New Here and Ready to file the 129F but have some Questions

[Bluesky123 1]

Hello everyone,

 

I am new here and I am in the process of submitting the application but had a few questions and concerns that I am sure one of you ladies/gents can help with.  I would greatly appreciate any answers and/or comments regarding this post, thanks in advance  

 

1-Just to confirm, my fiancée's (beneficiary) birth certificate , drivers license and identification card do not need to be sent with the 129F application, correct?

2-To what address do I need to send the application and supporting documents?

3-How long did the whole process take to be approved for you?

4-How much evidence in pictures and chats should I submit?

 

Please help with any other tips and information that you feel may be helpful, GEEZ , I am so stressed about this.

 

 

Good day everyone, hopefully everything will turn out fine for all of us. Inchalah..sending positive wishes for everyone on this journey and I wish all of you nothing but the best of luck.

 

 

[RJandHamid 1,129]

1. That's correct, only the petitioner's birth certificate needs to be submitted with the I-129F. The beneficiary will need to bring those documents to the interview.

2. If you are sending it through the US Postal Service, the address is: USCIS P.O. Box 660151 Dallas, TX 75266 

For Express (FedEx, UPS, ect) mail and courier deliveries: USCIS Attn: I-129F 2501 South State Highway 121 Business Suite 400 Lewisville, TX 75067

3. The process is currently taking around 6-9 months on average. I filed in December 2016 and my fiance arrived in July 2017.

4. Because you are going through the Casablanca consulate, which is known to be tough, I recommend submitting a good amount of photos and chats. However, the best evidence is time spent together in person. Having more than 1 visit will help more than having tons of chats or photos. This is especially true if there are any red flags in your case (large age difference being a big one that is common to see in cases that are denied in Casablanca). 

 

I also went through the Casablanca consulate (well my now husband did!), and thankfully our process was rather smooth. I can also answer any specific questions you have about the K1 process going through Morocco. Good luck! 

 

Edited September 15, 2017 by RJandHamid

[Bluesky123 1]

20 minutes ago, RJandHamid said:

1. That's correct, only the petitioner's birth certificate needs to be submitted with the I-129F. The beneficiary will need to bring those documents to the interview.

2. If you are sending it through the US Postal Service, the address is: USCIS P.O. Box 660151 Dallas, TX 75266 

For Express (FedEx, UPS, ect) mail and courier deliveries: USCIS Attn: I-129F 2501 South State Highway 121 Business Suite 400 Lewisville, TX 75067

3. The process is currently taking around 6-9 months on average. I filed in December 2016 and my fiance arrived in July 2017.

4. Because you are going through the Casablanca consulate, which is known to be tough, I recommend submitting a good amount of photos and chats. However, the best evidence is time spent together in person. Having more than 1 visit will help more than having tons of chats or photos. This is especially true if there are any red flags in your case (large age difference being a big one that is common to see in cases that are denied in Casablanca). 

 

I also went through the Casablanca consulate (well my now husband did!), and thankfully our process was rather smooth. I can also answer any specific questions you have about the K1 process going through Morocco. Good luck! 

 

Thank you so so much for responding and answering my questions, I really appreciate it  

 

With regards to the Casablanca consulate, I have heard that they can be tough yes. One of my biggest concerns is that we have in fact been together in person only once do to a difficult financial situation but the application does say that minimum is once in the last two years so I hope that this will not be to much of an issue. We have plenty of pictures and supporting documents including the engagement party and a host of other things. We don't have much of an age difference but I am a little worried to be honest.

 

I do have a few other questions since your now husband is Moroccan, here they go:

 

-From the point that it was approved to when he got here, is the departure date mandated by them? Or is it that once he's approved we just buy his ticket here at our discretion?

-Was his interview in Darija or English?

-How soon after the interview was it approved?

-How difficult is it for them to get a job once here, do you know of any cities that would be best for us to live that you feel would be best for him?

-If you don't mind me asking, how many visits did you have before applying and how much time dating?

 

 

 

I am sure that I will have more questions as I de-stress lol, my mind is just in shambles now but I definitely appreciate your time in responding. Thanks again dear

Edited September 15, 2017 by CynthiaBen

[KULtoATL 1,551]

20 minutes ago, CynthiaBen said:

Hello everyone,

 

I am new here and I am in the process of submitting the application but had a few questions and concerns that I am sure one of you ladies/gents can help with.  I would greatly appreciate any answers and/or comments regarding this post, thanks in advance  

 

1-Just to confirm, my fiancée's (beneficiary) birth certificate , drivers license and identification card do not need to be sent with the 129F application, correct?

Yes, you are correct. All that is not needed for the beneficiary.

2-To what address do I need to send the application and supporting documents?

