Issues moving due to Coronavirus

[zrdn2019 35]

Update—I emailed the US embassy in my fiancé’s country and asked about this possibility of visa expiration due to travel restrictions. I received 2 replies from 2 different people, both saying that no formal procedure exists for these circumstances yet, but that it’s likely that my fiancé would need to pay the visa fee again, get another medical exam, and the visa would be reissued. 
 

They also said that if the court and police clearances were more than a year old at that time, that he would have to get those again too. 

[stephanie918 46]

5 minutes ago, zrdn2019 said:

Update—I emailed the US embassy in my fiancé’s country and asked about this possibility of visa expiration due to travel restrictions. I received 2 replies from 2 different people, both saying that no formal procedure exists for these circumstances yet, but that it’s likely that my fiancé would need to pay the visa fee again, get another medical exam, and the visa would be reissued. 
 

They also said that if the court and police clearances were more than a year old at that time, that he would have to get those again too. 

thanks for the update.  do they intend to have a centralized response? or is each consulate likely to be different?

[zrdn2019 35]

16 minutes ago, stephanie918 said:

thanks for the update.  do they intend to have a centralized response? or is each consulate likely to be different?

That I don’t know...

[A&D25612 32]

Just another update. I emailed the Foreign & Commonwealth Office as advised by the UK.gov support.  This is what they responded with:

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

If you are travelling or live overseas and are concerned about the global coronavirus pandemic, please read our coronavirus guidance and country-specific travel advice on WWW.GOV.UK.

Read our Coronavirus travel guidance:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/travel-advice-novel-coronavirus

Check advice for your destination:

https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice

You can register for updates on these pages.

We strongly suggest you use our FCO and Embassy social media pages, (Facebook and Twitter) as well for updates and further information, in some cases this can include information about flight and other transport options. They are platforms for you to ask questions.

All FCO travel advice is published on GOV.UK, there is no additional information our consular officers can provide in response to your enquiry.

Due to this pandemic, all foreign travel is subject to severe disruption and should be carefully planned.

Before travelling, you should assess the level of possible disruption you are willing and able to endure.

If you are abroad, you must follow the advice of local authorities and anticipate possible changes to your travel plans, including travelling via indirect routes to reach your final destination. You must be ready to comply with local isolation or quarantine requirements, and will need to rely on the local health system.

Following is a link to our website that explains what Consular services we are able to provide in our 'Support for British Nationals Abroad: A guide':
  
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/support-for-british-nationals-abroad-a-guide

If you feel that you require consular support in line with this guide, please call your nearest consulate or embassy:

https://www.gov.uk/world/embassies

This final link covers UK government advice on coronavirus:

https://www.gov.uk/government/topical-events/coronavirus-covid-19-uk-government-response
 

 

Regards

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

So again, not very useful. Looks like no one knows what happens with k1s. But basically, to quote them, there is no additional information our consular officers can provide in response to your enquiry.

Edited March 21, 2020 by A&D25612

[LaraAndEric 32]

Hi, we’re in a very similar situation to everyone here.. our visa doesn’t expire until August, but without my apartment and job after April I really don’t know what to do. I originally booked my flight for April 6th and rebooked it for April 17th (I’m from Germany, will fly from Amsterdam with transfer in Oslo though). And I agree to everyone: I think K1 visa holders should be allowed to enter. I totally understand that this travel ban is essential, but if spouses are exempt from the travel ban, so should be fiancés (especially K1 visa holders, because they can prove their intend to marry). 
I don’t think that the travel ban is going to be lifted, I just really hope that it gets less strict, and some visas are going to be added. 

I guess we all couldn’t have chosen a worse year to get married   But I also think that we are all gonna be even happier once that time comes  

[nics222 3]

On 3/19/2020 at 4:11 AM, stephanie918 said:

oh no!!!! no way

Oh heck no.. It took me 11 frustrating, expensive months to get approved, this is completely out of our hands

[Just Paul 4,591]

9 minutes ago, nics222 said:

Oh heck no.. It took me 11 frustrating, expensive months to get approved, this is completely out of our hands

Why folks wait so long to immigrate sometimes gets lost on me.  Our process was a little over 3 months and she moved the day after picking up the passport.

[SaraO 7]

7 minutes ago, Paul & Mary said:

Why folks wait so long to immigrate sometimes gets lost on me.  Our process was a little over 3 months and she moved the day after picking up the passport.

Every case is different, it took me around 10 months to get my k1 visa and in my case my fiancée who is an active service member is deployed overseas, so as you can probably tell I couldn’t move as soon as I got my visa that was at end of January because if not I would of never been able to get married within the 90 days 🤷🏻‍♀️ 

[zrdn2019 35]

42 minutes ago, Paul & Mary said:

Why folks wait so long to immigrate sometimes gets lost on me.  Our process was a little over 3 months and she moved the day after picking up the passport.

Wow, how lucky for you. My fiancé is in his 50s. He has an entire life to dismantle—house to sell, job to wrap up and find a replacement for, aging mother to care for, children to spend time with before leaving. I also have children of my own to prepare for his arrival. It’s a complicated transition and we need these months to get everything situated.

[judyann811 39]

37 minutes ago, Paul & Mary said:

Why folks wait so long to immigrate sometimes gets lost on me.  Our process was a little over 3 months and she moved the day after picking up the passport.

 

Thanks for your personal view, I've seen you respond with a similar post on other threads, I'd just like to comment that your sweeping statement is also likely irrelevant to most peoples situations.

