Scandinavians Part 2

[emma24 161]

17 hours ago, jules98 said:

Dear Visa Applicant,

This office has received a petition entitling you to a “K-1” nonimmigrant visa classification as an alien proceeding to the United States to marry an American citizen. Please note that the U.S. Embassy in Stockholm is processing applicants legally residing in Denmark, Norway and Sweden.

 

To prepare for your interview appointment with a consular officer, please read and carefully follow the instructions below. We encourage you to schedule your appointment as soon as possible as we need to process your application within the validity of the I-129F petition. We also request that the applicant reviews a copy the submitted I-129F petition (attached in this e-mail)

 

IMPORTANT: Please note that the scheduling and collection of application fee will be done throughhttp://www.ustraveldocs.com/se

 

CHECKLIST

 

 

1. ( )  FEE:There is a $265 fee for each visa application. The fee will be paid throughhttp://www.ustraveldocs.com/se

 

 

2. ( )  COMPLETED DS-160 ONLINE APPLICATION FORM. All fiancé(e) visa applicants and their children must complete one DS-160 each in order to apply for a K1/K2 visa and seek an appointment. The form can be accessed at:https://ceac.state.gov/ceac/

 

You must: 1) complete the online visa application and 2)print the application form confirmation page to bring to your interview. All questions on the forms must be answered. 

 

IMPORTANT NOTICE ABOUT THE ONLINE FORM DS-160: Please note thatall applicants (including residents of Denmark and Norway) must select Stockholm,Sweden as the location where the visa will be sought. Failure to list Stockholm will delay your application and you will need to be re-scheduled for a new interview.

3. ( )  PASSPORT: A passport must be valid for travel to the United States and must have at least six months validity beyond the issuance date of the visa.
4. ( ) PHOTOGRAPHS: Two (2) identical colorphotographs are required. The photographs must be full face photo, taken within the past six months. Eye glases are not allowed in visa photos. The photographs should measure 2 inches square (roughly 50 mm square) with the head centered in the frame.
5. ( ) BIRTH CERTIFICATE: Your original birth certificate plus one original or certified copy of the birth certificate of each unmarried child under the age of 21, named in the application is required, even if they are not applying for a visa at this time. The certificate must state the date and place of birth of both parents and must be from the country where you were born.
6. ( ) POLICE CERTIFICATES: Each applicant aged 16 years or over, is required to submit a police certificate from the appropriate judicial or police authorities from the country of the applicant’s nationality or current residence where the applicant has resided for at least six months since attaining the age of sixteen, as well as from all other countries where the applicant has resided for at least one year, or more since attaining the age of sixteen. For countries not maintaining national police records, a certificate must be obtained from each locality. A police certificate must also be obtained from the police authorities of any place where the applicant has been arrested for any reason, regardless of the length of residence. For information on how to obtain a police certificate from a specific country, please visit:https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/Visa-Reciprocity-and-Civil-Documents-by-Country.html/
7. ( )  COURT AND PRISON RECORDS: Persons convicted of a crime must obtain a certified copy of each court record and any prison record, regardless that they may have benefited from an amnesty pardon.
8. ( )  MILITARY RECORDS: A certified copy of any military record is required, either stating that the military service has been completed, or that the applicant is exempt from serving.
9. ( )  EVIDENCE OF SUPPORT: Evidence, which will show that you and your children, if any, are not to become public charges in the United States. If you have no assets, you may find a financial sponsor in the U.S. who completes form I-134, Affidavit of Support on your behalf. Please bring the original signed I-134 for your interview. The sponsor should also provide a copy of the most recentIRS Tax ReturnTranscriptand proof of current U.S. income or assets. Form I-134 can be obtained from Citizenship and Immigration Services’ webpagewww.uscis.gov
10. ( )  MEDICAL EXAMINATION: Arrange for a medical examination with one of the Embassy approved panel physicians listed on:https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/visa-information-resources/list-of-posts.htmlPlease make sure to select Stockholm (STK) as the place of visa application.

You are responsible for the cost of the examination. A medical examination is also required for each child who will accompany you. This medical examination will also be accepted by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service for adjustment of status to lawful permanent residence.

11. ( )  EVIDENCE OF RELATIONSHIP: You will be required to submit evidence that you have previously met your fiancé(e), and proof of a valid fiancé(e) relationship with your petitioner. It is, therefore, useful to bring with you letters, written correspondence, phone records, photographs, or other evidence of your engagement and proof of on-going contact.Please note that you will not be allowed to bring your phone, tablet or computer to your interview.If you communicate through Skype/Viber/WhatsApp etc – you may want to present screenshots of some of the communication.
    