If you're using express courier or anything with signature required, then you'll send it to Lewisville. If it's just regular mail, you send it to Dallas. My personal advice is to at least use a trackable shipping method with signature required.

3-How long did the whole process take to be approved for you?

Presently, the I-129F takes at least 4 months to be approved (NOA2) if not more. From NOA2 to interview, it could take approximately 1-2 months. After the interview, your visa issuance wait time highly depends on the length of your administrative processing.

4-How much evidence in pictures and chats should I submit?

If you're from a high fraud country or going through a difficult embassy, more relationship evidence is better. Select items from various period of your entire relationship.

 

Please help with any other tips and information that you feel may be helpful, GEEZ , I am so stressed about this.

 

 

Good day everyone, hopefully everything will turn out fine for all of us. Inchalah..sending positive wishes for everyone on this journey and I wish all of you nothing but the best of luck.

 

 

 

[RJandHamid 1,129]

1 minute ago, CynthiaBen said:

Thank you so so much for responding and answering my questions, I really appreciate it  

 

With regards to the Casablanca consulate, I have heard that they can be tough yes. One of my biggest concerns is that we have in fact been together in person only once do to a difficult financial situation but the application does say that minimum is once in the last five years so I hope that this will not be to much of an issue. We have plenty of pictures and supporting documents including the engagement party and a host of other things. We don't have much of an age difference but I am a little worried to be honest.

 

I do have a few other questions since your now husband is Moroccan, here they go:

 

-From the point that it was approved to when he got here, is the departure date mandated by them? Or is it that once he's approved we just buy his ticket here at our discretion?

-Was his interview in Darija or English?

-How soon after the interview was it approved?

-How difficult is it for them to get a job once here, do you know of any cities that would be best for us to live that you feel would be best for him?

-If you don't mind me asking, how many visits did you have before applying and how much time dating?

 

 

 

I am sure that I will have more questions as I de-stress lol, my mind is just in shambles now but I definitely appreciate your time in responding. Thanks again dear

There are couples who have gone through Casablanca recently and have been approved with only 1 visit, but having multiple visits really does seem to make the interview easier. If you don't have much of an age difference, 1 visit might be fine for you. It's true that the requirements for the I-129F are only that you have met at least 1 time in the past 2 years. 

 

- The departure date is not mandated by them. Once he is approved and receives his visa in his passport, it generally has a validity of around 6 months. I think validity is determined by when the medical exam is done, so usually you have 6 months from the date of the medical exam to enter the USA. 

- My husband did his interview in English, and I highly recommend anyone who has a basic grasp of English choose this option. It can be done in Darija, but from what my husband overheard while he was at the consulate and from what we have heard from other people, the Moroccan officers who do the Darija interviews tend to be a bit more strict and ask tougher questions. 

- He was told at the interview that he was approved. He interviewed on a Monday and he had his visa in hand by the end of the week on Friday.

- He won't be able to get a job right away after arriving in the USA. You will need to get married and file for adjustment of status first, where there is another high filing fee involved (we just paid this, my bank account was not happy haha) The work permit card is currently taking around 3-4 months to process. I think as far as finding a job, it depends on his level of English and his educational background. We live in the Chicago area and there are a lot of job openings around here, and he also studied English at his university, which will help him a lot when it comes time to apply for jobs. As far as where to live, I'm not sure about that. My husband has not yet experienced Chicago's cold winters, so we might consider moving somewhere warmer in the future. 

- I visited a total of 5 times over 2 years. That includes the first time we met by coincidence when I was living as a volunteer in Morocco, so technically it was 4 visits specifically to see him. We also don't have an age difference. You certainly don't need to make that many visits though. I think think even just 2 is very beneficial, and as I said at the beginning of the post, there are couples who do get approved with only 1 visit. 

[EandH0904 1,184]

12 minutes ago, CynthiaBen said:

Thank you so so much for responding and answering my questions, I really appreciate it 

To be blunt, the consulate doesn't care about your difficult financial situation.  

Most couples with only one meeting  (ourselves included) do not get approved. I know more than 10 couples without approved k1 for that reason and most of time people who marry 2nd visit and do cr1 get long AP as well. 

 

Your interview is in the language that you and the USC primarily talk in. Darija is not an option but Arabic is. If you're not comfortable responding in English because maybe you're nervous, you can request a translator. 

 

There's a FB group in Darija for Moroccans or USC who have questions, if you send me a message I'll send you the link.  They discuss the AP process, visits, the DS5535 and other issues a lot. 

 

Most university classes don't have a US equivalency. I've known some Moroccans who have to take the GED up in arrival before getting a job. 

