Discrepancy in K-1 processing times

[VisaQuestions2754 1]

Hi!

 

New to the community -- very glad to have found it, it looks extremely useful. Thanks to everyone for contributing their stories, I may be applying for a visa soon so it's really helped me get a grounding in how this stuff works.

 

One thing I found particularly interesting was the processing time data at https://www.visajourney.com/times/k1-fiance-visa-historical/. My understanding of that data is as follows:

 

• I-129F filed to NOA1 (receipt of documents): 9 days at CSC, 7 days at VSC, 8 days at TSC
• NOA1 to NOA2 (application approved): 104 days at CSC, 148 days at VSC, 101 days at TSC
• NOA2 to NVC receive: 28 days
• NVC processing time: 20 days
• NVC transferring application to consulate: 5 days
• Consulate processing time: 69 days

 

This gives an overall processing time (from the day the I-129F is filed through to interview being available at the consulate) of 235 days via CSC, 277 via VSC, and 231 days via TSC.

 

This gives me the impression that if I were to file I-129F today, on average I could expect to receive a final interview at a local consulate between 231 and 277 days (so around 7.5 to 9 months) later, is that correct?

 

I'm struggling a little with matching this data with other sources I've found online. It's close to what I've found at citizenpath.com and immi-usa.com (two of the first hits when I Google "K-1 visa processing time"), but the official processing time from https://egov.uscis.gov/processing-times/ just for the I-129F is 5-7 months at CSC , and 14-18 months (!) at VSC -- and that same site doesn't seem to give a number for K-1 processing times at TSC.

 

Is my interpretation of the processing time listed on this site correct? Why does it seem to differ so much from the official government data? And is there an easy answer to the question " on average when can I expect to receive a K-1 visa if I apply today", or is it more complicated than that?

 

 

[AGF 146]

9 minutes ago, VisaQuestions2754 said:

Hi!

 

New to the community -- very glad to have found it, it looks extremely useful. Thanks to everyone for contributing their stories, I may be applying for a visa soon so it's really helped me get a grounding in how this stuff works.

 

One thing I found particularly interesting was the processing time data at https://www.visajourney.com/times/k1-fiance-visa-historical/. My understanding of that data is as follows:

 

• I-129F filed to NOA1 (receipt of documents): 9 days at CSC, 7 days at VSC, 8 days at TSC
• NOA1 to NOA2 (application approved): 104 days at CSC, 148 days at VSC, 101 days at TSC
• NOA2 to NVC receive: 28 days
• NVC processing time: 20 days
• NVC transferring application to consulate: 5 days
• Consulate processing time: 69 days

 

This gives an overall processing time (from the day the I-129F is filed through to interview being available at the consulate) of 235 days via CSC, 277 via VSC, and 231 days via TSC.

 

This gives me the impression that if I were to file I-129F today, on average I could expect to receive a final interview at a local consulate between 231 and 277 days (so around 7.5 to 9 months) later, is that correct?

 

I'm struggling a little with matching this data with other sources I've found online. It's close to what I've found at citizenpath.com and immi-usa.com (two of the first hits when I Google "K-1 visa processing time"), but the official processing time from https://egov.uscis.gov/processing-times/ just for the I-129F is 5-7 months at CSC , and 14-18 months (!) at VSC -- and that same site doesn't seem to give a number for K-1 processing times at TSC.

 

Is my interpretation of the processing time listed on this site correct? Why does it seem to differ so much from the official government data? And is there an easy answer to the question " on average when can I expect to receive a K-1 visa if I apply today", or is it more complicated than that?

 

 

“ It’s more complicated than that “ is right .. there are things like RFE’s ( request for further evidence ), and other service centers are busier than the others, etc. Then there’s the matter of medical exams.. 

Edited December 30, 2019 by AGF

[geowrian 22,335]

The data you see here is generated by the community's own timelines. This has several consequences...

1) It's only a very small subset of all filers. VJ is a decently sized community, but it's still small compared to the total data set.