    Important information for K-1 visa applicants (please read before interview😞 The International Marriage Broker Regulation Act (IMBRA) requires that the United States government provide, to an immigrating fianc(e) of a citizen of the United States, an information pamphlet on legal rights and resources for immigrant victims of domestic violence:

http://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/USCIS/Humanitarian/Battered%20Spouse,%20Children%20%26%20Parents/IMBRA%20Pamphlet%20Final%2001-07-2011%20for%20Web%20Posting.pdf

12. ( )  TRANSLATIONS:  All documents not in English must be accompanied by a certified English translation.

Please note that you must bring one certified interpreter if you do not speak English well enough to participate unassisted in the visa interview. Please note that the petitioner is restricted from serving as an interpreter.  If you are bringing an interpreter, you are requested to send us the name of interpreter at least 2 business days prior the interview.

 

 

IMPORTANT: Once you have completed the DS-160 application form and have all documents in order, please register and create an account athttp://www.ustraveldocs.com/se in order toschedule your appointment and pay your visa application fee

Note: All the collected documents are to be presented at the final interview. Do not send any collected documents to this office unless specifically requested to do so.

 

Sincerely,

Immigrant Visa Unit

Dag Hammarskjölds Väg 31

115 89 Stockholm

E-mail: stkivinfo@state.gov

 

 

ONCE YOU HAVE BEEN SCHEDULED FOR AN APPOINTMENT YOU SHOULD NOTE THAT YOU HAVE AN APPOINTMENT WITH THE IMMIGRANT VISA UNIT. UPON ARRIVAL AT THE U.S. EMBASSY, PLEASE MAKE SURE TO STAND IN THE LINE FOR IMMIGRANTS/U.S. CITIZENS ANDNOT IN THE LINE FOR NON-IMMIGRANT VISA APPLICANTS. 

 

We hope this information is useful to you. Should you require further assistance, please submit an inquiry via:stkivinfo@state.gov Please ensure to always list your case number (STKXXXXXXXXXX) in the subject line.

 

Security and Access Warning

 

For security reasons, visa applicants and American Citizen Services customers are not allowed to bring luggage, bags, cell phones, other electronic devices, or any items that are not relevant to your business with us (with the exception of one small purse, or items to care for babies). If you have prohibited items with you, you will not be allowed to enter the Embassy and may need to reschedule your appointment.

 

The following items are not permitted in the Embassy:

·  Cameras

·  Cell phones

·  Laptops

·  Any other electronics, such as MP3 players, iPods, etc.

·  Large shopping bags

·  Luggage, backpacks, briefcases

·  Tools of any size, such as a leatherman, or Swiss army knife

·  Weapons of any kind

 

All visitors to the Embassy are subject to airport-type screening. When planning your visit here, bring only what is needed for your business with the Consular Section to speed security screening. All items are subject to inspection and your wait time at the Embassy depends on the items you and other visitors bring. We do not have storage facilities at the Embassy. We suggest you make use of storage facilities at the main bus/train station in Stockholm (Centralstationen) or at the airport. After clearing U.S. Embassy security, proceed to the Immigrant Visa Unitwindow 7 in the consular waiting room to present your documents/forms.

 

Cellphones may be stored in lockers at the entrance, will be returned upon your departure from the Consular Section.

And for the medical I just sent an email to KAL klinikken. They were super helpful with picking a date that fit with my schedule 😊

THANK YOU SO MUCH! This was so informative! ❤️ 

[stuckonyou 75]

Hey, guys! 😇

 

I thought I'd join this thread. I'm from Sweden and will have my K1 interview on March 12th, and medical on March 2nd.

 

Maybe hanging out here will be good for my peace of mind, I don't know, heh. I've been kind of nervous throughout this whole process. Nervous and impatient... 😶 I know that everything should be fine, but I miss my fiancé so much and don't want anything to delay the visa or anything like that.

 

Where in the process are you? Anyone want to tell me a little bot about their medical and embassy appointment just to calm my nerves?

[nordictat2 4]

56 minutes ago, stuckonyou said:

Hey, guys! 😇

 

I thought I'd join this thread. I'm from Sweden and will have my K1 interview on March 12th, and medical on March 2nd.

 

Maybe hanging out here will be good for my peace of mind, I don't know, heh. I've been kind of nervous throughout this whole process. Nervous and impatient... 😶 I know that everything should be fine, but I miss my fiancé so much and don't want anything to delay the visa or anything like that.

 

Where in the process are you? Anyone want to tell me a little bot about their medical and embassy appointment just to calm my nerves?

Hiya and welcome. 

