Questions about K-1 Visa application Process

[gingernugget 1]

Hi everyone!

My fiancé and I are finally beginning our application process for the K-1 Fiancé VISA. He is an American Citizen and I am a Canadian Citizen trying to move to New York in order to be with him! This weekend we have started filling out our I-129F and our G-325a as well as getting together all of our evidence and other needed documentation. However, there have been a few details we weren’t quite sure of and have some questions about and unfortunately the call centre is not open on the weekends. We are hoping some of you could offer some help or pointers please!!

Here are some of our questions:

Do all applications get sent to the Texas address regardless of the City and State that he lives in?

This is our first time applying and we do not yet have an Alien Registration number or File number so is it okay to assume that we leave those spaces blank?

And does it make a difference what date we use on all of the forms/cover letter/evidence/continuation sheets etc.
should they all be the same date (such as the date we plan to mail in the application)?

Do any of you know how long it has been taking for recent applications to be approved/reviewed? We want an estimate on how long it will take before I can move in with him as I need to give my employer notice so that they can hire a new employee for me to train.

Thank you!!!

[slowlyman 118]

Right now NOA1 - Interview is running 242 days. YMMV. If you figure 5 - 7 months you should not be far off.

Yes all 129 go to the Dallas lock box.

I made all the dates the same. It shouldn;t really matter though.

You'll get files numbers as you move through the process.

Get the app sent in and update your timeline

[gingernugget 1]

Right now NOA1 - Interview is running 242 days. YMMV. If you figure 5 - 7 months you should not be far off.

Yes all 129 go to the Dallas lock box.

I made all the dates the same. It shouldn;t really matter though.

You'll get files numbers as you move through the process.

Get the app sent in and update your timeline

Wow, That seems like a long time. I was hoping for closer to 3 months! Thank you for your help !

[baron555 934]

Hi everyone!

Do all applications get sent to the Texas address regardless of the City and State that he lives in? Yes

This is our first time applying and we do not yet have an Alien Registration number or File number so is it okay to assume that we leave those spaces blank?

Correct, follow the Example Forms

And does it make a difference what date we use on all of the forms/cover letter/evidence/continuation sheets etc.

should they all be the same date (such as the date we plan to mail in the application)?

No

Do any of you know how long it has been taking for recent applications to be approved/reviewed? We want an estimate on how long it will take before I can move in with him as I need to give my employer notice so that they can hire a new employee for me to train.

Figure about 10 months overal.l

Thank you!!!

[gingernugget 1]

thank you!

[Sweetmelissa 82]

Good luck <3

[slowlyman 118]

Wow, That seems like a long time. I was hoping for closer to 3 months! Thank you for your help !

For us it was 7 months till she got here. Some wait 9 months just for the NOA2. It really varies, all you can do is wait it out.

[djv-tco 29]

With Canadian cases, I think the processing time highly depends on which consulate you will be going through.

My fiancée and I started the K-1 journey end of last September. Thankfully there were no snags so our case was approved without an RFE in 38 days. It took 35 days to get our case number. From there it went quite fast. Original visa interview at the Vancouver consulate was scheduled for 06 FEB 2014. I was able to reschedule today for a much earlier date - 14 JAN 2014.

I have read a lot of applicants going through Montreal that current available interview dates are not until March. Fill out your timeline, or at least change your settings to reflect the consulate you will be going through so other members can give you appropriate information.

Best of luck!

[NikLR 13,227]

wow dvj-tco that is a very fast approval rate! YAY for you. Normally it's 4-8 months for the petition plus waiting on an available interview date. But you are right that Montreal is slower about interview dates than Vancouver. Also on that side of the country it takes longer to get the medical results back (Dr Cheema in Surrey you get them the next day... I don't think anyone in Ontario does that and Medisys in Montreal is 3 days after the medical date.)

[gingernugget 1]

Is the timeline something I update on here? Sorry! I'm super new to this site. He lives in Rochester New York and I live in Ottawa Ontario so I am assuming I will be doing all of my interviews etc in Ottawa... That is also something I will need to ask over the phone as well. I really hope ours goes as fast as yours!!

[djv-tco 29]

wow dvj-tco that is a very fast approval rate! YAY for you. Normally it's 4-8 months for the petition plus waiting on an available interview date. But you are right that Montreal is slower about interview dates than Vancouver. Also on that side of the country it takes longer to get the medical results back (Dr Cheema in Surrey you get them the next day... I don't think anyone in Ontario does that and Medisys in Montreal is 3 days after the medical date.)

Thanks! Someone must have rescheduled their interview for a sooner slot to open up. And yeah, you have to travel to Surrey twice - first for medical exam and second to pick up the results.

Is the timeline something I update on here? Sorry! I'm super new to this site. He lives in Rochester New York and I live in Ottawa Ontario so I am assuming I will be doing all of my interviews etc in Ottawa... That is also something I will need to ask over the phone as well. I really hope ours goes as fast as yours!

Yep, user settings and timeline changes can be accessed in the drop-down menu on the top right hand corner of this page.

So far, I've only read about Vancouver and Montreal consulates conducting K-1 Visa interviews. If my memory serves me right, applicants west of Manitoba interviews at Vancouver, the rest at Montreal. Actually, at the top of page 5 of I-129F form asks the city and country the beneficiary will be applying for the K-1 visa. However, there's a note that says:

Designation of a U.S. embassy or consulate outside the country of your fiancé(e)'s last residence does not guarantee acceptance for processing by that foreign post. Acceptance is at the discretion of the designated embassy or consulate.

I know that note may not particularly apply to your situation but I thought I should mention that sometimes USCIS assigns a consulate different than what you requested. There is another VJ member who's case was forwarded to Montreal eventhough they wrote Vancouver in the form.

[gingernugget 1]

I did not realize that there were only two. A friend of mine married and immigrated to New York State last year and she lived in Oshawa and I thought that she had said she travelled to Ottawa for the interviews. If that's the case I will most likely have to travel to Montreal. Also, the timeline isn't working for me for some reason. It says that I already had one and there is an error... Hmm..

[djv-tco 29]

I did not realize that there were only two. A friend of mine married and immigrated to New York State last year and she lived in Oshawa and I thought that she had said she travelled to Ottawa for the interviews. If that's the case I will most likely have to travel to Montreal. Also, the timeline isn't working for me for some reason. It says that I already had one and there is an error... Hmm..

Use the Google custom search to find K-1 Visa interviews at Ottawa. Perhaps, I'm mistaken and they actually conduct K-1 interviews there.

Try this link. Hopefully that will take you to the exact page where you can add/edit your timeline entry.

[gingernugget 1]

Use the Google custom search to find K-1 Visa interviews at Ottawa. Perhaps, I'm mistaken and they actually conduct K-1 interviews there.

Try this link. Hopefully that will take you to the exact page where you can add/edit your timeline entry.

Thank you so much for all of your help!

It keeps saying I have more than one timeline lol I will have to try again tomorrow.

Here it shows the Ottawa embassy but I will have to research further to find out about interviewing http://canada.usembassy.gov/mobile/visas/consulates/ottawa.html

[gingernugget 1]

Use the Google custom search to find K-1 Visa interviews at Ottawa. Perhaps, I'm mistaken and they actually conduct K-1 interviews there.

Try this link. Hopefully that will take you to the exact page where you can add/edit your timeline entry.

Thank you so much for all of your help!

It keeps saying I have more than one timeline lol I will have to try again tomorrow.

Here it shows the Ottawa embassy but I will have to research further to find out about interviewing http://canada.usembassy.gov/mobile/visas/consulates/ottawa.html