2) The predictions here are usually pretty accurate for an average case. That said, they are only estimates.

3) The data is for people that applied x days ago. Somebody filing today may take much less or much more time. When I filed for my now-wife, I-129F processing time was around 1 month. It took 4 months, and grew to 8+ months for people who filed a few months after me. backlogs happen, as do the reductions of backlogs.

4) Users sometimes enter bad data. Many times people don't update after approval of completion of a step...they're done with the site for their purposes (at least for some time) and never bother to update their timelines after approval.

 

With regard to #4 especially, some of the stats above are definitely misleading. Namely anything involving TSC. TSC does not process I-129Fs for a fiance/fiancee. They stopped that early this decade. People incorrectly think that the Texas lockbox that they send the I-129F to is the Texas Service Center. It's not. That's why you don't see any data on it from USCIS directly.

All I-129Fs for a fiance/fiancee are currently sent to CSC originally. In rare cases (typically regarding certain criminal activity of the petitioner, or otherwise more complex cases...) they are then transferred to VSC.

Edit: That's also why you see a long time for processing at VSC from USCIS directly. Most people with cases sent to VSC either never update their VJ timelines or come to VJ (especially given the subject matter of those types of crimes resulting in being sent to VSC + likely needed a good lawyer).

 

That said, overall the estimates here are the best IMHO. The ones on the other websites you mentioned seem to be more outdated.

The official processing timelines from USCIS are what matters for being outside of normal processing times for USCIS purposes, although they are generally based on data from up to 3 months ago. It's harder to say with the new format they use, but previously they would post a chart with "current as of...", which was usually at least 2 months prior.

Edited December 30, 2019 by geowrian

[usmsbow 796]

26 minutes ago, VisaQuestions2754 said:

Hi!

 

New to the community -- very glad to have found it, it looks extremely useful. Thanks to everyone for contributing their stories, I may be applying for a visa soon so it's really helped me get a grounding in how this stuff works.

 

One thing I found particularly interesting was the processing time data at https://www.visajourney.com/times/k1-fiance-visa-historical/. My understanding of that data is as follows:

 

• I-129F filed to NOA1 (receipt of documents): 9 days at CSC, 7 days at VSC, 8 days at TSC
• NOA1 to NOA2 (application approved): 104 days at CSC, 148 days at VSC, 101 days at TSC
• NOA2 to NVC receive: 28 days
• NVC processing time: 20 days
• NVC transferring application to consulate: 5 days
• Consulate processing time: 69 days

 

This gives an overall processing time (from the day the I-129F is filed through to interview being available at the consulate) of 235 days via CSC, 277 via VSC, and 231 days via TSC.

 

This gives me the impression that if I were to file I-129F today, on average I could expect to receive a final interview at a local consulate between 231 and 277 days (so around 7.5 to 9 months) later, is that correct?

 

I'm struggling a little with matching this data with other sources I've found online. It's close to what I've found at citizenpath.com and immi-usa.com (two of the first hits when I Google "K-1 visa processing time"), but the official processing time from https://egov.uscis.gov/processing-times/ just for the I-129F is 5-7 months at CSC , and 14-18 months (!) at VSC -- and that same site doesn't seem to give a number for K-1 processing times at TSC.

 

Is my interpretation of the processing time listed on this site correct? Why does it seem to differ so much from the official government data? And is there an easy answer to the question " on average when can I expect to receive a K-1 visa if I apply today", or is it more complicated than that?

 

 

 

Visajourney data is based on member data and their timelines. Some people don't enter their info correctly, some forget to update it, etc. That being said, USCIS also is just giving an estimate. 5-7 months from NOA1 to NOA2 is the range it has averaged for as long as I've been here (6+ years now). Sometimes USCIS has been slower than that, sometimes faster.

 

VSC doesn't do K-1s. TSC used to years ago, but doesn't now either. 

 

 

[VisaQuestions2754 1]

17 minutes ago, AGF said:

“ It’s more complicated than that “ is right .. there are things like RFE’s ( request for further evidence ), and other service centers are busier than the others, etc. Then there’s the matter of medical exams.. 