 

Lucky you that you are towards the end. We filed in beginning of Aug. and still haven't gotten approval for the I-130 😔

We have the Nebraska service center. 

Just curious when did you file (PD) and which service center you received? 

[Scandi 3,982]

12 minutes ago, nordictat2 said:

Hiya and welcome. 

 

Lucky you that you are towards the end. We filed in beginning of Aug. and still haven't gotten approval for the I-130 😔

We have the Nebraska service center. 

Just curious when did you file (PD) and which service center you received? 

All i-129f petitions are processed at the California Service center. Very different from the i-130 that you have filed. The i-129f is generally processed faster too.

Edited February 19, 2020 by Scandi

[Scandi 3,982]

1 hour ago, stuckonyou said:

Hey, guys! 😇

 

I thought I'd join this thread. I'm from Sweden and will have my K1 interview on March 12th, and medical on March 2nd.

 

Maybe hanging out here will be good for my peace of mind, I don't know, heh. I've been kind of nervous throughout this whole process. Nervous and impatient... 😶 I know that everything should be fine, but I miss my fiancé so much and don't want anything to delay the visa or anything like that.

 

Where in the process are you? Anyone want to tell me a little bot about their medical and embassy appointment just to calm my nerves?

I'm in the middle of the ROC process, and will be filing for citizenship once I become eligible in April of this year.

 

There's really not much to say about either the medical nor the interview other than "very easy and absolutely nothing to worry about".

 

I had my medical in Gbg in 2016 and the doctor (Einar) is absolutely great. And back then much cheaper than the clinic in Sthlm. Ask for a copy of the full medical report and he will send you one. It's not necessary though, only the DS-3025 is (for when you file for AOS later on, you send a copy with the AOS package).

 

The interview is even easier than the medical, you just hand over what they ask for and answer the questions. It takes about 5 minutes. There's a lot of people being interviewed though, for various visas, so the wait can be several hours if you're unlucky. You can read reviews for the US embassy in Sthlm here on VJ.

 

Since you'll be filing for AOS after February 24 it's important to read up on the new changes to US immigration, the new public charge rule may or may not affect you. You may be completely focused on the visa process right now, but my strong recommendation is to read up on the next part of the immigration process, if you haven't already. 

 

If your passport doesn't have much time left on it I suggest you get a new one before the interview. It's hard getting a Swedish passport in the US these days, depending on where in the country you live.

[nordictat2 4]

18 minutes ago, Scandi said:

All i-129f petitions are processed at the California Service center. Very different from the i-130 that you have filed. The i-129f is generally processed faster too.

Not necessarily true. We also filed the 129f and it got sent to Nebraska. 

Others that just filed 129f got sent elsewhere and not just Cali. 

[stuckonyou 75]

13 minutes ago, nordictat2 said:

Not necessarily true. We also filed the 129f and it got sent to Nebraska. 

Others that just filed 129f got sent elsewhere and not just Cali. 

You filed I-129F for spousal/K3, then? Or what do you mean? Because it says in your info that you filed for IR-1/CR1...

 

All the facebook groups I'm in and the timelines I've seen on here has California processing the K1, with a few exceptions for if they transfer it to Vermont (which from what I understand happens if a more thorough background check is needed). If you file for IR-1/CR-1 with the I-130 you can get different processing centers, though, and the timelines are most often longer than for K1.

[jules98 44]

2 hours ago, stuckonyou said:

Hey, guys! 😇

 

I thought I'd join this thread. I'm from Sweden and will have my K1 interview on March 12th, and medical on March 2nd.

 

Maybe hanging out here will be good for my peace of mind, I don't know, heh. I've been kind of nervous throughout this whole process. Nervous and impatient... 😶 I know that everything should be fine, but I miss my fiancé so much and don't want anything to delay the visa or anything like that.

 

Where in the process are you? Anyone want to tell me a little bot about their medical and embassy appointment just to calm my nerves?

Welcome! This forum definitely helped me calm my nerves as soon as I found it. I did my K1 interview in September 2019 and came over October 2019. I have my biometrics appointment on Friday. Buckle up, it’s fun and all but the wait is about to drive me crazy. Not being able to drive a car, work, I don’t feel like I’ve built a network of friends here yet. I would probably have lost my mind if I didn’t have Netflix and my gym membership 😂

[stuckonyou 75]

23 minutes ago, Scandi said:

I'm in the middle of the ROC process, and will be filing for citizenship once I become eligible in April of this year.

 

There's really not much to say about either the medical nor the interview other than "very easy and absolutely nothing to worry about".

