K-1 Visa Uganda (Through Nairobi) Almost done, but having problems

[SimonAndAmina 1]

Hello Visa Jurney community! My fiancee and I have been going through the long process of the K-1 Visa to get her here from Uganda (processed through Nairobi Kenya) for us to get married here in the US.

Our case has been approved in the US by USCIS, and is essentially currently just sitting at the Nairobi Embassy. But, we have run into some appointment problems in Nairobi, and are wondering if anyone has any experienced advice as far as trouble shooting goes. My fiancee made it to her first appointment, but was not able to complete the interview and was told to come back after sorting out a few of the following issues.

First, we filed and were approved as a K-1 Visa as DS160 application. But, for some reason the Nairobi Embassy has us filed as a DS260 application at various checkpoints in their system. Has this confusion of filing numbers (DS160 and DS260) happened to anyone else?

The problem that this filing confusion (DS160/DS260) has caused is that Postbank won't accept our payment for the DS160 appointment as they have us in their system as DS260. Therefore, we have no way to pay and/or show receipt of payment to the Nairobi US Embassy. The lady at the bank could/would not give my fiancee the forms to pay because of the DS260 indication.

Also, our file status account at the ais.usvisa webpage is stuck as indicating that we have to submit further paperwork (when at this time that is not technically our case status) and is not letting us use the schedule feature. Do any of you out there know who would be the best entity/bureau to contact to fix this problem with the webpage? Or, would it just be best to try to manually re-schedule by phone or email? (My fiancee already went to the embassy once, but was not able to complete her interview do to lack of medical exam paperwork and appointment payment).

One last thing, our petition approval for her interview in Nairobi expires on Jan. 8 of 2017. With these newly encountered complex problems it seems as though they cannot/will-not be resolved before Jan. 8, so the question is the following: Does anyone know if the Embassy Consoler can/will just extend/revalidate our final K-1 visa Embassy appointment, or if there is some additional file extension process we need to look into for re-validation/extension?

Any and all information at this point would be greatly appreciated. We seem so close, yet still so far away from K-1 approval at this time.

We need to be as prepared as possible at the next appointment once we can get it all scheduled, as my fiancee has to travel from Uganda to Kenya at great financial expense in order to go to the Nairobi Embassy.

Edited December 25, 2016 by SimonAndAmina

[soulstriker 274]

the embassy will extend the approval if it needs to be

[Penguin_ie 5,984]

Mod note: I removed your duplicate posting, it is a common newbie mistake

The computer status update is often not updated,l I wouldn't worry too much about that.

Yes, they will automatically re-validate your K1 petition for another 4 months if the interview has not been scheduled/ falls beyond that date.

[TBoneTX 43,022]

*** Thread is moved from the K-1 Process forum to the K-1 Case Progress subforum. ***

[Afric 1]

Hello,

Simon.

For K1 visa's need to fill the DS160. I am on this stage too. I fill up ds160, made payments at the post bank. But the problem is when I tried to schedule an appointment I couldn't get any date in the calendar, I have been calling them and trying online for the last one month, but I haven't gotten any. I email the Nairobi consular and they told me not to worry about the expiry, because mine is Jan. 27 2017.

My question to you is how did you guys schedule the first time. If you don't mind you can screenshot the website you schedule at. It is frustrating because there is no much information about US embassy Nairobi. Hope your case will be resolved soon.Thanks

[SimonAndAmina 1]

Hi Afric,

Sorry to hear about your troubles in scheduling. My Fiancee was the one making the schedule appointments and changing them from time to time. But now our status has changed so the schedule feature is not available for us to access.

Perhaps this embassy scheduling instruction document pdf I recently found on line might be of some help:
http://photos.state.gov/libraries/kenya/231771/PDFs/consolidated_appointment_booking_form_aug2015.pdf

Blessings to you!

[SimonAndAmina 1]

Hi again Afric, I made some headway speaking with scheduling agents at a US/Kenya Embassy bureau in Virginia today: this is the number 1-703-988-7112
Our issues are more than scheduling, so they referred me elsewhere. But they emphasized that they are there to help people with scheduling issues.

Hello,

Simon.

For K1 visa's need to fill the DS160. I am on this stage too. I fill up ds160, made payments at the post bank. But the problem is when I tried to schedule an appointment I couldn't get any date in the calendar, I have been calling them and trying online for the last one month, but I haven't gotten any. I email the Nairobi consular and they told me not to worry about the expiry, because mine is Jan. 27 2017.

My question to you is how did you guys schedule the first time. If you don't mind you can screenshot the website you schedule at. It is frustrating because there is no much information about US embassy Nairobi. Hope your case will be resolved soon.Thanks

[Afric 1]

Hi,

Simon.

Thanks for your information. I have been calling them (Virginia call center) for scheduling but they usually say no opening yet, but I realized we are using the same system.(what they see is what I see in our account). I think yours need technical people and this is their email address: (essa_contactus+ke+ivcasenumber+en@visaops.net). I know you had said your fiancee did scheduling, but could you please ask her if she went to immigrant visa section, then create an account. Under the (1) application information (2) courier (3) payment (All this three is checked green to mean complete), then 4) Schedule 5) instructions. Because when we were filling up after we arrived at payment section the system prompted us to print an MRV for visa fee payment at the bank and show us the nearest appointment date which was March 21, 2017. Then we went to pay the stated amount, In the paper, it say to allow 2 to 3 days to be activated in the system.

- When we went back to try to schedule we couldn't see any opening and that is the situation we are up to now. I hope we get one soon, it is so frustrating. Please let's keep on sharing information. Thanks

[SimonAndAmina 1]

Dear Afric, sorry for the delayed response. Taking care of Visa stuff over the holidays has slowed down a bit. Nevertheless, at this point, we probably don't have great scheduling advice as our case was misfiled as DS260 which has a different scheduling and payment process. Once we can get the filing sorted out and have any success after that point in scheduling, if I can, I will let you know if I lean anything that might be of help.

[Afric 1]

Hi,

   Simon.

Thanks. Your help is highly appreciated as we go through this journey. God bless you

[SimonAndAmina 1]

Hello again Afric, so now we have the proper DS160 filing,  but we are experiencing the same thing from the Virginia scheduling office, they have said no appointments available at this time. Have you been able to schedule an appointment yet? 

[Afric 1]

Hello, Simon.

 No, we haven't gotten any date yet we are still waiting. Let's update each other if we get something new. Be blessed

[Afric 1]

Hello Simon,

  Finally, we secure an appointment slot this morning for Feb.7, did you get one yet?, if not keep on checking online, now I have realized it usually pop up ones in a while. Hope you will get one soon, if you haven't gotten yet. Be blessed

[SimonAndAmina 1]

Congratulations! Blessings to you as you proceed. 

We are now filed as DS160, but there seems to be no option to make an appointment on the webpage. It just says to pay the visa fee. Did you pay the fee first before the appointment schedule opened up?

[Afric 1]

Hey Simon,

 

Yes, you have to pay the visa fee at the Post bank or through Mpesa before scheduling. First, you have to create the account immigrant side, then follow the flow of the account up to payment then prompt you to pay the visa fee. Here it gives you option either cash which you pay it in Postbank or Mpesa.  If through cash it will prompt you to print out a paper which you will carry with you to make payment at Postbank (Kenya). Afterwards, will take 1 to 2 days to get updated in your account. Then from there you will see the calendar to schedule appointment.Hope you will get one soon.Be blessed