 12]

Not to mention CSC has been irregular at getting the cases from there to the NVC. Some are getting sent other places and some are being held for weeks without being sent anywhere. plus you can go into administrative processing.

[NikLR 13,220]

But what are the standard procedures for Australia?

I don't know them. It sounds like you are unsure also.

OP needs to research the norms for the Australian consulate.

Any other information, except NVC protocol, is useless to the OP.

I agree!

Looking at the US embassy in Canberra, it doesn't look like an interview date is needed to book a medical. However none of the doctors listed have websites listed so I can't double check.

[Adrian_Trischa 6]

I agree!

Looking at the US embassy in Canberra, it doesn't look like an interview date is needed to book a medical. However none of the doctors listed have websites listed so I can't double check.

In Australia, the medical is sent in with the Packet 3 or directly to the Consulate. Then the Consulate in Sydney will send you what is called Packet 4 outlining interview date and time and any extra documents they may or may not require.

[amberlynnloves 125]

Here's something to think about too. This happened to us.

My fiance and I went to pick up his passport and yellow envelope from the courier 2 days after our interview....the courier opened the sealed envelope that says DO NOT OPEN. So we had to have them send it back to the embassy, we had to figure out how to contact the embassy because they of course don't have phone numbers to tell them we were sending it back to be resealed and not that we had changed our minds or something. Took 2-3 weeks to get it back. Could have been longer if I didn't have my congressman on top of the situation.

Anything can happen.

[*C&C* 6]

Here's the latest - NVC have received our file, and given it a case number. And with that number, the Sydney medical centre let me book an appointment.

I've also got the police check ordered, and my fiancee is about to post me the affidavit of support.

Now from what you've all said, what do you think of this tactic:

at the US end - my fiancee calls the NVC and says "URGENT, please send this case number on as soon as you possibly can".

at the Sydney end- I call the Sydney Consulate and say "URGENT. PLEASE can you (a) send me a provisional packet 3 now, and (b) schedule an interview for me, in anticipation of this case number arriving in the mail".

thoughts?

[lost_at_sea 995]

I have done the same thing, just hoping we will have the visa by July. But if it doesnt we can move our wedding to a later date. I hate waiting its like torture!!!

July, without having had your NOA2 yet, seems incredibly unlikely.