What are the chances? (TSC)

[Unidentified 2,930]

Also, I know they say it doesn't matter. But do you really think that if a lawyer or professional preparerer prepared your application you have a quicker shot? I'm beginning to think that's how they wean people out. So the couples who had theirs reviewed by professionals get first priority. However, we'll never know...

Considering there's quite a few people who had lawyer's prepare their file and they got an RFE I highly doubt having a lawyer will make it quicker. It will only make the process more expensive.

[nitsirk7562 82]

As many others have suggested, do not make concrete plans until you have the visa. I set a tentative date for October 2014. My fiancé arrived in the US last Friday and we're getting married on Sunday. You never know what kind of setbacks you'll encounter. I, like you, was very optimistic. My advice is to not get your hopes up. I thought October was safe too. It might be for you, but there's no way of knowing and not worth the added stress.

Good luck!

Edited February 5, 2015 by nitsirk7562

[charlottelizabeth 11]

I wouldn't commit to any date. I know it's hard but the chances of you losing money and time from the visa processing is huge. My then fiance and I sent off our K-1 petition back in Sept 2012, expecting a 4 month wait, 6 at the most. It took 9 months. That's just to get the approval - I then had to do the medical, the interview etc, which took another 2 months. The reason ours was delayed so much is because it coincided with the new DACA laws that were being put in force back then. My point is you just don't know what could prop up to delay events. Good luck and I wish you a speedy approval.

[sma1488 155]

Sorry baron555, but this hacks me off. Your profile says that your other half is from Russia, so you should know better. There are a VERY INCREDIBLY UNBELIEVABLY REMARKABLY ASTOUNDINGLY AMAZINGLY LARGE **LARGE** **GIGANTIC** NUMBER of people in this world who DO **NOT** want to live in the USA.

Every time I hear someone say that everyone wants to live in America I am stunned at their arrogance and ignorance. Especially in the context of "just wanting a green card". How laughable.

Ok I'm gonna stop right there. I'm out.

I think the use of "everyone" was a bit of hyperbole on his part, but his point is well-formed in that no other country in the world has an immigration system of the same scale and complexity as the US, so references to "how other countries do it" aren't very useful. Is some of that our own fault due to botched policies and lack of sufficient investment of resources in the past/present? Sure, but it doesn't change the situation that we have now.

[usmsbow 796]

I think the use of "everyone" was a bit of hyperbole on his part, but his point is well-formed in that no other country in the world has an immigration system of the same scale and complexity as the US, so references to "how other countries do it" aren't very useful. Is some of that our own fault due to botched policies and lack of sufficient investment of resources in the past/present? Sure, but it doesn't change the situation that we have now.

This is veering off-topic, but the USA really has a low % of immigrants when factoring in per-capita. It's 65th in the world in fact- woo hoo!

http://www.npr.org/2014/10/29/359963625/dozens-of-countries-take-in-more-immigrants-per-capita-than-the-u-s

Of course a lot of them are places like Singapore and Luxembourg, which aren't comparable whatsoever. Even when throwing out places like those plus the Gulf States, there are a few others that are reasonable comparisons. Australia and Canada seem to have better immigration systems than the US does. Yes, their populations are 1/10th of ours, but they have a higher % of immigrants from all over the world too.

[CowBoE 429]

Hello all!

Our K-1 Visa was officially documented by the TSC on January 12, 2015 and we recieved our hard-copy NOA1 on January 15, 2015.

I would like to be realistic with this whole process. If it helps to determine, my fiancé is from England (UK) no criminal records, etc. and everything is in good standing.

I would like to know my realistic chances of having our wedding this August? What about September? Or October at the latest?

I know the TSC tends to take the longest, but we agreed that any of those three months that I listed would be just fine for our wedding.

Does anyone have any input? I know we are all apart from our fiances for a while, but this forum will help me cope since we're all in this together!

My guess is 6 to 8 months is likely, but there is NO guarantee on these timing.

The best thing to do is don't plan for wedding, until he has passport, visa, with specific POE date.

But if you really want to do some wedding planning ASAP, make sure it's flexible.

Otherwise, if you lock down a hard date and pluck down a big chunk of non-refundable money,

you are going to be stressing out for many months...and it's not worth that torture.

[msbau764 245]

My guess is 6 to 8 months is likely, but there is NO guarantee on these timing.

The best thing to do is don't plan for wedding, until he has passport, visa, with specific POE date.

But if you really want to do some wedding planning ASAP, make sure it's flexible.

Otherwise, if you lock down a hard date and pluck down a big chunk of non-refundable money,

you are going to be stressing out for many months...and it's not worth that torture.

how could you say 6 months when the vast majority of people on visa journey that filed in August and September don't even have their NOA2s? The more accurate representation would be 8-10.

[CharlieTanger 76]

So the US London Embassy is only a 3 day wait for a nonimmigrant visa interview with only a 5 day processing time for the actual visa. So I assume that once the NOA2 is approved, it's pretty much smooth sailing from there on (being that the interview goes well).

[TabeaK 516]

Don't forget the NVC stage. Usually that's done in less than a month, but some people here have been stuck for more than 3 months at this stage - mainly CSC filer though, but still...

[sma1488 155]

So the US London Embassy is only a 3 day wait for a nonimmigrant visa interview with only a 5 day processing time for the actual visa. So I assume that once the NOA2 is approved, it's pretty much smooth sailing from there on (being that the interview goes well).

Except the K-1 is treated as an immigrant visa for most purposes. Don't expect a three-day turnaround time once your case reaches the embassy.

[TabeaK 516]

Actually, that's a good point. Based on the progress reports I've read from UKlers around here, they sometimes wait a while for the interview.

[Wooderz 314]

Yeah, k-1s are processed as immigrant visas with the London embassy. Interviews currently run 4-6 weeks from the time London receives the medical results, ds-160 and readiness forms.

[Robcin12 4]

Well we are going into the 7th month and still waiting on the NOA2...I'm in the US and my fiancée is immigrating from Canada....I wouldn't make any future plans for your wedding until visa is in hand..I know it makes it difficult with some plans needing several months to arrange....I have kept the mindset that it will happen when it happens...no expectations...Good luck

[CharlieTanger 76]

Are there actually people posting that they've been approved via the TSC (excluding Philippines)??

[TabeaK 516]

Yes, people get approved. These days it is predominantly July 2014 filers - check out Igor's list in the immigration timelines.