 

I had my medical in Gbg in 2016 and the doctor (Einar) is absolutely great. And back then much cheaper than the clinic in Sthlm. Ask for a copy of the full medical report and he will send you one. It's not necessary though, only the DS-3025 is (for when you file for AOS later on, you send a copy with the AOS package).

 

The interview is even easier than the medical, you just hand over what they ask for and answer the questions. It takes about 5 minutes. There's a lot of people being interviewed though, for various visas, so the wait can be several hours if you're unlucky. You can read reviews for the US embassy in Sthlm here on VJ.

 

Since you'll be filing for AOS after February 24 it's important to read up on the new changes to US immigration, the new public charge rule may or may not affect you. You may be completely focused on the visa process right now, but my strong recommendation is to read up on the next part of the immigration process, if you haven't already. 

 

If your passport doesn't have much time left on it I suggest you get a new one before the interview. It's hard getting a Swedish passport in the US these days, depending on where in the country you live.

 

I've heard people say that about the interview in Stockholm, but it's still hard to calm down. But I will try. 😇

 

I live in Stockholm, so I'll have my medical here. I hope the doctor here is great, too. Anyone here that had their medical in Stockholm by any chance? What did you think?

I've been sick and was even on sick leave for a couple of years, so I've been nervous about that. I was depressed and had a lot of anxiety which was in part trauma related (no self harm behavior, though), but I don't have any kind of psychiatric diagnosis anymore today according to my psychologist. I'll start to get off the last of my medications soon too since I feel that I really don't need it anymore. I got back to work last summer and will start working 75 % from March and should have no problem working full time in the future. So it's not like I'm a danger to myself or others, which I think is really what they're looking for when it comes to that, but still...

 

I've read how quickly people get out of the embassy, heh. Nothing about waiting for several hours. But I don't know if that's changed maybe? Because K1 gets interviewed by the Immigration Unit even though it's technically not an immigrant visa. Was it like that when you were there too?

 

I haven't looked into AOS too much, to be honest. My mind is so full with everything else, but I know what form to fill out and that it's a lot of work. But we plan on getting married about 1 week after I arrive, so we should have plenty of time to work on the AOS.

 

My passport is valid until June 2024, so I should be fine, I hope. 😊

[jules98 44]

1 minute ago, stuckonyou said:

 

I've heard people say that about the interview in Stockholm, but it's still hard to calm down. But I will try. 😇

 

I live in Stockholm, so I'll have my medical here. I hope the doctor here is great, too. Anyone here that had their medical in Stockholm by any chance? What did you think?

I've been sick and was even on sick leave for a couple of years, so I've been nervous about that. I was depressed and had a lot of anxiety which was in part trauma related (no self harm behavior, though), but I don't have any kind of psychiatric diagnosis anymore today according to my psychologist. I'll start to get off the last of my medications soon too since I feel that I really don't need it anymore. I got back to work last summer and will start working 75 % from March and should have no problem working full time in the future. So it's not like I'm a danger to myself or others, which I think is really what they're looking for when it comes to that, but still...

 

I've read how quickly people get out of the embassy, heh. Nothing about waiting for several hours. But I don't know if that's changed maybe? Because K1 gets interviewed by the Immigration Unit even though it's technically not an immigrant visa. Was it like that when you were there too?

 

I haven't looked into AOS too much, to be honest. My mind is so full with everything else, but I know what form to fill out and that it's a lot of work. But we plan on getting married about 1 week after I arrive, so we should have plenty of time to work on the AOS.

 

My passport is valid until June 2024, so I should be fine, I hope. 😊

I had mine at 8 am, I was out by 9:30. The actual interview was less than five minutes but the rest was sitting around and waiting. This was pretty recently too!

[Scandi 3,982]

36 minutes ago, nordictat2 said:

Not necessarily true. We also filed the 129f and it got sent to Nebraska. 

Others that just filed 129f got sent elsewhere and not just Cali. 

You're speaking from experience for filing for a K-1 visa? Your profile says otherwise. If you are in fact filing for a K-1 visa, then you should update your profile to show the correct info. 

 

All i-129f petitions (for K-1 visas of course) are processed at CSC with very few exceptions. Nebraska handles spousal petitions, haven't heard of them handling fiancé petitions as of yet.

[stuckonyou 75]

7 minutes ago, jules98 said:

Welcome! This forum definitely helped me calm my nerves as soon as I found it. I did my K1 interview in September 2019 and came over October 2019. I have my biometrics appointment on Friday. Buckle up, it’s fun and all but the wait is about to drive me crazy. Not being able to drive a car, work, I don’t feel like I’ve built a network of friends here yet. I would probably have lost my mind if I didn’t have Netflix and my gym membership 😂

How fast did you get the visa after the interview?

