Approved i-129! How long before interview?

[LeeWanner 2]

Hello everyone!

I've scheduled a round trip visit lasting one month to have an engagement party with my fiancee in Indonesia for late May through to the middle of June. I hope to bring her back to the USA with me on my return flight. I received a message from the NVC on March 5th that my approved petition has been forwarded to the Embassy in Jakarta and I'm wonder - how long before the interview? The return flight is 3 months and 8 days from now and I'm really hoping everything will be sorted by then. I received my NOA2 back on January 21st and it states the approval is good until May 20th, so I'm assuming the interview would be before that expiration day - is that correct?

Thanks for your time. Any feedback and/or personal experience is welcome and appreciated!
Lee

[Ann&James 179]

20 minutes ago, LeeWanner said:

Hello everyone!

I've scheduled a round trip visit lasting one month to have an engagement party with my fiancee in Indonesia for late May through to the middle of June. I hope to bring her back to the USA with me on my return flight. I received a message from the NVC on March 5th that my approved petition has been forwarded to the Embassy in Jakarta and I'm wonder - how long before the interview? The return flight is 3 months and 8 days from now and I'm really hoping everything will be sorted by then. I received my NOA2 back on January 21st and it states the approval is good until May 20th, so I'm assuming the interview would be before that expiration day - is that correct?

Thanks for your time. Any feedback and/or personal experience is welcome and appreciated!
Lee

It is always advisable that you do not book  flight tickets before the visa in in the passport and delivered to you. With immigration anything can go wrong. 

[Crazy Cat 39,249]

Be VERY careful about the "engagement party".  If your party could be seen as a marriage per local laws/customs, it could result in being "too married for a K-1 visa".  This has happened numerous times here on VJ over the past 3 years........a word to the wise is sufficient.....as my 8th grade History teacher always said.  It is usually recommended to avoid these.

[MeghanK 625]

14 minutes ago, LeeWanner said:

Hello everyone!

I've scheduled a round trip visit lasting one month to have an engagement party with my fiancee in Indonesia for late May through to the middle of June. I hope to bring her back to the USA with me on my return flight. I received a message from the NVC on March 5th that my approved petition has been forwarded to the Embassy in Jakarta and I'm wonder - how long before the interview? The return flight is 3 months and 8 days from now and I'm really hoping everything will be sorted by then. I received my NOA2 back on January 21st and it states the approval is good until May 20th, so I'm assuming the interview would be before that expiration day - is that correct?

Thanks for your time. Any feedback and/or personal experience is welcome and appreciated!
Lee

I don't know specific timelines for Indonesia (check in the sub-regional forum for a better idea), but middle of June/3 months might be enough time with absolutely no errors. The petition expiration isn't automatically connected in anyway to how fast your timeline to interview/visa will or will not move. They are all given 4 months, some consulates get backed up well beyond those four months and automatically extend the petition, so it doesn't mean your interview HAS TO be before then. Make sure she has EVERYTHING in order for the interview so she doesn't get stuck having to submit more stuff afterwards and get stuck in Administrative Processing. 

 

Bottom line, there is really no predicting a timeline at this stage. You can look at typical averages and hope yours has no hiccups, but if you haven't booked her return flight yet, book a refundable one, and consider she might not be coming back with you on that date. It could happen, but it also could not.  

[yuni_yuni 59]

@LeeWanner

 It doesnt mean you have to do interview before approval expiration date, theres a lot people do the interview after exp. Date. You can read this article to have information about it.

https://www.visatutor.com/how-to-extend-your-i-129f-validity/

For your case, the best option if you want to have your fiance be with you while you return to US is to do interview as soon as possible. I assume she will receive the P3 (instruction for intvw) at the end of march or early April. And the interview date usually about 2-4 weeks after she reply the P3.

So you have to make sure she has everything for interview (6 weeks to prepare affidavit of support, medical check up,etc). Normally, if everything went smooth she will receive her visa about 4-7 day after interview, and the visa it self will be good 6 month after medical. 

Good luck

Edited March 10, 2019 by yuni_yuni