[sodapop1104 17]

Hi! I'm getting to file a k1 petition for my fiance in Philippines however I just came back here in the US last Sep 3, 2017. I became a US Citizen year 2007 thru my parents. I went to Philippines on 2009 to study/work where I met my fiance. Now I just came back, would it be appropriate to file the petition now or wait til I am consider as 'domicile' here in US? Thanks in advance!

[RJandHamid 1,129]

@sodapop1104 I do think it's a good idea to wait until you are more established in the US. Check out the Philippines sub forum for more specific info about filing a K1 visa in Manila. Good luck!  

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/forum/129-philippines/

 

[sodapop1104 17]

22 minutes ago, RJandHamid said:

@sodapop1104 I do think it's a good idea to wait until you are more established in the US. Check out the Philippines sub forum for more specific info about filing a K1 visa in Manila. Good luck!  

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/forum/129-philippines/

 

Thanks RJ!

[Possiblymaybe 371]

9 hours ago, CynthiaBen said:

 

I do have a few other questions since your now husband is Moroccan, here they go:

 

-From the point that it was approved to when he got here, is the departure date mandated by them? Or is it that once he's approved we just buy his ticket here at our discretion?

-Was his interview in Darija or English? English!  If he doesn't interview in English, they will wonder how you communicate and strongly doubt your relationship.

-How soon after the interview was it approved?  He was told at interview that it was approved and received his passport with visa in less than a week.

-How difficult is it for them to get a job once here, do you know of any cities that would be best for us to live that you feel would be best for him? As RJandHamid explained, there is a whole process involved with getting the work permit before he will be allowed to work.  How hard it is to get a job depends on what he wants to do.  Lower income jobs are a dime a dozen and easy to get if his English is good.  The time he has to wait before receiving a work permit could be spent in English classes or trade school.

-If you don't mind me asking, how many visits did you have before applying and how much time dating?

We had 4 visits over the course of a year and half.  As EandH0904 warned, there have been a few approvals with one visit, but those stories are becoming more rare.  Multiple visits are highly encouraged.  

 

 

 

I am sure that I will have more questions as I de-stress lol, my mind is just in shambles now but I definitely appreciate your time in responding. Thanks again dear

RJandHamid and EandH0904 gave you some pretty good advice as far as recent processing out of Casablanca.  Since I filed the K1 for my husband in 2012 I'll not comment about current processing times.  But i did answer some of your questions above about the Casablanca consulate and process from our experience.

 

When my husband interviewed, he saw the CO finish with the person before him.  She got up and grabbed his file and spent about 10 minutes looking through it before calling him to the window for the interview.  He said the interview was easy and relaxed and that it seemed the CO had made up her mind to approve him before even speaking to him.  I am telling you this because it is important that you can convey your relationship with the file that you submit.  We had a photo collage of each of our trips together with locations and dates on the top of the page.  We did not submit any chat logs.

[EG&XY 144]

9 hours ago, sodapop1104 said:

Hi! I'm getting to file a k1 petition for my fiance in Philippines however I just came back here in the US last Sep 3, 2017. I became a US Citizen year 2007 thru my parents. I went to Philippines on 2009 to study/work where I met my fiance. Now I just came back, would it be appropriate to file the petition now or wait til I am consider as 'domicile' here in US? Thanks in advance!

In the future start your own thread, it is rude and confusing to hijack someone else's post.

 

[sodapop1104 17]

23 hours ago, EG&XY said:

In the future start your own thread, it is rude and confusing to hijack someone else's post.

 

Thanks. will do.

[chrismar 2]

On 9/15/2017 at 9:31 AM, CynthiaBen said:

1-Just to confirm, my fiancée's (beneficiary) birth certificate , drivers license and identification card do not need to be sent with the 129F application, correct?

2-To what address do I need to send the application and supporting documents?

3-How long did the whole process take to be approved for you?

4-How much evidence in pictures and chats should I submit?

2

RJandHamid is spot on with their response but wanted to provide another response for you as well.

 

1. Yes, correct. Birth certificate (copy) is for the in-person interview.

2. RJandHamid (first reply above) got you.

3. I filed on March 23 (2017), received the NOA2 on July 20, and interviewed on September 5th. It will always vary based on USCIS workload and embassy.

4. I supplied at least 1 or 2 photos per visit along with ticket receipts. I traveled maybe 2 times per year to see my, now, fiance. Having gone through the long, grueling process I wanted to be sure that we weren't giving them any reason to bounce paperwork back to us.

 

To me, the I-129f can be easy to make mistakes on (because it asks so much of the petitioner). Your #1 job is to make it to the interview and then phase 2 begins where an equal amount of stress will be exerted onto your beneficiary. I can't speak to your consulate but ours wasn't so bad.

[Bluesky123 1]

• On ‎9‎/‎15‎/‎2017 at 10:00 AM, KULtoATL said:

 

Thank you everyone for your responses, truly appreciated