Thanks! I've done a bit more research and I think that my service center would be Vermont, because the I-129F would be filed from New York.

 

According to the VJ data that would 155 days of processing, in addition to the 122 days of additional waiting time (I actually think this would be a little lower, as it allows for 69 days of consulate processing time and the relevant consulate in my case, the UK, seems a bit quicker than that -- I'm sure I saw consulate-by-consulate processing times somewhere on this site, but I now can't find that page!

 

But having double-checked the official processing times for VSC at https://egov.uscis.gov/processing-times/, it seems that it only lists data for the K-3 and the K-4, and not for the K-1. Do I have to look somewhere else for official data for the VSC K-1 processing times?

 

Side point, but according to https://www.uscis.gov/forms/service-center-forms-processing the I-129F is actually processed at the Potomac Service Center in addition to the three listed in VJ's data. Is there a reason why the PSC is excluded from that data?

[geowrian 22,335]

1 minute ago, VisaQuestions2754 said:

Thanks! I've done a bit more research and I think that my service center would be Vermont, because the I-129F would be filed from New York.

Incorrect. 1) It's not based on residency. 2) All I-129Fs for a K-1 are currently sent to CSC.

You do not want to be sent to VSC...

 

1 minute ago, VisaQuestions2754 said:

Side point, but according to https://www.uscis.gov/forms/service-center-forms-processing the I-129F is actually processed at the Potomac Service Center in addition to the three listed in VJ's data. Is there a reason why the PSC is excluded from that data?

It also says TSC processes them, which it stopped doing years ago.

[VisaQuestions2754 1]

Thank you so much, @usmsbow and @geowrian, that's precisely the information that I was looking for!

 

Based on what you've said, it seems that:

• All I-129Fs are sent to CSC; some are referred to VSC but that's not relevant to my case
• The VSC data can therefore be safely ignored for my purposes, and I can assume (because users will have entered "TSC" in error) that all other data prefers to I-129Fs being processed at CSC
• An average application that was transferred to a visa recipient's local consulate today would have spent 139 days at CSC or in transit before reaching NVC; it would then spent a further 25 days in transit or at the NVC before reaching the consulate, for a total of 164 days of pre-consulate time: a little under 5.5 months
• The consulate that is relevant to me, the UK embassy, has a processing time of 39 days (I *think* -- I still can't find the per-consulate processing times that I am sure are somewhere on VJ). That would mean on average an applicant who would be receiving their invitation to make an interview appointment at the UK embassy today would have initially had their I-129F submitted 164 +39 days previously, so 203 days = between 6.5 and 7 months

I can't find data on how quickly somebody can then attend their visa interview. Is it a matter of weeks? Or months? And assuming the interview is successful, am I correct in thinking that the K-1 visa would be in hand when leaving the embassy, so technically the applicant could go straight to the nearest airport and get on the first plane to the US?

[geowrian 22,335]

3 minutes ago, VisaQuestions2754 said:

I can't find data on how quickly somebody can then attend their visa interview. Is it a matter of weeks? Or months? And assuming the interview is successful, am I correct in thinking that the K-1 visa would be in hand when leaving the embassy, so technically the applicant could go straight to the nearest airport and get on the first plane to the US?

The per-consulate breakdown is on the stats page: https://www.visajourney.com/timeline/stats.php?cfl=

 

The visa will be issued after the interview. It is not issued immediately. In many cases - assuming no issues - this is a matter of days to a couple weeks after the interview. If the case is delayed for some reason (missing document, verification of documents, etc.) then this can add a few weeks or longer. If your case gets caught in extended background checks, this can take from weeks to months or longer (very rare for UK).

[usmsbow 796]

10 minutes ago, VisaQuestions2754 said:

 

I can't find data on how quickly somebody can then attend their visa interview. Is it a matter of weeks? Or months? And assuming the interview is successful, am I correct in thinking that the K-1 visa would be in hand when leaving the embassy, so technically the applicant could go straight to the nearest airport and get on the first plane to the US?