I've heard 2 weeks or less, so I'm hoping that's true because I'd like to book plane tickets after I've get approved and to plan for the wedding in general. Our plan is for me to be able to fly out about 4-6 weeks after the interview.

 

I've been thinking that I'll try to keep busy with preparing the AOS, study and looking into getting a nursing licence for Illinois, being in church, maybe volunteer, exploring the city (Chicago), working out, maybe try making a few friends from K1 groups or some other group on facebook. And, of course, Netflix... And my fiancé says he'll teach me how to drive, too. So I'm hoping I'll be fine. 😇

 

Did you apply for your social security number before the I-94 expired? Then you should be able to get at least a temporary drivers licence? I think?

[nordictat2 4]

Yes, speaking from experience. I filed the 130 first and then the 129f. Both are in Nebraska si nope, don't need to update my profile. We also have IOE which seems useless for those in Nebraska atleast. This process is so ridiculous. My husband has a job waiting for him in PA in the HVAC industry and we have been married almost 20 yrs, going over with 100k so we surely aren't going over unprepared or inexperienced heh. 

[Scandi 3,982]

6 minutes ago, stuckonyou said:

 

I've heard people say that about the interview in Stockholm, but it's still hard to calm down. But I will try. 😇

 

I live in Stockholm, so I'll have my medical here. I hope the doctor here is great, too. Anyone here that had their medical in Stockholm by any chance? What did you think?

I've been sick and was even on sick leave for a couple of years, so I've been nervous about that. I was depressed and had a lot of anxiety which was in part trauma related (no self harm behavior, though), but I don't have any kind of psychiatric diagnosis anymore today according to my psychologist. I'll start to get off the last of my medications soon too since I feel that I really don't need it anymore. I got back to work last summer and will start working 75 % from March and should have no problem working full time in the future. So it's not like I'm a danger to myself or others, which I think is really what they're looking for when it comes to that, but still...

 

I've read how quickly people get out of the embassy, heh. Nothing about waiting for several hours. But I don't know if that's changed maybe? Because K1 gets interviewed by the Immigration Unit even though it's technically not an immigrant visa. Was it like that when you were there too?

 

I haven't looked into AOS too much, to be honest. My mind is so full with everything else, but I know what form to fill out and that it's a lot of work. But we plan on getting married about 1 week after I arrive, so we should have plenty of time to work on the AOS.

 

My passport is valid until June 2024, so I should be fine, I hope. 😊

Yep, when I was interviewed in 2016 I was at the embassy for at least 3 hours. 5 minutes of that time was the actual interview. I got the feeling they reviewed all the documents I brought before interviewing me (they ask for those soon after you enter the embassy, and hold on to them until you're being interviewed) so maybe that's why it took so long for my name to be called for the actual interview. I had only one other K-1 applicant in front of me in line.

 

The AOS paperwork is easy,you will have time to put it all together. My point is that a lot has changed lately, and more will change on Frebruary 24, so it's important to keep yourself updated on the news and changes so you don't get a huge surprise when it's time to file. Also very important to read up on it early on so you know what documents and I fo to bring with you to the US when you move, that you may need for the next step.

 

I can't even count all the times we see new threads here on VJ about people being approved for the K-1, move to the US and are shocked by the requirements for the next step. Only because they never bothered to look into it beforehand. It's just a recommendation.

[jules98 44]

1 minute ago, stuckonyou said:

How fast did you get the visa after the interview?

I've heard 2 weeks or less, so I'm hoping that's true because I'd like to book plane tickets after I've get approved and to plan for the wedding in general. Our plan is for me to be able to fly out about 4-6 weeks after the interview.

 

I've been thinking that I'll try to keep busy with preparing the AOS, study and looking into getting a nursing licence for Illinois, being in church, maybe volunteer, exploring the city (Chicago), working out, maybe try making a few friends from K1 groups or some other group on facebook. And, of course, Netflix... And my fiancé says he'll teach me how to drive, too. So I'm hoping I'll be fine. 😇

 

Did you apply for your social security number before the I-94 expired? Then you should be able to get at least a temporary drivers licence? I think?

I think it took less than two weeks, yes. Quite possibly the hardest waiting of the entire process. Resist the urge to buy plane tickets until you have the visa in hand because there’s so much that could go wrong. (Wrong name or other info on the visa). 
 

I had a social security card from before, so I only went in to change my name after we got married 😕 I wouldn’t know about that. But here in Texas you need a green card (or I’m going to try going in with the NOA1 from AOS and see if I meet the right person)