 

If your partner was in a position where she had zero financial, employment, health, real estate, children, family commitments and was able to just leave as soon as the Visa was in hand, then that's a very fortunate position to be in but an unlikely one for the most of us.

 

My visa was issued 3 months before my entry date, also leaving another 3 months validity on my K1. Im from the UK and I dont know where it's like where your partner is from, but here I have a mortgage, a job with a 1 month minimum notice period, a car, a house full of possessions, having complications due to a serious ovarian cyst that my Dr here in the UK is dealing with, pets who are being shipped and require certain vaccinations and arrangements to be made that cant be done instantly. Moving almost as soon as my visa was issued is near impossible. Without having any idea of how long the process would take or if it would be approved immediately, how would you suggest people plan around an immediate move once a visa is issued? I dont think anyone was factoring in the possibility of the world coming to a complete grinding halt.

 

If your K1 had only just been approved last week, and the next day all travel from her home country and restrictions into the US had been placed the very next day, regardless of your fiancee being in a rare position to just be waiting without any baggage or commitments, for her green light to go to the US and just drop everything in an instant you'd find yourself in the same position as many at the moment, so it wouldnt matter whether you had waited or not.

 

In these trying times, may those of us in this situation more forward with support for each other - the last thing we need is judgement and questions over why we didnt just up 'n go with visa in hand.

 

 

 

 

[dothehustle 27]

7 hours ago, Paul & Mary said:

Why folks wait so long to immigrate sometimes gets lost on me.  Our process was a little over 3 months and she moved the day after picking up the passport.

Some of us have jobs, lives, and assets abroad, some don't. I wouldn't brag about belonging to the latter group.

[retheem 553]

On 3/16/2020 at 6:48 AM, SaraO said:

I’ve just called the US embassy in Spain and they just told me that if I can’t go to the US before the expiration of my visa I have to start all the process from the start, but I refuse. This isn’t our fault and we should be paying for this when it isn’t in our hands. 

I have been saying this and will repeat it;  many people will be shocked to find that their K-1 visas are not re-issued because they didn't travel when they are required to after the visas were issued. When an embassy gives a visa for family re-unification, they give 6 months for a reason. Any delay that happens after that is assumed to be yours. I will advise you to travel as soon as you can. 

[retheem 553]

On 3/15/2020 at 4:14 PM, judyann811 said:

I am in the same boat in that I am due to depart the UK on the 8th Apr. My K1 doesnt expire until June, but who knows what will happen in the meantime.

I am only in the UK on a working holiday, originally from Australia so I have no family here and few friends. Meanwhile, I have sold most of my things, handing keys back to my house in 3 weeks, sold my car and worst of all are taking my 2 kitties who are booked to fly on the 2nd Apr. Hopefully they still can as some airlines will be operating a skeleton schedule (so far anyway). I certainly dont want to take any risks for myself or endanger others, but its disappointing that considerations for the K1 Visas weren't given when they are sort of family based visa, more importantly with expiry dates. We've all been through the process to reach our K1 approval so how is it fair that those already married are free to enter, but not us... are we really that different? So disappointing.

 

Also, I am a travel agent and have been for 20 years. Calling the airline will be of little use, they are not the authority on visas and more often than not give out the incorrect information (I work on an emergency line and travellers are quite often rejected at the departure airport or if not picked up, at the arrival in customs for not having the right entry documents/visa that the airline should have, but didnt, confirm at departure). 

"...K1 visas weren't given when they are sort of family based visa.."  technically speaking a K1 visa is a non immigrant visa. Secondly, a K1 visa is a fiance visa. Officially a fiance is not a marital status. If things happen and such a scenario occurs, then K1s are among the first to be affected. This and many more are some of the reasons why i tell people to avoid K1 and go for CR1/ IR1 if possible. I will say travel as soon as possible. I have seen somewhere a K1 was allowed to enter the US from Schengen ( different post). 

 

All this to say, time is of essence, travel ASAP

Edited March 27, 2020 by retheem

[stephanie918 46]

1 hour ago, retheem said:

"...K1 visas weren't given when they are sort of family based visa.."  technically speaking a K1 visa is a non immigrant visa. Secondly, a K1 visa is a fiance visa. Officially a fiance is not a marital status. If things happen and such a scenario occurs, then K1s are among the first to be affected. This and many more are some of the reasons why i tell people to avoid K1 and go for CR1/ IR1 if possible. I will say travel as soon as possible. I have seen somewhere a K1 was allowed to enter the US from Schengen ( different post). 

 

All this to say, time is of essence, travel ASAP

in Australia there are no flights leaving the country and we are on an actual ban saying we CANT leave the country. so not sure how they want us to get around that one

[SaraO 7]

5 hours ago, retheem said:

I have been saying this and will repeat it;  many people will be shocked to find that their K-1 visas are not re-issued because they didn't travel when they are required to after the visas were issued. When an embassy gives a visa for family re-unification, they give 6 months for a reason. Any delay that happens after that is assumed to be yours. I will advise you to travel as soon as you can. 

Sir, we all had travel arrangements already done, that due to Covid-19 were affected, it isn’t that we left this til last moment. My country has been shut down since beginning of March and more than 70 countries have travel ban on my country. It’s to easy to talk when you don’t know anything. I didn’t chose to have a pandemic virus affecting the whole world. 

Edited March 27, 2020 by SaraO