Depends on the consulate and timing. For mine (Indonesia), it was normally a month or less after the applicant was ready for the interview, but for whatever reason, my wife had to wait nearly 2 months until she could have her interview. 

 

And no, I don't think any embassy/consulate issues the K-1 right then and there. Usually you have to wait a few days until you receive your passport back with the visa. If you check out the consulate info for London, and the related user reviews, you should have some idea how long it will take after the interview that you'll receive the visa. 

[payxibka 10,044]

1 hour ago, VisaQuestions2754 said:

Hi!

 

New to the community -- very glad to have found it, it looks extremely useful. Thanks to everyone for contributing their stories, I may be applying for a visa soon so it's really helped me get a grounding in how this stuff works.

 

One thing I found particularly interesting was the processing time data at https://www.visajourney.com/times/k1-fiance-visa-historical/. My understanding of that data is as follows:

 

• I-129F filed to NOA1 (receipt of documents): 9 days at CSC, 7 days at VSC, 8 days at TSC
• NOA1 to NOA2 (application approved): 104 days at CSC, 148 days at VSC, 101 days at TSC
• NOA2 to NVC receive: 28 days
• NVC processing time: 20 days
• NVC transferring application to consulate: 5 days
• Consulate processing time: 69 days

 

This gives an overall processing time (from the day the I-129F is filed through to interview being available at the consulate) of 235 days via CSC, 277 via VSC, and 231 days via TSC.

 

This gives me the impression that if I were to file I-129F today, on average I could expect to receive a final interview at a local consulate between 231 and 277 days (so around 7.5 to 9 months) later, is that correct?

 

I'm struggling a little with matching this data with other sources I've found online. It's close to what I've found at citizenpath.com and immi-usa.com (two of the first hits when I Google "K-1 visa processing time"), but the official processing time from https://egov.uscis.gov/processing-times/ just for the I-129F is 5-7 months at CSC , and 14-18 months (!) at VSC -- and that same site doesn't seem to give a number for K-1 processing times at TSC.

 

Is my interpretation of the processing time listed on this site correct? Why does it seem to differ so much from the official government data? And is there an easy answer to the question " on average when can I expect to receive a K-1 visa if I apply today", or is it more complicated than that?

 

 

Every petition begins at CSC.  Ignore everything else

[SalishSea 16,777]

2 hours ago, VisaQuestions2754 said:

Is my interpretation of the processing time listed on this site correct? Why does it seem to differ so much from the official government data? And is there an easy answer to the question " on average when can I expect to receive a K-1 visa if I apply today", or is it more complicated than that?

 

It is more complicated than that.  The petition processing (at CSC for I-129Fs) is completely separate from what comes after that.  Last year for example, our petition took 185 days from NOA1 to NOA2.  No RFEs.  This year, it seems to be taking about half as long.  However:  the total time it took for our approved petition to clear the NVC, transit to Auckland NZ, and for my fiance's interview was <6 weeks, and the consulate originally offered an even earlier date.  NVC/transit time alone is taking much longer now.  The biggest variable is the consulate and availability of interviews. So from the date we mailed the petition to the wedding date was 257 days, which I consider to be quite fast.

[SalishSea 16,777]

To add:  all the info you are getting in this thread could be significantly skewed in your own case, depending on consulate.  If you complete a timeline, you will get feedback on the process for your particular country.

[igoyougoduke 1,605]

3 hours ago, VisaQuestions2754 said:

Hi!

 

New to the community -- very glad to have found it, it looks extremely useful. Thanks to everyone for contributing their stories, I may be applying for a visa soon so it's really helped me get a grounding in how this stuff works.

 

One thing I found particularly interesting was the processing time data at https://www.visajourney.com/times/k1-fiance-visa-historical/. My understanding of that data is as follows:

 

• I-129F filed to NOA1 (receipt of documents): 9 days at CSC, 7 days at VSC, 8 days at TSC
• NOA1 to NOA2 (application approved): 104 days at CSC, 148 days at VSC, 101 days at TSC
• NOA2 to NVC receive: 28 days
• NVC processing time: 20 days
• NVC transferring application to consulate: 5 days
• Consulate processing time: 69 days

 

This gives an overall processing time (from the day the I-129F is filed through to interview being available at the consulate) of 235 days via CSC, 277 via VSC, and 231 days via TSC.

 

This gives me the impression that if I were to file I-129F today, on average I could expect to receive a final interview at a local consulate between 231 and 277 days (so around 7.5 to 9 months) later, is that correct?

 

I'm struggling a little with matching this data with other sources I've found online. It's close to what I've found at citizenpath.com and immi-usa.com (two of the first hits when I Google "K-1 visa processing time"), but the official processing time from https://egov.uscis.gov/processing-times/ just for the I-129F is 5-7 months at CSC , and 14-18 months (!) at VSC -- and that same site doesn't seem to give a number for K-1 processing times at TSC.

 

Is my interpretation of the processing time listed on this site correct? Why does it seem to differ so much from the official government data? And is there an easy answer to the question " on average when can I expect to receive a K-1 visa if I apply today", or is it more complicated than that?

 

 

Honestly if you are trying stuff like this its like trying to pick the number for the lottery.   Just make sure your documents are filed properly to avoid any RFE's 

[Ed&Midori1031 330]

20 hours ago, VisaQuestions2754 said:

Hi!

 

New to the community -- very glad to have found it, it looks extremely useful. Thanks to everyone for contributing their stories, I may be applying for a visa soon so it's really helped me get a grounding in how this stuff works.

 

One thing I found particularly interesting was the processing time data at https://www.visajourney.com/times/k1-fiance-visa-historical/. My understanding of that data is as follows:

 

• I-129F filed to NOA1 (receipt of documents): 9 days at CSC, 7 days at VSC, 8 days at TSC
• NOA1 to NOA2 (application approved): 104 days at CSC, 148 days at VSC, 101 days at TSC
• NOA2 to NVC receive: 28 days
• NVC processing time: 20 days
• NVC transferring application to consulate: 5 days
• Consulate processing time: 69 days

 

This gives an overall processing time (from the day the I-129F is filed through to interview being available at the consulate) of 235 days via CSC, 277 via VSC, and 231 days via TSC.

 

This gives me the impression that if I were to file I-129F today, on average I could expect to receive a final interview at a local consulate between 231 and 277 days (so around 7.5 to 9 months) later, is that correct?

 

I'm struggling a little with matching this data with other sources I've found online. It's close to what I've found at citizenpath.com and immi-usa.com (two of the first hits when I Google "K-1 visa processing time"), but the official processing time from https://egov.uscis.gov/processing-times/ just for the I-129F is 5-7 months at CSC , and 14-18 months (!) at VSC -- and that same site doesn't seem to give a number for K-1 processing times at TSC.

 

Is my interpretation of the processing time listed on this site correct? Why does it seem to differ so much from the official government data? And is there an easy answer to the question " on average when can I expect to receive a K-1 visa if I apply today", or is it more complicated than that.

Each case is different.  Some cases are sooner, some much later.

[VisaQuestions2754 1]

On 12/31/2019 at 2:37 PM, Ed&Midori1031 said:

Each case is different.  Some cases are sooner, some much later.

I appreciate that there will, of course, be a significant variance in the processing time between different applications. The point I'm taking from the contributions on these thread is that once it's read correctly, the data being provided by VJ users is a pretty good match for the data being provided with USCIS regarding the processing time for K-1 visas.

 

As a side point, it would be interesting to drill down into the data in order to calculate things like the variance. Is the data available in a helpful format, like an Excel file or a CSV? It all seems to be public and I could go through the various visa journeys that people have shared, but that would take a long time!

Edited January 2, 2020 by VisaQuestions2754